- the act, manner, or power of flying.
- the distance covered or the course taken by a flying object: a 500-mile flight; the flight of the ball.
- a trip by an airplane, glider, etc.
- a scheduled trip on an airline: a 5 o'clock flight.
- a number of beings or things flying or passing through the air together: a flight of geese.
- the basic tactical unit of military air forces, consisting of two or more aircraft.
- the act, principles, or technique of flying an airplane: flight training.
- a journey into or through outer space: a rocket flight.
- swift movement, transition, or progression: the flight of time.
- a soaring above or transcending ordinary bounds: a flight of fancy.
- a series of steps between one floor or landing of a building and the next.
- flight arrow.
- the distance such an arrow travels when shot.
- (of wild fowls) to fly in coordinated flocks.
Origin of flight1
SynonymsSee more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
- an act or instance of fleeing or running away; hasty departure.
- put to flight, to force to flee or run away; rout: She succeeded in putting the intruder to flight.
- take flight, to retreat; run away; flee: The wild animals took flight before the onrushing fire.Also take to flight.
Origin of flight2
Examples from the Web for flight
The anti-crime cops began searching the likely path of flight.Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown
January 7, 2015
Did the airline file a flight plan that took account of the weather en route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore?
The copilot on Flight 8501 was Remi Emmanuel Piesel, 46, who despite his age had just 2,275 hours of flying experience.
Specifically, what briefing did the flight crew receive before they went to the airplane?
In the wee hours of Christmas morning, a flight deal was shared in an exclusive Facebook group for urban travelers.‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement
January 4, 2015
There was another whose spirit was equally desirous of flight—Burke!Within the Law
Even had he not been bound by his promise to Sidney, flight would have been foolish.K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
A while ago I thought to have been as eager for flight as you are.
It seems to me an easy thing to do, so often have I myself planned our flight.
On its 36-hour flight in May, 1909, the Zeppelin, carried only eight passengers.Flying Machines
W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell
- the act, skill, or manner of flying
- a journey made by a flying animal or object
- a scheduled airline journey
- an aircraft flying on such a journey
- a group of flying birds or aircrafta flight of swallows
- the basic tactical unit of a military air force
- a journey through space, esp of a spacecraft
- rapid movement or progress
- a soaring mental journey above or beyond the normal everyday worlda flight of fancy
- a single line of hurdles across a track in a race
- a series of such hurdles
- a bird's wing or tail feather; flight feather
- a feather or plastic attachment fitted to an arrow or dart to give it stability in flight
- See flight arrow
- the distance covered by a flight arrow
- sport, esp cricket
- a flighted movement imparted to a ball, dart, etc
- the ability to flight a ball
- angling a device on a spinning lure that revolves rapidly
- a set of steps or stairs between one landing or floor and the next
- a large enclosed area attached to an aviary or pigeon loft where the birds may fly but not escape
- (tr) sport to cause (a ball, dart, etc) to float slowly or deceptively towards its target
- (intr) (of wild fowl) to fly in groups
- (tr) to shoot (a bird) in flight
- (tr) to fledge (an arrow or a dart)
- the act of fleeing or running away, as from danger
- put to flight to cause to run away; rout
- take flight or take to flight to run away or withdraw hastily; flee
Word Origin and History for flight
"act of flying," Old English flyht "a flying, flight," from Proto-Germanic *flukhtiz (cf. Dutch vlucht "flight of birds," Old Norse flugr, Old High German flug, German Flug "flight"), from root of *fleugan "to fly" (see fly (v.1)).
Spelling altered late 14c. from Middle English fliht (see fight (v.)). Meaning "an instance of flight" is 1785, originally of ballooning. Meaning "series of stairs between landings" is from 1703.
"act of fleeing," from Middle English fluht (c.1200), not found in Old English, but presumed to have existed. Related to Old English fleon "flee" (see flee), and cognate with Old Saxon fluht, Old Frisian flecht "act of fleeing," Dutch vlucht, Old High German fluht, German Flucht, Old Nprse flotti, Gothic þlauhs.