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bee fly

American

noun

any of numerous dipterous insects of the family Bombyliidae, some of which resemble bees.

bee fly British

noun

any hairy beelike nectar-eating dipterous fly of the family Bombyliidae , whose larvae are parasitic on those of bees and related insects

"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

Etymology

Origin of bee fly

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

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.

In her mind, Ivy ran through a plan that involved running up to Drew in a panic, saying that she saw a potentially lethal bee fly into his backpack.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

"De acuerdo," said Gabriele and she watched the busy bee fly away from her cold Antarctic garden.

From Tokyo to Tijuana: Gabriele Departing America by Sills, Steven (Steven David Justin)

Then the mother bade the bee fly up to the seventh heaven and to bring down from thence the honey of Ukko's wisdom, which was so abundant there.

From Finnish Legends for English Children by Eivind, R.

Again, the peculiar outline and coloration of certain orchids—notably of our own bee, fly, and spider orchids—seem hardly explicable by any action of "Natural Selection."

From On the Genesis of Species by Mivart, St. George

They soon knew, for, going out again into the open, Shanter let the bee fly and darted off after it, keeping the patch of white in view, till it disappeared among some trees.

From The Dingo Boys The Squatters of Wallaby Range by Stacey, W. S. (Walter S.)

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