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
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- 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