drosophila Ent.
(drəˈsɒfɪlə)
[mod.L. (C. F. Fallén Geomyzides Sveciæ (1823) 4), f. Gr. δρόσος dew + ϕίλος loving.]
A fruit-fly of the genus so called, much used as an experimental subject in the study of genetics.
| 1829 J. Curtis Guide Arrangement Brit. Insects 235 Drosophila. 1877 Encycl. Brit. VII. 256/2 The destruction of..various culinary plants by Psila,..Drosophila, &c. 1910 T. H. Morgan in Science 22 July 120/1 (title) Sex limited inheritance in Drosophila. Ibid., In a pedigree culture of Drosophila which had been running for nearly a year through a considerable number of generations, a male appeared with white eyes. The normal flies have brilliant red eyes. 1932 J. S. Huxley Probl. Rel. Growth ii. 63 The increase in total size of Drosophila caused by low temperature is accompanied by a decrease in wing-size. 1938 Ann. Reg. 1937 346 A new technique of artificial fertilisation of Drosophila opened up fresh vistas in genetic research. 1962 G. Cremer-Bartels in A. Pirie Lens Metabolism Rel. Cataract 443 Pteridines..from the red eyes of a drosophila fly. 1969 Times 28 Mar. 6/8 Experiments with the fruit fly Drosophila. |
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Add: Hence droˈsophilist n., a person who studies such flies or conducts research involving them.
| 1961 in Webster. 1976 Nature 13 May 93/1 A certain disappointment was apparent among many of my colleagues, because no Drosophilists from the Soviet Union attended. |