fly
IPA: fɫˈaɪ
noun
- (zoology) Any insect of the order Diptera; characterized by having two wings (except for some wingless species), also called true flies.
- (non-technical) Especially, any of the insects of the family Muscidae, such as the common housefly (other families of Diptera include mosquitoes and midges).
- Any similar but not closely related insect, such as a dragonfly, butterfly, or gallfly.
- (fishing) A lightweight fishing lure resembling an insect.
- (weightlifting) A chest exercise performed by moving extended arms from the sides to in front of the chest. (also flye)
- (swimming) The butterfly stroke (plural is normally flys).
- (obsolete) A witch's familiar.
- (obsolete) A parasite.
- (preceded by definite article) A simple dance in which the hands are shaken in the air, popular in the 1960s.
- (finance) A butterfly (combination of four options).
- (obsolete) The action of flying; flight.
- An act of flying.
- (baseball) A fly ball.
- A piece of canvas that covers the opening at the front of a tent.
- (India, obsolete) The sloping or roof part of the canvas of a tent.
- (often plural) A strip of material (sometimes hiding zippers or buttons) at the front of a pair of trousers, pants, underpants, bootees, etc.
- The free edge of a flag.
- The horizontal length of a flag.
- (weightlifting) An exercise that involves wide opening and closing of the arms perpendicular to the shoulders.
- The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.
- (nautical) That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card.
- Two or more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the air, as in the striking part of a clock.
- (historical) A type of small, light, fast horse-drawn carriage that can be hired for transportation (sometimes pluralised flys).
- In a knitting machine, the piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch..
- The pair of arms revolving around the bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the yarn.
- (weaving) A shuttle driven through the shed by a blow or jerk.
- (printing, historical) The person who took the printed sheets from the press.
- (printing, historical) A vibrating frame with fingers, attached to a power printing press for doing the same work.
- One of the upper screens of a stage in a theatre.
- (cotton manufacture) waste cotton
- (rustic, Scotland, Northern England) A wing.
- A river in Papua New Guinea
- A surname.
- (American football) Short for fly route. [(American football) A pattern run by a receiver, straight upfield towards the end zone, with the aim of outrunning any defensive backs and getting behind them, catching an undefended pass while running untouched for a touchdown.]
- Short for flywheel. [(mechanical engineering) A rotating mass used to maintain the speed of a machine within certain limits while the machine receives or releases energy at a varying rate, or as a form of energy storage.]
verb
- (intransitive) To travel through the air, another gas, or a vacuum, without being in contact with a grounded surface.
- (transitive, intransitive, archaic, poetic) To flee, to escape (from).
- (transitive, ergative) To cause to fly (travel or float in the air): to transport via air or the like.
- (intransitive) To travel or proceed very fast; to hasten.
- (intransitive) To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly.
- (intransitive) To proceed with great success.
- (intransitive, colloquial, of a proposal, project or idea) To be accepted, come about or work out.
- (transitive, ergative) To display (a flag) on a flagpole.
- (transitive) To hunt with a hawk.
- (intransitive, entomology, of a type of moth or butterfly) To be in the winged adult stage.
- (intransitive, baseball) To hit a fly ball; to hit a fly ball that is caught for an out. Compare ground (verb) and line (verb).
adjective
- (slang, dated) Quick-witted, alert, mentally sharp.
- (slang) Well dressed, smart in appearance; in style, cool.
- (slang) Beautiful; displaying physical beauty.
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Examples of "fly" in Sentences
- The plane was flying the firmament.
- The birds can fly around the aviary.
- Birds are volant but not all birds can fly.
- The pilots fly the aircraft in a prone position.
- Mayor Maynard proposed flying the antitoxin by aircraft.
- It was the first aircraft to fly with controllable slots.
- The aircraft was remarkably agile and docile to fly at high speed.
- Edwin, despite being a bird, has acrophobia, and at first refuses to fly.
- The laws governing aviation in the country that the aircraft is flying in.
- He intends to fly the aircraft over Moscow and detonate the bombs in the plane.
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