Pyrophorus

2 definitions found

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

  Pyrophorus \Py*roph"o*rus\, n. [NL. See {Pyrophorous}.] (Old
     Chem.)
     Any one of several substances or mixtures which phosphoresce
     or ignite spontaneously on exposure to air, as a heated
     mixture of alum, potash, and charcoal, or a mixture of
     charcoal and finely divided lead.


     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Pyrophorus
       n : tropical click beetles [syn: {genus Pyrophorus}]