/ flaɪt; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
JOURNEY BY AIR
1.
[ C ] a journey made by air, especially in a plane :
a smooth / comfortable / bumpy flight
a domestic / an international flight
a hot-air balloon flight
We met on a flight from London to Paris.
—see also in-flight
PLANE
2.
[ C ] a plane making a particular journey :
We're booked on the same flight.
Flight BA 4793 is now boarding at Gate 17.
If we leave now, I can catch the earlier flight.
mercy / relief flights (= planes taking help to countries where there is a war)
FLYING
3.
[ U ] the act of flying :
the age of supersonic flight
flight safety
The bird is easily recognized in flight (= when it is flying) by the black band at the end of its tail.
MOVEMENT OF OBJECT
4.
[ U ] the movement or direction of an object as it travels through the air :
the flight of a ball
OF STEPS
5.
[ C ] a series of steps between two floors or levels :
She fell down a flight of stairs / steps and hurt her back.
RUNNING AWAY
6.
[ U , sing. ] the act of running away from a dangerous or difficult situation :
the flight of refugees from the advancing forces
The main character is a journalist in flight from a failed marriage.
OF FANCY / IMAGINATION
7.
[ C ] flight of fancy / imagination an idea or a statement that shows a lot of imagination but is not practical or sensible
GROUP OF BIRDS / AIRCRAFT
8.
[ C ] a group of birds or aircraft flying together :
a flight of geese
an aircraft of the Queen's flight
•
IDIOMS
- in the first / top flight
- put sb to flight
- take flight
■ verb
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] ( BrE , sport ) to kick, hit or throw a ball through the air in a skilful way :
He equalized with a beautifully flighted shot.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English flyht action or manner of flying , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vlucht and fly (verb). This was probably merged in Middle English with an unrecorded Old English word related to German Flucht and to flee , which is represented by sense 6 of the noun.