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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For example, in fruit flies, defects in metabolic enzymes in a subset of tissues can trigger a stress response that halts the growth and development (opens a new tab) of the entire animal. Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025 Macquarie University The scientists genetically modified zebrafish (aka zebra danios) and fruit flies by inserting variants of genes from E. coli bacteria into the animals' DNA. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 13 Feb. 2025 Genetic research on plants, fruit flies, livestock and humans revealed more and more about how chromosomes and genes worked. Arthur Caplan, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024 From 1989 until the mid-2000s, Indian mangoes were officially barred from the United States due to American officials’ concerns that pests like fruit flies could threaten U.S. agriculture. Ronak D. Desai, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fruit fly

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1753, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“Fruit fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruit%20fly. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

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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