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sawfly

[ saw-flahy ]
/ ˈsɔˌflaɪ /
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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.

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Origin of sawfly

First recorded in 1765–75; saw1 + fly1

Words nearby sawfly

sawdust, sawdust trail, sawdusty, sawed-off, sawfish, sawfly, saw grass, sawhorse, saw log, sawm, sawmill
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

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British Dictionary definitions for sawfly

sawfly
/ (ˈsɔːˌflaɪ) /

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
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