FLY


Meaning of FLY in English

I. ˈflī verb

( flew ˈflü ; flown ˈflōn ; flying ; flies )

Etymology: Middle English fligen, flien, fleon, from Old English flēogan; akin to Old High German fliogan to fly, Old Norse fljūga, Lithuanian plaukti to swim, Old English flōwan to flow — more at flow

intransitive verb

1.

a. of a winged being : to move in or pass through the air with wings

insects flying over the water

b. : to move through the air or before the wind

bullets flew in all directions

the wind freshened and the schooner flew toward port

clouds flying across the sky

the plane flew south

c. : to float, wave, or soar in the air

a flag flies from the tall staff

the kite caught an updraft and flew up and up

bright hair flying about her shoulders

2.

a. : to take to flight : flee especially from danger : run away

forced to fly for his life when his enemies came into power

b. : to fade and disappear : vanish

mists flying before the morning sun

the hovering shadows had flown when the light went on

3. : to move, pass, or act swiftly

the horses flew down the stretch

how such rumors do fly

flying to his sister's assistance

as

a. : to spring or rush especially suddenly or violently

the rumor brought the citizens flying to arms

— often used with into

flew into a rage

fly into tantrums — Gertrude Samuels

b. : to become suddenly or violently disordered, broken to bits, or forced apart or off : burst

the door flew open

the glass flew to bits at the impact

c. : to become expended or dissipated rapidly — used especially of money or property

after he had become established in town his inheritance flew

d. : to seem to pass quickly

our vacation had simply flown

the hours flew as she busied herself about the house

4.

a. : to hunt with a hawk — usually used with at

flew unsuccessfully at a low-flying duck

b. : to pursue or attack in or as if in flight

hoped yet to fly at higher game

5. past or past part flied : to hit a fly ball in baseball

flied to left field

6.

a. : to operate an airplane

b. : to travel in an airplane

transitive verb

1.

a. : to cause to fly or float in the air (as a bird, a flag)

little boys flying their kites

the club flew its pigeons every pleasant Saturday

b. : to operate (an airplane) in flight

2.

a. : to flee or escape from

the bird had flown its cage

b. : to avoid or shun

sleep flies the wretch — John Dryden

fly such a talkative woman

3.

a. : to perform by flying

the bat has flown his nightly flight

: conform to in flying

birds usually fly the same flyway in both northward and southward migration

: provide by flying

fighters flying close escort for the transports

b. : to operate an airplane over

fly the Atlantic

4. : to fly (a hawk) at game

5. : to transport by airplane

6. past or past part usually flied : to raise (as scenery not in use) to the flies of a theater stage

Synonyms: see escape

- fly a kite

- fly at one's throat

- fly blind

- fly by the seat of one's pants

- fly contact

- fly high

- fly in the face of

- fly the coop

II. noun

( -es )

Etymology: Middle English flye, from Old English flyge — more at flight

1. : the action or process of flying : flight

2. : the part of a compass on which the points are marked : compass card

3.

a. : a device consisting of two or more radial vanes capable of rotating on a spindle to act as a fan or to govern the speed of clockwork or very light machinery by the resistance of the air

b. : flywheel

c. : the arrangement consisting of a lever with end weights used to operate fly presses by its momentum when turned rapidly at the end of the screw ; also : fly press

4.

a. : a horse-drawn public coach or delivery wagon

b. chiefly Britain : a light covered vehicle (as a single-horse pleasure carriage or a hansom cab)

5. flies plural : the space over the stage of a theater where scenery and equipment can be hung out of sight until needed

6. : something attached by one edge: as

a. : a garment closing concealed by a fold of cloth extending over the fastener ; especially : such a closing at the front of men's trousers — see fly front

b. : the outer canvas of a tent with double top usually drawn over the ridgepole but so extended as to touch the roof of the tent at no other place ; often : a piece of canvas suitable for such use

c.

(1) : the length of an extended flag from its staff or support

(2) : the outer or loose end of a flag

7. textile manuf

a. : flier 11

b. : latch 3

c. : fly shuttle

d. : airborne lint in a mill room ; specifically : short light waste fiber produced during carding, spinning, or napping

8. : the course of something projected through the air

the golf ball rose in a good straight fly right down the fairway

often : fly ball

9. : flyleaf

10.

a. : the fore flap of a bootee

b. : the overlapping part of a shoe upper

11. or fly ladder : the top section of an aerial ladder

- on the fly

III. adjective

Etymology: probably from fly (I)

slang chiefly Britain : keen , artful

IV. verb

( flied or flyed ; flied or flyed ; flying ; flies )

Etymology: fly (II) (carriage)

transitive verb

archaic : to convey in a horse-drawn fly

intransitive verb

archaic : to travel in a fly

V. noun

( -es )

Etymology: Middle English flie, from Old English flēoge, flȳge; akin to Old High German flioga fly, Old Norse fluga, derivatives from the root of English fly (I)

1. : a winged insect — now used chiefly in combination

emerging may flies

an outbreak of turnip flies

a large caddis fly

beautiful butter flies

collectively : winged insects of a particular kind or in a specified relationship

fly is bad on turnip this season

had a lot of trouble with fly on the sheep in this wet weather

2.

a. : an insect of the order Diptera : two-winged fly — called also true fly

b. : any of various rather large and stout-bodied two-winged flies (as horseflies or houseflies) as distinguished from typically smaller and slenderer two-winged flies (as mosquitoes or midges) — not used technically

c. : tsetse fly

fly is present in much of eastern Africa

3. obsolete

a. : a demon associate (as of a witch) : familiar

b. : spy

c. : parasite

4. : a fishhook dressed (as with feathers or tinsel) to suggest an insect for use as a lure in angling

5.

a. archaic : flyboy

b. : delivery 9

- flies on

- fly in the ointment

VI. adjective

Etymology: fly -fishing

: used in or relating to fly-fishing

improving his fly technique

VII. intransitive verb

Etymology: fly (I)

1. : to be high (as on drugs or alcohol)

2. : to function successfully : win popular acceptance

a pure human-rights approach would not fly — Charles Brydon

- fly at

VIII. noun

: a football pass pattern in which the receiver runs straight downfield

- on the fly

IX. adjective

Etymology: fly (III)

slang : impressively good, attractive, or stylish

would have to top myself and really come up with something fly — John Fuqua

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.