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crane fly
noun
: 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
Our experts said there's no reason to get rid of crane flies.
—
Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024
There's no specific homemade repellent for crane flies.
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Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024
Another flying pest that resembles the mosquito is the crane fly, also called mosquito hawks.
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Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024
North Texas weather is a haunted house full of crane flies, and the cost of entry to build even the micro-est of farms is steep.
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Nick Rallo, Dallas News, 12 June 2023
Another great bait for perch fishing is oak leaf grubs, which are actually crane fly larvae.
—
Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 3 May 2023
Despite their creepy mosquito-like appearance, crane flies are completely benign.
—
Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023
Monitor for European crane fly and treat lawns if damage has been verified.
—
oregonlive, 1 Mar. 2022
Stop irrigating your lawn after Labor Day to suppress European crane fly populations.
—
oregonlive, 1 Sep. 2021
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Word History
First Known Use
1658, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near crane fly
Cite this Entry
“Crane fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane%20fly. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
crane fly
noun
: any of numerous long-legged slender two-winged flies that resemble large mosquitoes but do not bite
More from Merriam-Webster on crane fly
Britannica English: Translation of crane fly for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crane fly
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