Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Breeze fly
Breeze
,Breeze′ flyˊ
Noun.
[OE.
brese
, AS. briósa
; perh. akin to OHG. brimissa
, G. breme
, bremse
, D. brems
, which are akin to G. brummen
to growl, buzz, grumble, L. fremere
to murmur; cf. G. brausen
, Sw. brusa
, Dan. bruse
, to roar, rush.] (Zool.)
A fly of various species, of the family
Tabanidæ
, noted for buzzing about animals, and tormenting them by sucking their blood; – called also horsefly
, and gadfly
. They are among the largest of two-winged or dipterous insects. The name is also given to different species of botflies. [Written also
breese
and brize
.]