- a variation of flier.
flyer
Americannoun
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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.
“What’s to stop North Carolina from taking back the Wright Flyer or New York from reclaiming the Hope diamond?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
And yet, on Dec. 17, 1903, Orville piloted a powered, heavier-than-air craft, the Wright Flyer, 120 feet across the sand at Kitty Hawk, N.C.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
Another resource DiScala uses when flying is Expert Flyer which provides real-time upgrade and seat availability on a flight.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025
"We get around 400, 500 people on a matchday," says Michael Woolworth, manager of the Hurley Flyer opposite the stadium.
From BBC • Aug. 4, 2025
Sula stepped off the Cincinnati Flyer into the robin shit and began the long climb up into the Bottom.
From "Sula" by Toni Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
