fly

Pronunciation: /ˈflaɪ̯/

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun two-winged insects characterized by active flight
  2. noun flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent
  3. noun an opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or by buttons concealed under a fold of cloth

Etymology

From Middle English flye, flie, from Old English flȳġe, flēoge (“a fly”), from Proto-West Germanic *fleugā, from Proto-Germanic *fleugǭ (“a fly”), from Proto-Indo-European *plewk- (“to fly”). Cognate with Scots flee, Saterland Frisian Fljooge, Dutch vlieg, German Low German Fleeg, German Fliege, Danish flue, Norwegian Bokmål flue, Norwegian Nynorsk fluge, Swedish fluga, Icelandic fluga.

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
dipterous insect
Narrower (hyponyms)
horn fly, tsetse fly, housefly, flesh fly, blowfly, tachina fly

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