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gadfly

gad·fly

gadfly · gadflies

Störenfried, Quälgeist, Querulant

Any dipterous insect or fly of the family Oestridae or Tabanidae, noted for irritating…Any dipterous (“two-winged”) insect or fly of the family Oestridae (commonly known as a bot fly) or Tabanidae (horse fly), noted for irritating animals by buzzing about them, and biting them to suck their blood; a gadbee.

UK/ˈɡædflaɪ/US/ˈɡædˌflaɪ/

» What could be more normal for an ox stung by a gadfly to run away; but why did the donkey follow him?

Значение

значений: 5

Any dipterous (“two-winged”) insect or fly of the family Oestridae (commonly known as a bot fly) or Tabanidae (horse fly), noted for irritating animals by buzzing about them, and biting them to suck their blood; a gadbee.
(также, атрибутивное, переносно)A person or thing that irritates or instigates.
a persistently annoying person
A person or thing that irritates or instigates.
(также, атрибутивное, переносно, конкретно)A person who upsets the status quo by posing novel or upsetting questions, or attempts to stimulate innovation by being an irritant.
Störenfried, Quälgeist, Querulant
(также, атрибутивное, переносно)Synonym of gadabout (“a person who restlessly moves from place to place, seeking amusement or the companionship of others”).
(также, атрибутивное, пренебрежительное, переносно, сленг)A person who takes without giving back; a bloodsucker.
He’s a regular gadfly and takes advantage of his friend’s generosity.

Примеры

предложений: 1

What could be more normal for an ox stung by a gadfly to run away; but why did the donkey follow him?
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Переводы

языков: 4

Deutsch

По значениям 1

person who upsets the status quo by posing novel or upsetting questions, or attempts to stimulate innovation by being an irritant:

Происхождение

From gad (“sharp point, spike; (dialectal) sharp-pointed rod for driving cattle, horses, e

From gad (“sharp point, spike; (dialectal) sharp-pointed rod for driving cattle, horses, etc., goad”) + fly, in the sense of a fly which irritates cattle, etc., by biting them, similar to the prodding of a goad. Gad is derived from Middle English gad, gadde (“metal spike with a sharp point; stick with a sharp point for driving animals, goad; metal bar or rod, ingot; (by extension) lump of material; metal rod for measuring land; (by extension) unit of linear measure equal to about 10 to 16 feet”), borrowed from Old Norse gaddr (“spike; goad”), from Proto-Germanic *gazdaz (“spike; goad”), further etymology uncertain. Displaced native Old English bēaw.

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