flit

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

flit, v. i. [OE. flitten, flutten, to carry away; cf. Icel. flytja, Sw. flytta, Dan. flytte. Fleet, v. i.].

•  To move with celerity through the air; to fly away with a rapid motion; to dart along; to fleet; as, a bird flits away; a cloud flits along.  [1913 Webster]

  "A shadow flits before me."  [1913 Webster]
•  To flutter; to rove on the wing.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]
•  To pass rapidly, as a light substance, from one place to another; to remove; to migrate.  [1913 Webster]

  "It became a received opinion, that the souls of men, departing this life, did flit out of one body into some other."  [1913 Webster]
•  To remove from one place or habitation to another.  Wright. Jamieson.  [1913 Webster]
•  To be unstable; to be easily or often moved.  [1913 Webster]

  "And the free soul to flitting air resigned."  [1913 Webster]

flit, a. 

 Nimble; quick; swift. [Obs.] See Fleet.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

flit, v. & n.
--v.intr. (flitted, flitting)
1 move lightly, softly, or rapidly (flitted from one room to another).
2 fly lightly; make short flights (flitted from branch to branch).
3 Brit. colloq. leave one's house etc. secretly to escape creditors or obligations.
4 esp. Sc. & N.Engl. change one's home; move.
--n.
1 an act of flitting.
2 (also moonlight flit) a secret change of abode in order to escape creditors etc.

Derivative

flitter n.

Etymology

ME f. ON flytja: rel. to FLEET(5)

THESAURUS

flit

advance, aeroplane, air speed, airlift, airplane, auntie, ball the jack, balloon, barrel, bat around, be airborne, beat, beating, bi-guy, bicker, bisexual, boom, bowl along, breeze, breeze along, brush, bull dyke, bum, butch, catamite, celerity, chicken, clip, coast, commute, continue, count ties, course, cover ground, cruise, cut along, dance, dart, disappear, dispatch, divagate, drift, dyke, elapse, emigrate, endure, evanesce, evaporate, expatriate, expedition, expire, fade, fag, faggot, fairy, fare, fare forth, fastness, femme, ferry, fetch, flap, flash, flee, fleet, flick, flicker, flight, flip, flitter, float, flop, flow, flow on, flurry, flutter, fly, fly low, foot, fricatrice, fruit, gad, gad about, gallivant, gang, glide, glissade, go, go about, go along, go by, go fast, go on, go pitapat, go the rounds, ground speed, gunsel, gutter, haste, hasten, hie, highball, hit the road, hit the trail, hobo, homo, homophile, homosexual, homosexualist, hop, hover, hurry, hydroplane, ice-skate, immigrate, in-migrate, instantaneousness, intermigrate, invert, jaunt, jet, knock about, knock around, knots, lapse, last, lesbian, lightning speed, make knots, meander, melt, melt like snow, migrate, miles per hour, mooch, move, move along, move on, nance, navigate, nip, nomadize, out-migrate, outstrip the wind, palpitate, palpitation, pansy, pass, pass away, pass by, pathic, peregrinate, pererrate, pitapat, pitter-patter, pour it on, precipitation, press on, proceed, progress, promptitude, promptness, prowl, pulse, punk, queen, queer, quickness, quiver, ramble, range, rapidity, remigrate, rip, roam, roll, roll on, roller-skate, round pace, rove, rpm, run, run about, run its course, run on, run out, rush, sail, sailplane, sapphist, sashay, saunter, scorch, scud, seaplane, shake, sideslip, sink, sizzle, skate, skateboard, ski, skid, skim, skip, slat, sled, sleigh, slide, slip, slither, snappiness, soar, speed, speediness, splutter, sputter, storm along, straggle, stray, stream, stroll, swarm, sweep, swift rate, swiftness, take the air, take wing, tatter, tear, tear along, throb, thunder along, toboggan, traipse, tramp, transmigrate, travel, trek, tribade, vagabond, vagabondize, vanish, velocity, volplane, walk the tracks, wander, wave, waver, wayfare, wend, whisk, whiz, wing, zing, zip, zoom

ROGET THESAURUS

flit

Avoidance

VB abstain, refrain, spare, not attempt, not do, maintain the even tenor of one's way, eschew, keep from, let alone, have nothing to do with, keep aloof keep off, stand aloof, stand off, hold aloof, hold off, take no part in, have no hand in, avoid, shun, steer clear of, keep clear of, fight shy of, keep one's distance, keep at a respectful distance, keep out of the way, get out of the way, evade, elude, turn away from, set one's face against, deny oneself, shrink back, hang back, hold back, draw back, recoil, retire, flinch, blink, blench, shy, shirk, dodge, parry, make way for, give place to, beat a retreat, turn tail, turn one's back, take to one's heels, runaway, run for one's life, cut and run, be off like a shot, fly, flee, fly away, flee away, run away from, take flight, take to flight, desert, elope, make off, scamper off, sneak off, shuffle off, sheer off, break away, tear oneself away, slip away, slink away, steel away, make away from, scamper away from, sneak away from, shuffle away from, sheer away from, slip cable, part company, turn one's heel, sneak out of, play truant, give one the go by, give leg bail, take French leave, slope, decamp, flit, bolt, abscond, levant, skedaddle, absquatulat, cut one's stick, walk one's chalks, show a light pair of heels, make oneself scarce, escape, go away, abandon, reject, lead one a dance, lead one a pretty dance, throw off the scent, play at hide and seek, Adj, unsought, unattempted, avoiding, neutral, shy of, elusive, evasive, fugitive, runaway, shy, wild.

