Library / English Dictionary

FLY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: flew    , flown   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(baseball) a hit that flies up in the air

Synonyms:

fly; fly ball

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("fly" is a kind of...):

hit; hitting; striking (the act of contacting one thing with another)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fly"):

blast (a very long fly ball)

pop-fly; pop-up; pop fly (a short high fly ball)

line drive; liner ((baseball) a hit that flies straight out from the batter)

flare ((baseball) a fly ball hit a short distance into the outfield)

Texas leaguer ((baseball) a fly ball that falls between and infielder and an outfielder)

Derivation:

fly (hit a fly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Two-winged insects characterized by active flight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("fly" is a kind of...):

dipteran; dipteron; dipterous insect; two-winged insects (insects having usually a single pair of functional wings (anterior pair) with the posterior pair reduced to small knobbed structures and mouth parts adapted for sucking or lapping or piercing)

Meronyms (parts of "fly"):

alula; calypter (scalelike structure between the base of the wing and the halter of a two-winged fly)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fly"):

Haematobia irritans; horn fly (small black European fly introduced into North America; sucks blood from cattle especially at the base of the horn)

bee fly (hairy nectar-eating fly that resembles a bee; larvae are parasitic on larvae of bees and related insects)

gadfly (any of various large flies that annoy livestock)

tachina fly (bristly fly whose larvae live parasitically in caterpillars and other insects; important in control of noxious insects)

flesh fly; Sarcophaga carnaria (fly whose larvae feed on carrion or the flesh of living animals)

blow fly; blowfly (large usually hairy metallic blue or green fly; lays eggs in carrion or dung or wounds)

glossina; tsetse; tsetse fly; tzetze; tzetze fly (bloodsucking African fly; transmits sleeping sickness etc.)

house fly; housefly; Musca domestica (common fly that frequents human habitations and spreads many diseases)

Holonyms ("fly" is a member of...):

Diptera; order Diptera (a large order of insects having a single pair of wings and sucking or piercing mouths; includes true flies and mosquitoes and gnats and crane flies)

Derivation:

fly (travel through the air; be airborne)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or by buttons concealed under a fold of cloth

Synonyms:

fly; fly front

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fly" is a kind of...):

opening (a vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made)

Holonyms ("fly" is a part of...):

garment (an article of clothing)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Fisherman's lure consisting of a fishhook decorated to look like an insect

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fly" is a kind of...):

fish lure; fisherman's lure ((angling) any bright artificial bait consisting of plastic or metal mounted with hooks and trimmed with feathers)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fly"):

dry fly (a fly (fisherman's lure) that skims the surface of the water)

streamer fly (an artificial fly that has wings extending back beyond the crook of the fishhook)

wet fly (fisherman's fly that floats under the surface of the water)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent

Synonyms:

fly; fly sheet; rainfly; tent-fly; tent flap

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fly" is a kind of...):

flap (any broad thin and limber covering attached at one edge; hangs loose or projects freely)

Holonyms ("fly" is a part of...):

fly tent (a tent with a fly front)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(British informal) not to be deceived or hoodwinked

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

alert; watchful (engaged in or accustomed to close observation)

Domain region:

Britain; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

 III. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Decrease rapidly and disappear

Example:

all my stock assets have vaporized

Synonyms:

fly; vanish; vaporize

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

decrease; diminish; fall; lessen (decrease in size, extent, or range)

Verb group:

fell; fly; vanish (pass away rapidly)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Change quickly from one emotional state to another

Example:

fly into a rage

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Hit a fly

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

hit (cause to move by striking)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

fly ((baseball) a hit that flies up in the air)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Transport by aeroplane

Example:

We fly flowers from the Caribbean to North America

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

carry; transport (move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body)

Verb group:

aviate; fly; pilot (operate an airplane)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fly"):

airlift; lift (fly people or goods to or from places not accessible by other means)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

flying (an instance of traveling by air)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Be dispersed or disseminated

Example:

Rumors and accusations are flying

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Travel in an airplane

Example:

Are we driving or flying?

