flew
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flew
past tense of fly: The birds flew south for the winter.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
flew
(flo͞o)v.
Past tense of fly1.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
flew
(fluː)vb
the past tense of fly1
flew
(fluː)n
(Building) a variant spelling of flue3
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
fly1
(flaɪ)v. flew, for 11, 19, flied, flown, fly•ing, v.i.
1. to move through the air using wings.
2. to be carried through the air or through space by any force or agency.
3. to float or flutter in the air: flags flying in the breeze.
4. to travel in an aircraft or spacecraft.
5. to operate an aircraft or spacecraft.
6. to move suddenly and quickly; start unexpectedly: He flew out of the room.
7. to change rapidly and unexpectedly from one state or position to another: to fly into a rage; The door flew open.
8. to flee; escape.
9. to move or pass swiftly: How time flies!
10. to move with an aggressive surge.
11. to bat a fly ball in baseball.
12. Informal. to be acceptable, believable, feasible, or successful: It seemed like a good idea, but it just wouldn't fly.
v.t. 13. to make (something) float or move through the air: to fly a kite.
14. to operate (an aircraft or spacecraft).
15. to hoist aloft, as for display or signaling: to fly a flag.
16. to operate an aircraft or spacecraft over: to fly the Pacific.
17. to transport or convey by air.
18. to escape from; flee.
19.
a. to hang (scenery) above a stage by means of rigging.
b. to raise (scenery) from the stage into the flies.
20. fly at, to attack suddenly; lash out at.
21. fly out, to make an out in baseball by hitting a fly ball that is caught by a player of the opposing team.
n. 22. a strip of material sewn along one edge of a garment opening to conceal a zipper, buttons, or other fasteners.
23. a flap forming the door of a tent.
24. a piece of fabric extending over the ridgepole of a tent and forming an outer roof.
25. an act of flying; flight.
26. the course of a flying object, as a ball.
27. fly ball.
28. a regulating device for chime and striking mechanisms, consisting of an arrangement of vanes on a revolving axis.
29.
a. the horizontal dimension of a flag as flown from a vertical staff.
b. the end of the flag farther from the staff. Compare hoist (def. 6).
30. flies. Also called fly loft. the space above the stage used chiefly for storing scenery and equipment.
Idioms: 1. fly high, to be full of hope or elation.
2. fly in the face or teeth of, to act in brazen defiance of: to fly in the face of tradition.
3. fly off the handle, Informal. to become very angry, esp. without warning.
4. let fly,
a. to hurl or propel (an object).
b. to give free rein to one's anger.
5. on the fly,
a. during flight; while in the air.
b. hurriedly; without pausing.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English flēogan]
fly′a•ble, adj.
fly`a•bil′i•ty, n.
fly2
(flaɪ)n., pl. flies.
1. any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, esp. of the family Muscidae, as the common housefly.
2. any of various winged insects, as the mayfly or firefly.
3. a fishhook dressed with feathers, silk, tinsel, etc., so as to resemble an insect or small fish, for use as a lure or bait.
Idioms: 1. fly in the ointment, something that spoils an otherwise pleasant thing; detriment.
2. fly on the wall, an invisible bystander, secretly watching and listening.
[before 950; Middle English flīe, Old English flēoge, flȳge]
fly′less, adj.
fly3
(flaɪ)adj. Slang.
1. Brit. clever.
2. stylish; fine.
[of uncertain orig.]
Fly
(flaɪ)n.
a river in New Guinea, flowing SE from the central part to the Gulf of Papua, ab. 800 mi. (1290 km) long.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Translations
fly2
(flai) – past tense flew (fluː) : past participle flown (floun) – verb1. to (make something) go through the air on wings etc or in an aeroplane. The pilot flew (the plane) across the sea.
2. to run away (from). He flew (the country).
3. (of time) to pass quickly. The days flew past.
ˈflyer, ˈflier noun1. a person who flies an aeroplane etc or is in one.
2. a sheet of paper advertising a product, event etc. handing out flyers to passers-by.
flying saucer a strange flying object thought possibly to come from another planet.
flying visit a very short, often unexpected, visit. She paid her mother a flying visit.
frequent flyer/flier noun a passenger who flies frequently in the same airline and receives bonuses accordingly.
ˈflyleaf noun a blank page at the beginning or end of a book.
ˈflyover noun a road etc which is built up so as to cross above another. a flyover across the motorway.
fly in the face of to oppose or defy; to treat with contempt. He flew in the face of danger.
fly into suddenly to get into (a rage, a temper etc).
fly off the handle to lose one's temper.
get off to a flying start to have a very successful beginning. Our new shop has got off to a flying start.
let fly (often with at) to throw, shoot or send out violently. He let fly (an arrow) at the target.
send (someone/something) flying to hit or knock someone or something so that he or it falls down or falls backwards. She hit him and sent him flying.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.