- a variation of flier.
flyer
Americannoun
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flyers
plural
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Textiles.
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a rotating device that adds twist to the slubbing or roving and winds the stock onto a spindle or bobbin in a uniform manner.
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a similar device for adding twist to yarn.
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noun
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a person or thing that flies or moves very fast
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an aviator or pilot
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informal a long flying leap; bound
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a fast-moving machine part, esp one having periodic motion
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a rectangular step in a straight flight of stairs Compare winder
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athletics an informal word for flying start
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a speculative business transaction
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a small handbill
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of flyer
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at fly 2, -er 1
Explanation
A flyer can be something or someone that flies on a plane, but another meaning is a handbill or advertising sheet handed out to people on the street. Because it's designed to go far, it gained the name flyer. As far back as the 15th Century, Middle English used the word flyer to refer to something that travels quickly through the air, generally a bird or projectile. The connection with a person came about later, when air travel became more common. If you are a frequent flyer, you travel a lot. If you frequently post flyers, maybe you're in a band. Note: it doesn't matter if you spell the word flyer or "flier," as both are correct, but don't use both in one piece of writing.
Vocabulary lists containing flyer
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The flyer is from high-school junior Avi Lichtenstein, who is so worried about his future that he’s asking strangers if he can follow them to work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Recently, I watched someone stop on the street to read a flyer for a Repair Fair.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
You’ve made so much money in this long bull market, why not take a flyer here and there?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Paul, 67, a retired postman from Lowestoft, Suffolk, said that in 2008 his father received a flyer explaining how to protect his assets by entrusting his home over to Long and UWP.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
I look at her and she’s twisting up a flyer someone was handing out about some student council fundraiser.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
Tock, an audio engineer and teacher, has distributed flyers and talked to tenants about organizing.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration recommended flyers check with airlines about their flight status.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
American Airlines wants its flyers to have screens – and not just the ones its passengers bring on board with them.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The event was advertised almost exclusively offline, with flyers wheatpasted to construction scaffolding and guidebooks available at independent bookstores.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
She comes in carrying a box of flyers in her arms.
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
