fly
English
/flaɪ/
noun
Definitions
- (zoology) Any insect of the order Diptera; characterized by having two wings (except for some wingless species), also called .
- (non-technical) Especially, any of the insects of the family Muscidae, such as the common housefly (other families of Diptera include mosquitoes and midges).
- Any similar, but unrelated insect such as dragonfly or butterfly.
- (fishing) A lightweight fishing lure resembling an insect.
- (weightlifting) A chest exercise performed by moving extended arms from the sides to in front of the chest. (also flye)
- (obsolete) A witch's familiar.
- (obsolete) A parasite.
- (swimming) The butterfly stroke (plural is normally flys)
- (preceded by definite article) A simple dance in which the hands are shaken in the air, popular in the 1960s.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English flye inherited from Old English flȳġe inherited from Proto-Germanic *fleugǭ (a fly) derived from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (fly, fibres, hair, tuft, flow, run, be swift, flee, splash, flap with hands).
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*plewk-
Gloss
fly, fibres, hair, tuft, flow, run, be swift, flee, splash, flap with hands
Concept
Semantic Field
Animals
Ontological Category
Action/Process
Kanji
髪
Emoji
✈️ 🐉 🐦️ 🐲 💸 🕊️ 🚁 🛩️ 🛫 🛬 🦅 🦆 🪁 👨✈️ 👩✈️ 🚁
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- Dobson English
- Flying Dutchman English
- May English
- aflight English
- alder English
- alderfly English
- antifly English
- apple English
- apple fly English
- autoflight English
- away English
- back English
- ball English
- bane English
- bar English
- barfly English
- bee English
- bee fly English
- beet English
- beetfly English
- befly English
- bitten English
- black English
- blackfly English
- blow English
- boat English
- bob English
- bobfly English
- book English
- bot English
- botfly English
- bottle English
- bottlefly English
- boy English
- breeze English
- breezefly English
- bridge English
- butter English
- butterflier English
- butterfly English
- butterfly knife English
- butterfly nut English
- butterflyfish English
- butterflylike English
- catch English
- catcher English
- catchfly English
- catching English
- craft English
- crane English
- cranefly English
- damsel English
- damselfly English
- day English
- dayfly English
- dayflying English
- death flight English
- deer English
- deerfly English
- dobsonfly English
- dragon English
- dragonfly English
- drone English
- dronefly English
- dung English
- dungfly English
- face English
- face fly English
- fairy English
- fairyfly English
- fire English
- fireflied English
- firefly English
- fish English
- fisher English
- fisherman English
- fishfly English
- flap English
- flapper English
- flesh English
- fleshfly English
- flier English
- fliest English
- flight English
- flightcase English
- flightcraft English
- flighted English
- flighter English
- flightless English
- flightsome English
- flightworthy English
- flighty English
- flower English
- flower fly English
- fly sheet English
- fly-ass English
- fly-bitten English
- fly-boy English
- flyability English
- flyable English
- flyaway English
- flyback English
- flyball English
- flybane English
- flyblow English
- flyboat English
- flybook English
- flyboy English
- flybridge English
- flycatch English
- flycatcher English
- flycatching English
- flycraft English
- flyer English
- flyest English
- flyfish English
- flyfisher English
- flyfisherman English
- flyflap English
- flyflapper English
- flyhawk English
- flying English
- flyingly English
- flyleaf English
- flyless English
- flylessness English
- flyloft English
- flymaker English
- flyman English
- flyness English
- flynet English
- flyoff English
- flyout English
- flypaper English
- flypapered English
- flypast English
- flyperson English
- flypost English
