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
“Before the game, a ladybug landed on my shoe. And you all know what that means,” Aiyuk said.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 28, 2024
In another, a ladybug drinks water from a dewdrop on a long blade of grass.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 22, 2024
As Stickman peered out from behind the fruit bowl, he saw a friendly-looking ladybug named Lila, who had accidentally knocked over the saltshaker.
From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
For Worlds, I made sure to pack my lucky turtle, the one with a little red ladybug on its back.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
The phenomenon is ironic, said Ric Bessin, a professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky, since ladybugs have traditionally been a symbol of cleanliness and order.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 16, 2025
Participants placed some animals, such as squirrels and ladybugs, in all or almost all locations.
From Science Daily ● May 8, 2024
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
Shilling’s upcoming solo exhibition of paintings and ceramics, “A Bug’s Life” at Jeffrey Deitch Los Angeles in April, will feature “spring themes” such as frogs, flora and fauna, ladybugs, caterpillars and butterflies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
Where did ladybugs go when the rain came hard and fast?
From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
