buttˈerfly noun (pl buttˈerflies)

1. A general name for any of the daylight Lepidoptera, roughly distinguished from moths by their clubbed antennae
2. A frivolous, flighty person
3. Butterfly stroke (often shortened to fly)
4. (in pl) butterflies in the stomach

adjective

Light, flighty, like a butterfly

buttˈerfly-bow noun

A bow whose loops and ends are spread like a butterfly's wings

butterfly bush noun

Buddleia

butterfly clip or butterfly plaster noun

A lightweight adhesive plaster, with broadened ends, used in place of a suture to draw together the edges of superficial wounds

butterfly effect noun

The theory that a small variation at the beginning of a process can lead to a huge variation at a later stage

butterfly fish noun

1. A blenny with an eye-spot on the dorsal fin
2. Any fish of the family Chaetodontidae

butterfly flower noun

One adapted for pollination by butterflies

butterfly kiss noun

A caress consisting of fluttering the eyelashes against one's partner's skin

butterfly knife noun

A folding pocket knife with two rotating handles

butterfly net noun

A small-meshed conical net with a wide round open end on a hoop attached to a handle, used for catching butterflies

butterfly nut see butterfly screw below.

butterfly orchis or butterfly orchid noun

Any of various orchids with flowers resembling a butterfly

butterfly plaster see butterfly clip above.

butterfly screw or butterfly nut noun

A screw or nut turned by winged finger-grips

butterfly stroke noun (swimming)

A stroke performed lying on one's front, the arms working simultaneously with an overarm action, and with an undulating movement of both legs together from the hips

butterfly valve noun

1. A disc-shaped valve in a carburettor, etc
2. A valve consisting of two hinged plates

butterfly weed noun

Pleurisy-root

butterhead lettuce noun

A kind of soft-leaved yellow-hearted lettuce

butter icing noun

Butter cream

butter knife noun

A blunt knife for taking butter from a butter dish

buttˈermilk noun

The liquid that remains after butter has been separated from cream by churning

butter muslin see butter cloth above.

buttˈernut noun

1. The oily nut of the N American white walnut
2. The tree itself
3. Its light-coloured close-grained wood
4. A brownish-grey
5. An edible nut of the souari (genus Caryocar) tree of Guiana (also called souari-nut)

butter oil noun

A dairy product consisting almost entirely of milk fat

buttˈer-paper noun

A translucent greaseproof paper suitable for wrapping butter

butter pat noun

1. A pat of butter
2. Each of a pair of wooden bats for working butter into shape

butter plate see butter dish above.

buttˈer-print noun

1. A mould for shaping butter
2. A child (obs sl)

buttˈerscotch noun

1. A kind of hard toffee containing much butter
2. A flavouring made from or similar to this

buttˈer-tree noun

Any of various trees that yield a buttery substance, esp of the genera Bassia, Butyrospermum, Caryocar, Pentadesma

buttˈer-wife or buttˈer-woman noun (obsolete)

A woman who makes and sells butter

buttˈerwort noun

Any species of Pinguicula, a genus of insectivorous bog-plants (family Lentibulariaceae) with glistening sticky leaves

buttˈery-fingered adjective

Butterfingered

buttery fingers singular noun

Butterfingers

butterflies in the stomach (informal)

Nervous tremors in the stomach

butter up (informal)

To flatter

look as if butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth

To look speciously innocent or well-behaved

fly /flī/

intransitive verb (prp flyˈing; pat flew /floo/; pap flown /flōn/; 3rd sing present indicative flies)

1. To move through the air, esp on wings or in aircraft
2. To operate an aircraft
3. To move swiftly
4. To hurry
5. To pass quickly
6. To flee
7. To burst quickly or suddenly
8. To flutter

transitive verb

1. To avoid or flee from
2. To cause (eg a kite, aircraft, etc) to fly
3. To conduct or transport by air
4. To cross or pass by flying

noun (pl flies)

1. Any insect of the order Diptera
2. Often so widely used, esp in composition (eg butterfly, dragonfly, mayfly) as to be virtually equivalent to insect
3. A fish-hook dressed so as to imitate a fly
4. Collectively, an insect pest
5. Butterfly stroke (swimming)
6. A familiar spirit (archaic)
7. An attendant parasite (obsolete)
8. A flight
9. A flap, esp a tent-door
10. A flap of material covering eg a trouser opening
11. A trouser fastener, eg a zip
12. The free end of a flag, or anything similar
13. A fast stagecoach (historical)
14. A light vehicle on hire, at first drawn by a man, later by a horse (historical)
15. A flywheel
16. (in pl) the large space above the proscenium in a theatre, from which the scenes, etc are controlled

adjective (slang)

