flying
Definitions & Usage
That flies or can fly.
Brief or hurried.
Capable of moving rapidly; highly mobile.
(nautical, of a sail) Not secured by yards.
(nautical, of a vessel) Capable of foiling.
Designating a cattle brand consisting of a letter extended on both sides with tilde-like curved lines.
(zoology, in combination) Being able to glide through the air.
present participle and gerund of fly
(countable, aviation) An act of flight.
(uncountable, aerodynamics) The action or process of sustained motion through the air.
(uncountable, nautical) The action of sustained hydrodynamic lift on hydrofoils lifting the vessel hull lifted out of the water, for sustained motion across water.
Notable Literary & Historical Quotes
“Matthew (26—6 to 13), Mark (14—3 to 9), and Luke (7—37 and 38) also heard of, and related, the circumstance of Mary, whom John says (11 — 2) was the sister of Lazarus, anointing the head of Jesus with ointment, yet they neither of them utter a syllable about his raising her brother from the dead. It is difficult to account for this fact, unless we suppose that John was actually dishonest, or that he took up, believed and recorded a flying story, which an occurrence of some kind had given rise to, but which was without any foundation in truth.”
— 1836, Lysander Spooner, The Deist's Reply to the Alleged Supernatural Evidences of Christianity, Boston, page 34:
“He brands his cow W (flying W) or — (two-bar).”
— 1911, Boys' Life, volume 1, number 1, page 25:
“[…] some seventy-five cows belonging to William and Bernie with a Flying W […]”
— 1972, Willie Newbury Lewis, Tapadero: The Making of a Cowboy, page 154: