1. v. & n.
--v. (flies; past flew; past part. flown)
1. intr. move through the air under control, esp. with wings.
2 (of an aircraft or its occupants): a intr. travel through the air or through space. b tr. traverse (a region or distance) (flew the Channel).
3 tr. a control the flight of (esp. an aircraft). b transport in an aircraft.
4 a tr. cause to fly or remain aloft. b intr. (of a flag, hair, etc.) wave or flutter.
5 intr. pass or rise quickly through the air or over an obstacle.
6 intr. go or move quickly; pass swiftly (time flies).
7 intr. a flee. b colloq. depart hastily.
8 intr. be driven or scattered; be forced off suddenly (sent me flying; the door flew open).
9 intr. (foll. by at, upon) a hasten or spring violently. b attack or criticize fiercely.
10 tr. flee from; escape in haste.
--n. (pl. -ies)
1. (usu. in pl.) a a flap on a garment, esp. trousers, to contain or cover a fastening. b this fastening.
2 a flap at the entrance of a tent.
3 (in pl.) the space over the proscenium in a theatre.
4 the act or an instance of flying.
5 (pl. usu. flys) Brit. hist. a one-horse hackney carriage.
6 a speed-regulating device in clockwork and machinery.
Phrases and idioms:
fly-away (of hair etc.) tending to fly out or up; streaming. fly-by (pl. -bys) a flight past a position, esp. the approach of a spacecraft to a planet for observation. fly-by-night adj. unreliable.
--n. an unreliable person. fly-half Rugby Football a stand-off half. fly high 1 pursue a high ambition.
2 excel, prosper. fly in the face of openly disregard or disobey; conflict roundly with (probability, the evidence, etc.). fly into a rage (or temper etc.) become suddenly or violently angry.
fly a kite
1. try something out; test public opinion.
2 raise money by an accommodation bill. fly off the handle colloq. lose one's temper suddenly and unexpectedly. fly-past a ceremonial flight of aircraft past a person or a place. fly-pitcher sl. a street-trader. fly-pitching sl. street-trading.
Derivatives:
flyable adj.
Etymology: OE fleogan f. Gmc 2. n. (pl. flies)
1. any insect of the order Diptera with two usu. transparent wings.
2 any other winged insect, e.g. a firefly or mayfly.
3 a disease of plants or animals caused by flies.
4 a natural or artificial fly used as bait in fishing.
Phrases and idioms:
fly agaric a poisonous fungus Amanita Muscaria, forming bright-red mushrooms with white flecks. fly-blow flies' eggs contaminating food, esp. meat. fly-blown adj. tainted, esp. by flies. fly-fish v.intr. fish with a fly. fly in the ointment a minor irritation that spoils enjoyment. fly on the wall an unnoticed observer. fly-paper sticky treated paper for catching flies. fly-post display (posters etc.) rapidly in unauthorized places. fly-tip illegally dump (waste). fly-tipper a person who engages in fly-tipping. fly-trap any of various plants that catch flies, esp. the Venus fly-trap. like flies in large numbers (usu. of people dying in an epidemic etc.). no flies on colloq. nothing to diminish (a person's) astuteness.
Etymology: OE flyge, fleoge f. WG 3. adj. Brit. sl. knowing, clever, alert.
Derivatives:
flyness n.
Etymology: 19th c.: orig. unkn.