any of various dipterous flies of the genus Drosophila
drosophila
vinegar fly in American English
noun
any fly of the family Drosophilidae, the larvae of which feed on decaying fruit and vegetation
Also called: fruit fly, pomace fly
Word origin
[1900–05]This word is first recorded in the period 1900–05. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Young Turk, cathode-ray tube, desensitize, hydroplane, throwaway