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flight1

[flahyt]
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noun
  1. the act, manner, or power of flying.
  2. the distance covered or the course taken by a flying object: a 500-mile flight; the flight of the ball.
  3. a trip by an airplane, glider, etc.
  4. a scheduled trip on an airline: a 5 o'clock flight.
  5. a number of beings or things flying or passing through the air together: a flight of geese.
  6. the basic tactical unit of military air forces, consisting of two or more aircraft.
  7. the act, principles, or technique of flying an airplane: flight training.
  8. a journey into or through outer space: a rocket flight.
  9. swift movement, transition, or progression: the flight of time.
  10. a soaring above or transcending ordinary bounds: a flight of fancy.
  11. a series of steps between one floor or landing of a building and the next.
  12. Archery.
    1. flight arrow.
    2. the distance such an arrow travels when shot.
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verb (used without object)
  1. (of wild fowls) to fly in coordinated flocks.
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Origin of flight1

before 900; Middle English; Old English flyht; cognate with Dutch vlucht; akin to fly1

Synonyms

See more synonyms for flight on Thesaurus.com
5. flock. 9. rush, dash, fleetingness.

flight2

[flahyt]
noun
  1. an act or instance of fleeing or running away; hasty departure.
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Idioms
  1. put to flight, to force to flee or run away; rout: She succeeded in putting the intruder to flight.
  2. take flight, to retreat; run away; flee: The wild animals took flight before the onrushing fire.Also take to flight.
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Origin of flight2

1150–1200; Middle English; cognate with German Flucht; akin to flee
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for flight

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • There was another whose spirit was equally desirous of flight—Burke!

    Within the Law

    Marvin Dana

  • Even had he not been bound by his promise to Sidney, flight would have been foolish.

    K

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

  • A while ago I thought to have been as eager for flight as you are.

    The Dream

    Emile Zola

  • It seems to me an easy thing to do, so often have I myself planned our flight.

    The Dream

    Emile Zola

  • On its 36-hour flight in May, 1909, the Zeppelin, carried only eight passengers.

    Flying Machines

    W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell

British Dictionary definitions for flight

flight1

noun
  1. the act, skill, or manner of flying
  2. a journey made by a flying animal or object
    1. a scheduled airline journey
    2. an aircraft flying on such a journey
  4. a group of flying birds or aircrafta flight of swallows
  5. the basic tactical unit of a military air force
  6. a journey through space, esp of a spacecraft
  7. rapid movement or progress
  8. a soaring mental journey above or beyond the normal everyday worlda flight of fancy
    1. a single line of hurdles across a track in a race
    2. a series of such hurdles
  10. a bird's wing or tail feather; flight feather
  11. a feather or plastic attachment fitted to an arrow or dart to give it stability in flight
  12. See flight arrow
  13. the distance covered by a flight arrow
  14. sport, esp cricket
    1. a flighted movement imparted to a ball, dart, etc
    2. the ability to flight a ball
  15. angling a device on a spinning lure that revolves rapidly
  16. a set of steps or stairs between one landing or floor and the next
  17. a large enclosed area attached to an aviary or pigeon loft where the birds may fly but not escape
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verb
  1. (tr) sport to cause (a ball, dart, etc) to float slowly or deceptively towards its target
  2. (intr) (of wild fowl) to fly in groups
  3. (tr) to shoot (a bird) in flight
  4. (tr) to fledge (an arrow or a dart)
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Word Origin

Old English flyht; related to Middle Dutch vlucht, Old Saxon fluht

flight2

noun
  1. the act of fleeing or running away, as from danger
  2. put to flight to cause to run away; rout
  3. take flight or take to flight to run away or withdraw hastily; flee
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Word Origin

Old English flyht (unattested); related to Old Frisian flecht, Old High German fluht, Old Norse flōtti
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for flight

n.1

"act of flying," Old English flyht "a flying, flight," from Proto-Germanic *flukhtiz (cf. Dutch vlucht "flight of birds," Old Norse flugr, Old High German flug, German Flug "flight"), from root of *fleugan "to fly" (see fly (v.1)).

Spelling altered late 14c. from Middle English fliht (see fight (v.)). Meaning "an instance of flight" is 1785, originally of ballooning. Meaning "series of stairs between landings" is from 1703.

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n.2

"act of fleeing," from Middle English fluht (c.1200), not found in Old English, but presumed to have existed. Related to Old English fleon "flee" (see flee), and cognate with Old Saxon fluht, Old Frisian flecht "act of fleeing," Dutch vlucht, Old High German fluht, German Flucht, Old Nprse flotti, Gothic þlauhs.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with flight

flight

In addition to the idioms beginning with flight

  • flight of fancy

also see:

  • put to flight
  • take flight
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.