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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Origin of alderfly

First recorded in 1820–30; alder + fly¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for alderfly

Andrew still plans to fly to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on January 21, representing the British government.
From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After some animated debate at the conference, Lelaie declared, with some frustration, “If you push on the stick, you will fly.”
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Thus it attracted a wave of cowboy operators to fly passengers and cargo between cities.
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Many of these are small operations that would never, in any case, fly beyond Indonesia.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Air traffic controllers and pilots together take great care not to fly in conditions that can jeopardize an airplane.
Did Bad Weather Bring Down AirAsia 8501?|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Aristide darted off like a dragon-fly in the sunshine, as happy as a child with a new toy.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
“Confound it, no;” rejoined Mr. Simmery, stopping for an instant to smash a fly with the ruler.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
They must be kept away from flies—a fly can work havoc with a film in a few minutes.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The non-elastic character of water made it unsuitable for a machine requiring a fly-wheel.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
What of the infinite goodness of God in teaching the grub of the ichneumon-fly to eat up the cabbage caterpillar alive?
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford

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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