fruit fly

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.

fruit fly

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fruit fly¹

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

Other familiar model organisms include mice, fruit flies and baker's yeast.

From BBC

That gene makes the gut of the female about 20% bigger than the gut in male fruit flies, and makes the female more prone to tumors by activating proteins that cause cell division.

From Salon

Male fruit flies that drink alcohol become more attractive to females, according to a new study.

From BBC

All that precipitation also spurs the spread of pests like the fruit fly and the growth of fungal diseases, all of which are becoming a growing problem as the planet warms.

From Salon

But it wasn't until October that scientists studying the brain of a fruit fly mapped the position, shape and connections of every single one of its 130,000 cells and 50 million connections.

From BBC

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