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fruit fly
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n.
1. Any of various small flies of the family Drosophilidae, having larvae that feed on fermenting or decaying plant material, especially the common species Drosophila melanogaster, often used in genetic research. Also called pomace fly, vinegar fly.
2. Any of various flies of the family Tephritidae, having larvae that hatch in plant tissue and are pests of fruit and vegetable crops.
3. Offensive Slang A woman who enjoys socializing with gay men.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.