Dictionary
Thesaurus
Medical
Scrabble®
Spanish Central
Browse DictionaryBrowse Thesaurus
Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android
Games
Word of the Day
Video
Blog: Words at Play
My Faves
Dictionary

sawfly

noun saw·fly \-ˌflī\

Definition of SAWFLY

:  any of numerous hymenopterous insects (superfamily Tenthredinoidea and especially family Tenthredinidae) with the female usually having a sawlike ovipositor and with the larva resembling a plant-feeding caterpillar
See sawfly defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT

First Known Use of SAWFLY

1773

Learn More About SAWFLY

Browse

28 ENTRIES FOUND:
  1. sawfly
  2. apple sawfly
  3. ash sawfly
  4. balsam-fir sawfly
  5. cherry fruit sawfly
  6. elm sawfly
  7. European apple sawfly
  8. European spruce sawfly
  9. European wheat stem sawfly
  10. hemlock sawfly
  11. jack-pine sawfly
  12. larch sawfly
  13. leaf-blister sawfly
  14. mountain-ash sawfly
  15. pear sawfly
  16. pine sawfly
  17. plumweb-spinning sawfly
  18. raspberry sawfly
  19. red-headed pine sawfly
  20. rose sawfly
  21. spruce sawfly
  22. strawberry sawfly
  23. turnip sawfly
  24. vine sawfly
  25. wheat sawfly
  26. wheat stem sawfly
  27. willow sawfly
  28. yellow-headed spruce sawfly
Next Word in the Dictionary: saw gatePrevious Word in the Dictionary: sawfishAll Words Near: sawfly
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Charming Words for Nasty People
Put-downs with flair
Learn More
When "Literally" isn't, well, literal
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Watch Now
Know what this is?
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Go Play
Fear of cats?
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears
Learn More
Join Us
Merriam-Webster
on Facebook
Merriam-Webster
on Twitter
Bookstore: Digital and Print
Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.
See All
Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries