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greenfly

American  
[green-flahy] / ˈgrinˌflaɪ /

noun

plural

greenflies

  1. an aphid, Coloradoa rufomaculata, that is an important pest of chrysanthemums.

greenfly British  
/ ˈɡriːnˌflaɪ /

noun

  1. a greenish aphid commonly occurring as a pest on garden and crop plants

"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 greenfly

First recorded in 1680–90; green + fly 1

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.

Each summer, wasps in the UK capture about 14 million kilogrammes of insects such as caterpillars and greenfly, making them important friends to gardeners.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2024

Aphids - such as greenfly and blackfly - damage plants by sucking nutrients from their sap, and can also introduce plant viruses.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2015

About a month ago, a swarm of greenfly and midges got into the dining area and we had to shut the restaurant.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2013

Midges and greenfly have been attracted by the lights and swarmed in the dining area, Mr Nicholls said.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2013

The greenfly makes its colonies in the rose, a purple fellow swarms under the leaves of the apples, and another scoundrel, black as the night, swarms over the beans.

From The Pleasures of Ignorance by Lynd, Robert

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.