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Fly

 - 15 dictionary results
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fly

1  [flahy] verb, flew or, for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly⋅ing, noun, plural flies.
Use Fly in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to move through the air using wings.
2. to be carried through the air by the wind or any other force or agency: bits of paper flying about.
3. to float or flutter in the air: flags flying in the breeze.
4. to travel in an aircraft or spacecraft.
5. to move suddenly and quickly; start unexpectedly: He flew from the room.
6. to change rapidly and unexpectedly from one state or position to another: The door flew open.
7. to flee; escape.
8. to travel in space: The probe will fly past the planet.
9. to move or pass swiftly: How time flies!
10. to move with an aggressive surge: A mother fox will fly at anyone approaching her kits.
11. Baseball.
a. to bat a fly ball: He flied into right field.
b. to fly out.
12. Informal. to be acceptable, believable, or feasible: It seemed like a good idea, but it just wouldn't fly.
–verb (used with object)
13. to make (something) float or move through the air: to fly a kite.
14. to operate (an aircraft, spacecraft, or the like).
15. to hoist aloft, as for display, signaling, etc.: to fly a flag.
16. to operate an aircraft or spacecraft over: to fly the Pacific.
17. to transport or convey by air: We fly merchandise to Boston.
18. to escape from; flee: to fly someone's wrath.
19. Theater.
a. to hang (scenery) above a stage by means of rigging supported by the gridiron.
b. to raise (scenery) from the stage or acting area into the flies.
–noun
20. a strip of material sewn along one edge of a garment opening for concealing buttons, zippers, or other fasteners.
21. a flap forming the door of a tent.
22. Also called tent fly. a piece of canvas extending over the ridgepole of a tent and forming an outer roof.
23. an act of flying; a flight.
24. the course of a flying object, as a ball.
25. Baseball. fly ball.
26. British. a light, covered, public carriage drawn by one horse; hansom; hackney coach.
27. Machinery. a horizontal arm, weighted at each end, that pivots about the screw of a press so that when the screw is lowered the momentum of the fly will increase the force of the press.
28. Also called fan. Horology. a regulating device for chime and striking mechanisms, consisting of an arrangement of vanes on a revolving axis.
29. Printing.
a. (in some presses) the apparatus for removing the printed sheets to the delivery table.
b. Also called flyboy. (formerly) a printer's devil employed to remove printed sheets from a press.
30. (on a flag)
a. the horizontal dimension of a flag as flown from a vertical staff.
b. the end of the flag farther from the staff. Compare hoist (def. 7).
31. flies. Also called fly loft. Theater. the space above the stage used chiefly for storing scenery and equipment.
32. Nautical. a propellerlike device streamed to rotate and transfer information on speed to a mechanical log.
—Verb phrase
33. fly out, Baseball, Softball. to be put out by hitting a fly ball that is caught by a player of the opposing team.
—Idioms
34. fly blind. blind (def. 33).
35. fly in the face of, to act in defiance of (authority, custom, etc.). Also, fly in the teeth of.
36. fly off the handle. handle (def. 16).
37. go fly a kite, Slang.
a. to put up with or get used to matters as they stand.
b. to confine oneself to one's own affairs.
c. to cease being a nuisance: If she gets mad enough she'll tell me to go fly a kite.
38. let fly,
a. to hurl or propel (a weapon, missile, etc.).
b. to give free rein to an emotion: She let fly with a barrage of angry words.
39. on the fly,
a. during flight; before falling to the ground: to catch a baseball on the fly.
b. hurriedly; without pausing: We had dinner on the fly.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME flīen, OE flēogan; c. OHG fliogan, G fliegen, ON fljuga

Related forms:
fly⋅a⋅ble, adjective
fly⋅a⋅bil⋅i⋅ty, noun

Synonyms:
1. Fly, flit, flutter, hover, soar refer to moving through the air as on wings. Fly is the general term: Birds fly. Airplanes fly. To flit is to make short rapid flights from place to place: A bird flits from tree to tree. To flutter is to agitate the wings tremulously, either without flying or in flying only short distances: A young bird flutters out of a nest and in again. To hover is to linger in the air, or to move over or about something within a narrow area or space: hovering clouds; a hummingbird hovering over a blossom. To soar is to (start to) fly upward to a great height usually with little advance in any other direction, or else to (continue to) fly at a lofty height without visible movement of the wings: Above our heads an eagle was soaring.
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fly