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

travel (undergo transportation as in a vehicle)

Verb group:

aviate; fly; pilot (operate an airplane)

Domain category:

air; air travel; aviation (travel via aircraft)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fly"):

red-eye (travel on an overnight flight)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

flier; flyer (someone who travels by air)

flying (an instance of traveling by air)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Move quickly or suddenly

Example:

He flew about the place

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 8

Meaning:

Travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft

Example:

Lindbergh was the first to fly the Atlantic

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

journey; travel (travel upon or across)

Verb group:

fly; wing (travel through the air; be airborne)

aviate; fly; pilot (operate an airplane)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

These men fly the river

Derivation:

flying (an instance of traveling by air)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Cause to fly or float

Example:

fly a kite

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Cause:

be adrift; blow; drift; float (be in motion due to some air or water current)

Verb group:

fly (display in the air or cause to float)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fly"):

kite (fly a kite)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Travel through the air; be airborne

Example:

Man cannot fly

Synonyms:

fly; wing

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Verb group:

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

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fly"):

hover (hang in the air; fly or be suspended above)

soar (fly upwards or high in the sky)

fly on (continue flying)

flight (fly in a flock)

rack (fly in high wind)

buzz (fly low)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

Some big birds fly in the tree

There fly some big birds in the tree

Derivation:

flier (someone who travels by air)

fly (two-winged insects characterized by active flight)

flyer (someone who travels by air)

flying (an instance of traveling by air)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Operate an airplane

Example:

The pilot flew to Cuba

Synonyms:

aviate; fly; pilot

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

control; operate (handle and cause to function)

"Fly" entails doing...:

fly; wing (travel through the air; be airborne)

Verb group:

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

fly (travel in an airplane)

fly (transport by aeroplane)

Domain category:

aircraft (a vehicle that can fly)

air; air travel; aviation (travel via aircraft)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fly"):

hang glide; soar (fly by means of a hang glider)

flat-hat; hedgehop (fly very close to the ground)

balloon (ride in a hot-air balloon)

hydroplane; seaplane (glide on the water in a hydroplane)

glide (fly in or as if in a glider plane)

jet (fly a jet plane)

test fly (test a plane)

solo (fly alone, without a co-pilot or passengers)

fly contact (fly a plane by using visible landmarks or points of reference)

fly blind (fly an airplane solely by relying on instruments)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

flier; flyer (someone who operates an aircraft)

flying (an instance of traveling by air)

Sense 12

Meaning:

Pass away rapidly

Example:

Time fleeing beneath him

Synonyms:

fell; fly; vanish

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

elapse; glide by; go along; go by; lapse; pass; slide by; slip away; slip by (pass by)

Verb group:

fly; vanish; vaporize (decrease rapidly and disappear)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 13

Meaning:

Run away quickly

Example:

He threw down his gun and fled

Synonyms:

flee; fly; take flight

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

break away; bunk; escape; fly the coop; head for the hills; hightail it; lam; run; run away; scarper; scat; take to the woods; turn tail (flee; take to one's heels; cut and run)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fly"):

break (make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing)

stampede (run away in a stampede)

abscond; absquatulate; bolt; decamp; go off; make off; run off (run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along)

elope; run off (run away secretly with one's beloved)

break loose; escape; get away (run away from confinement)

high-tail; hightail (retreat at full speed)

defect; desert (desert (a cause, a country or an army), often in order to join the opposing cause, country, or army)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 14

Meaning:

Display in the air or cause to float

Example:

All nations fly their flags in front of the U.N.

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "fly" is one way to...):

show (make visible or noticeable)

Verb group:

fly (cause to fly or float)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Credits

 Context examples: 

He had asked for two years; time was flying, and he was achieving nothing.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

About 55 minutes after launch, the asteroid sampling spacecraft separated from the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fueled second stage rocket to fly free.

(Evening Launch Catapults OSIRIS-REx Toward Asteroid Encounter, NASA)

Honeyguides give a special call to attract people’s attention, then fly from tree to tree to indicate the direction of a bees’ nest.

(How humans and wild Honeyguide birds call each other to help, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The best known species is D. Melanogaster, often called the fruit fly, but more correctly termed the vinegar fly.

(Drosophila, NCI Thesaurus)

It is transmitted mechanically by biting flies, mosquitoes, and midges, and iatrogenically through unsterilized equipment.

(Equine Infectious Anemia Virus, NCI Thesaurus)

Other common phobias involve tunnels, highway driving, water, flying, animals and blood.

(Phobias, NIH: National Institute of Mental Health)

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by the bite of infected sand flies.

(Leishmaniasis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

In this study, they suggested that altering Cdk5 resulted in the death of dopamine releasing neurons, especially in the brains of older flies.

(New study implicates hyperactive immune system in aging brain disorders, National Institutes of Health)

MistNet also allows researchers to estimate flying velocity and traffic rates of migrating birds.

(Using artificial intelligence to track birds' dark-of-night migrations, National Science Foundation)

Two other dark storms were discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989 as it flew by the remote planet.

(Hubble Reveals Dynamic Atmospheres of Uranus, Neptune, NASA)