Horsefly
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of several medium to large flies, of the family Tabanidae, that suck the blood of mammals (not to be confused with Stomoxys calcitrans, the stable fly, or dog fly).
"It was not a horsefly and it was not a deerfly; it was bigger than either."
- 2 large swift fly the female of which sucks blood of various animals wordnet
- 3 winged fly parasitic on horses wordnet
Example
More examples"It was not a horsefly and it was not a deerfly; it was bigger than either."
Etymology
From Middle English horse fliȝe, equivalent to horse + fly.