CANTHARIS or pluralCANTHARIDES, noun Spanish flies; a species of Meloe. This fly is nine or ten lines in length, of a shining green color, mixed with azure, and has a nauseous smell. It feeds upon the leaves of trees and shrubs, preferring the ash. These flies, when bruised, are universally used as a vesicatory, or blistering plaster. The largest come from Italy, but the best from Spain.
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Webster's Dictionary 1828
American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828.