Nearby Words

lady beetle

[ley-dee-beet-l] Origin

la·dy·bee·tle

[ley-dee-beet-l]
noun
Also, lady beetle.


Origin:
1875–80; lady(bug) + beetle1

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Lady beetle is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

la·dy·bug

[ley-dee-buhg]
noun
any of numerous small, round, often brightly colored and spotted beetles of the family Coccinellidae, feeding chiefly on aphids and other small insects, but including several forms that feed on plants.
Also called ladybeetle, lady beetle, ladybird beetle, ladybird.


Origin:
1690–1700; lady + bug1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To lady beetle
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ladybug
1690s, from lady + bug. The "lady" is the Virgin Mary (cf. Ger. cognate Marienkäfer). In Britain, now usually ladybird beetle (1704), through aversion to the word bug, which there has overtones of sodomy.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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