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
Staying well within these ranges discourages pests from breeding and significantly reduces the likelihood of a fruit fly recurrence.
—
Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 14 May 2024
The most recent paper the family found was in fruit flies.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 13 May 2024
In 2020, the Google team mapped 25,000 neurons in part of a fruit fly brain.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2024
During another federal monitor inspection, visitors found unsanitary conditions including live roaches, ants, water bugs, fruit flies, gnats, and mouse droppings.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
Currently, the experiment only works with these laboratory fruit flies, which are the sole species that can be genetically modified to image muscles simultaneously.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2024
Several restaurants had one or more follow-up inspections and fruit flies and gnats were observed in the latest Plano inspections of businesses and other locations that serve food, according to city data.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
Scientists began by examining the gene expression in individual cells from model organisms like fruit flies and mice.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023
But last month, employees stripped dozens of them and placed them at the rear of the lot, away from the public, as part of an all-out quarantine effort aimed at eradicating one of the most destructive pests in the world: the Mediterranean fruit fly.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 14 May 2024
The most recent paper the family found was in fruit flies.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 13 May 2024
In 2020, the Google team mapped 25,000 neurons in part of a fruit fly brain.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2024
During another federal monitor inspection, visitors found unsanitary conditions including live roaches, ants, water bugs, fruit flies, gnats, and mouse droppings.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024
Currently, the experiment only works with these laboratory fruit flies, which are the sole species that can be genetically modified to image muscles simultaneously.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2024
Several restaurants had one or more follow-up inspections and fruit flies and gnats were observed in the latest Plano inspections of businesses and other locations that serve food, according to city data.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2024
Scientists began by examining the gene expression in individual cells from model organisms like fruit flies and mice.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023
But last month, employees stripped dozens of them and placed them at the rear of the lot, away from the public, as part of an all-out quarantine effort aimed at eradicating one of the most destructive pests in the world: the Mediterranean fruit fly.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 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.
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 18 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share