ladybug
Americannoun
-
ladybugs
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ladybug
Explanation
A ladybug is a tiny, flying beetle that's usually red with black dots. Some people think it's good luck when a ladybug lands on them. Scientifically, the ladybug is known as a coccinellid, one of a family of insects that are generally brightly colored and spotted. They are sometimes also called "lady birds" or "lady cows." Gardeners love them because they tend to eat pesky bugs like aphids that feed on plants and flowers. The lady part of their name refers to the Bible's Virgin Mary, named for the red cape she wears in many well-known paintings.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The ladybug, once a treasured member of the animal kingdom, is six legs deep in a publicity crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 16, 2025
In another, a ladybug drinks water from a dewdrop on a long blade of grass.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 22, 2024
I carried it with me every day, like I carried my pink, sparkly ladybug lunchbox.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 5, 2023
They giggled and zoomed in on their friends’ faces, and looked at the snow on the mountains and a ladybug on a blade of grass.
From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2023
“Strawberry, stop sign, ladybug, Kool-Aid, tomato, tulip....”He slowly raised his arm and reached out, feeling for the bedside table.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
“You’ll come out of your house and boom—there’s thousands of ladybugs on your wall,” he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 16, 2025
Important factors are the places where the animals are found and their level of popularity -- squirrels and ladybugs come out on top here.
From Science Daily ● May 8, 2024
One group huddles around a netted container, peering through magnifying glasses at the ladybugs inside.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2023
She arrived in a white short-sleeved, high-necked sweater, dotted with outsize ladybugs, and her affect was as wholesome, earnest and embraceably eccentric as her style.
From New York Times ● May 10, 2023
There were giant butterflies and ladybugs scattered among the blossoms.
From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
