gadfly

[ gad-flahy ]
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noun,plural gad·flies.
  1. any of various flies, as a stable fly or warble fly, that bite or annoy domestic animals.

  2. a person who persistently annoys or provokes others with criticism, schemes, ideas, demands, requests, etc.

Origin of gadfly

1
First recorded in 1585–95; gad2 + fly1

Words Nearby gadfly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use gadfly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gadfly

gadfly

/ (ˈɡædˌflaɪ) /


nounplural -flies
  1. any of various large dipterous flies, esp the horsefly, that annoy livestock by sucking their blood

  2. a constantly irritating or harassing person

Origin of gadfly

1
C16: from gad ² (sting) + fly ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012