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Glite Dictionary
harvest fly

harvest fly

8.1
A loud insect that sings in summer, often in July and August
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : cigarra
  • The distinctive song of the harvest fly fills the air during the warm days of August.

Examples

  • In rural areas, the sound of the harvest fly often signals the peak of summer.

  • Children tried to spot a harvest fly among the tree branches as it sang its buzzing tune.

  • The harvest fly sings loudly in the summer.

  • I heard a harvest fly while walking in the park.

  • The distinctive song of the harvest fly fills the air during the warm days of August.

  • In rural areas, the sound of the harvest fly often signals the peak of summer.

  • Children tried to spot a harvest fly among the tree branches as it sang its buzzing tune.

Synonyms

cicada
vsharvest fly
17 6.9

A loud insect with a thick body and large, clear wings whose males make a loud, high sound

refers specifically to the seasonal singing type heard in midsummer
dog-day cicada
vsharvest fly
  • Specialized
9.9

A large insect that makes a loud buzzing sound in July and August in North America

is a general name for the seasonal singing insect heard in July and August
Tibicen
vsharvest fly
  • Archaic
9.9

A former scientific name for some cicadas, the loud summer insects

is the common seasonal name rather than a formal taxonomic term

Surface Forms

harvest fly singular
harvest flies plural

Morphology

harvest + fly

The compound 'harvest fly' is transparently built from 'harvest' (the harvest season) + 'fly' (an insect), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes an insect associated with the harvest time (i.e., a summer/harvest-season insect). While the lexical referent here is specifically a cicada, that finer taxonomic detail does not undermine the clear compositional relation between the constituents.

Etymology

Harvest fly may come from country life, where people heard loud, buzzing insects during the harvest and so called them a harvest fly. That's why today harvest fly refers to a cicada known for its loud 'song' in late summer.