2  [flahy]
–noun, plural flies.
1. Also called true fly. any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, esp. of the family Muscidae, as the common housefly.
2. any of various winged insects, as the mayfly or firefly.
3. Angling. a fishhook dressed with hair, feathers, silk, tinsel, etc., so as to resemble an insect or small fish, for use as a lure or bait.
4. (initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Musca.
—Idiom
5. fly in the ointment, a detrimental factor; detraction: If there's one fly in the ointment, it's that there may not be the money to finish the job.
Origin:
bef. 950; ME flīe, OE flēoge, flȳge; c. MD vliege (D vlieg), OHG flioga (G Fliege); akin to fly 1

Related forms:
flyless, adjective

fly

3  [flahy]
–adjective British Informal.
1. clever; keen; ingenious.
2. agile; nimble.
Origin:
1805–15; perh. special use of fly 1

fly ball

 
–noun Baseball.
a ball that is batted up into the air.
Also called fly.
Compare ground ball.

Origin:
1860–65, Americanism

Fly River

  [flahy]
–noun
a river in New Guinea, flowing SE from the central part to the Gulf of Papua, ab. 800 mi. (1290 km) long.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Fly
fly 1   (flī)   
v.   flew (flōō), flown (flōn), fly·ing, flies (flīz)

v.   intr.

  1. To engage in flight, especially:

    1. To move through the air by means of wings or winglike parts.

    2. To travel by air: We flew to Dallas.

    3. To operate an aircraft or spacecraft.

    4. To rise in or be carried through the air by the wind: a kite flying above the playground.

    5. To float or flap in the air: pennants flying from the masthead.

    6. To move with great speed; rush or dart: The children flew down the hall. Rumors were flying during their absence.

    7. To flee; escape.

    8. To hasten; spring: flew to her students' defense.

    1. To rise in or be carried through the air by the wind: a kite flying above the playground.

    2. To float or flap in the air: pennants flying from the masthead.

    3. To move with great speed; rush or dart: The children flew down the hall. Rumors were flying during their absence.

    4. To flee; escape.

    5. To hasten; spring: flew to her students' defense.

  3. To move or be sent through the air with great speed: bullets flying in every direction; a plate that flew from my hands when I stumbled.

    1. To move with great speed; rush or dart: The children flew down the hall. Rumors were flying during their absence.

    2. To flee; escape.

    3. To hasten; spring: flew to her students' defense.

  5. To pass by swiftly: a vacation flying by; youth that is soon flown.

  6. To be dissipated; vanish: Their small inheritance was quickly flown.

  7. past tense and past participle flied (flīd) Baseball To hit a fly ball.

  8. To undergo an explosive reaction; burst: The dropped plate flew into pieces. The motorist flew into a rage.

  9. Informal To gain acceptance or approval; go over: "However sophisticated the reasoning, this particular notion may not fly" (New York Times).

v.   tr.

    1. To cause to fly or float in the air: fly a kite; fly a flag.

    2. Nautical To operate under (a particular flag): a tanker that flies the Liberian flag.

    3. To pilot (an aircraft or a spacecraft).

    4. To carry or transport in an aircraft or a spacecraft: fly emergency supplies to a stricken area.

    5. To pass over or through in flight: flew the coastal route in record time.

    6. To perform in a spacecraft or an aircraft: flew six missions into space.

    7. To flee or run from: fly a place in panic.

    8. To avoid; shun: fly temptation.

    1. To pilot (an aircraft or a spacecraft).

    2. To carry or transport in an aircraft or a spacecraft: fly emergency supplies to a stricken area.

    3. To pass over or through in flight: flew the coastal route in record time.

    4. To perform in a spacecraft or an aircraft: flew six missions into space.

    5. To flee or run from: fly a place in panic.

    6. To avoid; shun: fly temptation.

    1. To flee or run from: fly a place in panic.

    2. To avoid; shun: fly temptation.

n.   pl. flies

  1. The act of flying; flight.

    1. A fold of cloth that covers a fastening of a garment, especially one on the front of trousers.

    2. The fastening or opening covered by such a fold.

    3. The span of a flag from the staff to the outer edge.

    4. The outer edge of a flag.

  3. A flap that covers an entrance or forms a rooflike extension for a tent or the canopy of a vehicle.

  4. A flyleaf.

  5. Baseball A fly ball.

    1. The span of a flag from the staff to the outer edge.

    2. The outer edge of a flag.

  7. A flywheel.

  8. flies The area directly over the stage of a theater, containing overhead lights, drop curtains, and equipment for raising and lowering sets.

  9. Chiefly British A one-horse carriage, especially one for hire.

Phrasal Verb(s):
fly atTo attack fiercely; assault: The dogs flew at each other's throats.

Idiom(s):
fly highTo be elated: They were flying high after their first child was born.

Idiom(s):
fly off the handle Informal To become suddenly enraged: flew off the handle when the train was finally canceled.

