fly

Universal Words verb, noun verb (flies, flying, flew ) HELPNOTE In sense 15 flied is used for the past tense and past participle. of bird / insect 1 [V] to move through the air, using wings: A stork flew slowly past. * A wasp had flown in through the window. aircraft / spacecraft 2 [V] (of an aircraft or a spacecraft) to move through air or space: They were on a plane flying from London to New York. * to fly at the speed of sound * Lufthansa fly to La Paz from Frankfurt. 3 [V] to travel in an aircraft or a spacecraft: I'm flying to Hong Kong tomorrow. * Is this the first time that you've flown? * I always fly business class. * We're flying KLM. 4 to control an aircraft, etc. in the air: [VN] a pilot trained to fly large passenger planes * children flying kites * [V] He's learning to fly. 5 [VN+adv./prep.] to transport goods or passengers in a plane: The stranded tourists were finally flown home. * He had flowers specially flown in for the ceremony. 6 [VN] to travel over an ocean or area of land in an aircraft: to fly the Atlantic move quickly / suddenly 7 [V] [often +adv./prep.] to go or move quickly: The train was flying along. * She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. * It's late-I must fly. 8 [usually +adv./prep.] to move suddenly and with force: [V] A large stone came flying in through the window. * Several people were hit by flying glass. * [V-ADJ] David gave the door a kick and it flew open. of time 9 [V] ~ (by / past) to seem to pass very quickly: Doesn't time fly? * Summer has just flown by. flag 10 if a flag flies, or if you fly it, it is displayed, for example on a long pole: [VN] to fly the Union Jack / Stars and Stripes * [V] Flags were flying at half mast on all public buildings. move freely 11 [V] to move around freely: hair flying in the wind of stories / rumours 12 [V] to be talked about by many people escape 13 (written) to escape from sb/sth: [VN] Both suspects have flown the country. [also V] compareFLEE of plan 14 [V] (AmE) to be successful: It remains to be seen whether his project will fly. in baseball 15 (flies, flying, flied, flied) [VN] to hit a ball high into the air IDIOMS fly the coop (informal, especially AmE) to escape from a place fly high to be successful: British cinema has been flying high recently, winning several coveted awards. fly in the face of sth (written) to oppose or be the opposite of sth that is usual or expected: Such a proposal is flying in the face of common sense. fly into a rage, temper, etc. to become suddenly very angry (go) fly a / your kite (AmE, informal) used to tell sb to go away and stop annoying you or interfering fly the nest 1 (of a young bird) to become able to fly and leave its nest 2 (informal) (of sb's child) to leave home and live somewhere else fly off the handle (informal) to suddenly become very angry: He seems to fly off the handle about the slightest thing these days. go flying (BrE, informal) to fall, especially as a result of not seeing sth under your feet: Someone's going to go flying if you don't pick up these toys. let fly (at sb/sth) (with sth) to attack sb by hitting them or speaking angrily to them: He let fly at me with his fist. * She let fly with a stream of abuse. moreatBIRD, CROWn., FLAGn., PIGn., SEATn., TANGENT, WINDOW PHRASALVERBS fly at sb (of a person or an animal) to attack sb suddenly: He flew at me without warning. noun (plural flies) insect 1 [C] a small flying insect with two wings. There are many different types of fly: A fly was buzzing against the window. * Flies rose in thick black swarms. in fishing 2 [C] a fly or sth made to look like a fly, that is put on a hook and used as BAIT to catch fish: fly fishing on trousers / pants 3 [sing.] (BrE also flies [pl.]) an opening down the front of a pair of trousers/pants that fastens with a ZIP or buttons and is usually covered over by a strip of material: Your fly is undone! * Your flies are undone! on tent 4 [C] a piece of fabric that covers the entrance to a tent seealsoFLIES IDIOMS die / fall / drop like flies to die or fall down in very large numbers: People were dropping like flies in the intense heat. a / the fly in the ointment a person or thing that spoils a situation or an occasion that is satisfactory in all other ways a fly on the wall a person who watches others without being noticed: I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he tells her the news. * fly-on-the-wall documentaries (= in which people are filmed going about their normal lives as if the camera were not there) (there are) no flies on sb (informal) the person mentioned is clever and not easily tricked not harm / hurt a fly to be kind and gentle and unwilling to cause unhappiness on the fly (informal) if you do sth on the fly, you do it quickly while sth else is happening, and without thinking about it very much