Flight

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Flight, n. [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. Flee, Fly.].

•  The act of flying; a passing through the air by the help of wings; volitation; mode or style of flying.  [1913 Webster]

  "Like the night owl's lazy flight."  [1913 Webster]
•  The act of fleeing; the act of running away, to escape danger or expected evil; hasty departure.  [1913 Webster]

  "Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter."  [1913 Webster]

  "Fain by flight to save themselves."  [1913 Webster]
•  Lofty elevation and excursion; a mounting; a soaring; as, a flight of imagination, ambition, folly.  [1913 Webster]

  "Could he have kept his spirit to that flight,
  He had been happy."  [1913 Webster]

  "His highest flights were indeed far below those of Taylor."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Swift flights of angels ministrant."  [1913 Webster]

  "Like a flight of fowl
  Scattered winds and tempestuous gusts."  [1913 Webster]
•  A series of steps or stairs from one landing to another.  Parker.  [1913 Webster]
•  A kind of arrow for the longbow; also, the sport of shooting with it. See Shaft.  [1913 Webster]

  "Challenged Cupid at the flight."  [1913 Webster]

  "Not a flight drawn home
  E'er made that haste that they have."  [1913 Webster]
•  The husk or glume of oats.  Wright.  [1913 Webster]
•  a trip made by or in a flying vehicle, as an airplane, spacecraft, or aeronautical balloon.  [PJC]
•  A scheduled flight{8} on a commercial airline; as, the next flight leaves at 8 o'clock.  [PJC]

Flight feathers (Zoöl.), the wing feathers of a bird, including the quills, coverts, and bastard wing. See Bird. -- To put to flight, To turn to flight, to compel to run away; to force to flee; to rout. -- to take a flight{9}, to make a trip in an airplane, especially a scheduled flight{9}.

Syn. -- Pair; set. See Pair.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Flight, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the act or manner of flying through the air (studied swallows' flight). b the swift movement or passage of a projectile etc. through the air (the flight of an arrow).
2 a a journey made through the air or in space. b a timetabled journey made by an airline. c an RAF unit of about six aircraft.
3 a a flock or large body of birds, insects, etc., esp. when migrating. b a migration.
4 (usu. foll. by of) a series, esp. of stairs between floors, or of hurdles across a race track (lives up six flights).
5 an extravagant soaring, a mental or verbal excursion or sally (of wit etc.) (a flight of fancy; a flight of ambition).
6 the trajectory and pace of a ball in games.
7 the distance that a bird, aircraft, or missile can fly.
8 (usu. foll. by of) a volley (a flight of arrows).
9 the tail of a dart.
10 the pursuit of game by a hawk.
11 swift passage (of time).
--v.tr.
1 vary the trajectory and pace of (a cricket-ball etc.).
2 provide (an arrow) with feathers.
3 shoot (wildfowl etc.) in flight.

Idiom

flight bag a small, zipped, shoulder bag carried by air travellers. flight control an internal or external system directing the movement of aircraft. flight-deck
1 the deck of an aircraft-carrier used for take-off and landing.
2 the accommodation for the pilot, navigator, etc. in an aircraft. flight-feather a bird's wing or tail feather. flight lieutenant an RAF officer next in rank below squadron leader. flight officer a rank in the WRAF, corresponding to flight lieutenant. flight path the planned course of an aircraft or spacecraft. flight-recorder a device in an aircraft to record technical details during a flight, that may be used in the event of an accident to discover its cause. flight sergeant Mil. an RAF rank next above sergeant. flight-test test (an aircraft, rocket, etc.) during flight. in the first (or top) flight taking a leading place. take (or wing) one's flight fly.

Flight, n.
1 a the act or manner of fleeing. b a hasty retreat.
2 Econ. the selling of currency, investments, etc. in anticipation of a fall in value (flight from sterling).

Idiom

put to flight cause to flee. take (or take to) flight flee.

