Fly vs. Glide — What's the Difference?

Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- di- "two", and πτερόν pteron "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced mechanosensory organs known as halteres, which act as high-speed sensors of rotational movement and allow dipterans to perform advanced aerobatics.

To move in a smooth, effortless manner

To move through the air by means of wings or winglike parts.

To move silently and furtively

To travel by air

To occur or pass imperceptibly

To operate an aircraft or spacecraft.

To fly without propulsion from wings or an engine.

To rise in or be carried through the air by the wind

(Music) To blend one tone into the next; slur.

To float or flap in the air

(Linguistics) To articulate a glide in speech.

To move or be sent through the air with great speed

To cause to move or pass smoothly, silently, or imperceptibly

To move with great speed; rush or dart

To operate or fly (an aircraft) without propulsion from wings or an engine

To be communicated to many people

The act of gliding.

To flee; escape.

(Music) A slur.

To hasten; spring

The transitional sound produced by passing from the articulatory position of one speech sound to that of another.

To pass by swiftly

See semivowel.

To be dissipated; vanish

(intransitive) To move softly, smoothly, or effortlessly.

Past tense and past participle flied (flīd) Baseball To hit a fly ball.

(intransitive) To fly unpowered, as of an aircraft. Also relates to gliding birds and flying fish.

To shatter or explode

(transitive) To cause to glide.

To become suddenly emotional, especially angry

(phonetics) To pass with a glide, as the voice.

(Informal) To gain acceptance or approval; go over

The act of gliding.

To cause to fly or float in the air

(phonology) A transitional sound, especially a semivowel.

(Nautical) To operate under (a particular flag)

(fencing) An attack or preparatory movement made by sliding down the opponent’s blade, keeping it in constant contact.

To pilot (an aircraft or spacecraft).

A bird, the glede or kite.

To carry or transport in an aircraft or spacecraft

A kind of cap affixed to the base of the legs of furniture to prevent it from damaging the floor.

To pass over or through in flight

The joining of two sounds without a break.

To perform in a spacecraft or aircraft

A smooth and sliding step in dancing the waltz.

To flee or run from

The glede or kite.

To avoid; shun

The act or manner of moving smoothly, swiftly, and without labor or obstruction.

The act of flying; flight.

A transitional sound in speech which is produced by the changing of the mouth organs from one definite position to another, and with gradual change in the most frequent cases; as in passing from the begining to the end of a regular diphthong, or from vowel to consonant or consonant to vowel in a syllable, or from one component to the other of a double or diphthongal consonant (see Guide to Pronunciation, 19, 161, 162). Also (by Bell and others), the vanish (or brief final element) or the brief initial element, in a class of diphthongal vowels, or the brief final or initial part of some consonants (see Guide to Pronunciation, 18, 97, 191).

The opening, or the fastening that closes this opening, on the front of a pair of pants.

Movement of a glider, aëroplane, etc., through the air under gravity or its own movement.

The flap of cloth that covers this opening.

To move gently and smoothly; to pass along without noise, violence, or apparent effort; to pass rapidly and easily, or with a smooth, silent motion, as a river in its channel, a bird in the air, a skater over ice.

A piece of protective fabric secured over a tent and often extended over the entrance.

To pass with a glide, as the voice.

A flyleaf.

To move through the air by virtue of gravity or momentum; to volplane.

(Baseball) A fly ball.

A vowel-like sound that serves as a consonant

(Sports) In swimming, butterfly.

The act of moving smoothly along a surface while remaining in contact with it;

The span of a flag from the staff to the outer edge.

The activity of flying a glider

The outer edge of a flag.

Move smoothly and effortlessly

A flywheel.

Fly in or as if in a glider plane

Flies The area directly over the stage of a theater, containing overhead lights, drop curtains, and equipment for raising and lowering sets.

Cause to move or pass silently, smoothly, or imperceptibly

Chiefly British A one-horse carriage, especially one for hire.

Any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially any of the family Muscidae, which includes the housefly.

Any of various other flying insects, such as a caddisfly.

A fishing lure simulating something a fish eats, such as a mayfly or a minnow, made by attaching materials such as feathers, tinsel, and colored thread to a fishhook.

Chiefly British Mentally alert; sharp.

(Slang) Fashionable; stylish.

(zoology) Any insect of the order Diptera; characterized by having two wings (except for some wingless species), also called true flies.

