drosophila

American  

[droh-sof-uh-luh, druh-] / droʊˈsɒf ə lə, drə- /

noun

plural

drosophilas, drosophilae

1. a fly of the genus Drosophila, especially D. melanogaster, used in laboratory studies of genetics and development.

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drosophila British  

/ drɒˈsɒfɪlə /

noun

1. Also called: fruit fly.   vinegar fly.  any small dipterous fly of the genus Drosophila, esp D. melanogaster, a species widely used in laboratory genetics studies: family Drosophilidae. They feed on plant sap, decaying fruit, etc

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drosophila Scientific  

/ drō-sŏf′ə-lə /

1. Any of various small fruit flies of the genus Drosophila, one species of which (D. melanogaster) is used extensively in genetic research to study patterns of inheritance and the functions of genes.

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Etymology

Origin of drosophila

< New Latin < Greek dróso ( s ) dew + New Latin -phila < Greek -philē, feminine of -philos -phile

Example Sentences

The berries are threatened by the spotted wing drosophila, a fruit fly from East Asia first detected in the United States in 2008.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2023

Potted wing drosophila damage crops, shorten harvesting seasons, increase insecticide use and reduce income for producers, The Star Tribune reported.

From Washington Times • Oct. 15, 2017

It has been said, not least by Collier, that more is known about the biology of the drosophila than any other animal on Earth.

From The Guardian • Sep. 25, 2016

Where is the line between the primates we all like and rats most of us don't, or even drosophila none of us, except for perhaps Jains, cares about?

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2016

He spent countless hours looking at the starfish-shaped chromosomes of the drosophila fly, training his eyes to see the fine banding patterns within.

From Scientific American • May 10, 2013