also gad-fly, 1620s, "fly which bites cattle," probably from gad (n.) "goad, metal rod," here in the sense of "stinger;" but the sense is entangled with gad (v.) "rove about" (on the notion, perhaps, of the insect's power of flight or of the restlessness of animals plagued by them), and another early meaning of gadfly was "someone who likes to go about, often stopping here and there" (1610s). Sense of "one who irritates another" is from 1640s (equivalent of Latin oestrus; see estrus). "In strictness, only the females are gadflies, the males being smaller and quite inoffensive, living on juices of plants" [Century Dictionary]. Earlier bot-fly, from bot "skin parasite" (late 15c.).
雙語(yǔ)例句
1. It still remains to be seen whether Buchanan will be just a gadfly or a real threat to the president.
布坎南只是故意攪局還是對(duì)總統(tǒng)構(gòu)成真正的威脅，這還有待觀察。
來(lái)自辭典例句
2. Gemma thought Gadfly was Arthur, but she could not make sure.
瓊瑪雖感到牛虻是亞瑟, 卻不能確定.
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3. One guy said he'd like to be a gadfly, like Socrates.
一個(gè)男生說(shuō),他想做牛虻, 像蘇格拉底一樣.
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4. Maybe Arthur had been a truly gadfly, flying happily in the sky.
或許,亞瑟真的變成了一直牛虻, 自由快樂(lè)地在天空中飛翔.
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5. After 13 years, an ugly man called Gadfly returned to Italy.