Pronunciation: ' (t)set-s ē -, ' tet-, ' (t)s ē t-, ' t ē t-
Function: noun
Etymology: Afrikaans, from Tswana tsètsè fly
Date: 1865
: any of several dipteran flies (genus Glossina ) that occur in Africa south of the Sahara and include vectors of human and animal trypanosomes ― called also tsetse ― compare SLEEPING SICKNESS