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
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Now known as Sail4th 250, the parade of ships is a successor to Operation Sail, the international flotilla of schooners and barques and windjammers brought into New York Harbor half a dozen times starting in 1964.
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Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
30 June 2026
The flotilla will be in New York City July 4-8 with parade sails, tours of the ships and more.
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Joe Yogerst,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Brian Hurley predicts, meanwhile, that as more independent astronauts from around the world begin occupying the orbital rings closest to Earth, SpaceX could move to connect up small flotillas of Starships into larger interlinked clusters.
—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for flotilla
Cite this Entry
“Flotilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flotilla. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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flotilla
noun
