Designed to prevent flies from entering or infesting; constructed or treated so that flying insects cannot penetrate.
Compound of 'fly' and 'proof' (from Old French 'prueve,' meaning to test). The term emerged in the late 19th century as screened windows and doors became common. It represents a productive English word-formation pattern combining 'fly' with '-proof.'
The development of flyproof screens in the 1870s coincided with germ theory's acceptance and was marketed as preventing disease transmission—people realized flies carried bacteria from sewage to food! This single innovation likely prevented countless dysentery and typhoid deaths in cities.
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