any of various small mothlike dipterous flies of the genus Phlebotomus and related genera: the bloodsucking females transmit diseases including leishmaniasis: family Psychodidae
2.
any of various similar and related flies
sandfly in American English
(ˈsændˌflai)
nounWord forms: plural-flies
1.
any of several small, bloodsucking, dipterous insects of the family Psychodidae that are vectors of several diseases of humans
2.
any of several other small, bloodsucking, dipterous insects, as one of the familyHeleidae or Simuliidae
Word origin
[1675–85; sand + fly2]This word is first recorded in the period 1675–85. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: denature, hustle, mouthpiece, prairie, upstream
Examples of 'sandfly' in a sentence
sandfly
Visceral leishmaniasis, a potentially fatal tropical disease caused by parasites and transmitted by sandfly bites, is also making a comeback.