horseflies

Variant of horsefly

horsefly definition

horse·fly (-flī′)

noun pl. horseflies -·flies′

  1. any of a number of large dipterous flies (family Tabanidae), the female of which sucks the blood of horses, cattle, etc.
  2. any of various other dipterous flies that bite or infest horses, esp. any of a family (Gasterophilidae) of botflies

Etymology: ME hors fleege

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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