English

A Calliphora livida fly specimen

Alternative forms

• blow-fly

Noun

blowfly ‎(plural blowflies)

1. Any of various flies of the family Calliphoridae that lay their eggs in rotting meat, dung, or in open wounds.
   • 1993, John Banville, Ghosts

     What is a blow-fly? That is what I thought when I saw them: blow-flies. Is there something dead around here that has not yet begun to stink? I cannot discover where they are coming from; they just appear in the light of the lamp, attracted by the warmth, I suppose, and fly up against the bulb and then drop stunned on the table and flop about groggily until I sweep them away with my sleeve.

Translations

See also

• bluebottle
• greenbottle
• blowie

Anagrams

• flyblow