Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Bluebottle

noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any of various blowflies of the genus Calliphora that have an iridescent metallic-blue body and make a loud buzzing noise when flying.

    "The incredibly long body as well as the extended wings were of a gleaming purplish-gray colour: I can only liken it to that of a meat fly or common "bluebottle"."

  2. 2
    blowfly with iridescent blue body; makes a loud buzzing noise in flight wordnet
  3. 3
    A marine jellyfish of the genus Physalia, which includes Physalia physalis, the Portuguese man-of-war, and Physalia utriculus, the Pacific man-of-war; a man-of-war.
  4. 4
    an annual Eurasian plant cultivated in North America having showy heads of blue or purple or pink or white flowers wordnet
  5. 5
    A cornflower, a plant that grows in grain fields, Centaurea cyanus, with blue flowers resembling bottles.
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    A blue ant, Diamma bicolor, a parasitic wasp native to Australia.
  2. 7
    Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus Graphium, also called triangles, etc.
  3. 8
    A police officer. Australia, Ireland, UK, derogatory, slang

    "I will have you as soundly swing’d for this, you bluebottle rogue!"

  4. 9
    A bluestocking. derogatory, obsolete

    "To-morrow there is a party of purple at the “blue” Miss Berry’s. Shall I go? um! — I don’t much affect your blue-bottles ; — but one ought to be civil."

Etymology

From blue + bottle, after the resemblance to shiny colored-glass bottles. In noun sense 3 (“cornflower”), via Middle English blewbothel. Noun sense 6 (“police officer”) is in reference to the colour of the uniform.

See also for "bluebottle"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: bluebottle