La"dy*bird` (?), n. [Equiv. to, bird of Our Lady.] Zool.
Any one of numerous species of small beetles of the genus Coccinella and allied genera (family Coccinellidae); -- called also ladybug, ladyclock, lady cow, lady fly, and lady beetle. Coccinella seplempunctata in one of the common European species. See Coccinella.
The ladybirds are usually more or less hemispherical in form, with a smooth, polished surface, and often colored red, brown, or black, with small spots of brighter colors. Both the larvae and the adult beetles of most species feed on aphids, and for this reason they are very beneficial to agriculture and horticulture.
© Webster 1913.