- flyposter English
- flyproof English
- flyrobin English
- flyrod English
- flyrodder English
- flyscreen English
- flysheet English
- flyspeck English
- flyspecked English
- flyspecking English
- flystrike English
- flystruck English
- flyswat English
- flyswatter English
- flythrough English
- flytime English
- flytrap English
- flyunder English
- flyway English
- flyweight English
- flywheel English
- flywhisk English
- flywire English
- flyworthy English
- foreflight English
- fruit English
- fruitfly English
- gad English
- gadfly English
- gall English
- gallfly English
- green English
- greenfly English
- griffin English
- griffinfly English
- hawk English
- highflying English
- horse English
- horsefly English
- house English
- housefly English
- hover English
- hoverfly English
- in-flight English
- kiteflying English
- lantern English
- lanternfly English
- lanthorn English
- lanthorn-fly English
- leaf English
- loft English
- maker English
- mantis English
- mantisfly English
- mayfly English
- microflyer English
- midflight English
- multiflight English
- net English
- non-flying English
- nonflier English
- nonflight English
- nonflying English
- out English
- outfly English
- overflight English
- overfly English
- owl English
- owlfly English
- ox English
- oxfly English
- palm English
- palmfly English
- paper English
- paraflying English
- past English
- person English
- pie English
- post English
- postflight English
- preflight English
- reflight English
- refly English
- robber English
- robberfly English
- robin English
- rod English
- sand English
- sandfly English
- saw English
- sawfly English
- scorpion English
- scorpionfly English
- screen English
- shad English
- shadfly English
- sheet English
- shoo English
- shoofly pie English
- snake English
- snakefly English
- spaceflight English
- speck English
- stone English
- stonefly English
- strike English
- struck English
- swat English
- swatter English
- through English
- time English
- topflight English
- trap English
- under English
- unflyable English
- upfly English
- way English
- weight English
- wheel English
- whisk English
- white English
- whitefly English
- wire English
- flaijeri Finnish
- plūma Latin
- Buckelfliege German
- Eintagsfliege German
- Faulfliege German
- Flick German
- Fliege German
- Fliegenfänger German
- Fliegengitter German
- Fliegenklatsche German
- Fliegenpilz German
- Fliegenschnäpper German
- Hirschfliege German
- Köcherfliege German
- Langbeinfliege German
- Obstfliege German
- Raupenfliege German
- Scheißhausfliege German
- aasvlieg Dutch, Flemish
- biervlieg Dutch, Flemish
- botervlieg Dutch, Flemish
- bromvlieg Dutch, Flemish
- flik Dutch, Flemish
- fruitvlieg Dutch, Flemish
- gaasvlieg Dutch, Flemish
- kunstvlieg Dutch, Flemish
- strontvlieg Dutch, Flemish
- vlieg Dutch, Flemish
- vliegenmepper Dutch, Flemish
- vliegenvanger Dutch, Flemish
- vliegenvorst Dutch, Flemish
- vliegenzwam Dutch, Flemish
- vliegvissen Dutch, Flemish
- vuurvlieg Dutch, Flemish
- zweefvlieg Dutch, Flemish
- flic French
- flicaille French
- fliquer French
- fliquesse French
- fliquette French
- flyer French
- *keh₂p- Proto-Indo-European
- *plewk- Proto-Indo-European
- flue Norwegian Bokmål
- fluefiske Norwegian Bokmål
- flyge Norwegian Bokmål
- ildflue Norwegian Bokmål
- *fleuganą Proto-Germanic
- *fleugǭ Proto-Germanic
- *fleuhaną Proto-Germanic
- *flugjaz Proto-Germanic
- *fluhtiz Proto-Germanic
- *flukkô Proto-Germanic
- *flukkōn- Proto-Germanic
- fluga Swedish
- flugfälla Swedish
- flugpapper Swedish
- バタフライ Japanese
- フライ Japanese
- fluge Norwegian Nynorsk
- flugesmekke Norwegian Nynorsk
- fly Norwegian Nynorsk
- flyga Norwegian Nynorsk
- flyge Norwegian Nynorsk
- spyfluge Norwegian Nynorsk
- fleoge Old English
- flēoge Old English
- flȳġe Old English
- *flynet Middle English
- biflien Middle English
- boterflye Middle English
- buterflie Middle English
- fleye Middle English
