bluebottle fly

American  

noun

1. any of several iridescent blue blow flies, especially those of the genus Calliphora, some of which are parasitic on domestic animals.

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Etymology

Origin of bluebottle fly

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

Instead there's crumpled napkins, unclaimed pens, forgotten umbrellas, a half-empty Coke bottle and a solitary bluebottle fly out of a Raymond Chandler novel.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead there’s crumpled napkins, unclaimed pens, forgotten umbrellas, a half-empty Coke bottle and a solitary bluebottle fly out of a Raymond Chandler novel.

From Los Angeles Times

A hairy bluebottle fly named Cynomya mortuorum, for instance, can be found hunting for carrion across northern Europe and Asia.

From Washington Post

The flies are also widely distributed - one of their more commonly recognized representatives is the bluebottle fly - so the method could be used throughout much of the world.

From New York Times

With a physical meaning of soft to the touch, the word is used substantively of the maggot of the bluebottle fly, used as a bait by fishermen.

From Project Gutenberg