fly

[ 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.

Idioms for fly

fly blind,

to operate an airplane, especially during conditions of poor visibility, relying solely on instruments for guidance.
to proceed with a complex task in the absence of directions by using one's own ability to determine what procedures to follow.

fly in the face of, to act in defiance of (authority, custom, etc.). Also fly in the teeth of.

fly off the handle. handle(def 16).

go fly a kite, Slang.

to put up with or get used to matters as they stand.
to confine oneself to one's own affairs.
to cease being a nuisance: If she gets mad enough she'll tell me to go fly a kite.

let fly,

to hurl or propel (a weapon, missile, etc.).
to give free rein to an emotion: She let fly with a barrage of angry words.

on the fly,

during flight; before falling to the ground: to catch a baseball on the fly.
hurriedly; without pausing: We had dinner on the fly.

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.

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

Words nearby fly

flux gate, flux linkage, fluxion, fluxionary hyperemia, fluxmeter, fly, fly agaric, fly ash, fly at, fly ball, fly blind

British Dictionary definitions for on the fly (1 of 3)

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 on the fly (2 of 3)

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 on the 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 on the fly

fly

[ flī ]

n.

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

Scientific definitions for on the 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.

Idioms and Phrases with on the fly

on the fly

In a hurry, on the run, as in I picked up some groceries on the fly. The transfer of this expression, which literally means “in midair or in flight,” dates from the mid-1800s.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

fly

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