fruit fly

noun

: any of various small dipteran flies (such as a drosophila) whose larvae feed on fruit or decaying vegetable matter

Examples of fruit fly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are few things more annoying than hearing a fly buzzing throughout your home or reaching for a banana only to spot fruit flies around the basket. Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2024 Despite urchins’ status as super reproducers, practical concerns often compel scientists to focus their work on more easily accessible animals: mice, fruit flies, worms. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024 Maggots are the larvae of various fly species, such as fruit flies, houseflies, cheese flies and blowflies. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2024 After an early stint studying specialized light-sensing cells in the eyes of fruit flies, he became intrigued by the mammalian taste system. Esther Landhuis, Quanta Magazine, 14 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for fruit fly 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fruit fly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1753, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fruit fly was circa 1753

Dictionary Entries Near fruit fly

Cite this Entry

“Fruit fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruit%20fly. Accessed 5 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

fruit fly

noun
: any of various small two-winged flies whose larvae feed on fruit or decaying vegetable matter

Medical Definition

fruit fly

noun
: any of various small dipteran flies (as a drosophila) whose larvae feed on fruit or decaying vegetable matter

More from Merriam-Webster on fruit fly

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