Search results
- DictionaryFly/flī/
verb
- 1. (of a bird, bat, or insect) move through the air using wings: "close the door or the moths will fly in" Similar travel through the airwing its waywingglidesoarwheelflutterflithoverhangtake wingtake to the airmount
- ▪ (of an aircraft or its occupants) travel through the air: "I fly back to New York this evening" Similar travel/go by airtravel/go by planejetair-dash
- ▪ control the flight of (an aircraft); pilot. Similar pilotoperatecontrolmaneuversteerguidedirectnavigate
- ▪ transport in an aircraft: "helicopters flew the injured to a hospital" Similar transport by air/planeairliftliftjet
- ▪ accomplish (a purpose) in an aircraft: "pilots trained to fly combat missions"
- ▪ release (a bird) to fly, especially a hawk for hunting or a pigeon for racing: "I can't fly my hawk for the final because he is too heavy"
- 2. move or be hurled quickly through the air: "balls kept flying over her hedge"
- ▪ (of accusations or insults) be exchanged swiftly and heatedly: "the accusations flew thick and fast"
- ▪ (of a report) be circulated among many people: "rumors were flying around Chicago"
- ▪ hit a ball high into the air: "Gwynn flied to left"
- ▪ (of a batter) be put out by hitting a fly ball that is caught.
- 3. (especially of hair) wave or flutter in the wind: "they were running, hair flying everywhere" Similar flutterflapwaveblowwaftfloatstream
- ▪ (with reference to a flag) display or be displayed on a flagpole: "flags were flying at half-mast" Similar displayshowexhibithave hoistedhave run up
- 4. go or move quickly: "she flew along the path"
- ▪ depart hastily: informal "I must fly!" Similar racehurryhastenflashdashdartrushshootspeedhurtlestreakreally movespank alongwhirlwhizgo like lightninggo hell for leatherwhooshbuzzzoomswoopblastchargestampedegallopchasecareerbustlesweepharewingscurryscudscutterinformal:beltscootscorchtearzapzipwhip (along)get crackingget a move onstep on itburn rubbergo like a bat out of hellbombbucketshiftput one's foot downclipboogiehightailbarrellay rubbervulgar slang:drag/tear/haul assliterary:fleetarchaic:posthie
- ▪ (of time) pass swiftly: "how time flies!" Similar go quicklyfly by/pastpass swiftlyslip pastrush past
- ▪ run away; flee: archaic "those that fly may fight again" Similar fleerunrun awayrun offmake a run for itrun for ittake flightbe gonemake offtake offtake to one's heelsmake a break for itboltbeat a (hasty) retreatmake a quick exitmake one's getawayescapeabsent oneselfmake oneself scarceabscondhead for the hillsdo a disappearing actinformal:beat itclear offclear outvamooseskedaddlesplitcut and runshow a clean pair of heelsturn tailscramdo a runnerscarperdo a bunkleg itlight outbug outcut outpeel outtake a powderskiddoogo throughshoot throughvulgar slang:bugger offarchaic:levant
- ▪ escape from in haste; flee from: archaic "you must fly the country for a while" Similar run away fromleave hastily/abruptlyfleeescape frominformal:skip
- 5. be successful: informal North American "that idea didn't fly with most other council members"
noun
- 1. an opening at the crotch of a pair of pants, closed with a zipper or buttons and typically covered with a flap.
- ▪ a flap of material covering the opening or fastening of a garment or of a tent: "a fly-fronted shirt"
- 2. the space over the stage in a theater.
- 3. short for fly ball
- 4. a one-horse hackney carriage. historical British
Word Origin Old Englishflēogan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vliegen and German fliegen, also to fly2.
Derivatives
- 1. flyable adjective
Scrabble Points: 9
F
4L
1Y
4
Powered by Oxford Languages
