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
Words nearby fly
British Dictionary definitions for fly in the face of (1 of 3)
fly
1
/ (flaɪ) /
verb flies, flying, flew or flown
noun plural flies
Derived forms of fly
flyable, adjectiveWord Origin for fly
Old English
flēogan; related to Old Frisian
fliāga, Old High German
fliogan, Old Norse
fljūga
British Dictionary definitions for fly in the face of (2 of 3)
fly
2
/ (flaɪ) /
noun plural flies
Derived forms of fly
flyless, adjectiveWord Origin for fly
Old English
flēoge; related to Old Norse
fluga Old High German
flioga; see
fly
1
British Dictionary definitions for fly in the face of (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 in the face of
fly
[ flī ]
n.
Any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera.
Scientific definitions for fly in the face of
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.
Idioms and Phrases with fly in the face of
fly in the face of
Also, fly in the teeth of. Act in direct opposition to or defiance of. For example, This decision flies in the face of all precedent, or They went out without permission, flying in the teeth of house rules. This metaphoric expression alludes to a physical attack. [Mid-1500s]