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mayfly

[ mey-flahy ]
/ ˈmeɪˌflaɪ /
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noun, plural may·flies.
Also called shadfly . any insect of the order Ephemeroptera, having delicate, membranous wings with the front pair much larger than the rear and having an aquatic larval stage and a terrestrial adult stage usually lasting less than two days.
Also May fly .Angling. an artificial fly made to resemble this insect.
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Origin of mayfly

First recorded in 1645–55; May + fly1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mayfly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mayfly

mayfly
/ (ˈmeɪˌflaɪ) /

noun plural -flies
Also called: dayfly any insect of the order Ephemeroptera (or Ephemerida). The short-lived adults, found near water, have long tail appendages and large transparent wings; the larvae are aquatic
angling an artificial fly resembling this
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
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