bee fly
noun
any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Bombyliidae, some of which resemble bees.
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What Does The “Bee” In Spelling Bee Mean Exactly?As spellers from across the country and around the globe gather to take part in the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, let’s try to settle a basic question: Where does the bee in “spelling bee” come from? Bee is derived from the Old English bēn meaning “a prayer, a favor.” By the late eighteenth century, bee had become commonly associated with the British dialect form, been or …
Nearby words
bee, bee balm, bee beetle, bee bird, bee block, bee fly, bee glue, bee gum, bee in one's bonnet, bee killer, bee martin
Origin of bee fly
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for bee fly
bee fly
noun
any hairy beelike nectar-eating dipterous fly of the family Bombyliidae, whose larvae are parasitic on those of bees and related insects
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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