drosophila

[droh-sof-uh-luh, druh-]

noun

plural

drosophilas, drosophilae 

1. a fly of the genus Drosophila, especially D. melanogaster, used in laboratory studies of genetics and development.

drosophila

/ drɒˈsɒfɪlə /

noun

1. Also called: fruit fly.  vinegar fly. 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, etc

drosophila

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of drosophila¹

< New Latin < Greek dróso ( s ) dew + New Latin -phila < Greek -philē, feminine of -philos -phile

Word History and Origins

Origin of drosophila¹

C19: New Latin, from Greek drosos dew, water + -phila; see _-phile

Example Sentences

The berries are threatened by the spotted wing drosophila, a fruit fly from East Asia first detected in the United States in 2008.

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“It’s really cool how it matches up with drosophila,” says mathematician David Wolpert of the Santa Fe Institute, who was not involved in the study.

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In China, there are now 30 drosophila laboratories in Beijing, he said — more than in either Boston or San Francisco — and scientists have begun meeting every two months to share their latest work.

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An onslaught of invasive pests and diseases such as spotted wing drosophila and citrus greening has cost farmers, and ultimately consumers, many billions of dollars for control measures and lost crops.

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Majumdar, S. & Rio, D. C. P transposable elements in drosophila and other eukaryotic organisms.

Read more on Nature