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true fly

 - 8 dictionary results
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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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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  (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)

Main Entry: true fly
Function: noun
: FLY 2a
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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Science Dictionary
fly   (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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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