gadfly

== English == === Etymology === 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. Sense 2.1.1 (“person who upsets the status quo”) may allude to the Apology by the Greek philosopher Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 B.C.E.), where he describes Socrates (c. 470 – 399 B.C.E.) acting as a goad to the Athenian political scene like a gadfly (Ancient Greek μῠ́ωψ (mŭ́ōps)) arousing a sluggish horse. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɡædflaɪ/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɡædˌflaɪ/ Hyphenation: gad‧fly === Noun === gadfly (plural gadflies) Any dipterous (“two-winged”) insect or fly of the family Oestridae (commonly known as a botfly) or Tabanidae (horsefly), noted for irritating animals by buzzing about them, and biting them to suck their blood; a gadbee. (botfly): Synonym: warble fly (horsefly): Synonyms: stoat-fly, stout (figurative, also attributive) A person or thing that irritates or instigates. (specifically) A person who upsets the status quo by posing novel or upsetting questions, or attempts to stimulate innovation by being an irritant. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:maverick Synonym of gadabout (“a person who restlessly moves from place to place, seeking amusement or the companionship of others”). Synonym: social butterfly (derogatory, slang) A person who takes without giving back; a bloodsucker. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:scrounger ==== Derived terms ==== gadfly petrel ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === botfly on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Category:Oestridae on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons Oestridae on Wikispecies.Wikispecies horse-fly on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Category:Tabanidae on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons Tabanidae on Wikispecies.Wikispecies gadfly (philosophy and social science) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia gadfly (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia