Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

drosophila

[droh-sof-uh-luh, druh-]
noun, plural dro·soph·i·las, dro·soph·i·lae [droh-sof-uh-lee, druh-] /droʊˈsɒf əˌli, drə-/.
  1. a fly of the genus Drosophila, especially D. melanogaster, used in laboratory studies of genetics and development.
Show More

Origin of drosophila

< New Latin < Greek dróso(s) dew + New Latin -phila < Greek -philē, feminine of -philos -phile
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for drosophila

Historical Examples of drosophila

British Dictionary definitions for drosophila

drosophila

noun plural -las or -lae (-ˌliː)
  1. any small dipterous fly of the genus Drosophila, esp D. melanogaster, a species widely used in laboratory genetics studies: family Drosophilidae. They feed on plant sap, decaying fruit, etcAlso called: fruit fly, vinegar fly
Show More

Word Origin for drosophila

C19: New Latin, from Greek drosos dew, water + -phila; see -phile
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for drosophila

n.

scientific name of a fruit fly, 1829, from Modern Latin (Fallén, 1823), from Greek drosos "dew" + philos "loving" see -phile).

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
drosophila in Science

drosophila

[drō-sŏf′ə-lə]
  1. Any of various small fruit flies of the genus Drosophila, one species of which (D. melanogaster) is used extensively in genetic research to study patterns of inheritance and the functions of genes.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.