Flyswatters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Handheld devices with a flat mesh or plastic head, used for swatting and killing flies in homes and kitchens
2. Simple implements consisting of a flexible pad on a handle, employed to strike down household flies
3. Flat-headed hand tools made for swatting insects, especially common pests such as houseflies, around the home

Etymology: The fly swatter is a fairly recent object, and its name is about as literal as English gets: a "fly" plus a "swatter," the latter being one who swats. "Swat" is a word of imitative origin, meaning a sharp, heavy blow, and it gave us the tool's second half. The "fly" has an older pedigree, descending from Old English "flēoge," which the Middle English "flye" carried forward into modern English. The plural "flyswatters" is simply the plural of "flyswatter," formed by adding "-s" to the singular. Each item it names is a compound of the same two parts, so the word needs no further explanation beyond the meaning of its elements.

Synonyms: fly swatter