Elegiac

 WORD OF THE DAY

elegiac / adjective / el-uh-JYE-ak

Definition
1a: of, relating to, or consisting of two dactylic hexameter lines the second of which lacks the arsis in the third and sixth feet
1b: written in or consisting of elegiac couplets
1c: noted for having written poetry in such couplets
1d: of or relating to the period in Greece about the seventh century b.c. when poetry written in such couplets flourished
2a: of, relating to, or comprising elegy or an elegy
2b: expressing sorrow often for something now past

Examples
"And so 'Names of Horses,' a very different but also elegiac poem, with its litany of remembered farm animals' names, helped lead to 'Names of My Mother's Friends'…, with its litany of women's names of a previous generation, and its tribute to names and ways of life that have passed out of currency."
— Judy Kronenfeld, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California), 3 Apr. 2021

"The novel is elegiac in a way, but it's also a celebration of the city's artistic spirit. Looking back gives us an opportunity to think how we can bring that spirit back because it's been such a vital part of our history and who we are."
— Jasmin Darznik, quoted in The San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2021

Did You Know?
Elegiac was borrowed into English in the 16th century from Late Latin elagiacus, which in turn derives from Greek elegeiakos.
Elegeiakos traces back to the Greek word for "elegiac couplet," which was elegeion.
It is no surprise, then, that the earliest meaning of elegiac referred to such poetic couplets. These days, of course, the word is also used to describe anything sorrowful or nostalgic.
As you may have guessed, another descendant of elegeion in English is elegy, which in its oldest sense refers to a poem in elegiac couplets, and now can equally refer to a somewhat broader range of laments for something or someone that is now lost.

Gadfly

 WORD OF THE DAY

gadfly / noun / GAD-flye

Definition
1: any of various flies (such as a horsefly, botfly, or warble fly) that bite or annoy livestock
2: a person who stimulates or annoys other people especially by persistent criticism

Examples
"One of a handful of well-known corporate gadflies, she often cut a distinctive figure, appearing in costumes that she thought would underscore her messages to company leaders. For an American Broadcasting Company meeting in 1966, not long after the network's campy series 'Batman' had its premiere, she wore a Batman mask; for a meeting of U.S. Steel shareholders in 1968, she wore an aluminum dress."
— Emily Flitter, The New York Times, 7 Nov. 2018

"Ever since the philosopher Nick Bostrom proposed in the Philosophical Quarterly that the universe and everything in it might be a simulation, there has been intense public speculation and debate about the nature of reality. Such public intellectuals as Tesla leader and prolific Twitter gadfly Elon Musk have opined about the statistical inevitability of our world being little more than cascading green code."
— Fouad Khan, Scientific American, 1 Apr., 2021

Did You Know?
The history of gadfly starts with gad, which now means "chisel" but which formerly could designate a spike, spear, or rod for goading cattle.
Late in the 16th century, gad was joined with fly to designate any of several insects that aggravate livestock.
Before too long, we began applying gadfly to people who annoy or provoke others. One of history's most famous gadflies was the philosopher Socrates, who was known for his constant questioning of his fellow Athenians' ethics, misconceptions, and assumptions.
In his Apology, Plato describes Socrates' characterization of Athens as a large and sluggish horse and of Socrates himself as the fly that bites and rouses it.
Many translations use gadfly in this portion of the Apology, and Socrates is sometimes referred to as the "gadfly of Athens."

 

Flotilla

 WORD OF THE DAY

flotilla / noun / floh-TILL-uh

Definition
1a: a fleet of ships or boats
1b: a navy organizational unit consisting of two or more squadrons of small warships
2: an indefinite large number

Examples
"Sometimes, a hot bite, a cold drink, and a flotilla of paddle boats is just right. In fact, after this winter of our discontent, it's just perfect."
— Merrill Shindler, The Daily Breeze (Torrance, California), 19 Mar. 2021

"The vessel was sunk during an engagement with a Japanese flotilla of much larger battleships, cruisers and destroyers."
— Tim Stanley, The Tulsa (Oklahoma) World, 7 Apr. 2021

Did You Know?
Flotilla comes from the diminutive form of the Spanish noun flota, meaning "fleet."
Flota derives via Old French from Old Norse floti and is related to Old English flota (meaning "ship" or "fleet"), an ancestor to English's float.
Much like other words referring to groups of particular things (such as swarm), flotilla has taken on expanded usage to refer simply to a large number of something not necessarily having to do with nautical matters, often with humorous effect (e.g., "a flotilla of rather mature-looking male models" — Jed Perl, The New Republic).