Fireflies

/ˈfaɪərflaɪz/ noun

Definition

Small insects that glow in the dark by producing light in their abdomens, common in summer evenings.

Etymology

Compound word: 'fire' (Old English 'fyr') referring to the glow they produce, and 'flies' (Old English 'fleoge'), the insects. The name perfectly describes their characteristic bioluminescence.

Kelly Says

Fireflies are actually beetles, not flies, and they use their glow to find mates in the dark—each species has its own unique blinking pattern like a biological morse code, and scientists can identify species just by watching their flash patterns.

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