fly
- Top 1000
Sense 1
- noun
- A1
A small insect with one pair of wings that often gets into houses and sits on food.
A fly kept landing on the edge of my plate.
Flies were buzzing around the bin in the summer heat.
He waved his hand to keep the fly off the cake.
Flies can carry germs from rubbish onto uncovered food.
Common collocations: a swarm of flies · swat a fly · flies buzz · catch a fly
Part of: Animals
Sense 2
- verb
- A1
To move through the air, or to travel somewhere in a plane.
Most young birds learn to fly within a few weeks.
We are flying home on Sunday evening instead of driving.
The pilot has flown this route for over ten years.
A helicopter flew low above the rooftops during the storm.
Common collocations: learn to fly · fly away · fly a kite · fly abroad · fly a plane
Part of: Means of transport
Sense 3 · less common
- noun
- B2
The opening down the front of a pair of trousers, closed with a zip or buttons.
Your fly is open, so you might want to zip it up.
He checked the buttons on his fly before the interview.
Common collocations: your fly is open · do up your fly · zip up your fly
Part of: Clothes
Forms
- past
- flew
- plural
- flies
- third_person
- flies
- past_participle
- flown