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

Noun Inflected Forms

alderflies

plural

Etymology

Origin of alderfly

First recorded in 1820–30; alder + fly ¹

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

alderfly

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