n.
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural flies
Etymology: Middle English flie, from Old English fl ē oge; akin to Old High German flioga fly, Old English fl ē ogan to fly
Date: before 12th century
1 : a winged insect ― usually used in combination <may flies > <butter fly >
2 a : any of a large order (Diptera) of winged or rarely wingless insects (as the housefly, mosquito, or gnat) that have the anterior wings functional, the posterior wings reduced to halteres, and segmented often headless, eyeless, and legless larvae ― compare MAGGOT b : a large stout-bodied fly
3 : a fishhook dressed (as with feathers or tinsel) to suggest an insect
– fly in the ointment : a detracting factor or element