dobsonfly

American  

[dob-suhn-flahy] / ˈdɒb sənˌflaɪ /

noun

dobsonflies plural

1. a large, soft-bodied insect, Corydalus cornutus, having four distinctly veined membranous wings, biting mouthparts, and, in the male, huge mandibles that jut out from the head.

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dobsonfly British  

/ ˈdɒbsənˌflaɪ /

noun

1. a large North American neuropterous insect, Corydalis cornutus: the male has elongated horn-like mouthparts and the larva (a hellgrammite or dobson) is used as bait by anglers: suborder Megaloptera See also hellgrammite

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• dobsonflies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dobsonfly

1900–05; after surname Dobson; see fly ¹