crane fly

noun

: any of a family (Tipulidae) of long-legged slender dipteran flies that resemble large mosquitoes but do not bite

Examples of crane fly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Our experts said there's no reason to get rid of crane flies. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 There's no specific homemade repellent for crane flies. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 Another flying pest that resembles the mosquito is the crane fly, also called mosquito hawks. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024 North Texas weather is a haunted house full of crane flies, and the cost of entry to build even the micro-est of farms is steep. Nick Rallo, Dallas News, 12 June 2023 Another great bait for perch fishing is oak leaf grubs, which are actually crane fly larvae. Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 3 May 2023 Despite their creepy mosquito-like appearance, crane flies are completely benign. Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023 Monitor for European crane fly and treat lawns if damage has been verified. oregonlive, 1 Mar. 2022 Stop irrigating your lawn after Labor Day to suppress European crane fly populations. oregonlive, 1 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crane fly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crane fly was in 1658

Dictionary Entries Near crane fly

Cite this Entry

“Crane fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane%20fly. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

crane fly

noun
: any of numerous long-legged slender two-winged flies that resemble large mosquitoes but do not bite

More from Merriam-Webster on crane fly

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