1. Knowing
2. Surreptitious or sly
3. Stylish, fashionable (N American)

flier or flyer /flīˈər/ noun

1. A person who flies or flees
2. An aircraft pilot
3. An object, eg a train, moving at top speed
4. An ambitious person, esp one for whom fast promotion in the workplace is assured (also high-fliˈer or high-flyˈer)
5. A usu risky financial speculation (slang)
6. A part of a machine which moves rapidly
7. A mishit ball that travels further than intended (golf)
8. A rectangular step in stairs
9. A flying leap (informal)
10. A flying start (informal)
11. A (usu single-sheet) promotional leaflet used (esp as an insert to other printed material) for advertising purposes

flyˈable adjective

1. (of weather) in which it is safe to fly
2. (of an aircraft) able, or fit, to be flown

fly'ing noun

The action of the verb fly

adjective

1. That flies or can fly
2. Moving or passing very rapidly
3. Organized for speedy action or transfer to any location as the need arises
4. (of a visit) very brief

fly agaric noun

A poisonous type of toadstool, Amanita muscaria, used in the production of flypaper and having hallucinogenic properties

fly ash noun

Fine particles of ash released into the air during eg the burning of fossil fuels in power stations, also used in brickmaking and as a partial substitute for cement in concrete

flyˈaway adjective

1. Streaming
2. Flighty
3. (of hair) too fine to hold a style for long

flyˈback noun

The return of the scanning beam in a cathode-ray tube to the point where scanning starts

flyˈbait noun

1. Anything that attracts flies
2. A corpse (slang)

fly ball noun (baseball)

A ball hit high into the air

flyˈbane noun

1. Poison for flies
2. A name for various plants used for this

flyˈbelt noun

A belt of country infested by tsetse fly

flyˈ-bitten adjective

Marked by, or as if by, the bites of flies

flyˈblow noun

The egg of a fly, esp when found in meat

flyˈblown adjective

Tainted with flies' eggs or maggots (also figurative)

flyˈboat noun

A long, narrow, swift boat used on canals

flyˈbook noun

A case like a book for holding fishing-flies

flyˈbridge see flying bridge below.

flyˈ-by noun

A flight, at low altitude or close range, past a place, or a body in space, for observation

flyˈ-by-night noun

1. A person who gads about at night
2. An absconding debtor
3. An irresponsible person

adjective

1. Irresponsible, esp in business matters
2. Unreliable
3. Transitory

fly-by-wireˈ adjective

(of the control systems of an aircraft) controlled by computer and operated electronically, not mechanically

flyˈcatcher noun

A name for various birds that catch flies on the wing

fly cemetery noun (humorous)

A cake, biscuit or pastry containing currants

flyˈ-dressing noun

Fly-tying

flyˈ-drive noun

A package holiday in which the rental of a car, etc is included and the vehicle collected at the destination (also adjective)

flyˈ-dumping noun

Fly-tipping

flyˈ-fish intransitive verb

To fish using artificial flies as lure

flyˈ-fisher noun

flyˈ-fishing noun

flyˈ-flap noun

A fly swat (see below)

flyˈ-flapper noun

fly front noun

A concealed fastening on a jacket, shirt, etc

flyˈ-hack noun

Fly-kick

fly-frontˈed adjective

fly half noun (rugby)

A stand-off half

flying bedstead noun

A testing framework resembling a bedstead in shape, that can be raised vertically from the ground by a jet engine

flyˈing-boat noun

A seaplane with a boat's body

flying bomb noun

A bomb in the form of an unpiloted jet-propelled aeroplane

flying bridge noun

1. A ferry-boat moving under the combined forces of a river or stream and the resistance of a long cable
2. A pontoon bridge
3. (also flybridge) the highest bridge of a ship

flying buttress noun (architecture)

An arch-shaped prop

flying camp or flying column noun

A body of troops for rapid deployment from one place to another

flying colours plural noun

1. Unfurled flags
2. Triumphant success

Flying Corps noun

The precursor (1912–18) of the Royal Air Force

flying doctor noun

A doctor, esp orig in the remote parts of Australia, who can be called by radio, etc and who flies to visit patients

flying dragon noun

A flying lizard (see below)

Flying Dutchman noun

A black ghostly Dutch ship, or its captain, condemned to sweep the seas around the Cape of Good Hope for ever

flying fish noun

A fish that can leap out of the water and glide in the air for a short time on its long pectoral fins, as if flying

flying fox noun

A large fruit-eating bat

flying frog noun

An Asian frog with large webs between its toes that enable it to glide between trees

flying jib noun

In a ship with more than one jib, the one set furthest forward

flying leap noun

A leap made from a running start

flying lemur noun

An animal (not in fact a lemur) of the genus Cynocephalus of the islands of SE Asia, whose fore and hind limbs are connected by a fold of skin, included in the Insectivora or made a separate order, Dermoptera

flying lizard noun

A dragon or Komodo lizard

flying machine noun

A power-driven aircraft

flying officer noun

An officer in the Royal Air Force of rank equivalent to sublieutenant in the Navy and lieutenant in the Army (formerly called observer)

