fly

¹

[ flahy ]

noun

, plural flies.

1. Also called true fly. any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially of the family Muscidae, as the common housefly.
2. any of various winged insects, as the mayfly or firefly.
3. Angling. a fishhook dressed with hair, feathers, silk, tinsel, etc., so as to resemble an insect or small fish, for use as a lure or bait.
4. Fly, Astronomy. the constellation Musca.

fly

²

[ flahy ]

verb (used without object)

flown [flohn],flyingflew [floo] flied [flahyd],

1. to move through the air using wings.
2. to be carried through the air by the wind or any other force or agency:

   bits of paper flying about.

3. to float or flutter in the air:

   flags flying in the breeze.

4. to travel in an aircraft or spacecraft.
5. to move suddenly and quickly; start unexpectedly:

   He flew from the room.

6. to change rapidly and unexpectedly from one state or position to another:

   The door flew open.

7. to flee; escape.
8. to travel in space:

   The probe will fly past the planet.

9. to move or pass swiftly:

   How time flies!

10. to move with an aggressive surge:

    A mother fox will fly at anyone approaching her kits.

11. Baseball.
    1. to bat a fly ball:

       He flied into right field.

    2. to fly out.
12. Informal. to be acceptable, believable, or feasible:

    It seemed like a good idea, but it just wouldn't fly.

verb (used with object)

flew [floo] flied [flahyd],flyingflown [flohn],

1. to make (something) float or move through the air:

   to fly a kite.

2. to operate (an aircraft, spacecraft, or the like).
3. to hoist aloft, as for display, signaling, etc.:

   to fly a flag.

4. to operate an aircraft or spacecraft over:

   to fly the Pacific.

5. to transport or convey by air:

   We fly merchandise to Boston.

6. to escape from; flee:

   to fly someone's wrath.

7. Theater.
   1. to hang (scenery) above a stage by means of rigging supported by the gridiron.
   2. to raise (scenery) from the stage or acting area into the flies.

noun

, plural flies.

1. a strip of material sewn along one edge of a garment opening for concealing buttons, zippers, or other fasteners.
2. a flap forming the door of a tent.
3. Also called tent fly. a piece of canvas extending over the ridgepole of a tent and forming an outer roof.
4. an act of flying; a flight.
5. the course of a flying object, as a ball.
6. Baseball. fly ball.
7. British. a light, covered, public carriage drawn by one horse; hansom; hackney coach.
8. Machinery. a horizontal arm, weighted at each end, that pivots about the screw of a press so that when the screw is lowered the momentum of the fly will increase the force of the press.
9. Also called fan. Horology. a regulating device for chime and striking mechanisms, consisting of an arrangement of vanes on a revolving axis.
10. Printing.
    1. (in some presses) the apparatus for removing the printed sheets to the delivery table.
    2. Also called flyboy. (formerly) a printer's devil employed to remove printed sheets from a press.
11. (on a flag)
    1. the horizontal dimension of a flag as flown from a vertical staff.
    2. the end of the flag farther from the staff. Compare hoist ( def 7 ).
12. flies. Also called fly loft. Theater. the space above the stage used chiefly for storing scenery and equipment.
13. Nautical. a propellerlike device streamed to rotate and transfer information on speed to a mechanical log.

verb phrase

1. Baseball, Softball. to be put out by hitting a fly ball that is caught by a player of the opposing team.

fly

³

[ flahy ]

adjective

, fly·er, fly·est.

1. Slang. stylish, attractive, sophisticated, etc.:

   She put on silver stilettos, her flyest outfit, and plenty of bling, ready to party till dawn.

2. British Slang. aware and worldly; clever; smart:

   Adults generally found him sly and conniving, but his teenage followers were convinced he was fly.

3. British Slang. dexterous; agile; nimble.

fly

¹

/ flaɪ /

adjective

1. knowing and sharp; smart
2. furtive or sneaky

noun

1. on the fly
   on the fly in secret; sneakily

fly

²

/ flaɪ /

noun

1. See crane fly, tsetse fly, blowfly, horsefly
   any dipterous insect, esp the housefly, characterized by active flight See also horsefly blowfly tsetse fly crane fly
2. any of various similar but unrelated insects, such as the caddis fly, firefly, dragonfly, and chalcid fly
3. See wet fly, dry fly
   angling a lure made from a fish-hook dressed with feathers, tinsel, etc, to resemble any of various flies or nymphs: used in fly-fishing See also dry fly wet fly
4. (in southern Africa) an area that is infested with the tsetse fly
5. drink with the flies slang.
   drink with the flies to drink alone
6. See amber
   fly in amber
   fly in amber See amber
7. fly in the ointment informal.
   fly in the ointment a slight flaw that detracts from value, completeness, or enjoyment
8. fly on the wall
   fly on the wall a person who watches others, while not being noticed himself or herself
9. there are no flies on him informal.
   there are no flies on him he is no fool

