Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

flesh fly

American  

noun

  1. any fly of the family Sarcophagidae, comprising species that deposit their eggs or larvae in carrion or in the flesh of living animals.


flesh fly British  

noun

  1. any dipterous fly of the genus Sarcophaga , esp S. carnaria , whose larvae feed on carrion or the tissues of living animals: family Calliphoridae

"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 flesh fly

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325


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.

See Examples For:

For a while, the common flesh fly, which does not occur in the Americas, appeared there in great abundance on iNaturalist’s maps.

From New York Times ● Dec. 9, 2022

The fact remains that, despite the attraction of the scent, the flesh fly does not expose her worms to disproportionate falls.

From The Life of the fly; with which are interspersed some chapters of autobiography by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

Some give me the adult flesh fly, others the parasite.

From The Life of the fly; with which are interspersed some chapters of autobiography by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

It is an exact repetition of what the liquefiers of meat, the grubs of the grey flesh fly and the bluebottle, have lately shown us.

From The Life of the fly; with which are interspersed some chapters of autobiography by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

This brings us back, after a long way round, to our starting point, the maggot of the flesh fly.

From The Life of the fly; with which are interspersed some chapters of autobiography by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com