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syr·phid

(sûrfĭd)

Any of numerous flies of the family Syrphidae, most of which resemble bees or wasps in form and coloration. Adult syrphids feed on the nectar and pollen of flowers, and the larvae of many species feed on aphids. Also called flower fly, hover fly.

[From New Latin Syrphidae, family name, from Syrphus, type genus, from Greek surphos, gnat (a hapax legomenon occurring in a Late Greek dictionary), probably a variant of serphos, gnat, of unknown origin.]

syrphid adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

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Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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