sawfly

[saw-flahy]

noun, plural saw·flies.

any of numerous hymenopterous insects of the family Tenthredinidae, the female of which has a sawlike ovipositor for inserting the eggs in the tissues of a host plant.

Origin of sawfly

First recorded in 1765–75; saw¹ + fly²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sawfly

Historical Examples of sawfly

The Slug-worm is so called from the similarity of the larva of this sawfly to a small black slug.
The Book of Pears and Plums
Edward Bartrum
These sawfly larvae need looking after and can be killed by spraying.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the
Various
Sawfly larvae can at once be recognized by the curious positions they assume, and by the number of pro-legs, which exceeds ten.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10
Various
Enemies: The larch is subject to the attacks of a sawfly, which has killed many trees of the American species.
Studies of Trees
Jacob Joshua Levison

British Dictionary definitions for sawfly

sawfly

noun plural -flies

any of various hymenopterous insects of the family Tenthredinidae and related families, the females of which have a sawlike ovipositor

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