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alderfly

American

[awl-der-flahy] / ˈɔl dərˌflaɪ /

noun

any of several dark-colored neuropterous insects of the family Sialidae, the larvae of which are aquatic and predacious on other aquatic insects.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

alderflies

plural

Etymology

Origin of alderfly

First recorded in 1820–30; alder + fly ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Surprisingly, many common orders of insects, including aquatic arthropods such as the alderfly, were featured rarely or not at all.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 4, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.