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.
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 fléogan; 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.
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.
"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.
flyAudio Help (flī) Pronunciation Key
Any of numerous insects of the order Diptera, having one pair of wings and large compound eyes. Flies include the houseflies, horseflies, and mosquitoes. See more at dipteran.
But"ter*fly`\, n.; pl. Butterflies. [Perh. from the color of a yellow species. AS. buter-fl[=e]ge, buttor-fle['o]ge; cf. G. butterfliege, D. botervlieg. See Butter, and Fly.] (Zo["o]l.) A general name for the numerous species of diurnal Lepidoptera. Note: [See Illust. under Aphrodite.] Asclepias butterfly. See under Asclepias. Butterfly fish (Zo["o]l.), the ocellated blenny (Blennius ocellaris) of Europe. See Blenny. The term is also applied to the flying gurnard. Butterfly shell (Zo["o]l.), a shell of the genus Voluta. Butterfly valve (Mech.), a kind of double clack valve, consisting of two semicircular clappers or wings hinged to a cross rib in the pump bucket. When open it somewhat resembles a butterfly in shape.
Fledge\, a. [OE. flegge, flygge; akin to D. vlug, G. fl["u]gge, fl["u]cke, OHG. flucchi, Icel. fleygr, and to E. fly. [root]84. See Fly, v. i.] Feathered; furnished with feathers or wings; able to fly. His shoulders, fledge with wings. --Milton.
Flee\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fleeing.] [OE. fleon, fleen, AS. fle['o]n (imperf. fle['a]h); akin to D. vlieden, OHG. & OS. fliohan, G. fliehen, Icel. fl?ja (imperf. fl??i), Dan. flye, Sw. fly (imperf. flydde), Goth. pliuhan. (?) 84. Cf. Flight.] To run away, as from danger or evil; to avoid in an alarmed or cowardly manner; to hasten off; -- usually with from. This is sometimes omitted, making the verb transitive. [He] cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke. --Shak. Flee fornication. --1 Cor. vi. 18. So fled his enemies my warlike father. --Shak. Note: When great speed is to be indicated, we commonly use fly, not flee; as, fly hence to France with the utmost speed. "Whither shall I fly to 'scape their hands?" --Shak. See Fly, v. i., 5.
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Audio Help [flahy] Pronunciation Key verb, flew or, for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly·ing, noun, plural flies. 
