gadfly

English

Etymology

"fly which bites cattle", from Old Norse gaddr (“spike”).

Noun

Wikipedia gadfly (plural gadflies)

1. Any dipterous insect of the genus Oestrus, and allied group of botflies.
2. A horsefly: any of various species of fly, of the family Tabanid[ae], noted for buzzing about animals and sucking their blood.
3. One who upsets the status quo by posing upsetting or novel questions, or attempts to stimulate innovation by proving an irritant.
4. (pejorative) One who merely irritates without making useful suggestions.
5. (slang) A bloodsucker

   He's a regular gadfly and takes advantage of his friend's generosity.

Translations

an insect

Arabic: ذبابة الخيل (ar) f. Chinese: Mandarin: 牛虻 (cmn) (niúméng), 虻 (cmn) (méng) Danish: bremse (da) c. French: taon (fr) m. German: Viehbremse (de) f., Bremse (de) f. Hungarian: bögöly (hu)

Italian: tafano (it) m. Japanese: 牛虻 (ja), ウシアブ (ja) (ushiabu) or うしあぶ (ja) (ushiabu), 虻 (ja), アブ (ja) (abu) or あぶ (ja) (abu) Latvian: dundurs (lv) m. Portuguese: tavão (pt) m., moscardo (pt) m. Russian: овод (ru) (óvod) m. Spanish: tábano (es) m. Ukrainian: овiд (uk) (óvid) m., ґедзь (uk) (gedz', hedz') m.

a fly

Hungarian: bögöly (hu)

Russian: слепень (ru) (slépen') m.

a horsefly

Bulgarian: конска муха (bg) (kónska muhá) f. Danish: klæg (da) c. Dutch: paardenvlieg f., horzel m. or f. French: taon (fr) Hungarian: bögöly (hu)

Latin: tabānus (la) m. Macedonian: коњска мува (mk) (kónjaska múva) f. Norwegian: klegg Romanian: tăun (ro) Russian: слепень (ru) (slépen') m.

one who upsets the status quo

Danish: provokatør (da) c., urostifter (da) c.

(slang) a bloodsucker

Portuguese: chulo (pt) m., chupista (pt) m.