flotilla
noun
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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).
Examples of flotilla in a Sentence
Davis Winkie, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
The profile of the activist — Ramón Saúl Sánchez, known for leading protest flotillas to Cuba — was scrapped.
—Frances Robles, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
What To Know According to the Australian Defense Force, which has deployed warships and aircraft to track the Chinese three-ship flotilla, the Chinese ships were operating 305 nautical miles southeast of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, as of Monday morning local time.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
To circumvent this potential Mars landing showstopper, Zubrin says, SpaceX could instead dispatch a flotilla led by one colossal Starship accompanied by a retinue of smaller Starboats.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotilla
Cite this Entry
“Flotilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flotilla. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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flotilla
noun
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