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alderfly

[ awl-der-flahy ]
/ ˈɔl dərˌflaɪ /
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noun, plural al·der·flies.
any of several dark-colored neuropterous insects of the family Sialidae, the larvae of which are aquatic and predacious on other aquatic insects.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
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Origin of alderfly

First recorded in 1820–30; alder + fly1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alderfly in a sentence

  • All trout, particularly rainbows, take an alder fly readily.

    Chats on Angling|H. V. Hart-Davis

  • I am becoming poetical; let us think how to tie an alder-fly.

    Prose Idylls|Charles Kingsley

  • The imitation of the Alder-fly has perhaps been most treated in this way, but it is not alone.

    Old Flies in New Dresses|Charles Edward Walker

British Dictionary definitions for alderfly

alder fly
noun
any of various neuropterous insects of the widely distributed group Sialoidea, such as Sialis lutaria, that have large broad-based hind wings, produce aquatic larvae, and occur near water
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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