Glowworm

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Glowworm \Glow"worm`\, n. (Zool.)
     A coleopterous insect of the genus {Lampyris}; esp., the
     wingless females and larv[ae] of the two European species
     ({L. noctiluca}, and {L. splendidula}), which emit light from
     some of the abdominal segments.
     [1913 Webster]


  
           Like a glowworm in the night,
           The which hath fire in darkness, none in light. --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The male is winged, and is supposed to be attracted by
           the light of the female. In America, the luminous
           larv[ae] of several species of fireflies and fire
           beetles are called glowworms. Both sexes of these are
           winged when mature. See {Firefly}.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  glowworm
       n : the luminous larva or wingless grub-like female of a firefly

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  31 Moby Thesaurus words for "glowworm":
     blink, blinking, candle fly, coruscation, fire beetle, firefly,
     fireworm, glimmer, glimmering, glisten, glister, glitter,
     glittering, lampyrid, lantern fly, lightning bug, luciferase,
     luciferin, luminophor, phosphor, scintilla, scintillation, shimmer,
     shimmering, spangle, spark, sparkle, stroboscopic light, tinsel,
     twinkle, twinkling