fruit fly

American  

noun

1. any of numerous small dipterous insects of the family Tephritidae, the larvae of which feed on the fruit of various plants.

2. vinegar fly.

3. drosophila.

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fruit fly British  

noun

1. any small dipterous fly of the family Trypetidae , which feed on and lay their eggs in plant tissues See also gallfly

2. any dipterous fly of the genus Drosophila See drosophila

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Etymology

Origin of fruit fly

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

During the first few hours after fertilization, a fruit fly embryo rapidly divides its nuclei, producing thousands of cells in a short time.

From Science Daily

"Export markets demand zero tolerance on pests. Even if inspectors find a single fruit fly, the entire consignment is discarded, leading to huge losses," he says.

From BBC

In the field, those 20-inch black-painted aluminum wheels wouldn’t stay pretty for long; those running boards would have the life expectancy of a fruit fly.

From The Wall Street Journal

They focused on colanic acid, a compound naturally produced by gut bacteria that had already been shown to extend lifespan in roundworms and fruit flies.

From Science Daily

Using a well-established fruit fly model, the research team discovered that a neuron's resistance to degeneration is closely tied to how it processes sugar.

From Science Daily

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