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• fleet
  fleet

  noun

  the largest organized unit of naval ships grouped for tactical or other purposes.
• Fleet
  Fleet

  noun

  a stream that formerly ran into the Thames between Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street and is now a covered sewer

fleet

¹ American  

[fleet] / flit /

noun

1. the largest organized unit of naval ships grouped for tactical or other purposes.

2. the largest organization of warships under the command of a single officer.

3. a number of naval vessels or vessels carrying armed crew members.

4. a large group of ships, airplanes, trucks, etc., operated by a single company or under the same ownership.

   He owns a fleet of cabs.

5. a large group of airplanes, automobiles, etc., moving or operating together.

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fleet ² American  

[fleet] / flit /

adjective

fleeter, fleetest

1. swift; rapid.

   to be fleet of foot;

   a fleet horse.

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verb (used without object)

• fleets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fleeted,
  past participle,  past
• fleeting
  present participle

1. to move swiftly; fly.

2. Nautical. to change position; shift.

3. Archaic.

   1. to glide along like a stream.

   2. to fade; vanish.

4. Obsolete. to float; drift; swim.

verb (used with object)

• fleets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• fleeted,
  past participle,  past
• fleeting
  present participle

1. to cause (time) to pass lightly or swiftly.

   Synonyms:

   beguile, hasten, speed

2. Nautical.

   1. to move or change the position of.

   2. to separate the blocks of (a tackle).

   3. to lay (a rope) along a deck.

fleet ³ American  

[fleet] / flit /

noun

British Dialect.

1. an arm of the sea; inlet.

2. a creek; stream; watercourse.

3. the Fleet, a former prison in London, long used for debtors.

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fleet ¹ British  

/ fliːt /

adjective

1. rapid in movement; swift

2. poetic fleeting; transient

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verb

1. (intr) to move rapidly

2. archaic (intr) to fade away smoothly; glide

3. (tr) nautical

   1. to change the position of (a hawser)

   2. to pass (a messenger or lead) to a hawser from a winch for hauling in

   3. to spread apart (the blocks of a tackle)

4. obsolete (intr) to float or swim

5. obsolete (tr) to cause (time) to pass rapidly

fleet ² British  

/ fliːt /

noun

1. a number of warships organized as a tactical unit

2. all the warships of a nation

3. a number of aircraft, ships, buses, etc, operating together or under the same ownership

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Fleet ³ British  

/ fliːt /

noun

1. a stream that formerly ran into the Thames between Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street and is now a covered sewer

2. Also called: Fleet Prison.  (formerly) a London prison, esp used for holding debtors

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fleet ⁴ British  

/ fliːt /

noun

1. a small coastal inlet; creek

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fleetness
  noun
• fleetly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• fleeting
  present
• fleeted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• fleet
  simple
• fleets
  simple
• have fleeted
  perfect
• has fleeted
  perfect
• am fleeting
  progressive
• are fleeting
  progressive
• is fleeting
  progressive
• have been fleeting
  perfect progressive
• has been fleeting
  perfect progressive

Past

• fleeted
  simple
• had fleeted
  perfect
• was fleeting
  progressive
• were fleeting
  progressive
• had been fleeting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will fleet
  simple
• will have fleeted
  perfect
• will be fleeting
  progressive
• will have been fleeting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of fleet¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English flete, fleot(e), Old English flēot “bay, estuary; boat,” derivative of flēotan float ( def. ); cf. fleet ²

Origin of fleet²

First recorded in 1520–30; probably from or akin to Old Norse fljótr “quick, speedy”

Origin of fleet³

First recorded before 900; Middle English flete, Old English flēot “flowing water”; cognate with German Fliess “brook”; fleet ³ def. 3 is so called after the Fleet a stream, later covered and used as a sewer, near which the prison was located; fleet ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A fleet is usually a large group of ships, but it can be any group of vessels like planes or cars that operate as a unit. A naval fleet is the largest formation of warships. A naval fleet at sea is like an army on land. One meaning of fleet comes from the Old English fleot, meaning “ship,” “raft,” or “floating vessel.” Although a fleet is usually a group of ships or airplanes operating under the same ownership, any group of vessels sailing together can be called a fleet, even you and your friends in a fleet of kayaks. Another meaning of fleet originates in the Old English flēotan, which means “moving swiftly.” When it’s used in that way, it’s usually in the -ing form, fleeting.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fleet Fleet fleeter fleetest fleets fleeted fleeting

It will require sustained resources to expand the fleet, with a more diverse mix of ships, and to recruit the sailors needed to man them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

A fleet of small boats evacuated about 500 tourists from beaches in northern Greece as a forest fire threatened two popular resorts on Thursday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

BYD launched its first dedicated car carrier in 2024 and now has a fleet of eight vessels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

A fleet of small boats evacuated about 500 tourists from beaches in northern Greece as a forest fire threatened two popular resorts.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

A row of tiny wooden birds perched on the fireplace mantel, and a fleet of miniature boats rested on top of the bookcase.

