flotilla

noun

flo·​til·​la flō-ˈti-lə How to pronounce flotilla (audio)
1
: a fleet of ships or boats
especially : a navy organizational unit consisting of two or more squadrons of small warships
2
: an indefinite large number
a flotilla of changes

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).

Examples of flotilla in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But the dwindling flotilla of Ropuchas and Tapirs—apparently four are left out of the pre-war nine—can’t help but sail within range of Ukrainian munitions. David Axe, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Boats have already contended with a giant seaweed flotilla, catastrophic equipment failure, and a collision that knocked the leader out of the decisive seventh leg. Jimmy Golen, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2023 Survivability is exactly what the Ukrainian navy’s battered riverine flotilla needs right now. David Axe, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Helmer is one of many islanders who now rent out rooms on their flotilla through Airbnb. Tim Brinkhof, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2023 Around me, a flotilla of kayaks, Jet Skis, surfboards, and small vessels bobs in the channel, acting as a floating stadium for fans. Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2023 For the first commando raid, Borghese had bought a flotilla of jet skis to transport 20 men to a Russian base on Cape Tarkhankut. Oleksandr Chubko, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2023 Saturday, May 20: The second annual flotilla cleanup focusing on Anchorage’s lakes and lagoons is open to anyone with a kayak, canoe, packraft or waders. Annie Berman, Anchorage Daily News, 3 May 2023 In August of 2021, the U.S. Coast Guard encountered a flotilla of Chinese warships 46 miles off the Aleutian Islands. Hope McKenney, Maggie Nelson, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flotilla.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, diminutive of flota fleet, from Old French flote, from Old Norse floti; akin to Old English flota ship, fleet — more at float

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flotilla was in 1711

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Dictionary Entries Near flotilla

Cite this Entry

“Flotilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flotilla. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flotilla

noun
flo·​til·​la flō-ˈtil-ə How to pronounce flotilla (audio)
: fleet entry 1 sense 1
especially : a fleet of small ships

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