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Definition of Fly in English :

Define Fly in English

Fly meaning in English

Meaning of Fly in English

Pronunciation of Fly in English

Fly pronunciation in English

Pronounce Fly in English

Fly

see synonyms of fly

Noun

1. fly

two-winged insects characterized by active flight

2. fly, fly sheet, rainfly, tent flap, tent-fly

flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent

3. fly, fly front

an opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or by buttons concealed under a fold of cloth

4. fly, fly ball

(baseball) a hit that flies up in the air

5. fly

fisherman's lure consisting of a fishhook decorated to look like an insect

Verb

6. fly, wing

travel through the air; be airborne

Example Sentences:
'Man cannot fly'

7. fly

move quickly or suddenly

Example Sentences:
'He flew about the place'

8. aviate, fly, pilot

operate an airplane

Example Sentences:
'The pilot flew to Cuba'

9. fly

transport by aeroplane

Example Sentences:
'We fly flowers from the Caribbean to North America'

10. fly

cause to fly or float

Example Sentences:
'fly a kite'

11. fly

be dispersed or disseminated

Example Sentences:
'Rumors and accusations are flying'

12. fly

change quickly from one emotional state to another

Example Sentences:
'fly into a rage'

13. fell, fly, vanish

pass away rapidly

Example Sentences:
'Time flies like an arrow'
'Time fleeing beneath him'

14. fly

travel in an airplane

Example Sentences:
'she is flying to Cincinnati tonight'
'Are we driving or flying?'

15. fly

display in the air or cause to float

Example Sentences:
'fly a kite'
'All nations fly their flags in front of the U.N.'

16. flee, fly, take flight

run away quickly

Example Sentences:
'He threw down his gun and fled'

17. fly

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

Example Sentences:
'Lindbergh was the first to fly the Atlantic'

18. fly

hit a fly

19. fly, vanish, vaporize

decrease rapidly and disappear

Example Sentences:
'the money vanished in las Vegas'
'all my stock assets have vaporized'

Adjective

20. fly

(British informal) not to be deceived or hoodwinked

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Fly

see synonyms of fly
verbWord forms: flies, flying, flew or flown
1. (intransitive)
(of birds, aircraft, etc) to move through the air in a controlled manner using aerodynamic forces
2. 
to travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft
3. 
to operate (an aircraft or spacecraft)
4. 
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
5. 
to transport or be transported by or through the air by aircraft, wind, etc
6. (intransitive)
to move or be moved very quickly, forcibly, or suddenly
she came flying towards me
the door flew open
7. (intransitive)
to pass swiftly
time flies
8. 
to escape from (an enemy, place, etc); flee
he flew the country
9. (intr; may be foll by at or upon)
to attack a person
10. (intransitive)
to have a sudden outburst
he flew into a rage again
11. (intransitive)
(of money, etc) to vanish rapidly
12. (transitive) falconry
(of hawks) to fly at (quarry) in attack
peregrines fly rooks
13. (transitive) theatre
to suspend (scenery) above the stage so that it may be lowered into view
14.  fly a kite
15.  fly high
16.  fly in the face of
17.  fly off the handle
18.  fly the coop
19.  go fly a kite
20.  let fly
nounWord forms: plural flies
21. Also called: fly front (often plural)
a closure that conceals a zip, buttons, or other fastening, by having one side overlapping, as on trousers
22. Also called: flysheet
a. 
a flap forming the entrance to a tent
b. 
a piece of canvas drawn over the ridgepole of a tent to form an outer roof
23. 
a small air brake used to control the chiming of large clocks
24. 
the horizontal weighted arm of a fly press
25. 
a. 
the outer edge of a flag
b. 
the distance from the outer edge of a flag to the staff
Compare hoist (sense 9)
26. British
a light one-horse covered carriage formerly let out on hire
27. Australian and New Zealand
an attempt
I'll give it a fly
28. printing
a. 
a device for transferring printed sheets from the press to a flat pile
b. Also called: flyhand
a person who collects and stacks printed matter from a printing press
c. 
a piece of paper folded once to make four pages, with printing only on the first page
29. (plural) theatre
the space above the stage out of view of the audience, used for storing scenery, etc
30. rare
the act of flying
31.  on the fly
nounWord forms: plural flies
1. 
any dipterous insect, esp the housefly, characterized by active flight
See also horsefly, blowfly, tsetse fly, crane fly
2. 
any of various similar but unrelated insects, such as the caddis fly, firefly, dragonfly, and chalcid fly
3. 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
4. 
(in southern Africa) an area that is infested with the tsetse fly
5.  drink with the flies
6.  fly in amber
7.  fly in the ointment
8.  fly on the wall
9.  there are no flies on me
adjectiveWord forms: flyer or flyest slang
1. mainly British
knowing and sharp; smart
2. mainly Scottish
furtive or sneaky
noun
3.  on the fly

