rain flyn.1
/ˈreɪn flʌɪ/, U.S. /ˈreɪn ˌflaɪ/ 1. A biting fly that is particularly prone to bite before rain; esp. the common horsefly or cleg Haematopota pluvialis (family Tabanidae).
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Diptera or flies > [noun] > suborder Brachycera > family Tabanidae > haematopota pluvialis (cleg)
clega1449
rain fly1914
1914 H. W. Frauenthal & J. Van Vliet Manning Man. Infantile Paralysis ii. 43 (caption) The stable-fly; barn-fly; rain-fly. (Stomoxys calcitrans.)
1921 E. Step Brit. Insect Life 231 This is the Clegg or Rain-fly.., the grey, dusty-looking Fly that you have no suspicion is sitting on your hand or neck until its sharp lancet is thrust into your flesh.
1952 E. F. Daglish Name this Insect 277 Rain-fly or Clegg... Common in fields, meadows, woods, and about hedgerows.
1971 Country Life 21 Oct. 1035/1 I am not partial to the bite of the rainfly.
2. In some tropical or subtropical regions: the winged form of the termite, which appears in large numbers after heavy rain.
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1944 Nat. Hist. Notes (Jamaica Nat. Hist. Soc.) Nov. 137 Those hosts of winged creatures we call ‘rain flies’ which swarm around lights in late afternoons and early evenings.
1971 Afr. Arts 4 50/1 Here and there you could see a boy or two chasing rain-flies. These insects always appeared after rain had fallen.
1994 I. J. Boodhoo Between Two Seasons 9 By evening the rain had reduced to a drizzle. The rainflies, too, were fewer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
rain flyn.2
/ˈreɪn flʌɪ/, U.S. /ˈreɪn ˌflaɪ/ Chiefly U.S.
The flysheet of a tent.
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society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > dwelling place or abode > a dwelling > tent > [noun] > flysheet
tent-fly1849
fly-sheet1926
rain fly1968
1968 Los Angeles Times 28 May iii. 2 (advt.) Mt. tent w/rain fly $49.95.
1977 Audubon May 39/1 Each of us would cinch the tie lines on his side. Lastly, we would toss the rain fly over and tie it down.
2004 T. Wheeler Falklands & S. Georgia 9 For trekkers, a very sturdy tent with rain fly and a warm sleeping bag are essential.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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