firebug

[fahyuh r-buhg]

See more synonyms for firebug on Thesaurus.com

noun Informal.

arsonist; incendiary; pyromaniac.

Origin of firebug

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; fire + bug¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

incendiary arsonist pyromaniac

Examples from the Web for firebug

Historical Examples

You know they're after the firebug, an' you better watch out!
The Girl Scouts at Sea Crest
Lillian Garis
And in all these fires the firebug had neither been seen nor traced.
The Firebug
Roy J. Snell
One more thing; if the fire had been set, was the firebug still about the place?
The Firebug
Roy J. Snell
Johnny told of his new task and of his hopes of capturing the firebug.
The Firebug
Roy J. Snell
That firebug has burned school houses, a recreation center, the zoo.
The Firebug
Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for firebug

firebug

noun

informal a person who deliberately sets fire to property

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for firebug

n.

"arsonist," 1872, from fire (n.) + bug (n.).

firebug

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}firebug

Related Words

Examples from the Web for firebug

Historical Examples

You know they're after the firebug, an' you better watch out!

And in all these fires the firebug had neither been seen nor traced.

One more thing; if the fire had been set, was the firebug still about the place?

Johnny told of his new task and of his hopes of capturing the firebug.

That firebug has burned school houses, a recreation center, the zoo.

firebug

Word Origin and History for firebug

n.

Origin of firebug