Course

VB elapse, lapse, flow, run, proceed, advance, pass, roll on, wear on, press on, flit, fly, slip, slide, glide, run its course, run out, expire, go by, pass by, be past.

Transientness

VB be transient, flit, pass away, fly, gallop, vanish, fade, evaporate, pass away like a cloud, pass away like a summer cloud, pass away like a shadow, pass away like a dream.

Changeableness

VB fluctuate, vary, waver, flounder, flicker, flitter, flit, flutter, shift, shuffle, shake, totter, tremble, vacillate, wamble, turn and turn about, ring the changes, sway to and fro, shift to and fro, change and change about, waffle, blow with the wind (irresolute), oscillate, vibrate between, two extremes, oscillate between, two extremes, alternate, have as man phases as the moon.

Motion

VB be in motion, move, go, hie, gang, budge, stir, pass, flit, hover about, hover round, hover about, shift, slide, glide, roll, roll on, flow, stream, run, drift, sweep along, wander, walk, change one's place, shift one's place, change one's quarters, shift one's quarters, dodge, keep going, keep moving, put in motion, set in motion, move, impel, propel, render movable, mobilize.

Journey

N journey, travel, traveling, wayfaring, campaigning, journey, excursion, expedition, tour, trip, grand tour, circuit, peregrination, discursion, ramble, pilgrimage, hajj, trek, course, ambulation, march, walk, promenade, constitutional, stroll, saunter, tramp, jog trot, turn, stalk, perambulation, noctambulation, noctambulism, somnambulism, outing, ride, drive, airing, jaunt, equitation, horsemanship, riding, manege, ride and tie, basophobia, roving, vagrancy, pererration, marching and countermarching, nomadism, vagabondism, vagabondage, hoboism, gadding, flit, flitting, migration, emigration, immigration, demigration, intermigration, wanderlust, plan, itinerary, guide, handbook, guidebook, road book, Baedeker, Bradshaw, Murray, map, road map, transportation guide, subway map, procession, cavalcade, caravan, file, cortege, column, vehicle, automobile, train, bus, airplane, plane, autobus, omnibus, subway, motorbike, dirt bike, off-road vehicle, van, minivan, motor scooter, trolley, locomotive, legs, feet, pegs, pins, trotters, traveler, depot, railway station, station, traveling, ambulatory, itinerant, peripatetic, roving, rambling, gadding, discursive, vagrant, migratory, monadic, circumforanean, circumforaneous, noctivagrant, mundivagrant, locomotive, wayfaring, wayworn, travel-stained, on foot, on horseback, on Shanks's mare, by the Marrowbone stage: in transitu, en route, Int, come along!.

VB travel, journey, course, take a journey, go a journey, take a walk, go out for walk, have a run, take the air, flit, take wing, migrate, emigrate, trek, rove, prowl, roam, range, patrol, pace up and down, traverse, scour the country, traverse the country, peragrate, circumambulate, perambulate, nomadize, wander, ramble, stroll, saunter, hover, go one's rounds, straggle, gad, gad about, expatiate, walk, march, step, tread, pace, plod, wend, go by shank's mare, promenade, trudge, tramp, stalk, stride, straddle, strut, foot it, hoof it, stump, bundle, bowl along, toddle, paddle, tread a path, take horse, ride, drive, trot, amble, canter, prance, fisk, frisk, caracoler, caracole, gallop, embark, board, set out, hit the road, get going, get underway, peg on, jog on, wag on, shuffle on, stir one's stumps, bend one's steps, bend one's course, make one's way, find one's way, wend one's way, pick one's way, pick one's way, thread one's way, plow one's way, slide, glide, coast, skim, skate, march in procession, file on, defile, go to, repair to, resort to, hie to, betake oneself to.

Velocity

VB move quickly, trip, fisk, speed, hie, hasten, post, spank, scuttle, scud, scuddle, scour, scour the plain, scamper, run like mad, beat it, fly, race, run a race, cut away, shot, tear, whisk, zoom, swoosh, sweep, skim, brush, cut along, bowl along, barrel along, barrel, scorch, burn up the track, rush, dash on, dash off, dash forward, bolt, trot, gallop, amble, troll, bound, flit, spring, dart, boom, march in quick time, march in double time, ride hard, get over the ground, hurry, accelerate, put on, quicken, quicken one's pace, mend one's pace, clap spurs to one's horse, make haste, make rapid strides, make forced marches, make the best of one's way, put one's best leg foremost, stir one's stumps, wing one's way, set off at a score, carry sail, crowd sail, go off like a shot, go like a shot, go ahead, gain ground, outstrip the wind, fly on the wings of the wind, keep up with, keep pace with, outstrip, outmarch.

Departure

VB depart, go away, take one's departure, set out, set off, march off, put off, start off, be off, move off, get off, whip off, pack off, go off, take oneself off, start, issue, march out, debouch, go forth, sally forth, sally, set forward, be gone, hail from, leave a place, quit, vacate, evacuate, abandon, go off the stage, make one's exit, retire, withdraw, remove, vamoose, vamose, go one's way, go along, go from home, take flight, take wing, spring, fly, flit, wing one's flight, fly away, whip away, embark, go on board, go aboard, set sail' put to sea, go to sea, sail, take ship, hoist blue Peter, get under way, weigh anchor, strike tents, decamp, walk one's chalks, cut one's stick, take leave, say good bye, bid goodbye, disappear, abscond, entrain, inspan.