dro·soph·i·la (drō-sŏf'ə-lə, drə-) n. Any of various small fruit flies of the genus Drosophila, especially D. melanogaster, used extensively in genetic research.
[New Latin Drosophila, genus name : Greek drosos, dew + New Latin -phila, feminine of -philus, -phile.]
Main Entry: dro·soph·i·la Pronunciation: drO-'säf-&-l&, dr&- Function: noun 1capitalized: a genus ofsmall dipteran flies that include many (as D. melanogaster) extensively used in genetic research 2: any fly of the genus Drosophila
drosophila (drō-sŏf'ə-lə) Pronunciation Key
Any of various small fruit flies of the genus Drosophila, one species of which (D. melanogaster) is used extensively in genetic research to study patterns of inheritance and the functions of genes.