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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• houseflies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of housefly

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

Example Sentences

He flipped open his pad and began: “Item one. Garbage can in kitchen has no lid. Item two. Housefly on kitchen table. Item three. Too much garlic in food. Causes indigestion.”

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Housefly and drosophilia can be reared in a wooden or metal framed box, covered with a fine mesh or netting.

From Free from School by Alvares, Rahul