fly

³

/ flaɪ /

verb

1. intr (of birds, aircraft, etc) to move through the air in a controlled manner using aerodynamic forces
2. to travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft
3. to operate (an aircraft or spacecraft)
4. to float, flutter, or be displayed in the air or cause to float, etc, in this way

   they flew the flag

   to fly a kite

5. to transport or be transported by or through the air by aircraft, wind, etc
6. intr to move or be moved very quickly, forcibly, or suddenly

   she came flying towards me

   the door flew open

7. intr to pass swiftly

   time flies

8. to escape from (an enemy, place, etc); flee

   he flew the country

9. intr; may be foll by at or upon to attack a person
10. intr to have a sudden outburst

    he flew into a rage again

11. intr (of money, etc) to vanish rapidly
12. tr falconry (of hawks) to fly at (quarry) in attack

    peregrines fly rooks

13. tr theatre to suspend (scenery) above the stage so that it may be lowered into view
14. fly a kite
    fly a kite
    1. to procure money by an accommodation bill
    2. to release information or take a step in order to test public opinion
15. fly high informal.
    fly high
    1. to have a high aim
    2. to prosper or flourish
16. See face
    fly in the face of
    fly in the face of See face
17. fly off the handle informal.
    fly off the handle to lose one's temper
18. fly the coop informal.
    fly the coop to leave suddenly
19. go fly a kite informal.
    go fly a kite go away
20. let fly informal.
    let fly
    1. to lose one's temper (with a person)

       she really let fly at him

    2. to shoot or throw (an object)

noun

1. Also calledfly front often plural a closure that conceals a zip, buttons, or other fastening, by having one side overlapping, as on trousers
2. Also calledfly sheet
   1. a flap forming the entrance to a tent
   2. a piece of canvas drawn over the ridgepole of a tent to form an outer roof
3. a small air brake used to control the chiming of large clocks
4. the horizontal weighted arm of a fly press
5. 1. the outer edge of a flag
   2. the distance from the outer edge of a flag to the staff Compare hoist
6. a light one-horse covered carriage formerly let out on hire
7. an attempt

   I'll give it a fly

8. printing
   1. a device for transferring printed sheets from the press to a flat pile
   2. Also calledflyhand a person who collects and stacks printed matter from a printing press
   3. a piece of paper folded once to make four pages, with printing only on the first page
9. plural theatre the space above the stage out of view of the audience, used for storing scenery, etc
10. rare.
    the act of flying

fly

/ flī /

1. Any of numerous insects of the order Diptera, having one pair of wings and large compound eyes. Flies include the houseflies, horseflies, and mosquitoes.
2. See more at dipteran

Derived Forms

• ˈflyless, adjective
• ˈflyable, adjective

Other Words From

• fly·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fly¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English flīe, Old English flēoge, flȳge; cognate with Middle Dutch vliege ( Dutch vlieg ), Old High German flioga ( German Fliege ); akin to fly ²

Origin of fly²

First recorded before 900; Middle English flīen, Old English flēogan; cognate with Old High German fliogan, German fliegen, Old Norse fljuga

Origin of fly³

First recorded in 1805–15; perhaps special use of fly ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of fly¹

C19: of uncertain origin

Origin of fly²

Old English flēoge ; related to Old Norse fluga Old High German flioga ; see fly ¹

Origin of fly³

Old English flēogan ; related to Old Frisian fliāga , Old High German fliogan , Old Norse fljūga

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. fly blind,
   1. to operate an airplane, especially during conditions of poor visibility, relying solely on instruments for guidance.
   2. to proceed with a complex task in the absence of directions by using one's own ability to determine what procedures to follow.
2. fly in the face of, to act in defiance of (authority, custom, etc.). Also fly in the teeth of.
3. fly in the ointment, a detrimental factor; detraction:

   If there's one fly in the ointment, it's that there may not be the money to finish the job.

4. go fly a kite, Slang.
   1. to put up with or get used to matters as they stand.
   2. to confine oneself to one's own affairs.
   3. to cease being a nuisance:

      If she gets mad enough she'll tell me to go fly a kite.

5. let fly,
   1. to hurl or propel (a weapon, missile, etc.).
   2. to give free rein to an emotion:

      She let fly with a barrage of angry words.

6. on the fly,
   1. during flight; before falling to the ground:

      to catch a baseball on the fly.

   2. hurriedly; without pausing:

      We had dinner on the fly.

7. fly off the handle. handle ( def 16 ).

Synonym Study

Fly, flit, flutter, hover, soar refer to moving through the air as on wings. Fly is the general term: Birds fly. Airplanes fly. To flit is to make short rapid flights from place to place: A bird flits from tree to tree. To flutter is to agitate the wings tremulously, either without flying or in flying only short distances: A young bird flutters out of a nest and in again. To hover is to linger in the air, or to move over or about something within a narrow area or space: hovering clouds; a hummingbird hovering over a blossom. To soar is to (start to) fly upward to a great height usually with little advance in any other direction, or else to (continue to) fly at a lofty height without visible movement of the wings: Above our heads an eagle was soaring.