Etymology

OE f. Gmc: rel. to FLEE

THESAURUS

Flight

AWOL, Brownian movement, French leave, a mass of, a world of, abandonment, abscond, absence without leave, absquatulation, acciaccatura, advance, aeronautics, aeroplane, air arm, air corps, air force, air service, air speed, aircraft, airlift, airline, airliner, alienation, altitude peak, angular motion, appoggiatura, arabesque, army, arrow, arrowhead, ascending, ascent, astronautics, autism, autistic thinking, automatic control, aviation, avoidance mechanism, axial motion, backflowing, backing, backward motion, ballooning, barb, beat a retreat, bevy, blame-shifting, blast-off, blind flying, bobtailed arrow, bolt, bolting, break, breakout, bunch, burn, burnout, cadence, cadenza, career, ceiling, celerity, charm, chested arrow, climbing, cloth yard shaft, cloud, cloud-seeding, clutter, coloratura, commercial aviation, compensation, contact flying, course, covey, cruising, current, dart, decamp, decampment, decompensation, defense mechanism, deliverance, delivery, depart, departure, dereism, dereistic thinking, descending, descent, desert, desertion, disappearance, disappearing act, dismiss, dispatch, disperse, displacement, dissociation, division, downward motion, drift, driftage, ebbing, egress, elopement, embellishment, emergence, emigration, emotional insulation, end of burning, escadrille, escape, escape into fantasy, escape mechanism, escapism, evacuation, evasion, excursion, exit, exodus, expatriation, expedition, extrication, fantasizing, fantasy, fastness, feather, fioritura, flee, fleeing, flit, flock, flocks, flourish, flow, flurry, flux, flying, forward motion, freeing, fugitation, gaggle, general aviation, getaway, gliding, going, grace, grace note, ground speed, hail, haste, hasty retreat, hegira, hive, hop, host, hurry, ignition, immigration, impact, in-migration, incidental, incidental note, instantaneousness, intermigration, isolation, issuance, issue, jailbreak, jam, jump, knots, lam, large amount, launch, leak, leakage, leaving, legion, liberation, lift-off, light out, lightning speed, long mordent, lots, many, masses of, migration, miles per hour, mob, mordent, mounting, muchness, multitude, murmuration, negativism, nest, numbers, oblique motion, ongoing, onrush, ornament, out-migration, outlet, overcompensation, pack, parting, passage, passing, pilotage, plague, plane, plunging, plurality, pralltriller, precipitation, prisonbreak, progress, projection, promptitude, promptness, psychotaxis, put to flight, quantities, quarrel, quick exit, quickness, quite a few, radial motion, random motion, rapidity, rationalization, reed, reflowing, refluence, reflux, regression, release, remigration, removal, rescue, resistance, retirement, retreat, retrogression, riddance, rising, rocket launching, roulade, round pace, rout, rpm, ruck, run, running away, rush, sailing, sailplaning, scape, scores, scramming, send away, send off, send packing, set, setting-free, shaft, shoal, shoot, shot, shove off, sideward motion, single mordent, sinking, skedaddle, skedaddling, skein, slip, snappiness, soaring, sociological adjustive reactions, solo, speed, speediness, split, spring, squadron, stampede, sternway, strategic air force, stream, sublimation, subsiding, substitution, swarm, swarming, swift rate, swiftness, tactical air force, take flight, test flight, throng, tidy sum, traject, trajectory, trajet, transmigration, trek, trend, trip, turn, upward motion, velocity, velocity peak, vent, volley, walkout, watch, wing, winging, wish-fulfillment fantasy, wishful thinking, withdraw, withdrawal, worlds of

ROGET THESAURUS

Flight

Avoidance

N avoidance, abstention, abstinence, for bearance, refraining, inaction, neutrality, avoidance, evasion, elusion, seclusion, avolation, flight, escape, retreat, recoil, departure, rejection, shirker, truant, fugitive, refugee, runaway, runagate, maroon, unsought, unattempted, avoiding, neutral, shy of, elusive, evasive, fugitive, runaway, shy, wild, Adj, lest, in order to avoid, Int, forbear!, keep off, hands off!, sauve qui peut!, every man for himself!, devil take the hindmost!, things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.

Escape

N escape, scape, avolation, elopement, flight, evasion, retreat, narrow escape, hairbreadth escape, close call, come off, impunity, loophole, path, refuse, vent, vent peg, safety valve, drawbridge, fire escape, reprieve, liberation, refugee, escaping, escaped, stolen away, fled, the bird has flown the coop.

Multitude

N multitude, numerous, numerosity, numerality, multiplicity, profusion, legion, host, great number, large number, round number, enormous number, a quantity, numbers, array, sight, army, sea, galaxy, scores, peck, bushel, shoal, swarm, draught, bevy, cloud, flock, herd, drove, flight, covey, hive, brood, litter, farrow, fry, nest, crowd, lots, all in the world and his wife, greater number, majority, multiplication, multiple, many, several, sundry, divers, various, not a few, Briarean, a hundred, a thousand, a myriad, a million, a quadrillion, a nonillion, a thousand and one, some ten or a dozen, some forty or fifty, half a dozen, half a hundred, very many, full many, ever so many, numerous, numerose, profuse, in profusion, manifold, multiplied, multitudinous, multiple, multinominal, teeming, populous, peopled, crowded, thick, studded, galore, thick coming, many more, more than one can tell, a world of, no end of, no end to, cum multis aliis, thick as hops, thick as hail, plenty as blackberries, numerous as the stars in the firmament, numerous as the sands on the seashore, numerous as the hairs on the head, and what not, and heaven knows what, endless, their name is 'legion', acervatim, en foule, many- headed multitude, numerous as glittering gems of morning dew, vel prece vel pretio.

