ladybug
Americannoun
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.
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
The creatures include a walrus, a ladybug, a zebra, a wildebeest, a bat, a bush baby, a beaver and a crocodile.
From New York Times • May 1, 2024
“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
She’s wearing ladybug pajama bottoms and a White Sox T-shirt, a strange match for the elegant song blasting from her purple boom box.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
