black fly

noun

1. any of the minute, black gnats of the dipterous family Simuliidae, having aquatic larvae.

black fly

noun

1. any small blackish stout-bodied dipterous fly of the family Simuliidae , which sucks the blood of man, mammals, and birds See also buffalo gnat

Word History and Origins

Origin of black fly¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

And keep in mind, the repellent you apply to keep mosquitoes away will also help ward off the other nasties like ticks and black flies.

From Los Angeles Times

It is now evident that both the loss of water clarity -- as well as increasing populations of black flies, which have increased due to greater rainfall -- are to blame for the population downturn.

From Science Daily

Her classmates keep interrupting her to explain why the situations she’s describing — the black fly in the Chardonnay, etc. — aren’t actually ironic.

From Los Angeles Times

In our first year of homeownership alone, we were unlucky enough to deal with drain flies, stink bugs, the occasional house centipede, and big black flies that invaded our windows during the summer.

From Salon

Collections not only increase the number of chicks per year but in Wisconsin, help keep wild chicks from hatching when bloodsucking black flies are at their worst.

From Seattle Times