firebug

A noun with two distinct meanings: a criminal who deliberately sets fire to property, or a brightly colored true bug capable of exuding a stain.

• 🇩🇪Substantiv mit zwei Bedeutungen: eine Person, die absichtlich Feuer legt (Brandstifter), oder eine auffällig rot-schwarz gefärbte Wanze, die bei Bedrohung eine stinkende Flüssigkeit absondert.

1. Arsonist B2 formal legal

   A person who deliberately sets fire to property or buildings, often illegally.

   • The police arrested the firebug who set the warehouse ablaze.
   • A firebug has been causing panic in the neighborhood by starting small fires.
   • The court sentenced the firebug to several years in prison.

   🇩🇪Brandstifter

   Synonyme: arsonistincendiarypyromaniactorch

2. Red fire bug C1 formal scientific

   A small, brightly colored insect of the family Pyrrhocoridae, known for its red and black markings and ability to exude a staining liquid when disturbed.

   • The firebug is often seen in gardens, feeding on seeds and plant matter.
   • Children were warned not to touch the firebug because it can stain their hands.
   • The bright red color of the firebug serves as a warning to predators.

   🇩🇪Feuerwanze

• firebugs plural form
• firebugs' possessive plural form
• firebug's possessive singular form