Gadfly

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Gadfly \Gad"fly`\ (g[a^]d"fl[imac]`), n.; pl. {Gadflies}. [Gad +
     fly.] (Zool.)
     Any dipterous insect of the genus {Oestrus}, and allied
     genera of botflies.
     [1913 Webster]
  


     Note: The sheep gadfly ({Oestrus ovis}) deposits its young in
           the nostrils of sheep, and the larv[ae] develop in the
           frontal sinuses. The common species which infests
           cattle ({Hypoderma bovis}) deposits its eggs upon or in
           the skin where the larv[ae] or bots live and produce
           sores called wormels. The gadflies of the horse produce
           the intestinal parasites called bots. See {Botfly}, and
           {Bots}. The true horseflies are often erroneously
           called gadflies, and the true gadflies are sometimes
           incorrectly called {breeze flies}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Gadfly petrel} (Zool.), one of several small petrels of the
        genus {Oestrelata}.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Breeze \Breeze\, Breeze fly \Breeze" fly`\, n. [OE. brese, AS.
     bri['o]sa; perh. akin to OHG. brimissa, G. breme, bremse, D.
     brems, which are akin to G. brummen to growl, buzz, grumble,
     L. fremere to murmur; cf. G. brausen, Sw. brusa, Dan. bruse,
     to roar, rush.] (Zool.)
     A fly of various species, of the family {Tabanid[ae]}, noted
     for buzzing about animals, and tormenting them by sucking
     their blood; -- called also {horsefly}, and {gadfly}. They
     are among the largest of two-winged or dipterous insects. The
     name is also given to different species of botflies. [Written
     also {breese} and {brize}.]
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  gadfly
       n 1: a persistently annoying person [syn: {pest}, {blighter}, {cuss},
             {pesterer}]
       2: any of various large flies that annoy livestock

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  36 Moby Thesaurus words for "gadfly":
     abettor, actuator, animator, cajoler, coax, coaxer, encourager,
     energizer, firer, gad, galvanizer, goad, impeller, inducer,
     inspirer, lash, mover, moving spirit, oxgoad, persuader, pleader,
     prick, prime mover, prod, prompter, rowel, spark, spark plug,
     sparker, spur, stimulator, sting, tempter, wheedler, whip,
     whiplash