Navigation

N navigation, aquatics, boating, yachting, ship, oar, paddle, screw, sail, canvas, aileron, natation, swimming, fin, flipper, fish's tail, aerostation, aerostatics, aeronautics, balloonery, balloon, ballooning, aviation, airmanship, flying, flight, volitation, wing, pinion, rocketry, space travel, astronautics, orbital mechanics, orbiting, voyage, sail, cruise, passage, circumnavigation, periplus, headway, sternway, leeway, fairway, mariner, flight, trip, shuttle, run, airlift, sailing, volant, aerostatic, seafaring, nautical, maritime, naval, seagoing, coasting, afloat, navigable, aerial, aeronautic, grallatory, under way, under sail, under canvas, under steam, on the wing, in flight, in orbit, bon voyage, spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale, navigation, aquatics, boating, yachting, ship, oar, paddle, screw, sail, canvas, aileron, natation, swimming, fin, flipper, fish's tail, aerostation, aerostatics, aeronautics, balloonery, balloon, ballooning, aviation, airmanship, flying, flight, volitation, wing, pinion, rocketry, space travel, astronautics, orbital mechanics, orbiting, voyage, sail, cruise, passage, circumnavigation, periplus, headway, sternway, leeway, fairway, mariner, flight, trip, shuttle, run, airlift, sailing, volant, aerostatic, seafaring, nautical, maritime, naval, seagoing, coasting, afloat, navigable, aerial, aeronautic, grallatory, under way, under sail, under canvas, under steam, on the wing, in flight, in orbit, bon voyage, spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale.

Velocity

N velocity, speed, celerity, swiftness, rapidity, eagle speed, expedition, pernicity, acceleration, haste, spurt, rush, dash, race, steeple chase, smart rate, lively rate, swift rate, rattling rate, spanking rate, strapping rate, smart pace, lively pace, swift pace, rattling pace, spanking pace, strapping pace, round pace, flying, flight, lightning, greased lightning, light, electricity, wind, cannon ball, rocket, arrow, dart, hydrargyrum, quicksilver, telegraph, express train, torrent, eagle, antelope, courser, race horse, gazelle, greyhound, hare, doe, squirrel, camel bird, chickaree, chipmunk, hackee, ostrich, scorcher, Mercury, Ariel, Camilla, Harlequin, log, log line, speedometer, odometer, tachometer, strobe, radar speed detector, radar trap, air speed gauge, wind sock, wind speed meter, pedometer, fast, speedy, swift, rapid, quick, fleet, aliped, nimble, agile, expeditious, express, active, flying, galloping, light footed, nimble footed, winged, eagle winged, mercurial, electric, telegraphic, light-legged, light of heel, swift as an arrow, quick as lightning, quick as a thought, swiftly, with speed, apace, at a great rate, at full speed, at railway speed, full drive, full gallop, posthaste, in full sail, tantivy, trippingly, instantaneously, under press of sail, under press of canvas, under press of sail and steam, velis et remis, on eagle's wing, in double quick time, with rapid strides, with giant strides, a pas de geant, in seven league boots, whip and spur, ventre a terre, as fast as one's legs will carry one, as fast as one's heels will carry one, as fast as one can lay legs to the ground, at the top of one's speed, by leaps and bounds, with haste, vires acquirit eundo, I'll put a girdle about the earth in forty minutes, swifter than arrow from the Tartar's bow, go like a bat out of hell, tempus fugit.

Recession

N recession, retirement, withdrawal, retreat, retrocession, departure, recoil, flight, receding, distance oneself from a person.

Departure

N departure, decession, decampment, embarkation, outset, start, removal, exit, exodus, hejira, flight, leave taking, valediction, adieu, farewell, goodbye, auf wiedersehen, sayonara, dosvidanya, ciao, aloha, hasta la vista, stirrup cup, valedictorian, starting point, starting post, point of departure, point of embarkation, place of departure, place of embarkation, port of embarkation, airport, take-off point, taxiing runway, runway, launching pad, spaceport, departing, valedictory, outward bound, whence, hence, thence, with a foot in the stirrup, on the wing, on the move, Int, begone!, farewell!, adieu!, goodbye!, good day!, au revoir!, fare you well!, God bless you!, God speed!, all aboard!, auf wiedersehen!, au plaisir de vous revoir!, bon voyage!, gluckliche Reise!, vive valeque!.