(non-technical) Especially, any of the insects of the family Muscidae, such as the common housefly (other families of Diptera include mosquitoes and midges).

Any similar, but not closely related insect, such as a dragonfly or butterfly.

(fishing) A lightweight fishing lure resembling an insect.

(weightlifting) A chest exercise performed by moving extended arms from the sides to in front of the chest. (also flye)

(swimming) The butterfly stroke (plural is normally flys).

(obsolete) A witch's familiar.

(obsolete) A parasite.

(preceded by definite article) A simple dance in which the hands are shaken in the air, popular in the 1960s.

(finance) A butterfly (combination of four options).

(obsolete) The action of flying; flight.

An act of flying.

(baseball) A fly ball.

(American football) fly route

A piece of canvas that covers the opening at the front of a tent.

The sloping or roof part of the canvas of a tent.

(often plural) A strip of material (sometimes hiding zippers or buttons) at the front of a pair of trousers, pants, underpants, bootees, etc.

The free edge of a flag.

The horizontal length of a flag.

(weightlifting) An exercise that involves wide opening and closing of the arms perpendicular to the shoulders.

The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.

(nautical) That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card.

Two or more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the air, as in the striking part of a clock.

(historical) A type of small, light, fast horse-drawn carriage that can be hired for transportation (sometimes pluralised flys).

In a knitting machine, the piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch..

The pair of arms revolving around the bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the yarn.

(weaving) A shuttle driven through the shed by a blow or jerk.

The person who took the printed sheets from the press.

A vibrating frame with fingers, attached to a power printing press for doing the same work.

One of the upper screens of a stage in a theatre.

(cotton manufacture) waste cotton

A wing.

(intransitive) To travel through the air, another gas, or a vacuum, without being in contact with a grounded surface.

To flee, to escape (from).

To cause to fly travel or float in the air: to transport via air or the like.

(intransitive) To travel or proceed very fast; to hasten.

(intransitive) To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly.

(intransitive) To proceed with great success.

To be accepted, come about or work out.

To display (a flag) on a flagpole.

(transitive) To hunt with a hawk.

To be in the winged adult stage.

To hit a fly ball; to hit a fly ball that is caught for an out. Compare ground (verb) and line (verb).

Quick-witted, alert, mentally sharp.

(slang) Well dressed, smart in appearance; in style, cool.

(slang) Beautiful; displaying physical beauty.

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

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

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

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

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

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 cause to fly or to float in the air, as a bird, a kite, a flag, etc.

To fly or flee from; to shun; to avoid.

To hunt with a hawk.

To manage (an aircraft) in flight; as, to fly an aëroplane.

Any winged insect; esp., one with transparent wings; as, the Spanish fly; firefly; gall fly; dragon fly.

A hook dressed in imitation of a fly, - used for fishing.

A familiar spirit; a witch's attendant.

A parasite.

A kind of light carriage for rapid transit, plying for hire and usually drawn by one horse.

The length of an extended flag from its staff; sometimes, the length from the "union" to the extreme end.

The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.

That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card.

Two or more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the air, as in the striking part of a clock.

The piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch.

The pair of arms revolving around the bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the yarn.

A shuttle driven through the shed by a blow or jerk.

Formerly, the person who took the printed sheets from the press.

The outer canvas of a tent with double top, usually drawn over the ridgepole, but so extended as to touch the roof of the tent at no other place.

One of the upper screens of a stage in a theater.

The fore flap of a bootee; also, a lap on trousers, overcoats, etc., to conceal a row of buttons.

A batted ball that flies to a considerable distance, usually high in the air; also, the flight of a ball so struck; as, it was caught on the fly. Also called fly ball.

Waste cotton.

Knowing; wide awake; fully understanding another's meaning.

Two-winged insects characterized by active flight

Flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent

An opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or buttons concealed by a fold of cloth

(baseball) a hit that flies up in the air

Fisherman's lure consisting of a fishhook decorated to look like an insect

Travel through the air; be airborne;

Move quickly or suddenly;

Fly a plane

Transport by aeroplane;

Cause to fly or float;

Be dispersed or disseminated;

Change quickly from one emotional state to another;

Pass away rapidly;

Travel in an airplane;

Display in the air or cause to float;

Run away quickly;

Travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft;

Hit a fly

Decrease rapidly and disappear;

(British informal) not to be deceived or hoodwinked