different between gadfly vs dragonfly

English

Etymology

From gad (“spike”) +? fly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??ædfla?/

Noun

gadfly (plural gadflies)

1. Any dipterous insect of the family Oestridae, commonly known as botflies.

   Synonyms: botfly, warble fly

2. A horsefly: any of various species of fly, of the family Tabanidae, noted for buzzing about animals and sucking their blood.

   Synonyms: horsefly, stoat-fly, stout

   • 2005, Rafael Argullol, The End of the World as a Work of Art: A Western Story, Bucknell University Press (?ISBN), page 48:

     Vengeful Hera transformed her into an animal (a beautiful cow), and imposed upon her the company of a gadfly to sting her continuously, thus forcing her to escape on an endless pilgrimage.

3. (figuratively) One who upsets the status quo by posing upsetting or novel questions, or attempts to stimulate innovation by proving an irritant.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:maverick
4. (derogatory) One who merely irritates without making useful suggestions.
5. (derogatory, slang) A bloodsucker; a person who takes without giving back.

   Synonyms: bloodsucker; see also Thesaurus:scrounger

Translations

Further reading

• horse-fly on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• botfly on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Alternative forms

• dragon-fly

Etymology

From dragon +? fly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?æ??n?fla?/

Noun

dragonfly (plural dragonflies)

1. An insect of the suborder Epiprocta or, more strictly, the infraorder Anisoptera, having four long transparent wings held perpendicular to a long body when perched.

Synonyms

• (insect of infraorder Anisoptera): adderbolt, darner, darning needle, devil's darning needle, dining needle, ear sewer, horse-stinger, mosquito fly, mosquito hawk, needle, skeeter hawk, snake doctor, snake feeder, spindle

Hypernyms

• odonate, sewing needle

Translations

See also

• Anisoptera
• damselfly
• Odonata