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Fly

see synonyms of fly
adjectiveWord forms: ˈflier or ˈfliest
1.  Chiefly British, Slang
alert and knowing; sharp; quick
2.  Slang
fashionable, stylish, attractive, etc.
river in S New Guinea, flowing through Papua New Guinea into the Coral Sea: c. 650 mi (1,046 km)
verb intransitiveWord forms: flew, flown, ˈflying
1. 
to move through the air
; specif.,
a. 
to move through the air by using wings, as a bird does
b. 
to travel through the air in an aircraft or through space in a spacecraft
c. 
to be propelled through the air
2. 
to operate an aircraft or spacecraft
3. 
to wave or float in the air, as a flag or kite does
4. 
to move swiftly
the door flew open
5. 
to appear to pass swiftly
time flies
6. 
to be used up swiftly
said of money, etc.
7. 
to run away; flee
8.  Informal
to be successful, acceptable, etc.
that explanation just won't fly
9. 
to hunt with a hawk
10.  Baseball
to hit a fly
verb transitive
11. 
a. 
to cause to float in the air
fly a kite
b. 
to display (a flag) as from a pole
12. 
to operate (an aircraft or spacecraft)
13. 
a. 
to travel over in an aircraft
b. 
to travel via (a particular airline, aircraft, etc.)
14. 
to carry or transport in an aircraft
15. 
to run away from; flee from; avoid
16. 
to use (a hawk) to hunt game
17.  Theatre
to suspend (flats, lights, etc.) in the space above the stage
nounWord forms: plural flies
18.  Rare
the act of flying; flight
19. 
a. 
a garment closure concealing the zipper, buttons, etc. by a fold or flap of cloth, esp. such a closure in the front of a pair of trousers
: in full fly front
b. 
such a fold or flap
20. 
a. 
a flap serving as the door of a tent
b. 
a piece of fabric serving as an outer or second top on a tent
21. 
a. 
the length of an extended flag measured from the staff outward
b. 
the outside edge of a flag
22. 
a regulating device, as for a clockwork mechanism, consisting of vanes radiating from a rotating shaft
23. 
a. 
flywheel
b. 
flyleaf
24.  British
a hackney carriage
25.  Baseball
a ball batted high in the air, esp. within the foul lines
26.  American Football
a pass pattern in which the receiver runs straight up the field at full speed
27.  [pl.]; Theatre
the space behind and above the proscenium arch, containing overhead lights, raised flats, etc.
nounWord forms: plural flies
1. 
a. 
any dipterous insect; esp., the housefly
b. 
any of several four-winged insects from various orders, as the mayfly or caddis fly
2. 
a hook covered with feathers, colored silk, etc. to resemble an insect, used as a lure in fishing: a wet fly drifts below the surface of the water, and a dry fly floats on it
3.  Printing
a device on a flatbed press for removing and stacking the printed sheets

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Fly

see synonyms of fly
v. flew (fl), flown (flōn), fly·ing, flies (flīz)
v.intr.
1. To engage in flight, especially:
a. To move through the air by means of wings or winglike parts.
b. To travel by air: We flew to Dallas.
c. To operate an aircraft or spacecraft.
2.
a. To rise in or be carried through the air by the wind: a kite flying above the playground.
b. To float or flap in the air: pennants flying from the masthead.
3. To move or be sent through the air with great speed: bullets flying in every direction; a plate that flew from my hands when I stumbled.
4.
a. To move with great speed; rush or dart: The children flew down the hall.
b. To be communicated to many people: Rumors are flying about their breakup.
c. To flee; escape.
d. To hasten; spring: flew to her students' defense.
5. To pass by swiftly: a vacation flying by.
6. To be dissipated; vanish: All his money has flown.
7. past tense and past participle flied (flīd) Baseball To hit a fly ball.
8.
a. To shatter or explode: The dropped plate flew into pieces.
b. To become suddenly emotional, especially angry: The driver flew into a rage.
9. Informal To gain acceptance or approval; go over: "However sophisticated the reasoning, this particular notion may not fly" (New York Times).
v.tr.
1.
a. To cause to fly or float in the air: fly a kite; fly a flag.
b. Nautical To operate under (a particular flag): a tanker that flies the Liberian flag.
2.
a. To pilot (an aircraft or spacecraft).
b. To carry or transport in an aircraft or spacecraft: fly emergency supplies to a stricken area.
c. To pass over or through in flight: flew the coastal route in record time.
d. To perform in a spacecraft or aircraft: flew six missions into space.
3.
a. To flee or run from: fly a place in panic.
b. To avoid; shun: fly temptation.
n. pl. flies
1. The act of flying; flight.
2.
a. The opening, or the fastening that closes this opening, on the front of a pair of pants.
b. The flap of cloth that covers this opening.
3. A piece of protective fabric secured over a tent and often extended over the entrance.
4. A flyleaf.
5. Baseball A fly ball.
6. Sports In swimming, butterfly.
7.
a. The span of a flag from the staff to the outer edge.
b. The outer edge of a flag.
8. A flywheel.
9. flies The area directly over the stage of a theater, containing overhead lights, drop curtains, and equipment for raising and lowering sets.
10. Chiefly British A one-horse carriage, especially one for hire.
n. pl. flies
1.
a. Any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially any of the family Muscidae, which includes the housefly.
b. Any of various other flying insects, such as a caddisfly.
2. A fishing lure simulating something a fish eats, such as a mayfly or a minnow, made by attaching materials such as feathers, tinsel, and colored thread to a fishhook.
adj.
1. Chiefly British Mentally alert; sharp.
2. Slang Fashionable; stylish.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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