drosophila

noun dro·soph·i·la \drō-ˈsä-fə-lə\

Definition of DROSOPHILA

: any of a genus (Drosophila) of fruit flies used in genetic research

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New Latin, genus name, from Greek drosos dew + New Latin -phila, feminine of -philus -phil

First Known Use: circa 1829

Medical Dictionary

noun dro·soph·i·la \drō-ˈsäf-ə-lə, drə-\

capitalized : a genus of small dipteran flies that include many (as D. melanogaster) extensively used in genetic research

: any fly of the genus Drosophila

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