What is "flew"

Fly \Fly\ (fl[imac]), v. i. [imp. Flew (fl[=u]); p. p. Flown (fl[=o]n); p. pr. & vb. n. Flying.] [OE. fleen, fleen, fleyen, flegen, AS. fle['o]gan; akin to D. vliegen, OHG. fliogan, G. fliegen, Icel. flj[=u]ga, Sw. flyga, Dan. flyve, Goth. us-flaugjan to cause to fly away, blow about, and perh. to L. pluma feather, E. plume. [root]84. Cf. Fledge, Flight, Flock of animals.]

1. To move in or pass through the air with wings, as a bird.

2. To move through the air or before the wind; esp., to pass or be driven rapidly through the air by any impulse.

3. To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag.

   Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
   --Job v. 7.

4. To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away; to circulate rapidly; as, a ship flies on the deep; a top flies around; rumor flies.

   Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race.
   --Milton.

   The dark waves murmured as the ships flew on.
   --Bryant.

5. To run from danger; to attempt to escape; to flee; as, an enemy or a coward flies. See Note under Flee.

   Fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.
   --Milton.

   Whither shall I fly to escape their hands ?
   --Shak.

6. To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly; -- usually with a qualifying word; as, a door flies open; a bomb flies apart. To fly about (Naut.), to change frequently in a short time; -- said of the wind. To fly around, to move about in haste. [Colloq.] To fly at, to spring toward; to rush on; to attack suddenly. To fly in the face of, to insult; to assail; to set at defiance; to oppose with violence; to act in direct opposition to; to resist. To fly off, to separate, or become detached suddenly; to revolt. To fly on, to attack. To fly open, to open suddenly, or with violence. To fly out.

   1. To rush out.

   2. To burst into a passion; to break out into license. To let fly.

      1. To throw or drive with violence; to discharge. ``A man lets fly his arrow without taking any aim.''
         --Addison.

      2. (Naut.) To let go suddenly and entirely; as, to let fly the sheets.

Flew \Flew\, imp. of Fly.

past tense of fly (v.1).

vb. (en-simple pastfly)

1. adj. (British informal) not to be deceived or hoodwinked

2. [also: flown, flew]

1. v. travel through the air; be airborne; "Man cannot fly" [syn: wing]

2. move quickly or suddenly; "He flew about the place"

3. fly a plane [syn: aviate, pilot]

4. transport by aeroplane; "We fly flowers from the Caribbean to North America"

5. cause to fly or float; "fly a kite"

6. be dispersed or disseminated; "Rumors and accusations are flying"

7. change quickly from one emotional state to another; "fly into a rage"

8. pass away rapidly; "Time flies like an arrow"; "Time fleeing beneath him" [syn: fell, vanish]

9. travel in an airplane; "she is flying to Cincinnati tonight"; "Are we driving or flying?"

10. display in the air or cause to float; "fly a kite"; "All nations fly their flags in front of the U.N."

11. run away quickly; "He threw down his gun and fled" [syn: flee, take flight]

12. travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft; "Lindbergh was the first to fly the Atlantic"

13. hit a fly

14. decrease rapidly and disappear; "the money vanished in las Vegas"; "all my stock assets have vaporized" [syn: vanish, vaporize]

15. [also: flown, flew]

1. n. two-winged insects characterized by active flight

2. flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent [syn: tent-fly, rainfly, fly sheet, tent flap]

3. an opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or buttons concealed by a fold of cloth [syn: fly front]

4. (baseball) a hit that flies up in the air [syn: fly ball]

5. fisherman's lure consisting of a fishhook decorated to look like an insect

6. [also: flown, flew]

See fly

Flew may refer to:

• Past participle of the verb "to fly", relating to flight
• Antony Flew, British philosopher who renounced his atheism
• Terry Flew, Australian professor of media and communication
• Flews, a part of canid anatomy.