bluebottle

== English == === Alternative forms === blue-bottle === Etymology === From blue +‎ bottle, after the resemblance to shiny colored-glass bottles. In sense 3 (“cornflower”), via Middle English blewbothel. Sense 6 (“police officer”) is in reference to the colour of the uniform. === Pronunciation === === Noun === bluebottle (plural bluebottles) Any of various blowflies of the genus Calliphora that have an iridescent metallic-blue body and make a loud buzzing noise when flying. A marine jellyfish of the genus Physalia, which includes Physalia physalis, the Portuguese man-of-war, and Physalia utriculus, the Pacific man-of-war; a man-of-war. A cornflower, a plant that grows in grain fields, Centaurea cyanus, with blue flowers resembling bottles. A blue ant, Diamma bicolor, a parasitic wasp native to Australia. Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus Graphium, also called triangles, etc. (UK, Australia, Ireland, slang, derogatory) A police officer. (derogatory, obsolete) A bluestocking. ==== Hypernyms ==== blowfly, bottlefly ==== Coordinate terms ==== greenbottle, green-bottle fly ==== Derived terms ==== blue-bottle fly ==== Translations ==== === References ===