flying fox

American  

noun

1. any large fruit bat of the genus Pteropus, of Old World tropical regions, having a foxlike head.

2. Australian. an aerial conveyor belt or suspended carrier operating on cables, often used to convey ore, dirt, or the like, over rivers and gorges in mining or construction operations.

---

flying fox British  

noun

1. any large fruit bat, esp any of the genus Pteropus of tropical Africa and Asia: family Pteropodidae

2. a cable mechanism used for transportation across a river, gorge, etc

3. a cable mechanism ridden for fun at an adventure playground, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of flying fox

First recorded in 1750–60

Example Sentences

Borneo island has one of the world's largest tracts of rainforest and hosts orangutans, long-nosed monkeys, clouded leopards, pig-tailed macaques, flying fox bats and the smallest rhinos on the planet.

From Barron's • Oct. 21, 2025

A flying fox wore a tiny anesthetic mask.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2024

Here, a fruit bat called the flying fox exists alongside mangrove trees, helping to pollinate them.

From National Geographic • Oct. 2, 2023

There is a type of megabat known as a flying fox, and within that sub-species the Bismarck masked flying fox is known to be able to lactate.

From Salon • May 28, 2022

Simile told me that the vampire bat, or flying fox, as they call it here, is good to eat, but I do not think I could eat bat.

From The Life of Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson by Sanchez, Nellie Van de Grift