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Webster 1913 Edition

Flight

Flight

(flīt)
,
Noun.
[AS.
fliht
,
flyht
, a flying, fr.
fleógan
to fly; cf.
flyht
a fleeing, fr.
fleón
to flee, G.
flucht
a fleeing, Sw.
flykt
, G.
flug
a flying, Sw.
flygt
, D.
vlugt
a fleeing or flying, Dan.
flugt
. √84. See
Flee
,
Fly
.]
1.
The act of flying; a passing through the air by the help of wings; volitation; mode or style of flying.
Like the night owl’s lazy
flight
.
Shakespeare
2.
The act of fleeing; the act of running away, to escape danger or expected evil; hasty departure.
Pray ye that your
flight
be not in the winter.
Matt. xxiv. 20.
Fain by
flight
to save themselves.
Shakespeare
3.
Lofty elevation and excursion; a mounting; a soaring;
as, a
flight
of imagination, ambition, folly
.
Could he have kept his spirit to that
flight
,
He had been happy
.
Byron.
His highest
flights
were indeed far below those of Taylor.
Macaulay.
4.
A number of beings or things passing through the air together; especially, a flock of birds flying in company; the birds that fly or migrate together; the birds produced in one season;
as, a
flight
of arrows
.
Swift.
Swift
flights
of angels ministrant.
Milton.
Like a
flight
of fowl
Scattered winds and tempestuous gusts.
Shakespeare
5.
A series of steps or stairs from one landing to another.
Parker.
6.
A kind of arrow for the longbow; also, the sport of shooting with it. See
Shaft
.
[Obs.]
Challenged Cupid at the
flight
.
Shakespeare
Not a
flight
drawn home
E'er made that haste that they have.
Beau. & Fl.
7.
The husk or glume of oats.
[Prov. Eng.]
Wright.
Syn. – Pair; set. See
Pair
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Flight

FLIGHT

,
Noun.
[See Fly.]
1.
The act of fleeing; the act of running away, to escape danger or expected evil; hasty departure.
Pray ye that your flight be not in winter. Matt. 24.
To put to flight, to turn to flight, is to compel to run away; to force to escape.
2.
The act of flying; a passing through the air by the help of wings; volation; as the flight of birds and insects.
3.
The manner of flying. Every fowl has its particular flight; the flight of the eagle is high; the flight of the swallow is rapid, with sudden turns.
4.
Removal from place to place by flying.
5.
A flock of birds flying in company; as a flight of pigeons or wild geese.
6.
A number of beings flying or moving through the air together; as a flight of angels.
7.
A number of things passing through the air together; a volley; as a flight of arrows.
8.
A periodical flying of birds in flocks; as the spring flight or autumnal flight of ducks or pigeons.
9.
In England, the birds produced in the same season.
10.
The space passed by flying.
11.
A mounting; a soaring; lofty elevation and excursion; as a flight of imagination or fancy; a flight of ambition.
12.
Excursion; wandering; extravagant sally; as a flight of folly.
13.
The power of flying.
14.
In certain lead works, a substance that flies off in smoke.
Flight of stairs, the series of stairs from the floor, or from one platform to another.

Definition 2024

flight

flight

English

Noun

flight ‎(countable and uncountable, plural flights)

A jet in flight
  1. The act of flying.
    Birds are capable of flight
  2. An instance of flying.
    The migrating birds' flight took them to Africa.
  3. A collective term for doves or swallows.
  4. A trip made by an aircraft, particularly one between two cities or countries, which is often planned or reserved in advance.
    The flight to Paris leaves at 7 o'clock tonight
    Where is the departure gate for flight 747? / Go straight down and to the right.
  5. A set of stairs or an escalator. A series of stairs between landings.
  6. A floor which is reached by stairs or escalators.
    How many flights is it up?
  7. A feather on an arrow or dart used to help it follow an even path.
  8. A paper plane.
  9. (cricket) The movement of a spinning ball through the air - concerns its speed, trajectory and drift.
  10. The ballistic trajectory of an arrow or other projectile.
  11. An aerodynamic surface designed to guide such a projectile's trajectory.
  12. An air force unit.
  13. Several sample glasses of a specific wine varietal or other beverage. The pours are smaller than a full glass and the flight will generally include three to five different samples.
  14. (engineering) The shaped material forming the thread of a ****.
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Adjective

flight ‎(comparative more flight, superlative most flight)

  1. (obsolete) Fast, swift.

Verb

flight ‎(third-person singular simple present flights, present participle flighting, simple past and past participle flighted)

  1. (cricket, of a spin bowler) To throw the ball in such a way that it has more airtime and more spin than usual.

See also

Appendix:English collective nouns

Etymology 2

From Middle English, from Old English flyht, from Proto-Germanic *fluhtiz, derived from *fleuhaną ‎(“to flee”). Cognate with Dutch vlucht and German Flucht (etymology 1).

Noun

flight ‎(countable and uncountable, plural flights)

  1. The act of fleeing.
    take flight
    the flight of a refugee

Related terms

Translations

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English flyht.

Noun

flight (plural flights)

  1. flight (act of flying)

Etymology

From Middle English flight, from Old English flyht ‎(“flight”), from Proto-Germanic *fluhtiz ‎(“flight”), derived from *fleuganą ‎(“to fly”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- ‎(“to fly”), enlargement of *plew- ‎(“flow”). Cognate with West Frisian flecht ‎(“flight”), Dutch vlucht ‎(“flight”), German Flucht ‎(“flight”) (etymology 2).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: flīt, IPA(key): /flaɪt/
  • Rhymes: -aɪt

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