English Dictionary: fly | by the DICT Development Group |
8 results for fly | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Fly \Fly\, v. t. To manage (an aircraft) in flight; as, to fly an a[89]roplane. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Fly \Fly\, n. (Cotton Manuf.) Waste cotton. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Fly \Fly\, v. t. 1. To cause to fly or to float in the air, as a bird, a kite, a flag, etc. The brave black flag I fly. --W. S. Gilbert. 2. To fly or flee from; to shun; to avoid. Sleep flies the wretch. --Dryden. To fly the favors of so good a king. --Shak. 3. To hunt with a hawk. [Obs.] --Bacon. {To fly a kite} (Com.), to raise money on commercial notes. [Cant or Slang] | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Fly \Fly\ (fl[imac]), v. i. [imp. {Flew} (fl[umac]); p. p. {Flown} (fl[omac]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Flying}.] [OE. fleen, fleen, fleyen, flegen, AS. fle[a2]gan; akin to D. vliegen, OHG. fliogan, G. fliegen, Icel. flj[umac]ga, Sw. flyga, Dan. flyve, Goth. us-flaugjan to cause to fly away, blow about, and perh. to L. pluma feather, E. plume. [root]84. Cf. {Fledge}, {Flight}, {Flock} of animals.] 1. To move in or pass thorugh the air with wings, as a bird. 2. To move through the air or before the wind; esp., to pass or be driven rapidly through the air by any impulse. 3. To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag. Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. --Job v. 7. 4. To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away; to circulate rapidly; as, a ship flies on the deep; a top flies around; rumor flies. Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race. --Milton. The dark waves murmured as the ships flew on. --Bryant. 5. To run from danger; to attempt to escape; to flee; as, an enemy or a coward flies. See Note under {Flee}. Fly, ere evil intercept thy flight. --Milton. Whither shall I fly to escape their hands ? --Shak. 6. To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly; -- usually with a qualifying word; as, a door flies open; a bomb flies apart. {To fly about} (Naut.), to change frequently in a short time; -- said of the wind. {To fly around}, to move about in haste. [Colloq.] {To fly at}, to spring toward; to rush on; to attack suddenly. {To fly in the face of}, to insult; to assail; to set at defiance; to oppose with violence; to act in direct opposition to; to resist. {To fly off}, to separate, or become detached suddenly; to revolt. {To fly on}, to attack. {To fly open}, to open suddenly, or with violence. {To fly out}. (a) To rush out. (b) To burst into a passion; to break out into license. {To let fly}. (a) To throw or drive with violence; to discharge. [bd]A man lets fly his arrow without taking any aim.[b8] --Addison. (b) (Naut.) To let go suddenly and entirely; as, to let fly the sheets. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Fly \Fly\, n.; pl. {Flies} (fl[imac]z). [OE. flie, flege, AS. fl[ymac]ge, fle[a2]ge, fr. fle[a2]gan to fly; akin to D. vlieg, OHG. flioga, G. fliege, Icel. & Sw. fluga, Dan. flue. [root] 84. See {Fly}, v. i.] 1. (Zo[94]l.) (a) Any winged insect; esp., one with transparent wings; as, the Spanish fly; firefly; gall fly; dragon fly. (b) Any dipterous insect; as, the house fly; flesh fly; black fly. See {Diptera}, and Illust. in Append. 2. A hook dressed in imitation of a fly, -- used for fishing. [bd]The fur-wrought fly.[b8] --Gay. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Fly \Fly\, a. Knowing; wide awake; fully understanding another's meaning. [Slang] --Dickens. | |
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: | |
Fly Heb. zebub, (Eccl. 10:1; Isa. 7:18). This fly was so grievous a pest that the Phoenicians invoked against it the aid of their god Baal-zebub (q.v.). The prophet Isaiah (7:18) alludes to some poisonous fly which was believed to be found on the confines of Egypt, and which would be called by the Lord. Poisonous flies exist in many parts of Africa, for instance, the different kinds of tsetse. Heb. 'arob, the name given to the insects sent as a plague on the land of Egypt (Ex. 8:21-31; Ps. 78:45; 105:31). The LXX. render this by a word which means the "dog-fly," the cynomuia. The Jewish commentators regarded the Hebrew word here as connected with the word _'arab_, which means "mingled;" and they accordingly supposed the plague to consist of a mixed multitude of animals, beasts, reptiles, and insects. But there is no doubt that "the _'arab_" denotes a single definite species. Some interpreters regard it as the Blatta orientalis, the cockroach, a species of beetle. These insects "inflict very painful bites with their jaws; gnaw and destroy clothes, household furniture, leather, and articles of every kind, and either consume or render unavailable all eatables." |