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horsefly

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horsefly

 

  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Breeze  \Breeze\,  Breeze  fly  \Breeze"  fly`\,  n.  [OE.  brese,  AS 
  bri['o]sa;  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.]  (Zo["o]l.) 
  A  fly  of  various  species,  of  the  family  {Tabanid[ae]},  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}.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
 
 
  {Horse  emmet}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  horse  ant. 
 
  {Horse  finch}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  chaffinch.  [Prov.  Eng.] 
 
  {Horse  gentian}  (Bot.),  fever  root. 
 
  {Horse  iron}  (Naut.),  a  large  calking  iron. 
 
  {Horse  latitudes},  a  space  in  the  North  Atlantic  famous  for 
  calms  and  baffling  winds,  being  between  the  westerly  winds 
  of  higher  latitudes  and  the  trade  winds.  --Ham.  Nav. 
  Encyc. 
 
  {Horse  mackrel}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  The  common  tunny  ({Orcynus  thunnus}),  found  on  the 
  Atlantic  coast  of  Europe  and  America,  and  in  the 
  Mediterranean. 
  b  The  bluefish  ({Pomatomus  saltatrix}). 
  c  The  scad. 
  d  The  name  is  locally  applied  to  various  other  fishes, 
  as  the  California  hake,  the  black  candlefish,  the 
  jurel,  the  bluefish,  etc 
 
  {Horse  marine}  (Naut.),  an  awkward,  lubbery  person;  one  of  a 
  mythical  body  of  marine  cavalry.  [Slang] 
 
  {Horse  mussel}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  large  marine  mussel  ({Modiola 
  modiolus}),  found  on  the  northern  shores  of  Europe  and 
  America. 
 
  {Horse  nettle}  (Bot.),  a  coarse,  prickly,  American  herb,  the 
  {Solanum  Carolinense}. 
 
  {Horse  parsley}.  (Bot.)  See  {Alexanders}. 
 
  {Horse  purslain}  (Bot.),  a  coarse  fleshy  weed  of  tropical 
  America  ({Trianthema  monogymnum}). 
 
  {Horse  race},  a  race  by  horses;  a  match  of  horses  in  running 
  or  trotting. 
 
  {Horse  racing},  the  practice  of  racing  with  horses. 
 
  {Horse  railroad},  a  railroad  on  which  the  cars  are  drawn  by 
  horses;  --  in  England,  and  sometimes  in  the  United  States, 
  called  a  {tramway}. 
 
  {Horse  run}  (Civil  Engin.),  a  device  for  drawing  loaded 
  wheelbarrows  up  an  inclined  plane  by  horse  power. 
 
  {Horse  sense},  strong  common  sense  [Colloq.  U.S.] 
 
  {Horse  soldier},  a  cavalryman. 
 
  {Horse  sponge}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  large  coarse,  commercial  sponge 
  ({Spongia  equina}). 
 
  {Horse  stinger}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  large  dragon  fly.  [Prov.  Eng.] 
 
 
  {Horse  sugar}  (Bot.),  a  shrub  of  the  southern  part  of  the 
  United  States  ({Symplocos  tinctoria}),  whose  leaves  are 
  sweet,  and  good  for  fodder. 
 
  {Horse  tick}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  winged,  dipterous  insect 
  ({Hippobosca  equina}),  which  troubles  horses  by  biting 
  them  and  sucking  their  blood;  --  called  also  {horsefly}, 
  {horse  louse},  and  {forest  fly}. 
 
  {Horse  vetch}  (Bot.),  a  plant  of  the  genus  {Hippocrepis}  ({H. 
  comosa}),  cultivated  for  the  beauty  of  its  flowers;  -- 
  called  also  {horsehoe  vetch},  from  the  peculiar  shape  of 
  its  pods. 
 
  {Iron  horse},  a  locomotive.  [Colloq.] 
 
  {Salt  horse},  the  sailor's  name  for  salt  beef. 
 
  {To  look  a  gift  horse  in  the  mouth},  to  examine  the  mouth  of 
  a  horse  which  has  been  received  as  a  gift,  in  order  to 
  ascertain  his  age;  --  hence  to  accept  favors  in  a 
  critical  and  thankless  spirit.  --Lowell. 
 
  {To  take  horse}. 
  a  To  set  out  on  horseback.  --Macaulay. 
  b  To  be  covered,  as  a  mare. 
  c  See  definition  7  (above). 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Horsefly  \Horse"fly`\,  n.;  pl  {Horseflies}. 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  Any  dipterous  fly  of  the  family  {Tabanid[ae]}, 
  that  stings  horses,  and  sucks  their  blood. 
 
  Note:  Of  these  flies  there  are  numerous  species,  both  in 
  Europe  and  America.  They  have  a  large  proboscis  with 
  four  sharp  lancets  for  piercing  the  skin.  Called  also 
  {breeze  fly}.  See  Illust.  under  {Diptera},  and  {Breeze 
  fly}. 
 
  2.  (Zo["o]l.)  The  horse  tick  or  forest  fly  ({Hippobosca}). 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  horsefly 
  n  1:  winged  fly  parasitic  on  horses  [syn:  {horse  tick},  {Hippobosca 
  equina}] 
  2:  large  swift  fly  the  female  of  which  sucks  blood  of  various 
  animals  [syn:  {cleg},  {clegg},  {horse  fly}]




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