housefly

American  

[hous-flahy] / ˈhaʊsˌflaɪ /

Or house fly

noun

plural

houseflies

1. a medium-sized, gray-striped fly, Musca domestica, common around human habitations in nearly all parts of the world.

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housefly British  

/ ˈhaʊsˌflaɪ /

noun

1. a common dipterous fly, Musca domestica, that frequents human habitations, spreads disease, and lays its eggs in carrion, decaying vegetables, etc: family Muscidae

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Etymology

Origin of housefly

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at house, fly ¹

Example Sentences

Federal, state and local agricultural officials plan to eradicate the fly, which is about the size of a housefly with black and yellow markings.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2023

But hypervigilance has its limits, especially against a microscopic pathogen that can infiltrate a barn on the leg of a single housefly.

From New York Times • Feb. 24, 2022

If you see a dead housefly on a windowsill surrounded by a ghostly halo of tiny white spores, it’s a death trap.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 1, 2021

The common housefly can go from egg to maggot to pupa to adult in a matter of weeks, and that is a truly short life span.

From Washington Post • Dec. 17, 2020

With the housefly, however, more than doubling the population through releases could be highly objectionable, even though the increase would be only temporary.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson