flier

American  

[flahy-er] / ˈflaɪ ər /

Or flyer

noun

1. something that flies, fly, as a bird or insect.

2. an aviator or pilot.

3. an airplane passenger, especially one who travels regularly by air.

4. a person or thing that moves with great speed.

5. some part of a machine having a rapid motion.

6. a small handbill; circular.

7. Informal. a flying fly jump or leap.

   He took a flier off the bridge.

8. Informal. a risky or speculative venture.

   Our flier in uranium stocks was a disaster.

9. one of the steps in a straight flight of stairs.

10. a trapeze artist; aerialist.

11. a silvery-green sunfish, Centrarchus macropterus, found from Virginia to Florida and through the lower Mississippi valley.

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flier British  

/ ˈflaɪə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of flyer

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Etymology

Origin of flier

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; fly ², -er ¹

Example Sentences

People know them — the pioneering flier and the Teamsters union president — because both of them vanished dramatically.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

The Lancashire opener started England's innings in dramatic fashion, hitting Theekshana for six then successive fours to get his side off to a flier.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Take a flier on a bunch of these stocks.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

Investors might have viewed Citigroup as a low-risk flier when it was deeply discounted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

The male, on the contrary, is a strong flier and is attracted even from considerable distances by a scent released by the female from special glands.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• aviator