蝱 (méng) - Horsefly — a large blood-sucking fly & gadfly

蝱Tone 2

méng ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

蝱 · méng

Horsefly — a large blood-sucking fly;

gadfly;

also refers to certain medicinal insects used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Horsefly — a large blood-sucking flygadflyalso refers to certain medicinal insects used in

Usage highlights

HorseflyGadflyMedicinal gadflyDeer flyFly buzzingBlood

Synonyms

  • 虻— Alternative form for horsefly/gadfly
  • 蚊— mosquito (similar blood-sucking insect)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • A horsefly landed on the horse (马被蝱叮了).
  • Traditional medicine uses dried gadflies (蝱虫) in some preparations.
  • The buzzing of horseflies (蝱蝇) can be quite annoying in summer.
  • Ancient texts mention gadflies (牛蝱) tormenting livestock.

Collocations

  • Horsefly(马蝱)
  • Gadfly(牛蝱)
  • Medicinal gadfly(蝱虫)
  • Deer fly(鹿蝱)
  • Fly buzzing(蝱蝇)
  • Blood-sucking fly(吸血蝱)

Idioms

  • Like a gadfly stinging a turtle — ineffective attack(蝱蝇负山)
  • Gadflies and mosquitoes — petty annoyances(蝱蚊之扰)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Used in traditional Chinese medicine as 'mengchong' (虻虫) for promoting blood circulation.
  • Appears in classical texts like 'Shan Hai Jing' as both literal insect and mythical creature.
  • Sometimes used metaphorically for persistent petty annoyances or insignificant threats.

FAQ