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family Tabanidae

family Tabanidae

9.4
Large biting flies like horseflies that give painful bites
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia Tabanidae
  • The family Tabanidae includes many species of horseflies notorious for their painful bites.

Examples

  • Members of the family Tabanidae are important in the transmission of certain animal diseases.

  • Researchers studied the distribution of the family Tabanidae in tropical regions.

  • The family Tabanidae includes many species of horseflies.

  • Did you know that the family Tabanidae can be found worldwide?

  • The family Tabanidae includes many species of horseflies known for their painful bites.

  • Members of the family Tabanidae play a significant role in the transmission of animal diseases.

  • The family Tabanidae can be found in a variety of habitats around the world.

Synonyms

Tabanidae
vsfamily Tabanidae
  • Specialized
9.9

Large biting flies like horseflies that feed on blood from animals and people

focuses on painful bites and worldwide occurrence rather than body traits

Surface Forms

Morphology

family + Tabanidae

This is a compositional taxonomic noun phrase: 'family' (a scientific grouping) combined with the taxon name 'Tabanidae' directly yields the meaning 'the family Tabanidae (horseflies)'. Taxonomic constructions of the form 'family + taxon' are cross-linguistically regular and fully derivable from the constituents, so a learner who knows both words will understand the phrase.

Etymology

Family Tabanidae comes from the old Latin word Tabanus, which meant a large biting fly that attacked horses. Because people used Tabanus for those painful flies, the word came to name the whole 'family' of horseflies we mean today.