crane fly

Definition of crane fly

: 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 To see how even smaller fliers fared, the scientists caught and tested house flies, green bottle flies, and one crane fly. — Lucy Hicks, Science | AAAS, "Watch hummingbirds ‘dance’ through waterfalls," 18 Aug. 2020 The artificial fall also overpowered the crane fly, stymied by its long legs and slow flying. — Lucy Hicks, Science | AAAS, "Watch hummingbirds ‘dance’ through waterfalls," 18 Aug. 2020 Another great bait is oak leaf grubs, which are actually crane fly larvae. — Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, "How to Catch a Mess of Jumbo Perch," 25 Mar. 2020 The cranes fly in from their winter grounds in Texas and New Mexico and stop for about a week or more to fatten up on loose corn in the surrounding agricultural fields. — USA TODAY, "Crane season, corporal punishment, Common Core: News from around our 50 states," 11 Feb. 2020 Kramer writes, to impressive effect: Britain is home to some 326 crane fly species in all, including T. paludosa. — National Geographic, "U.K. Braces for a Massive Explosion of Flies," 12 Sep. 2016 Named for their slender, dangling legs, crane flies live life in an amorous whirlwind. — National Geographic, "U.K. Braces for a Massive Explosion of Flies," 12 Sep. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crane fly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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crane-fly orchid

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Cite this Entry

“Crane fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane%20fly. Accessed 27 Jan. 2021.

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