gadfly Hear it!

gadfly Definition

gad·fly (gadflī′)

noun pl. -·flies′

  1. any of several large flies, as the horsefly, that bite livestock
  2. a person who annoys others, esp. by rousing them from complacency

Etymology: gad + fly

gadfly Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • send: But Hera recognized Io and sent a gadfly to torment her.

Modifies a noun

  • petrel: The gadfly petrels pose a challenge to modern taxonomists.

Noun used with modifier

  • trumpeter: The trumpeter Gadfly and a number of his relations, beside several Grasshoppers and Bees, were the chief musicians.

Browse dictionary entries near gadfly

  1. Gaddafi
  2. Gadarene
  3. gadabout
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  5. gaby
  6. Gabrielle
  7. Gabrieli
  8. Gabriel
  9. Gaborone
  10. Gabor
  1. gadget
  2. gadgeteer
  3. gadgetry
  4. Gadhelic
  5. gadoid
  6. gadolinite
  7. gadolinium
  8. gadroon
  9. Gadsden
  10. gadwall