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Gadfly
Definitions
- 1 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.
"He that made that ryme in jeſt, little conſidered what a gad-fly may doe in earneſt. It is ſmall wiſedome to contemne the ſmalleſt enemy; the gad-fly is a little creature, but ſome little creatures be ſtingers; […]"
- 2 any of various large flies that annoy livestock wordnet
- 3 A person or thing that irritates or instigates. also, attributive, figuratively
"VVhat gad flye tickles ſo this Macrinus, / That vp-flinging thy tayle, he breakes thus from me."
- 4 a persistently annoying person wordnet
- 5 A person or thing that irritates or instigates.; A person who upsets the status quo by posing novel or upsetting questions, or attempts to stimulate innovation by being an irritant. also, attributive, figuratively, specifically
"There is a function for the gadfly who poses questions that many specialists would like to overlook. Polemics is healthy."
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- 6 Synonym of gadabout (“a person who restlessly moves from place to place, seeking amusement or the companionship of others”). also, attributive, figuratively
"VVhat VVinnie? VVife, I ſay? out of dores at this time! vvhere ſhould I ſeeke the Gad-flye?"
- 7 A person who takes without giving back; a bloodsucker. also, attributive, derogatory, figuratively, slang
"He’s a regular gadfly and takes advantage of his friend’s generosity."
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.
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