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horse fly

American  

noun

  1. any bloodsucking, usually large fly of the family Tabanidae, especially of the genus Tabanus, a serious pest of horses, cattle, etc.


Etymology

Origin of horse fly

1350–1400; Middle English horsfleeye

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.

You’ve seen a horse fly, you’ve seen a dragon fly, you’ve seen a house fly.

From The Guardian • Mar. 27, 2019

Bad luck, like an avenging horse fly, seemed to chase him.

From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2016

The Scaptia beyonceae, a rare species of horse fly found in Queensland, Australia, was named after the American singer Beyonce, in January.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2012

Most of the time, Woolf would only let the horse fly through a short sprint before pulling him up and circling back for another go.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

When we arrived at the station, Octavia and I were put into a two horse fly because it was very windy and cold.

From Elizabeth Visits America by Glyn, Elinor

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