blow fly

or blowfly

Save This Word!

noun

any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Calliphoridae that deposit their eggs or larvae on carrion, excrement, etc., or in wounds of living animals.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of blow fly

First recorded in 1815–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use blow fly in a sentence

These must have been the larv of a blowfly similar to that which has been mentioned by others as inhabiting Sarracenia.
The Romance of Plant Life|G. F. Scott Elliot
A blowfly crawled over a caribou carcass, and possibly a few black flies were abroad.
The Barren Ground Caribou of Keewatin|Francis Harper
He swore savagely under his breath, and dabbed viciously at a blowfly that suddenly became noisy on the window-pane.
The Plattner Story and Others|H. G. Wells
Mrs. Drake continued, waddling to the mantelpiece and flicking a disreputable blowfly from one of the vases.
A Drake by George!|John Trevena

He had eased his uncle's labours by crushing the wasp, and averted his aunt's displeasure by obliterating the blowfly.
A Drake by George!|John Trevena

British Dictionary definitions for blow fly

blowfly

/ (ˈbləʊˌflaɪ) /

noun plural -flies

any of various dipterous flies of the genus Calliphora and related genera that lay their eggs in rotting meat, dung, carrion, and open wounds: family CalliphoridaeAlso called: bluebottle

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