Idioms for fly

Origin of fly

1
before 900; Middle English flīen, Old English flēogan; cognate with Old High German fliogan, German fliegen, Old Norse fljuga

SYNONYMS FOR fly

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM fly

Definition for fly (2 of 3)

fly 2
[ flahy ]
/ flaɪ /

noun, plural flies.

Also called true fly. any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially of the family Muscidae, as the common housefly.
any of various winged insects, as the mayfly or firefly.
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.
(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Musca.

Origin of fly

2
before 950; Middle English flīe, Old English flēoge, flȳge; cognate with Middle Dutch vliege (Dutch vlieg), Old High German flioga (German Fliege); akin to fly1

OTHER WORDS FROM fly

fly·less, adjective

Definition for fly (3 of 3)

fly 3
[ flahy ]
/ flaɪ /

adjective British Informal.

clever; keen; ingenious.
agile; nimble.

Origin of fly

3
First recorded in 1805–15; perhaps special use of fly1

Example sentences from the Web for fly

British Dictionary definitions for fly (1 of 3)

fly 1
/ (flaɪ) /

verb flies, flying, flew or flown

noun plural flies

Derived forms of fly

flyable, adjective

Word Origin for fly

Old English flēogan; related to Old Frisian fliāga, Old High German fliogan, Old Norse fljūga

British Dictionary definitions for fly (2 of 3)

fly 2
/ (flaɪ) /

noun plural flies

Derived forms of fly

flyless, adjective

Word Origin for fly

Old English flēoge; related to Old Norse fluga Old High German flioga; see fly 1

British Dictionary definitions for fly (3 of 3)

fly 3
/ (flaɪ) /

adjective flyer or flyest slang

mainly British knowing and sharp; smart
mainly Scot furtive or sneaky

noun

on the fly mainly Scot in secret; sneakily

Word Origin for fly

C19: of uncertain origin

Medical definitions for fly

fly
[ flī ]

n.

Any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera.

Scientific definitions for fly

fly
[ flī ]

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.