flying

[ flahy-ing ]

/ ˈflaɪ ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR flying ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

making flight or passing through the air; that flies: a flying insect; an unidentified flying object.

floating, fluttering, waving, hanging, or moving freely in the air: flying banners; flying hair.

extending through the air.

moving swiftly.

made while moving swiftly: a flying leap.

very hasty or brief; fleeting or transitory: a flying visit; a flying remark.

designed or organized for swift movement or action.

fleeing, running away, or taking flight: They pursued the flying enemy.

Nautical. (of a sail) having none of its edges fastened to spars or stays.

noun

the act of moving through the air on wings; flight.

adverb

Nautical. without being fastened to a yard, stay, or the like: a sail set flying.

Origin of flying

before 1000; Middle English (noun); Old English flēogende (adj.). See fly¹, -ing², -ing¹

OTHER WORDS FROM flying

non·fly·ing, adjective un·fly·ing, adjective

Words nearby flying

flyboy, flybridge, flyby, flycatcher, flyer, flying, flying boat, flying bomb, flying bond, flying boxcar, flying bridge

Definition for flying (2 of 2)

fly ¹

[ flahy ]

/ flaɪ /

verb (used without object), flew or for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly·ing.

to move through the air using wings.

to be carried through the air by the wind or any other force or agency: bits of paper flying about.

to float or flutter in the air: flags flying in the breeze.

to travel in an aircraft or spacecraft.

to move suddenly and quickly; start unexpectedly: He flew from the room.

to change rapidly and unexpectedly from one state or position to another: The door flew open.

to flee; escape.

to travel in space: The probe will fly past the planet.

to move or pass swiftly: How time flies!

to move with an aggressive surge: A mother fox will fly at anyone approaching her kits.

Baseball.

to bat a fly ball: He flied into right field.
to fly out.

Informal. to be acceptable, believable, or feasible: It seemed like a good idea, but it just wouldn't fly.

verb (used with object), flew or for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly·ing.

to make (something) float or move through the air: to fly a kite.

to operate (an aircraft, spacecraft, or the like).

to hoist aloft, as for display, signaling, etc.: to fly a flag.

to operate an aircraft or spacecraft over: to fly the Pacific.

to transport or convey by air: We fly merchandise to Boston.

to escape from; flee: to fly someone's wrath.

Theater.

to hang (scenery) above a stage by means of rigging supported by the gridiron.
to raise (scenery) from the stage or acting area into the flies.

noun, plural flies.

a strip of material sewn along one edge of a garment opening for concealing buttons, zippers, or other fasteners.

a flap forming the door of a tent.

Also called tent fly. a piece of canvas extending over the ridgepole of a tent and forming an outer roof.

an act of flying; a flight.

the course of a flying object, as a ball.

Baseball. fly ball.

British. a light, covered, public carriage drawn by one horse; hansom; hackney coach.

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.

Also called fan. Horology. a regulating device for chime and striking mechanisms, consisting of an arrangement of vanes on a revolving axis.

Printing.

(in some presses) the apparatus for removing the printed sheets to the delivery table.
Also called flyboy. (formerly) a printer's devil employed to remove printed sheets from a press.

(on a flag)

the horizontal dimension of a flag as flown from a vertical staff.
the end of the flag farther from the staff.Compare hoist(def 7).

flies. Also called fly loft. Theater. the space above the stage used chiefly for storing scenery and equipment.

Nautical. a propellerlike device streamed to rotate and transfer information on speed to a mechanical log.

Verb Phrases

fly out, Baseball, Softball. to be put out by hitting a fly ball that is caught by a player of the opposing team.

Origin of fly

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.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fly ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM fly

fly·a·ble, adjective fly·a·bil·i·ty, noun non·fly·a·ble, adjective re·fly·a·ble, adjective

un·fly·a·ble, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for flying

That ground hold was to stop you flying through weather that could kill you and everyone else aboard.

Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501 |Clive Irving |January 6, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
The copilot on Flight 8501 was Remi Emmanuel Piesel, 46, who despite his age had just 2,275 hours of flying experience.

Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501 |Clive Irving |January 6, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Inevitably, the old visceral “hands-on” flying skills, no longer much employed by pilots, have atrophied like an unused limb.

Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly? |Clive Irving |January 4, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
One report has the AirAsia Airbus flying at a speed very close to what would trigger a low speed stall.

Did Bad Weather Bring Down AirAsia 8501? |Clive Irving |December 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

JetBlue has been flying charter jets to Cuba for three years, and others are sure to follow.

Up To Speed: The Cuba Embargo |Nina Strochlic |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
As regards myself, assailed by all the Gandharvas, I fled before thy eyes, unable to rally our flying host.

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 3 Pt. 2 |Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
On approaching the shore, three flags are observed to be flying in the town.

Journal of an African Cruiser |Horatio Bridge
He did not enter with flying colors, for Joe was no great scholar, but he was by no means at the foot of the ladder.

Baseball Joe at Yale |Lester Chadwick
If that is so, everybody will be flying in time, and the professional aviator will be just a common, everyday person.

Airship Andy |Frank V. Webster
Outposts were established, and flying columns dispersed any gatherings of malcontents that were reported.

