bluebottle

[ bloo-bot-l ]

noun

1. cornflower ( def 1 ).
2. a composite plant, Centaurea cyanus, having narrow leaves and blue flower heads.
3. bluebottle fly.
4. Australian. Portuguese man-of-war.

bluebottle

/ ˈbluːˌbɒtəl /

noun

1. See blowfly
   another name for the blowfly
2. any of various blue-flowered plants, esp the cornflower
3. See policeman
   an informal word for a policeman
4. See Portuguese man-of-war
   an informal name for Portuguese man-of-war

Word History and Origins

Origin of bluebottle¹

First recorded in 1545–55; blue + bottle ¹

Example Sentences

Yet, although he could take no exercise, he used to eat no less than seventy large bluebottle flies every evening.

From Project Gutenberg

Paying not the least attention to the big bluebottle fly that buzzed her nose, Sue stretched full-length and dozed in the sun.

From Project Gutenberg

The bluebottle fly, tiring of its futile efforts to annoy her, buzzed importantly off in search of a more responsive victim.

From Project Gutenberg

From time to time, the bluebottle and the flesh fly perch on the trellis-work, make a short investigation and then decamp.

From Project Gutenberg

I put the bluebottle's eggs to hatch on a piece of meat and leave the worms to do their work as they please.

From Project Gutenberg