fly, noun
- Origin:
- Elliptical for tsetse-fly, see tsetse.
2. transferred sense.
a. Pathology nagana. Also combinationfly-proof adjective, immune to nagana.
1850 A. Coqui in T. Baines Jrnl of Res. (1964) II. 177Some of the Kafirs caught the Tsetse, or fly, and..we pushed on as speedily as possible to save our cattle from its deadly sting.
1968 E.A. Walker Hist. of Sn Afr. 363Fly and redwater fever were playing havoc with the transport cattle.
b. obs. tsetse sense 2 b.
1868 J. Chapman Trav. I. 163At night, as the moon rose, we started to get through the fly, but, on entering it, our wagon struck against a large tree.
1895 A.B. Balfour 1200 Miles in Waggon 222From there to the coast you have to go through ‘the fly’..that is, the belt of land infested with the tsetse fly, whose bite is certain death to cattle, horses, and donkeys.
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