glowworm
noun
Forms glowworms glow-worm
- noun The larva or wingless grub-like female of a beetle from the families Phengodidae or Lampyridae that gives out a green light from its abdomen.
- noun (Australia, New Zealand) A carnivorous gnat larva in the keroplatid genus Arachnocampa that spins threads to capture insects attracted by its glow.
Etymology
From Middle English glouworm; equivalent to glow + worm. Compare cognate German Glühwurm; compare also firefly, lightning bug, and lanternfly.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “glowworm”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details