gadfly
名词 n.
英 /ˈɡædflaɪ/
美 /ˈɡædˌflaɪ/
英文释义
名词 n.
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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; […]
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A person or thing that irritates or instigates.
— VVhat gad flye tickles ſo this Macrinus, / That vp-flinging thy tayle, he breakes thus from me.
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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.
— There is a function for the gadfly who poses questions that many specialists would like to overlook. Polemics is healthy.
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Synonym of gadabout (“a person who restlessly moves from place to place, seeking amusement or the companionship of others”).
— VVhat VVinnie? VVife, I ſay? out of dores at this time! vvhere ſhould I ſeeke the Gad-flye?
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A person who takes without giving back; a bloodsucker.
— He’s a regular gadfly and takes advantage of his friend’s generosity.
词形变化
词汇关系
衍生词
词源
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.
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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数据来源: Wiktionary