Diptera

[ dip-ter-uh, -truh ]

noun

1. the order comprising the dipterous insects.
2. (lowercase) plural of dipteron.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Diptera¹

1810–20; < New Latin < Greek, neuter plural of dípteros two-winged, equivalent to di- di- ¹ + -pteros -pterous

Example Sentences

Yet to Saudi riches some of the biggest names in golf flocked again last week, like, you could say nicely, Diptera to dung.

From Washington Post

She is fond of all flies, but focuses on those that are included in the lower Diptera, which include mosquitoes, black flies and, as she puts it, “everything that’s bitey, stabby, nasty.”

From New York Times

The many species of biting flies may differ from mosquitoes in appearance and habits, but they are all members of the group known as true flies, two-winged flying insects in the order Diptera.

From New York Times

This species is a reminder of just how little we know about scuttle flies, which are among the most biologically diverse, anatomically adventurous and species-rich of any Diptera family.

From The Guardian

In the Diptera the first division of the egg-cell separates the nuclear material of the subsequent reproductive cells from the material that is elaborated into the new organism to contain these cells.

From Project Gutenberg