bluebottle

noun

blue·​bot·​tle ˈblü-ˌbä-tᵊl How to pronounce bluebottle (audio)
1
2
: any of several blowflies (genus Calliphora) that have the abdomen or the whole body iridescent blue in color and that make a loud buzzing noise in flight

Examples of bluebottle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Rowles said although he had previously been stung by a bluebottle jellyfish, also known as physalia utriculus, his recent sting kept getting more intense. Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026 The team sequenced the genome of each bluebottle, then grouped them together in clusters based on their geographic range in the oceans (Figure 1c). Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 To develop a forecasting tool together with Surf Life Saving Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology, and others, to help predict and prevent painful bluebottle stings. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2025 Now, researchers studying these unique creatures have found that Portuguese man o’ wars — also known as bluebottles — may actually belong to at least four distinct species. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bluebottle was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Bluebottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bluebottle. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

bluebottle

noun
blue·​bot·​tle -ˌbät-ᵊl How to pronounce bluebottle (audio)
: any of several blowflies with a shiny blue abdomen or body

Medical Definition

bluebottle

noun
blue·​bot·​tle ˈblü-ˌbät-ᵊl How to pronounce bluebottle (audio)
: any of several blowflies (genus Calliphora) that have an iridescent blue body or abdomen and make a loud buzzing noise in flight

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