Example Sentences

The notion that Republican electoral victories require massive political inequality flies in the face of all kinds of common sense.

From Vox

It also has a built-in can holder, as well as a large pocket for a phone and a small fly box.

From Outside Online

Eventually, the hatched queen flies off with about half the worker bees to start a new colony.

From Science News For Students

Rather than figuring it out and building that plane as we fly it, we were in a position so to mold the clay that we have been getting already.

From Digiday

The day the derby began, dozens of cases were confirmed, with some isolated in a school building and at least 20 others flown out of town via helicopter.

From Ozy

Andrew still plans to fly to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on January 21, representing the British government.

From The Daily Beast

After some animated debate at the conference, Lelaie declared, with some frustration, “If you push on the stick, you will fly.”

From The Daily Beast

Thus it attracted a wave of cowboy operators to fly passengers and cargo between cities.

From The Daily Beast

Many of these are small operations that would never, in any case, fly beyond Indonesia.

From The Daily Beast

Air traffic controllers and pilots together take great care not to fly in conditions that can jeopardize an airplane.

From The Daily Beast

Aristide darted off like a dragon-fly in the sunshine, as happy as a child with a new toy.

From Project Gutenberg

“Confound it, no;” rejoined Mr. Simmery, stopping for an instant to smash a fly with the ruler.

From Project Gutenberg

They must be kept away from flies—a fly can work havoc with a film in a few minutes.

From Project Gutenberg

The non-elastic character of water made it unsuitable for a machine requiring a fly-wheel.

From Project Gutenberg

What of the infinite goodness of God in teaching the grub of the ichneumon-fly to eat up the cabbage caterpillar alive?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• circle
• climb
• cross
• drift
• float
• flutter
• glide
• operate
• pilot
• reach
• rush
• sail
• shoot
• speed
• swoop
• take off
• travel

What Is The Plural Of Fly?

Plural word for fly

The plural form of fly is flies. Words that end with a –y and are preceded by a consonant are made plural by changing the -y to -ies, as in party/parties, candy/candies, and duty/duties.  

This can be confusing, because words that end with a –y and are preceded by a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) are pluralized by adding an -s to the end, as in chimney/chimneys and fray/frays.

More About Fly

What is a basic definition of fly?

Fly means to move through the air using wings or to be carried by the air. Fly also means to travel in a vehicle that can move through the air. As a noun, fly refers to several two-winged insects. Fly has many other senses as a verb and a noun.

Many birds and insects with wings are able to move through the air—that is, to fly. The wind or air currents can also make some items fly around without control, such as pieces of paper. The wind or other force blows these items around.

• Real-life examples: Birds, bats, and insects are all able to fly. Paper, confetti, plastic bags, and baseballs often fly through the air when a wind blows.
• Used in a sentence: Canada geese fly often south in the winter, resting in the same areas each year. 

Humans can’t fly—not without help, at least. We can fly in airplanes, helicopters, and hot air balloons that fly through the air using air currents to travel.

• Used in a sentence: The airplane flew across the ocean.

As a noun, fly is used generally to refer to small winged insects. The insects in question usually belong to the Muscidae family, such as the housefly.

• Real-life examples: Flies are incredibly common and you have probably been annoyed by them during your life. Food and smelly garbage attracts flies. Spiders hunt and eat flies by trapping them in webs.
• Used in a sentence: He couldn’t concentrate on his work because of an irritating fly that kept landing on his head. 

Where does fly come from?

The first records of the verb fly come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English verb flēogan. The noun fly is almost as old. The first records come from before 950. It ultimately comes from the Old English flēoge.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to fly?

• flyable (adjective)
• flyability (noun)
• nonflyable (adjective)
• reflyable (adjective)
• flyless (adjective)

What are some synonyms for fly?

• glide
• drift
• float
• swoop
• sail

What are some words that share a root or word element with fly? 

• flier
• flyover
• flypaper
• fly swatter
• fly off the handle

What are some words that often get used in discussing fly?

• wings
• air
• sky
• airplane
• spider
• horse
• swarm

How is fly used in real life?

Fly is a very common word that most often refers to moving through the air.

Just witnessed a bird fly full speed into glass, be unconscious and not breathing. Gave him CPR with a Starbucks straw and he came back! Crazy!

— Braden Bishop (@bradenbishop7) December 10, 2018

In fifteen minutes, I'm heading to the airport so I can fly to Chicago. I guess I should start packing.

— Michael Aranda (@michaelaranda) August 8, 2012

a waltz
in balancing~
she is
a whimper away
from
falling
flying
dancing#Poetryin13
📷by me pic.twitter.com/VKjXBXD2B7

— Poetkisses (@poetkisses) February 18, 2021

Try using fly!

Is fly used correctly in the following sentence?

A caterpillar spends its life on the ground until it turns into a butterfly and uses its wings to fly through the air.