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sawfly

[ saw-flahy ]

noun

, plural saw·flies.
  1. 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.


sawfly

/ ˈsɔːˌflaɪ /

noun

  1. 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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Word History and Origins

Origin of sawfly1

First recorded in 1765–75; saw 1 + fly 1
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Example Sentences

Apparently the ichneumon fly (Ophion obscurum), and not the true sawfly, is meant.

It would be difficult to find any obvious connexion between music and the Giant Sawfly.

Enemies: The larch is subject to the attacks of a sawfly, which has killed many trees of the American species.

With this instrument the female sawfly cuts a slit in the stem or leaf of a plant, into which she introduces her egg.

These sawfly larvae need looking after and can be killed by spraying.

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