catchfly
[ kach-flahy ]
/ ˈkætʃˌflaɪ /
noun, plural catch·flies.
any of various plants, especially of the genera Silene and Lychnis, having a viscid secretion on the stem and calyx in which small insects are sometimes caught.
Origin of catchfly
1590–1600; from phrase
catch (
the)
fly
Words nearby catchfly
Example sentences from the Web for catchfly
It turned out to be a catchfly, and, like the Kentucky warbler, it became common a little later.
Spring notes from Tennessee |Bradford TorreyA Catchfly which is not viscid, with the flowers collected into a tuft.
Lachesis Lapponica |Carl von LinnIt feeds on the seeds of catchfly, campion, and will eat those of sweet-william and garden pinks.
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series |Richard SouthThey are found on many plants, such as Salvia glutinosa, Plumbago, and Catchfly.
The Romance of Plant Life |G. F. Scott Elliot
British Dictionary definitions for catchfly
catchfly
/ (ˈkætʃˌflaɪ) /
noun plural -flies
any of several caryophyllaceous plants of the genus Silene that have sticky calyxes and stems on which insects are sometimes trapped