spanish fly
Preserved but no longer current.
The cantharis, a coleopterous insect used in medicine. Cantharides are dried and used externally as a blister and internally as a stimulant to the genito-urinary organs; they were formerly considered to act as an aphrodisiac.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “spanish fly” mean?
The cantharis, a coleopterous insect used in medicine. Cantharides are dried and used externally as a blister and internally as a stimulant to the genito-urinary organs; they were formerly considered to act as an aphrodisiac.
Is “spanish fly” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.