horsefly

British

/ ˈhɔːsˌflaɪ /

noun

Also called: gadfly. cleg. any large stout-bodied dipterous fly of the family Tabanidae, the females of which suck the blood of mammals, esp horses, cattle, and man

"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

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.

It flew back and forth, menacing, like a horsefly.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2023

Ms Rudd, from Spalding, Lincolnshire, said after noticing the pimple on 25 March, she went to A&E where staff suspected a horsefly bite.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2023

He was a controversialist, a horsefly on the body politic.

From New York Times • Jan. 6, 2020

The sounds are wildly escalated to the point of disorienting so that a creaking door, clanging cookware and buzzing of a horsefly will cause near heart attacks from the surround sound and deep bass levels.

From Washington Times • Jan. 23, 2018

Astride her web, Charlotte sat moodily eating a horsefly and thinking about the future.

From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

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