The Pacification of Burma |Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite

British Dictionary definitions for flying (1 of 4)

flying

/ (ˈflaɪɪŋ) /

adjective

(prenominal) hurried; fleeting a flying visit

(prenominal) designed for fast action

(prenominal) moving or passing quickly on or as if on wings a flying leap; the flying hours

hanging, waving, or floating freely flying hair

nautical (of a sail) not hauled in tight against the wind

noun

the act of piloting, navigating, or travelling in an aircraft

(modifier) relating to, capable of, accustomed to, or adapted for flight a flying machine

Other words from flying

Related adjective: volant

British Dictionary definitions for flying (2 of 4)

fly ¹

/ (flaɪ) /

verb flies, flying, flew or flown

(intr) (of birds, aircraft, etc) to move through the air in a controlled manner using aerodynamic forces

to travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft

to operate (an aircraft or spacecraft)

to float, flutter, or be displayed in the air or cause to float, etc, in this way to fly a kite; they flew the flag

to transport or be transported by or through the air by aircraft, wind, etc

(intr) to move or be moved very quickly, forcibly, or suddenly she came flying towards me; the door flew open

(intr) to pass swiftly time flies

to escape from (an enemy, place, etc); flee he flew the country

(intr; may be foll by at or upon) to attack a person

(intr) to have a sudden outburst he flew into a rage again

(intr) (of money, etc) to vanish rapidly

(tr) falconry (of hawks) to fly at (quarry) in attack peregrines fly rooks

(tr) theatre to suspend (scenery) above the stage so that it may be lowered into view

fly a kite

to procure money by an accommodation bill
to release information or take a step in order to test public opinion

fly high informal

to have a high aim
to prosper or flourish

fly in the face of See face (def. 19)

fly off the handle informal to lose one's temper

fly the coop US and Canadian informal to leave suddenly

go fly a kite US and Canadian informal go away

let fly informal

to lose one's temper (with a person)she really let fly at him
to shoot or throw (an object)

noun plural flies

Also called: fly front (often plural) a closure that conceals a zip, buttons, or other fastening, by having one side overlapping, as on trousers

Also called: fly sheet

a flap forming the entrance to a tent
a piece of canvas drawn over the ridgepole of a tent to form an outer roof

a small air brake used to control the chiming of large clocks

the horizontal weighted arm of a fly press

the outer edge of a flag
the distance from the outer edge of a flag to the staffCompare hoist (def. 9)

British a light one-horse covered carriage formerly let out on hire

Australian and NZ an attempt I'll give it a fly

printing

a device for transferring printed sheets from the press to a flat pile
Also called: flyhand a person who collects and stacks printed matter from a printing press
a piece of paper folded once to make four pages, with printing only on the first page

(plural) theatre the space above the stage out of view of the audience, used for storing scenery, etc

rare the act of flying

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 flying (3 of 4)

fly ²

/ (flaɪ) /

noun plural flies

any dipterous insect, esp the housefly, characterized by active flight See also horsefly, blowfly, tsetse fly, crane fly

any of various similar but unrelated insects, such as the caddis fly, firefly, dragonfly, and chalcid fly

angling a lure made from a fish-hook dressed with feathers, tinsel, etc, to resemble any of various flies or nymphs: used in fly-fishing See also dry fly, wet fly

(in southern Africa) an area that is infested with the tsetse fly

drink with the flies Australian slang to drink alone

fly in amber See amber (def. 2)

fly in the ointment informal a slight flaw that detracts from value, completeness, or enjoyment

fly on the wall a person who watches others, while not being noticed himself or herself

there are no flies on him informal he is no fool

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 flying (4 of 4)

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 flying

fly

[ flī ]

n.

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

Scientific definitions for flying

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.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

flying

adjective

noun

adverb

Origin of flying

OTHER WORDS FROM flying

Words nearby flying

Definition for flying (2 of 2)

verb (used without object), flew or for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly·ing.

verb (used with object), flew or for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly·ing.

noun, plural flies.

Verb Phrases

Origin of fly

SYNONYMS FOR fly

OTHER WORDS FROM fly

Example sentences from the Web for flying

British Dictionary definitions for flying (1 of 4)

adjective

noun

Other words from flying

British Dictionary definitions for flying (2 of 4)

verb flies, flying, flew or flown

noun plural flies

Derived forms of fly

Word Origin for fly

British Dictionary definitions for flying (3 of 4)

noun plural flies

Derived forms of fly

Word Origin for fly

British Dictionary definitions for flying (4 of 4)

adjective flyer or flyest slang

noun

Word Origin for fly

Medical definitions for flying

n.

Scientific definitions for flying

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

flying

adjective

noun

adverb

Origin of flying

OTHER WORDS FROM flying

Words nearby flying

Definition for flying (2 of 2)

verb (used without object), flew or for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly·ing.

verb (used with object), flew or for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly·ing.

noun, plural flies.

Verb Phrases

Origin of fly

SYNONYMS FOR fly

OTHER WORDS FROM fly

Words related to flying

Example sentences from the Web for flying

British Dictionary definitions for flying (1 of 4)

adjective

noun

Other words from flying

British Dictionary definitions for flying (2 of 4)

verb flies, flying, flew or flown

noun plural flies

Derived forms of fly

Word Origin for fly

British Dictionary definitions for flying (3 of 4)

noun plural flies

Derived forms of fly

Word Origin for fly

British Dictionary definitions for flying (4 of 4)

adjective flyer or flyest slang

noun

Word Origin for fly

Medical definitions for flying

n.

Scientific definitions for flying