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
Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
On Sunday, the flotilla was in the Sunda Strait, an Indonesian waterway.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
And the presence of the flotilla signals growing operational confidence of the PLA Navy, in not just sailing there but also conducting live fire exercises, as well as weapons training, Koh said.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025
Another historical parallel can be drawn with Trump's aggressive use of tariffs and threats of them and the arrival in 1853 of a flotilla of U.S. warships in Tokyo Bay.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 7 Feb. 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 2 Apr. 2025.
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flotilla
noun
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