sand fly

noun

variants or sandfly
ˈsan(d)-ˌflī How to pronounce sand fly (audio)
plural sand flies or sandflies
: any of various small biting dipteran flies (especially genus Phlebotomus of the family Psychodidae) see also sandfly fever

Examples of sand fly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Bangladesh made history in 2023 as the first country anywhere to eliminate kala-azar, otherwise known as visceral leishmaniasis, a disease transmitted by sand flies that is 95% fatal when left untreated. — Charlie Campbell, TIME, 2 May 2024 The afternoon was too hot to do much of anything except avoid the sand flies and wait for sunset. — Andrew Weil, Harper's Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sand fly was in 1736

Rhymes for sand fly

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Browse Nearby Words

sand fluke
sand fly
sand-fly bush
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Cite this Entry

“Sand fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sand%20fly. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

sand fly

noun
: any of various small two-winged flies that bite

Medical Definition

sand fly

noun
variants or sandfly
: any of various small biting dipteran flies (families Psychodidae, Simuliidae, and Ceratopogonidae)
especially : any fly of the genus Phlebotomus see also sandfly fever

More from Merriam-Webster on sand fly

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sand fly

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