dobsonfly

noun

dob·​son·​fly ˈdäb-sən-ˌflī How to pronounce dobsonfly (audio)
: a winged insect (family Corydalidae) that has very long slender mandibles in the male and a large carnivorous aquatic larva and that is now usually considered a neuropteran compare hellgrammite

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dobsonfly was circa 1904

Dictionary Entries Near dobsonfly

Cite this Entry

“Dobsonfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dobsonfly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dobsonfly

noun
dob·​son·​fly ˈdäb-sən-ˌflī How to pronounce dobsonfly (audio)
: a large-eyed winged insect with a large flesh-eating water-dwelling larva

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