ˌkāəˈbȯrəˌdē, -är- noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Chaoborus, type genus (from Late Greek chaoun to destroy utterly — from Greek chaos space, abyss — + New Latin -borus — from Greek bora food, meat) + -idae — more at voracious
: a family of gnats related to and often included as a subfamily of Culicidae but distinguished by the short mouth parts, nonbiting habit, and absence of scales on the wing veins and with larvae that are aquatic and predaceous on other insect larvae (as those of mosquitoes)
• cha·ob·o·rine kāˈäbəˌrīn noun -s