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

Fleet sales were also strong, supported by robust demand from commercial and government customers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Fleet Solid Support" ships" - supply vessels for the Navy's aircraft carriers.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Iran damaged part of the headquarters for the Navy's Fifth Fleet, which covers the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

“We keep a Fifth Fleet headquarters there, and the question is probably not does that go away, but what does it look like when this is over?” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

In the Kerch area, the 46th Guards shared the sky with the male pilots of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

“Drive My Car” is a three-hour drama that seems lighter and fleeter than some two-hour ones.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2022

Something kind of similar is happening in the fleeter, more escapist Arrow and The Flash, two ongoing series on the CW based on DC Comics characters.

From Slate ● Mar. 9, 2015

That’s why it’d make more sense for the big-hitting Bernard Pollard to start ahead of the fleeter Tom Zbikowski.

From New York Times ● Aug. 27, 2011

Tendulkar, still fleeter of foot than some of his peers, was the man in fruitless pursuit.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 21, 2011

Thus the proportions discovered by Lysippus were peculiarly appropriate for the lighter, fleeter gods, as Apollo and Hermes.

From Greek Sculpture A collection of sixteen pictures of Greek marbles with introduction and interpretation by Estelle M. (Estelle May) Hurll

The stagecraft by which customers who just a minute ago were getting the closest of shaves are removed isn’t the fleetest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2019

Calderon, whose contract runs through next season, has never been the fleetest afoot, and his defense has not aged well.

From New York Times ● Jan. 28, 2016

Never mind that other established players, such as Sacramento Kings all-star center DeMarcus Cousins, have dubbed him the league’s fleetest.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 16, 2015

"I'm not the fleetest of foot but I was just fast enough to get there."

From Reuters ● Oct. 16, 2015

He remembers, too, that in the instructions which Cross had given, one of them on the fleetest horse, was to seize the trunk and hasten off.

From I've Been Thinking; or, the Secret of Success by Azel Stevens Roe

In the southern city of Yangsan, where the mercury hit a historic high of 42.5C on Sunday, fleets of sprinkler trucks have been roaming the streets, spraying water onto sun-baked roads.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Unlike the Hollywood Bowl, which has fleets of shuttles ready to go, F&M Bank Amphitheater’s shuttle operation felt a bit leaner.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

That offset a 56% year-over-year drop for Ford EVs, and a 5% year-over-year revenue decline for Ford Pro, the company’s division dedicated to commercial vehicles and fleets.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Rather than operating robotaxi fleets itself, the company wants to provide its technology, AI and vehicles to local partners and leave them to manage the day-to-day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The commands of the monarchs and merchants who organized colonizing fleets were conveyed in writing.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Another day of hiding and a night of journey had fleeted by.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

The old word for float: as "we fleeted down the river with our boats;" and Shakspeare makes Antony say, "Our sever'd navy too Have knit again, and fleet, threat'ning most sea-like."

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

The expression of indecision still fleeted across his face; he seemed as if weighing his thoughts in the balance, and the considerations he was revolving left him still silent.

From The House of Souls by Arthur Machen

Gaily the pure water, air’s first cousin, fleeted along the rude aqueduct, whose sides and floor it had made green with grasses.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 7 (of 25) by Robert Louis Stevenson

Like gentle ghosts they fleeted along with little more than a muffled sound, for their axles turned in ball-sockets and their warning bells were silent save when touched.

From Dusty Diamonds Cut and Polished A Tale of City Arab Life and Adventure by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne

Rising inflation expectations are often fleeting, and therefore represent a less serious threat to bond market stability.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Gray was asked if there was a sense of relief after last week and he admitted the enjoyment he takes from winning is only fleeting.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

In an era of British politics defined by fleeting tenure, the sound engineer at No. 10 Downing Street is a rare symbol of institutional continuity—and good looks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

This production feels like a fleeting moment — a reunion of friends and collaborators retelling a myth that is recounted over and over again.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

It was there in the rhythms of the long nights and the fleeting days.

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• armada
• flotilla
• navy
• squadron