housefly

American  

[hous-flahy] / ˈhaʊsˌflaɪ /

Or house fly

noun

houseflies plural

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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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• houseflies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of housefly

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