cranefly
1 synonym for cranefly, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Any of the large, slender flies of the suborder Tipulomorpha, with very long legs and a look of an oversized mosquito.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
daddy longlegs
How to use cranefly
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
cranefly larvae
cranefly season
swat a cranefly
It is an everyday, informal name used in ordinary conversation about garden and household insects.
Etymology
The name joins crane, the long-legged bird, with fly, because the insect's thin, spindly legs recall a crane's legs.
Full origin of cranefly →Frequently asked questions
Do craneflies bite?
No, adult craneflies do not bite people; their mouthparts are not built for it.
Why are craneflies called daddy longlegs?
The nickname, used in the UK, comes from their unusually long, thin legs, the same feature that gave the insect its official name.
What do cranefly larvae look like?
The larvae, known as leatherjackets, are quite different from the adult, living in soil and lacking the long legs and wings.
