bee fly

noun

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

bee fly

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bee fly¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Example Sentences

Then Lex accidentally drops a friend’s baby on the ground after a bee flies at her face; while the infant’s OK, the incident prompts the party guests to rethink everything they know about one another.

From Los Angeles Times

On one page a bee flies through the air; several pages later the same bee is pedaling a bicycle.

From New York Times

At one point, a confused bee flies up and stings her on the finger.

From Washington Post

There are more than 5,200 known species of bee flies around the world, but Dr Lessard says there are likely to be "many more" that are currently undocumented.

From BBC

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 Literature