face fly
noun
: a European dipteran fly (Musca autumnalis) that is similar to the housefly, is widely established in North America, and causes distress to livestock by clustering about the face
Examples of face fly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The parasites often spread among cows - their preferred hosts - through certain types of face flies that eat eye secretions, such as tears, the Oct. 22 paper said.
—
Allyson Chiu, chicagotribune.com, 7 Nov. 2019
The worms move from eye to eye via face flies, aka Musca autumnalis, which feast on tears.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 6 Nov. 2019
The worm may have found its way to Beckley via a face fly.
—Chelsea Brasted, NOLA.com, 14 Feb. 2018
That larvae then need to hop back on board a face fly to complete its complicated life cycle.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 14 Feb. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Allyson Chiu, chicagotribune.com, 7 Nov. 2019
The worms move from eye to eye via face flies, aka Musca autumnalis, which feast on tears.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 6 Nov. 2019
The worm may have found its way to Beckley via a face fly.
—Chelsea Brasted, NOLA.com, 14 Feb. 2018
That larvae then need to hop back on board a face fly to complete its complicated life cycle.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 14 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Face fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face%20fly. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share