the Fleet, a former prison in London, long used for debtors.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME flete, OE fléot flowing water; c. G Fliess brook; (def. 3) after the Fleet a stream, later covered and used as a sewer, near which the prison was located]
O.E. fleot "ship, floating vessel," from fleotan "to float," from P.Gmc. *fleut-, from PIE base *pleu- "to flow, run, swim." Sense of "naval force" is pre-1200. The O.E. word also meant "creek, inlet, flow of water," especially one into the Thames near Ludgate Hill, which lent its name to Fleet Street (home of newspaper and magazine houses, standing for "the English press" since 1882), Fleet prison, etc.
Fleet\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fleeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Fleeting.] [OE. fleten, fleoten, to swim, AS. fle['o]tan to swim, float; akin to D. vlieten to flow, OS. fliotan, OHG. fliozzan, G. fliessen, Icel. flj[=o]ta to float, flow, Sw. flyta, D. flyde, L. pluere to rain, Gr. ? to sail, swim, float, Skr. plu to swim, sail. [root]84. Cf. Fleet, n. & a., Float, Pluvial, Flow.]1. To sail; to float. [Obs.] And in frail wood on Adrian Gulf doth fleet. --Spenser. 2. To fly swiftly; to pass over quickly; to hasten; to flit as a light substance. All the unaccomplished works of Nature's hand, . . . Dissolved on earth, fleet hither. --Milton. 3. (Naut.) To slip on the whelps or the barrel of a capstan or windlass; -- said of a cable or hawser.
Fleet\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fleeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Fleeting.] [OE. fleten, fleoten, to swim, AS. fle['o]tan to swim, float; akin to D. vlieten to flow, OS. fliotan, OHG. fliozzan, G. fliessen, Icel. flj[=o]ta to float, flow, Sw. flyta, D. flyde, L. pluere to rain, Gr. ? to sail, swim, float, Skr. plu to swim, sail. [root]84. Cf. Fleet, n. & a., Float, Pluvial, Flow.]1. To sail; to float. [Obs.] And in frail wood on Adrian Gulf doth fleet. --Spenser. 2. To fly swiftly; to pass over quickly; to hasten; to flit as a light substance. All the unaccomplished works of Nature's hand, . . . Dissolved on earth, fleet hither. --Milton. 3. (Naut.) To slip on the whelps or the barrel of a capstan or windlass; -- said of a cable or hawser.
Fleet\, v. t. 1. To pass over rapidly; to skin the surface of; as, a ship that fleets the gulf. --Spenser. 2. To hasten over; to cause to pass away lighty, or in mirth and joy. Many young gentlemen flock to him, and fleet the time carelessly. --Shak. 3. (Naut.) (a) To draw apart the blocks of; -- said of a tackle. --Totten. (b) To cause to slip down the barrel of a capstan or windlass, as a rope or chain.
Fleet\, a. [Compar. Fleeter; superl. Fleetest.] [Cf. Icel. flj?tr quick. See Fleet, v. i.]1. Swift in motion; moving with velocity; light and quick in going from place to place; nimble. In mail their horses clad, yet fleet and strong. --Milton. 2. Light; superficially thin; not penetrating deep, as soil. [Prov. Eng.] --Mortimer.
Fleet\, a. [Compar. Fleeter; superl. Fleetest.] [Cf. Icel. flj?tr quick. See Fleet, v. i.]1. Swift in motion; moving with velocity; light and quick in going from place to place; nimble. In mail their horses clad, yet fleet and strong. --Milton. 2. Light; superficially thin; not penetrating deep, as soil. [Prov. Eng.] --Mortimer.
Fleet\, n. [OE. flete, fleote, AS. fle['o]t ship, fr. fle['o]tan to float, swim. See Fleet, v. i. and cf. Float.] A number of vessels in company, especially war vessels; also, the collective naval force of a country, etc. Fleet captain, the senior aid of the admiral of a fleet, when a captain. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Fleet\, n. [OE. flete, fleote, AS. fle['o]t ship, fr. fle['o]tan to float, swim. See Fleet, v. i. and cf. Float.] A number of vessels in company, especially war vessels; also, the collective naval force of a country, etc. Fleet captain, the senior aid of the admiral of a fleet, when a captain. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Fleet\, n. [AS. fle['o]t a place where vessels float, bay, river; akin to D. vliet rill, brook, G. fliess. See Fleet, v. i.]1. A flood; a creek or inlet; a bay or estuary; a river; -- obsolete, except as a place name, -- as Fleet Street in London. Together wove we nets to entrap the fish In floods and sedgy fleets. --Matthewes. 2. A former prison in London, which originally stood near a stream, the Fleet (now filled up). Fleet parson, a clergyman of low character, in, or in the vicinity of, the Fleet prison, who was ready to unite persons in marriage (called Fleet marriage) at any hour, without public notice, witnesses, or consent of parents.
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