bee fly

American

noun

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

bee fly British

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

Etymology

Origin of bee fly

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

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.

Then Lex accidentally drops a friend’s baby on the ground after a bee flies at her face; while the infant’s OK, the incident prompts the party guests to rethink everything they know about one another.

From Los Angeles Times

On one page a bee flies through the air; several pages later the same bee is pedaling a bicycle.

From New York Times

At one point, a confused bee flies up and stings her on the finger.

From Washington Post

There are more than 5,200 known species of bee flies around the world, but Dr Lessard says there are likely to be "many more" that are currently undocumented.

From BBC

Touchingly, in the video's final moments, a bee flies towards the screen - serving as an emblem for Manchester and a tribute to the victims.

From BBC

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