noun
- a small biting fly of the family Tabanidae, related to the horsefly, that feeds on the blood of mammals including deer and humans
Usage: usually singular or plural; also written as 'deer fly' or 'deer-fly'
Examples
- The deerfly bit me on the arm while I was hiking in the woods.
- Deerflies are most active during warm summer months.
- Unlike mosquitoes, deerflies are attracted to movement and dark colors.
- The campers used insect repellent to protect themselves from deerflies.
- A deerfly can deliver a painful bite that may cause itching and swelling.