flying party noun

A small body of soldiers, equipped for rapid movements, used to harass an enemy

flying phalanger noun

A general name for animals similar to the phalangers with a parachute of skin between fore and hind legs

flying picket noun

One of a mobile group of pickets available for reinforcing the body of local pickets during a strike

flying saucer noun

Any of several disc-like flying objects reported to have been seen by various people and alleged to be craft from outer space

flying shore noun

A horizontal baulk or shore

flying shot noun

A shot at something in motion

flying snake noun

A SE Asian snake with a semicircular membrane supported by movable ribs on either side of the body that enables it to glide between trees

flying squad noun

A body of police, etc with special training, available for duty where the need arises, or one organized for fast action or movement

flying squid noun

A squid with broad lateral fins by which it can spring high out of the water

flying squirrel noun

1. A name for several kinds of squirrels with a parachute of skin between the fore and hind legs
2. Also applied to the flying phalanger

flying start noun

1. (in a race) a start given with the competitors already in motion
2. An initial advantage
3. A promising start

flying suit noun

1. A pilot's one-piece suit
2. A similar fashion garment, worn esp by women

flying wing noun

An arrowhead-shaped aircraft designed to minimize drag at very high speeds

flyˈ-kick noun

A kick made while running

flyˈleaf noun

A blank leaf at the beginning or end of a book

fly line noun

A line for angling with an artificial fly

flyˈmaker noun

A person who ties artificial flies for angling

flyˈman noun

1. A person who works the ropes in theatre flies
2. A person who drives a fly (historical)

fly orchis noun

An orchid (Ophrys muscifera or O. insectifera) with a fly-like flower

flyˈover noun

1. A road or railway line carried over the top of another one at an intersection
2. A processional flight of aircraft, a flypast (US)

flyˈpaper noun

A sticky or poisonous paper for attracting and killing flies

flyˈpast noun

1. A ceremonial flight analogous to a march past
2. A fly-by in space

flyˈpitch noun (informal)

A market stall for which the operator has no licence

flyˈpitcher noun

flyˈposter noun

1. A person who carries out flyposting
2. An illegal poster

flyˈposting noun

The practice of sticking political, advertising, etc bills illegally, on walls, etc

fly powder noun

A powder used for killing flies

fly rail noun

A leg that turns out to support the leaf of a table

fly rod noun

A light flexible rod used in fly-fishing, usu in three pieces: butt, second-joint and tip

flyˈsheet noun

1. A piece of canvas that can be fitted to the roof of a tent to give additional protection from rain
2. A handbill

fly slip noun (cricket)

A fielder some distance behind the batsman on the offside

flyˈ-slow adjective (Shakespeare; doubtful reading and sense)

Slow-flying

flyˈ-speck noun

A small spot of flies' excrement

flyˈspray noun

(an aerosol containing) an insecticide

fly swat or fly swatter noun

A device with which to hit or drive away flies

flyˈ-tipping noun

Unauthorized disposal of waste materials

flyˈ-tower noun

A central tower in a modern theatre from which the flies can be hung over the stage

flyˈtrap noun

1. A trap to catch flies
2. A plant that traps flies, esp the American dogbane and Venus flytrap

flyˈ-tying noun

Making artificial flies for angling

flyˈ-under noun

A road or railway line carried under another one at an intersection

flyˈway noun

A migration route used by birds

flyˈweight noun

1. A weight category, applied esp in boxing
2. A sportsperson of the specified weight for the category (eg in professional boxing the lowest weight (mini flyweight, minimum weight or strawˈweight (under 48kg/105lb), light flyweight or junior flyweight (maximum 49kg/108lb), flyweight (maximum 51kg/112lb), and super flyweight or junior bantamweight (maximum 52kg/115lb))

flyˈwheel noun

A large wheel with a heavy rim, applied to machinery to equalize the effect of the driving effort

fly whisk see under whisk¹

a fly in the ointment

1. Some slight flaw which corrupts a thing of value (from the Bible, Ecclesiastes 10.1)
2. A minor disadvantage in otherwise favourable circumstances

a fly on the wall

The invisible observer that one would like to be on certain occasions (flyˈ-on-the-wall adjective)

fly a kite see kite-flying under kite¹

fly at or upon

To attack suddenly

fly high

To aim high or be ambitious

fly in the face of

1. To insult (obsolete)
2. To oppose or defy
3. To be at variance with

fly off the handle (informal)

To lose one's temper

fly open

To open suddenly or violently

fly out

To break out in a rage

let fly

1. To attack (also figurative)
2. To throw or send off

like flies

(dying, etc) in vast numbers, with as little resistance as insects

make the feathers fly see under feather

no flies on

No lack of alertness or astuteness in

not harm or hurt a fly

Not to do anyone the least injury

on the fly

As one goes along, improvised