What is "to let fly"

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.

Let \Let\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Let ( Letted (l[e^]t"t[e^]d), [Obs].); p. pr. & vb. n. Letting.] [OE. leten, l[ae]ten (past tense lat, let, p. p. laten, leten, lete), AS. l[=ae]tan (past tense l[=e]t, p. p. l[=ae]ten); akin to OFries. l[=e]ta, OS. l[=a]tan, D. laten, G. lassen, OHG. l[=a]zzan, Icel. l[=a]ta, Sw. l[*a]ta, Dan. lade, Goth. l[=e]tan, and L. lassus weary. The original meaning seems to have been, to let loose, let go, let drop. Cf. Alas, Late, Lassitude, Let to hinder.]

1. To leave; to relinquish; to abandon. [Obs. or Archaic, except when followed by alone or be.]

   He . . . prayed him his voyage for to let.
   --Chaucer.

   Yet neither spins nor cards, ne cares nor frets, But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.
   --Spenser.

   Let me alone in choosing of my wife.
   --Chaucer.

2. To consider; to think; to esteem. [Obs.]
   --Chaucer.

3. To cause; to make; -- used with the infinitive in the active form but in the passive sense; as, let make, i. e., cause to be made; let bring, i. e., cause to be brought.

   This irous, cursed wretch Let this knight's son anon before him fetch.
   --Chaucer.

   He . . . thus let do slay hem all three.
   --Chaucer.

   Anon he let two coffers make.
   --Gower.

4. To permit; to allow; to suffer; -- either affirmatively, by positive act, or negatively, by neglecting to restrain or prevent.

   Note: In this sense, when followed by an infinitive, the latter is commonly without the sign to; as to let us walk, i. e., to permit or suffer us to walk. Sometimes there is entire omission of the verb; as, to let [to be or to go] loose.

   Pharaoh said, I will let you go.
   --Ex. viii. 28.

   If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is.
   --Shak.

5. To allow to be used or occupied for a compensation; to lease; to rent; to hire out; -- often with out; as, to let a farm; to let a house; to let out horses.

6. To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; -- often with out; as, to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering. Note: The active form of the infinitive of let, as of many other English verbs, is often used in a passive sense; as, a house to let (i. e., for letting, or to be let). This form of expression conforms to the use of the Anglo-Saxon gerund with to (dative infinitive) which was commonly so employed. See Gerund, 2. `` Your elegant house in Harley Street is to let.'' --Thackeray. In the imperative mood, before the first person plural, let has a hortative force. `` Rise up, let us go.'' --Mark xiv. 42. `` Let us seek out some desolate shade.'' --Shak. To let alone, to leave; to withdraw from; to refrain from interfering with. To let blood, to cause blood to flow; to bleed. To let down.

   1. To lower.

   2. To soften in tempering; as, to let down tools, cutlery, and the like. To let fly or To let drive, to discharge with violence, as a blow, an arrow, or stone. See under Drive, and Fly. To let in or To let into.

      1. To permit or suffer to enter; to admit.

      2. To insert, or imbed, as a piece of wood, in a recess formed in a surface for the purpose. To let loose, to remove restraint from; to permit to wander at large. To let off.

         1. To discharge; to let fly, as an arrow; to fire the charge of, as a gun.

         2. To release, as from an engagement or obligation. To let out.

            1. To allow to go forth; as, to let out a prisoner.

            2. To extend or loosen, as the folds of a garment; to enlarge; to suffer to run out, as a cord.

   3. To lease; to give out for performance by contract, as a job.

   4. To divulge.

      To let slide, to let go; to cease to care for. [Colloq.] `` Let the world slide.''
      --Shak.