Part 235

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. "A man lets fly his arrow without taking any aim." Addison. (b) (Naut.) To let go suddenly and entirely; as, to let fly the sheets.

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]

Fly, n.; pl. Flies (flz). [OE. flie, flege, AS. flge, fleÛge, fr. fleÛgan to fly; akin to D. vlieg, OHG. flioga, G. fliege, Icel. & Sw. fluga, Dan. flue. √ 84. See Fly, v. i.] 1. (Zoˆl.) (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. "The fur-wrought fly." Gay.

3. A familiar spirit; a witch's attendant. [Obs.]

A trifling fly, none of your great familiars.

B. Jonson.

4. A parasite. [Obs.] Massinger.

5. A kind of light carriage for rapid transit, plying for hire and usually drawn by one horse. [Eng.]

6. The length of an extended flag from its staff; sometimes, the length from the "union" to the extreme end.

7. The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.

8. (Naut.) That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card. Totten.