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ladybird

British

/ ˈleɪdɪˌbɜːd /

noun

Usual US and Canadian name: ladybug. any of various small brightly coloured beetles of the family Coccinellidae, such as Adalia bipunctata ( two-spotted ladybird ), which has red elytra marked with black spots

"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

Etymology

Origin of ladybird

C18: named after Our Lady, the Virgin Mary

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.

The nursery rhyme that goes “Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, your house is on fire, your children are gone” cruelly repeated in my head.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2025

Previous studies have shown that animals including ladybird beetles and sand tiger sharks practice such lardering behavior.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 15, 2024

A bee, butterfly, ladybird, wren and robin all appear on the invite's border to symbolize the beginning of spring and Charles's dedication to sustainability.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2023

But its arrival has caused concern that it is displacing some native species, such as the two-spot ladybird.

From BBC • Oct. 5, 2018

“Actually, the ladybird isn’t a bird at all. It’s a type of beetle. A pest,” Shanti said pointedly.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023