/ fliːt; NAmE / noun , adjective
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a group of military ships commanded by the same person
2.
[ C ] a group of ships fishing together :
a fishing / whaling fleet
3.
the fleet [ sing. ] all the military ships of a particular country :
a reduction in the size of the British fleet
4.
[ C ] fleet (of sth) a group of planes, buses, taxis, etc. travelling together or owned by the same organization :
the company's new fleet of vans
■ adjective
( literary ) able to run fast :
fleet of foot
fleet-footed
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun Old English flēot ship, shipping , from flēotan float, swim , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vlieten and German fliessen , also to flit and float .
adjective early 16th cent.: probably from Old Norse fljótr , of Germanic origin.