fly

[ flahy ]

/ flaɪ /

noun, plural flies.

Also called true fly. any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially of the family Muscidae, as the common housefly.

any of various winged insects, as the mayfly or firefly.

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.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Musca.

Words nearby fly

flux gate, flux linkage, fluxion, fluxionary hyperemia, fluxmeter, fly, fly agaric, fly ash, fly at, fly ball, fly blind

Idioms for fly

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.

Origin of fly

before 950; Middle English flīe, Old English flēoge, flȳge; cognate with Middle Dutch vliege (Dutch vlieg), Old High German flioga (German Fliege); akin to fly¹

OTHER WORDS FROM fly

fly·less, adjective

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

British Dictionary definitions for fly in the ointment (1 of 3)

fly¹

/ (flaɪ) /

verb flies, flying, flew or flown

(intr) (of birds, aircraft, etc) to move through the air in a controlled manner using aerodynamic forces

to travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft

to operate (an aircraft or spacecraft)

to float, flutter, or be displayed in the air or cause to float, etc, in this wayto fly a kite; they flew the flag

to transport or be transported by or through the air by aircraft, wind, etc

(intr) to move or be moved very quickly, forcibly, or suddenlyshe came flying towards me; the door flew open

(intr) to pass swiftlytime flies

to escape from (an enemy, place, etc); fleehe flew the country

(intr; may be foll by at or upon) to attack a person

(intr) to have a sudden outbursthe flew into a rage again

(intr) (of money, etc) to vanish rapidly

(tr) falconry (of hawks) to fly at (quarry) in attackperegrines fly rooks

(tr) theatre to suspend (scenery) above the stage so that it may be lowered into view

fly a kite

to procure money by an accommodation bill
to release information or take a step in order to test public opinion

fly high informal

to have a high aim
to prosper or flourish

fly in the face of See face (def. 19)

fly off the handle informal to lose one's temper

fly the coop US and Canadian informal to leave suddenly

go fly a kite US and Canadian informal go away

let fly informal

to lose one's temper (with a person)she really let fly at him
to shoot or throw (an object)

noun plural flies

Also called: fly front (often plural) a closure that conceals a zip, buttons, or other fastening, by having one side overlapping, as on trousers

Also called: fly sheet

a flap forming the entrance to a tent
a piece of canvas drawn over the ridgepole of a tent to form an outer roof

a small air brake used to control the chiming of large clocks

the horizontal weighted arm of a fly press

the outer edge of a flag
the distance from the outer edge of a flag to the staffCompare hoist (def. 9)

British a light one-horse covered carriage formerly let out on hire

Australian and NZ an attemptI'll give it a fly

printing

a device for transferring printed sheets from the press to a flat pile
Also called: flyhand a person who collects and stacks printed matter from a printing press
a piece of paper folded once to make four pages, with printing only on the first page

(plural) theatre the space above the stage out of view of the audience, used for storing scenery, etc

rare the act of flying

Derived forms of fly

flyable, adjective

Word Origin for fly

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

British Dictionary definitions for fly in the ointment (2 of 3)

fly²

/ (flaɪ) /

noun plural flies

any dipterous insect, esp the housefly, characterized by active flightSee also horsefly, blowfly, tsetse fly, crane fly

any of various similar but unrelated insects, such as the caddis fly, firefly, dragonfly, and chalcid 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-fishingSee also dry fly, wet fly

(in southern Africa) an area that is infested with the tsetse fly

drink with the flies Australian slang to drink alone

fly in amber See amber (def. 2)

fly in the ointment informal a slight flaw that detracts from value, completeness, or enjoyment

fly on the wall a person who watches others, while not being noticed himself or herself

there are no flies on him informal he is no fool

Derived forms of fly

flyless, adjective

Word Origin for fly

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

British Dictionary definitions for fly in the ointment (3 of 3)

fly³

/ (flaɪ) /

adjective flyer or flyest slang

mainly British knowing and sharp; smart

mainly Scot furtive or sneaky

noun

on the fly mainly Scot in secret; sneakily

Word Origin for fly

C19: of uncertain origin

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

Medicine definitions for fly in the ointment

fly

[ flī ]

n.

Any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera.

Science definitions for fly in the ointment

fly

[ flī ]

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

Culture definitions for fly in the ointment

fly in the ointment

A drawback, especially one that was not at first apparent: “Sharon's lack of experience turned out to be the fly in the ointment when she applied for the job.”

Idioms and Phrases with fly in the ointment

fly in the ointment

A drawback or detrimental factor. For example, The new library is wonderful but there's a fly in the ointment: their catalog isn't complete yet. This term probably alludes to a biblical proverb (Ecclesiastes 10:1): “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour.” [c. 1600]

fly

noun, plural flies.

Content related to fly

Words related to fly

Words nearby fly

Idioms for fly

Origin of fly

OTHER WORDS FROM fly

British Dictionary definitions for fly in the ointment (1 of 3)

verb flies, flying, flew or flown

noun plural flies

Derived forms of fly

Word Origin for fly

British Dictionary definitions for fly in the ointment (2 of 3)

noun plural flies

Derived forms of fly

Word Origin for fly

British Dictionary definitions for fly in the ointment (3 of 3)

adjective flyer or flyest slang

noun

Word Origin for fly

Medicine definitions for fly in the ointment

n.

Science definitions for fly in the ointment

Culture definitions for fly in the ointment

Idioms and Phrases with fly in the ointment