# cantharides

> English word · Noun · IPA /kænˈθæɹɪdiːz/

## Definitions
1. Spanish fly, Lytta vesicatoria (syn. Cantharis vesicatoria).
2. Spanish fly; a vesicant extracted from the beetle, popularly held to have aphrodisiac properties.

## Etymology
Late Middle English, from Latin cantharides, plural of cantharis.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cantharides