Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A common, widely distributed fly (Musca domestica) that frequents human dwellings, breeds in moist or decaying organic matter, and transmits a wide variety of diseases.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The common fly, Musca domestica.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun common fly (Musca domestica) that frequents human habitations and spreads many diseases.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The common fly, of the species Musca domestica that occurs in most homes; it can spread some diseases.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun common fly that frequents human habitations and spreads many diseases
  • noun common fly that frequents human habitations and spreads many diseases

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From house +‎ fly. Cognate with Dutch huisvlieg ("housefly"), Danish husflue ("housefly"), Swedish husfluga ("housefly").

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Examples

  • This preserved housefly is sporting a pair of two-millimeter-wide eyeglasses, engineered with ultra-precise fast-pulse laser technology.

    Nanotechnology For Fly Fashion 2007

  • This preserved housefly is sporting a pair of two-millimeter-wide eyeglasses, engineered with ultra-precise fast-pulse laser technology.

    Archive 2007-09-01 2007

  • Generally speaking the housefly is very susceptible to DDT; unfortunately some fairly resistant species of fly have lately been observed.

    Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1948 - Presentation Speech 1964

  • One memory that returned with the persistence of a housefly was my recollection of the promise I had made to Grandmere Catherine should anything bad happen to her.

    Ruby V.C.Andrews 1994

  • One memory that returned with the persistence of a housefly was my recollection of the promise I had made to Grandmere Catherine should anything bad happen to her.

    Ruby V.C.Andrews 1994

  • One memory that returned with the persistence of a housefly was my recollection of the promise I had made to Grandmere Catherine should anything bad happen to her.

    Ruby V.C.Andrews 1994

  • One memory that returned with the persistence of a housefly was my recollection of the promise I had made to Grandmere Catherine should anything bad happen to her.

    Ruby V.C.Andrews 1994

  • The housefly is the Ferrari of the insect world and can change course in as little as 30 thousandths of a second.

    Clipmarks | Live Clips 2008

  • Creepy animals are only too plentiful, the most objectionable at present is the common housefly which is a perfect plague.

    The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde" George Davidson

  • Well the North Koreans got two out of three correct, but they forgot to add that she is a windbag who is about as threatening as a housefly.

    North Korea: Clinton 'funny lady, by no means intelligent' 2009

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