bee fly

noun

any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Bombyliidae, some of which resemble bees.

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012