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
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Photos and surveillance footage captured the moment Israeli soldiers in helmets and night vision goggles boarded the flotilla.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
What has happened to previous aid flotillas?
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Ever cautious of the optics of such an enormous armed flotilla, while hovering off the coast of Cap-Français, in February 1802, General Leclerc wrote to Christophe, commander over the city, who also held the rank of French general.
—Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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flotilla
noun
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