Flying fish

Flying fish
Flying Fly"ing, a. [From {Fly}, v. i.] Moving in the air with, or as with, wings; moving lightly or rapidly; intended for rapid movement. [1913 Webster]

{Flying army} (Mil.) a body of cavalry and infantry, kept in motion, to cover its own garrisons and to keep the enemy in continual alarm. --Farrow.

{Flying artillery} (Mil.), artillery trained to rapid evolutions, -- the men being either mounted or trained to spring upon the guns and caissons when they change position.

{Flying bridge}, {Flying camp}. See under {Bridge}, and {Camp}.

{Flying buttress} (Arch.), a contrivance for taking up the thrust of a roof or vault which can not be supported by ordinary buttresses. It consists of a straight bar of masonry, usually sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid pier or buttress sufficient to receive the thrust. The word is generally applied only to the straight bar with supporting arch.

{Flying colors}, flags unfurled and waving in the air; hence:

{To come off with flying colors}, to be victorious; to succeed thoroughly in an undertaking.

{Flying doe} (Zo["o]l.), a young female kangaroo.

{Flying dragon}. (a) (Zo["o]l.) See {Dragon}, 6. (b) A meteor. See under {Dragon}.

{Flying Dutchman}. (a) A fabled Dutch mariner condemned for his crimes to sail the seas till the day of judgment. (b) A spectral ship.

{Flying fish}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Flying fish}, in the Vocabulary.

{Flying fox} (Zo["o]l.), see {Flying fox} in the vocabulary.

{Flying frog} (Zo["o]l.), either of two East Indian tree frogs of the genus {Rhacophorus} ({Rhacophorus nigrapalmatus} and {Rhacophorus pardalis}), having very large and broadly webbed feet, which serve as parachutes, and enable it to make very long leaps.

{Flying gurnard} (Zo["o]l.), a species of gurnard of the genus {Cephalacanthus} or {Dactylopterus}, with very large pectoral fins, said to be able to fly like the flying fish, but not for so great a distance.

Note: Three species are known; that of the Atlantic is {Cephalacanthus volitans}.

{Flying jib} (Naut.), a sail extended outside of the standing jib, on the flying-jib boom.

{Flying-jib boom} (Naut.), an extension of the jib boom.

{Flying kites} (Naut.), light sails carried only in fine weather.

{Flying lemur}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Colugo}.

{Flying level} (Civil Engin.), a reconnoissance level over the course of a projected road, canal, etc.

{Flying lizard}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Dragon}, n. 6.

{Flying machine}, any apparatus for navigating through the air, especially a heavier-than-air machine. -- {Flying mouse} (Zo["o]l.), the opossum mouse ({Acrobates pygm[ae]us}), a marsupial of Australia. Called also {feathertail glider}.

Note: It has lateral folds of skin, like the flying squirrels, and a featherlike tail. -- {Flying party} (Mil.), a body of soldiers detailed to hover about an enemy. -- {Flying phalanger} (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of small marsuupials of the genera {Petaurus} and {Belideus}, of Australia and New Guinea, having lateral folds like those of the flying squirrels. The sugar squirrel ({Belideus sciureus}), and the ariel ({Belideus ariel}), are the best known; -- called also {squirrel petaurus} and {flying squirrel}. See {Sugar squirrel}. -- {Flying pinion}, the fly of a clock. -- {Flying sap} (Mil.), the rapid construction of trenches (when the enemy's fire of case shot precludes the method of simple trenching), by means of gabions placed in juxtaposition and filled with earth. -- {Flying shot}, a shot fired at a moving object, as a bird on the wing. -- {Flying spider}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Ballooning spider}. -- {Flying squid} (Zo["o]l.), an oceanic squid ({Ommastrephes Bartramii} syn. {Sthenoteuthis Bartramii}), abundant in the Gulf Stream, which is able to leap out of the water with such force that it often falls on the deck of a vessel. -- {Flying squirrel} (Zo["o]l.) See {Flying squirrel}, in the Vocabulary. -- {Flying start}, a start in a sailing race in which the signal is given while the vessels are under way. -- {Flying torch} (Mil.), a torch attached to a long staff and used for signaling at night. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • flying fish — flying fishes N VAR (flying fish can also be used as the plural form.) Flying fish are a type of fish that live in warm seas. They have large fins that enable them to move forward in the air when they jump out of the water …   English dictionary

  • Flying fish — Fly ing fish (Zo[ o]l.) A fish which is able to leap from the water, and fly a considerable distance by means of its large and long pectoral fins. These fishes belong to several species of the genus {Exoc[oe]tus}, and are found in the warmer… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • flying fish — n a type of sea fish that can jump out of the water and move along in the air for a short way …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • flying fish — noun count a fish that can move through the air by using its large FINS as wings …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • flying fish — ► NOUN ▪ a fish of warm seas which leaps out of the water and uses its wing like pectoral fins to glide for some distance …   English terms dictionary

  • Flying fish — Taxobox name = Flyingfish image width = 180px image caption = Sailfin flying fish Parexocoetus brachypterus regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Actinopterygii ordo = Beloniformes familia = Exocoetidae subdivision ranks = Genera… …   Wikipedia

  • flying fish — 1. any fish of the family Exocoetidae, having stiff and greatly enlarged pectoral fins enabling it to glide considerable distances through the air after leaping from the water. 2. (caps.) Astron. the constellation Volans. [1505 15] * * * Any of… …   Universalium

  • flying fish — noun tropical marine fishes having enlarged winglike fins used for brief gliding flight • Hypernyms: ↑teleost fish, ↑teleost, ↑teleostan • Hyponyms: ↑monoplane flying fish, ↑two wing flying fish, ↑biplane flying fish, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • flying fish — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms flying fish : singular flying fish plural flying fish a fish that can move through the air by using its large fins as wings …   English dictionary

  • flying fish — /ˈflaɪɪŋ fɪʃ/ (say fluying fish) noun (plural flying fish or flying fishes) any of certain fishes with winglike pectoral fins which help them to glide for some distance through the air after leaping from the water, especially of the family… …  

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