- fleynge Middle English
- flight Middle English
- fliȝe Middle English
- flye Middle English
- horse fliȝe Middle English
- fljúga Old Norse
- fluga Old Norse
- flue Danish
- flueknepperi Danish
- fluepapir Danish
- fluesmækker Danish
- flyve Danish
- flyvedygtig Danish
- flyvemaskine Danish
- flyver Danish
- flyvning Danish
- ildflue Danish
- býfluga Icelandic
- fljúga Icelandic
- fluga Icelandic
- folafluga Icelandic
- hrossafluga Icelandic
- hunangsfluga Icelandic
- mýfluga Icelandic
- vliege Middle Dutch
- flioga Old High German
- fliogan Old High German
- vlieg Afrikaans
- vliegveld Afrikaans
- flogfelag Faroese
- flogskip Faroese
- flúgva Faroese
- fliege Middle High German
- Flic Luxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
- entfléien Luxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
- fléien Luxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
- fliega Old Saxon
- fliogan Old Saxon
- Flüüge Alemannic German
- flugha Old Swedish
- flygha Old Swedish
- flygha, flȳgha Old Swedish
- flee Scots
- plaukti Lithuanian
- *fliāge Old Frisian
- fliāga Old Frisian
- bataplai Tok Pisin
- flai Tok Pisin
- Fljooge Saterland Frisian
- Flöägel Saterland Frisian
- fljooge Saterland Frisian
- flegen Low German
- flughæ Old Danish
- flyghæ Old Danish
- flyğa Scanian
- ox
- net
- day
- saw
- rod
- bot
- May
- pie
- bee
- out
- way
- bob
- owl
- boy
- bar
- gad
- dung
- hawk
- loft
- away
- post
- palm
- boat
- wire
- blow
- time
- fish
- leaf
- gall
- shad
- fire
- trap
- sand
- ball
- past
- beet
- flap
- deer
- back
- shoo
- bane
- book
- face
- swat
- fairy
- snake
- black
- alder
- flier
- crane
- green
- refly
- hover
- befly
- catch
- white
- sheet
- horse
- speck
- apple
- under
- upfly
- robin
- stone
- maker
- wheel
- fruit
- flyer
- drone
- paper
- flesh
- craft
- whisk
- oxfly
- house
- barfly
- flight
- fisher
- strike
- fliest
- bridge
- butter
- sawfly
- flying
- gadfly
- screen
- dragon
- bitten
- flower
- person
- outfly
- dayfly
- bottle
- flyboy
- botfly
- struck
- flyrod
- flyway
- flyout
- Dobson
- damsel
- flynet
- flyman
- robber
- owlfly
- breeze
- flyoff
- mantis
- weight
- mayfly
- flyest
- bobfly
- through
- swatter
- flyloft
- flyswat
- flytime
- flyness
- flypost
- flyfish
- flywire
- flyblow
- flyflap
- flyboat
- flytrap
- flyaway
- flyball
- griffin
- palmfly
- flybook
- flybane
- shadfly
- fly-ass
- flapper
- beetfly
- flyleaf
- sandfly
- firefly
- bee fly
- aflight
- fishfly
- deerfly
- flyable
- antifly
- flighty
- lantern
- catcher
- flyback
- flyless
- gallfly
- dungfly
- overfly
- fly-boy
- flypast
- flyhawk
- flywheel
- flyingly
- blackfly
- flighted
- flypaper
- flycraft
- catching
- cranefly
- scorpion
- flymaker
- fruitfly
- flywhisk
- flyunder
- fleshfly
- nonflier
- flycatch
- snakefly
- horsefly
- whitefly
- dronefly
- flyproof
- lanthorn
- hoverfly
- flyspeck
- face fly
- fairyfly
- flighter
- reflight
- flysheet
- greenfly
- flyrobin
- catchfly
- alderfly
- stonefly
- housefly
- dragonfly
- flyfisher
- bottlefly
- nonflying
- unflyable
- flystrike
- nonflight
- flyposter
- flybridge
- robberfly
- apple fly
- breezefly
- in-flight
- flyworthy
- damselfly
- dayflying
- mantisfly
- flyrodder
- fly sheet
- preflight
- butterfly
- topflight
- flyperson
- flystruck
- midflight
- dobsonfly
- fisherman
- fireflied
- flyscreen
- flyweight
- foreflight
- flyspecked
- flythrough
- griffinfly
- paraflying
- non-flying
- microflyer
- kiteflying
- flightsome
- flyability
- postflight
- flightless
- lanternfly
- flower fly
- overflight
- flyflapper
- autoflight
- flycatcher
- flyswatter
- highflying
- flypapered
- fly-bitten
- flightcase
- butterflier
- flycatching
- spaceflight
- flylessness
- flyspecking
- shoofly pie
- scorpionfly
- flightcraft
- multiflight
- flyfisherman
- death flight
- lanthorn-fly
- flightworthy
- butterflyfish
- butterfly nut
- butterflylike
- Flying Dutchman
- butterfly knife