any insect of the order Plecoptera, in which the larvae are aquatic, living beneath stones, and the adults have long antennae and two pairs of large wings and occur near water
Word origin
C15: so called because its larvae live under stones in rivers
stonefly in American English
(ˈstoʊnˌflaɪ)
nounWord forms: pluralˈstoneˌflies
any of an order (Plecoptera) of soft-bodied, winged insects whose nymphs live under stones in swift streams: often used as bait in fishing