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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
In the future, the team hopes to explore why some bugs seem impervious to artificial light sources—such as oleander hawk-moths and some species of fruit flies—while others can’t seem to escape it.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024
Millions of sterile fruit flies are being dropped on L.A. to fight an infestation
Nov. 3, 2023
The quarantine order is only the latest scare involving invasive fruit flies.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024
Additionally, 10 fruit flies were seen in the dry storage area.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2024
In July, the invasive Tau fruit fly prompted a quarantine in Los Angeles County.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024
Even a species as minuscule as the fruit fly represents a substantial neurological challenge.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2024
Common fruit flies can catch a ride anywhere from field to harvest to grocery store, getting trapped by processors or freezing in refrigerated delivery trucks and ending up in your home.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024
Traps designed for fruit flies may not be effective against drain flies.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Oct. 2023
During a sabbatical at Cambridge University, Truman and Riddiford took a break from working on moths and started to look at Drosophila, more commonly known as fruit flies.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023
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
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 28 Mar. 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
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fruit fly
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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