First Known Use: 1865
Dictionary
tsetse fly
noun tset·se fly \ˈ(t)set-sē-, ˈtet-, ˈ(t)sēt-, ˈtēt-\
: a kind of fly found in Africa that bites people and animals, sucks their blood, and can spread a serious disease (called sleeping sickness) to humans
Full Definition of TSETSE FLY
: any of several dipteran flies (genus Glossina) that occur in Africa south of the Sahara and include vectors of human and animal trypanosomes —called also tsetse — compare sleeping sickness
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Origin of TSETSE FLY
Afrikaans, from Tswana tsètsè fly
Rhymes with TSETSE FLY
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Medical Dictionary
tsetse fly
noun
Medical Definition of TSETSE FLY
: any of several dipteran flies of the genus Glossina that occur in sub-Saharan Africa and include vectors of human and animal trypanosomes (as those causing sleeping sickness and nagana)—called also tsetse
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