flight

[ flahyt ]

/ flaɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR flight ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act, manner, or power of flying.

the distance covered or the course taken by a flying object: a 500-mile flight; the flight of the ball.

a trip by an airplane, glider, etc.

a scheduled trip on an airline: a 5 o'clock flight.

a number of beings or things flying or passing through the air together: a flight of geese.

the basic tactical unit of military air forces, consisting of two or more aircraft.

the act, principles, or technique of flying an airplane: flight training.

a journey into or through outer space: a rocket flight.

swift movement, transition, or progression: the flight of time.

a soaring above or transcending ordinary bounds: a flight of fancy.

a series of steps between one floor or landing of a building and the next.

Archery.

flight arrow.
the distance such an arrow travels when shot.

verb (used without object)

(of wild fowls) to fly in coordinated flocks.

Nearby words

Origin of flight

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

SYNONYMS FOR flight

5. flock. 9. rush, dash, fleetingness.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR flight ON THESAURUS.COM

flight

[ flahyt ]

/ flaɪt /

noun

an act or instance of fleeing or running away; hasty departure.

Origin of flight

1150–1200; Middle English; cognate with German Flucht; akin to flee

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for flight

The anti-crime cops began searching the likely path of flight.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Did the airline file a flight plan that took account of the weather en route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore?
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The copilot on Flight 8501 was Remi Emmanuel Piesel, 46, who despite his age had just 2,275 hours of flying experience.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Specifically, what briefing did the flight crew receive before they went to the airplane?
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In the wee hours of Christmas morning, a flight deal was shared in an exclusive Facebook group for urban travelers.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He was delighted to see Betty, who was an especial favorite of his, and much interested in her account of Bob's flight.
Betty Gordon in Washington|Alice B. Emerson
We descend into it by a flight of steps, and the depth of water it contains varies with the height of the Tiber.
Walks in Rome|Augustus J.C. Hare
The traces are counted out on a sloping glass desk, and the time of flight of a projectile between two or more screens is found.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3|Various
It has a rump pattern all to itself and is therefore readily detected in flight.
Life Histories of North American Shore Birds, Part 1 (of 2)|Arthur Cleveland Bent
This man still looked ready for flight, but for a flight how different!
The Call of the Blood|Robert Smythe Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for flight

flight

/ (flaɪt) /

noun

the act, skill, or manner of flying

a journey made by a flying animal or object

a scheduled airline journey
an aircraft flying on such a journey

a group of flying birds or aircrafta flight of swallows

the basic tactical unit of a military air force

a journey through space, esp of a spacecraft

rapid movement or progress

a soaring mental journey above or beyond the normal everyday worlda flight of fancy

a single line of hurdles across a track in a race
a series of such hurdles

a bird's wing or tail feather; flight feather

a feather or plastic attachment fitted to an arrow or dart to give it stability in flight

See flight arrow

the distance covered by a flight arrow

sport, esp cricket

a flighted movement imparted to a ball, dart, etc
the ability to flight a ball

angling a device on a spinning lure that revolves rapidly

a set of steps or stairs between one landing or floor and the next

a large enclosed area attached to an aviary or pigeon loft where the birds may fly but not escape

verb

(tr) sport to cause (a ball, dart, etc) to float slowly or deceptively towards its target

(intr) (of wild fowl) to fly in groups

(tr) to shoot (a bird) in flight

(tr) to fledge (an arrow or a dart)

Word Origin for flight

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

noun

the act of fleeing or running away, as from danger

put to flight to cause to run away; rout

take flight or take to flight to run away or withdraw hastily; flee

Word Origin for flight

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

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.

flight

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.

Idioms and Phrases with flight

flight

In addition to the idioms beginning with flight

flight of fancy

also see:

put to flight
take flight

flight

noun

verb (used without object)

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of flight

flight

noun

Origin of flight

Examples from the Web for flight

flight

noun

verb

Word Origin for flight

noun

Word Origin for flight

flight

flight

flight