Idiom(s):
let fly

  1. To shoot, hurl, or release: The troops let fly a volley of gunfire.

  2. To lash out; assault: The mayor let fly with an angry attack on her critics.


Idiom(s):
on the fly

  1. On the run; in a hurry: took lunch on the fly.

  2. While in the air; in flight: caught the ball on the fly.


[Middle English flien, from Old English flēogan; see pleu- in Indo-European roots.]
fly'a·ble adj.
fly 2   (flī)   
n.   pl. flies

    1. Any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially any of the family Muscidae, which includes the housefly.

    2. Any of various other flying insects, such as the caddis fly.

  2. A fishing lure simulating a fly, made by attaching materials such as feathers, tinsel, and colored thread to a fishhook.


[Middle English flie, from Old English flēoge; see pleu- in Indo-European roots.]
fly 3   (flī)   
adj.  

  1. Chiefly British Mentally alert; sharp.

  2. Slang Fashionable; stylish.


[Probably from fly1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
fly

  1. mod.
    knowledgeable; alert and in the know. : This dude is fly; there's no question about it.
  2. mod.
    nice-looking; stylish. : I like your fly shoes, Sam.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

fly  (n.)
O.E. fleoge, from P.Gmc. *fleugjon (cf. O.S. fleiga, O.N. fluga, M.Du. vlieghe, Ger. Fliege "fly); lit. "the flying (insect)" (cf. O.E. fleogende "flying"), from same source as fly (v.1). Originally "any winged insect" (hence butterfly, etc.); long used by farmers and gardeners for any insect parasite. Slang adj. meaning "clever, alert, wide awake" first recorded 18c., perhaps from the notion of the insect being hard to catch (other theories, however, trace it to fledge or flash); 1990s use may be a revival or a reinvention. Fly on the wall "unseen observer" first recorded 1949. An O.E. word for "curtain" was fleonet "fly-net." Fly-swatter first attested 1917. Flypaper attested from 1851, though the item itself is said to have become commonly available in London in 1848.

fly  (v.1)
"to soar through air," O.E. fleogan (class II strong verb; past tense fleag, pp. flogen), from W.Gmc. *fleuganan (cf. O.H.G. fliogan, O.N. flügja, M.Du. vlieghen, Ger. fliegen), from PIE *pleu- "flowing, floating" (cf. Lith. plaukiu "to swim"). The O.E. plural in -n (cf. oxen) gradually normalized 13c.-15c. to -s. Notion of "flapping as a wing does" led to sense of "tent flap" (1810), which yielded (1844) "covering for buttons that close up a garment." Flying buttress is from 1669. Fly-fishing (from fly (n.)) is from 1653; while flying fish is from c.1511. Flying saucer first attested 1947, though the image of saucers for unidentified flying objects is from at least 1880s. Flying Dutchman ghost ship first recorded c.1830, in Jeffrey, Baron de Reigersfeld's "The Life of a Sea Officer." Slang phrase fly off the handle "lose one's cool" dates from 1825. On the fly is 1851. Flying colors (1706) is probably from the image of a naval vessel with the national flag bravely displayed.

fly  (v.2)
"run away," O.E. fleon (see flee). Fleogan and fleon were often confused in O.E., too. Mod.Eng. distinguishes in preterite: flew/fled.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: fly
Pronunciation: 'flI
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural flies
1 : a winged insect —now used chiefly incombination flies> fly>
2 a : any dipteran fly called also true fly, two-winged fly b : a largeand stout-bodied dipteran fly (as a horsefly)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

fly (flī)
n.
Any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Bible Dictionary

Fly

Heb. zebub, (Eccl. 10:1; Isa. 7:18). This fly was so grievous a pest that the Phoenicians invoked against it the aid of their god Baal-zebub (q.v.). The prophet Isaiah (7:18) alludes to some poisonous fly which was believed to be found on the confines of Egypt, and which would be called by the Lord. Poisonous flies exist in many parts of Africa, for instance, the different kinds of tsetse. Heb. 'arob, the name given to the insects sent as a plague on the land of Egypt (Ex. 8:21-31; Ps. 78:45; 105:31). The LXX. render this by a word which means the "dog-fly," the cynomuia. The Jewish commentators regarded the Hebrew word here as connected with the word _'arab_, which means "mingled;" and they accordingly supposed the plague to consist of a mixed multitude of animals, beasts, reptiles, and insects. But there is no doubt that "the _'arab_" denotes a single definite species. Some interpreters regard it as the Blatta orientalis, the cockroach, a species of beetle. These insects "inflict very painful bites with their jaws; gnaw and destroy clothes, household furniture, leather, and articles of every kind, and either consume or render unavailable all eatables."

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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