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

Emoji
✈️ 🐉 🐦️ 🐲 💸 🕊️ 🚁 🛩️ 🛫 🛬 🦅 🦆 🪁 👨‍✈️ 👩‍✈️ 🚁

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms