Definition

1. Verb:

   • To move through the air using wings or an aircraft: The primary meaning, referring to the movement of birds, insects, or machines like airplanes.
   • To travel by aircraft: To journey as a passenger in an airplane.
   • To control and operate an aircraft: To act as the pilot of a plane.
   • To move or pass quickly: To go with great speed or suddenness.
   • To flee or run away: To escape from a place or situation.
   • To wave or float in the air: For something, like a flag, to be displayed so it moves in the wind.

2. Noun:

   • A small flying insect: A common two-winged insect, such as a housefly.
   • An opening in a garment: A closure, often with a zipper or buttons, on trousers or a tent.
   • A baseball hit high into the air: In baseball, a ball that is batted high into the air.
   • A fisherman's lure: An artificial bait designed to resemble an insect.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:

  • Birds fly south for the winter.
  • I will fly to Paris next week.
  • She learned to fly a small plane.
  • The door flew open in the strong wind.
  • The thief tried to fly from the police.
  • They fly the national flag every day.

• Noun:

  • A fly was buzzing against the window.
  • The fly on his jeans was broken.
  • The batter hit a deep fly to center field.
  • He used a handmade fly to catch the trout.

Advanced Usage

• "to fly in the face of": To openly oppose or contradict something.

  • His actions fly in the face of company policy.

• "to fly off the handle": To suddenly become very angry.

  • He flies off the handle at the smallest criticism.

• "to fly high": To be very successful or ambitious.

  • The company was flying high during the economic boom.

• "as the crow flies": Measuring distance in a straight line.

  • It's only ten miles as the crow flies, but the drive is much longer.

Variants and Related Words

• Flyer/Flier (n): A person or thing that flies; a small advertising leaflet.
• Flying (adj/n): The act of operating an aircraft; moving through the air. (e.g., , ).
• Flywheel (n): A heavy wheel in a machine that helps regulate speed.

Synonyms

• Verb: Soar, glide, pilot, jet, flee, dart, flutter.
• Noun: Insect, zipper, pop fly (baseball), lure.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Fly at: To attack suddenly, either physically or verbally.

  • The dog flew at the intruder.

• Fly into: To suddenly enter a particular, usually emotional, state.

  • She flew into a rage when she saw the mess.

• Fly by: (Of time) to pass very quickly.

  • The summer just flew by.

Related Idioms

• Time flies: Time passes very quickly.

  • I can't believe it's December already; time flies!

• Go fly a kite!: (Informal, often impolite) Go away and stop bothering me.

  • When he kept pestering her, she finally told him to go fly a kite.

• On the fly: Done quickly, spontaneously, or while in motion.

  • The manager had to make decisions on the fly during the crisis.

Adjective

1. (British informal) not to be deceived or hoodwinked

Verb

1. decrease rapidly and disappear
   • the money vanished in las Vegas
   • all my stock assets have vaporized
2. hit a fly
3. travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft
   • Lindbergh was the first to fly the Atlantic
4. run away quickly
   • He threw down his gun and fled
5. display in the air or cause to float
   • fly a kite
   • All nations fly their flags in front of the U.N.
6. travel in an airplane
   • she is flying to Cincinnati tonight
   • Are we driving or flying?
7. pass away rapidly
   • Time flies like an arrow
   • Time fleeing beneath him
8. change quickly from one emotional state to another
   • fly into a rage
9. be dispersed or disseminated
   • Rumors and accusations are flying
10. cause to fly or float
    • fly a kite
11. transport by aeroplane
    • We fly flowers from the Caribbean to North America
12. operate an airplane
    • The pilot flew to Cuba
13. move quickly or suddenly
    • He flew about the place
14. travel through the air; be airborne
    • Man cannot fly

Noun

1. fisherman's lure consisting of a fishhook decorated to look like an insect
2. (baseball) a hit that flies up in the air
3. an opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or by buttons concealed under a fold of cloth
4. flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent
5. two-winged insects characterized by active flight