flight
3
1.2
- noun
- /flaɪt/
- As I watched the tree branches sway, a sudden flight of sparrows took off in unison.
- a flight of birds
Examples
-
Twelve aeroplanes in perfect formation, like a flight of wild ducks, came overhead.
Academic text (2017) -
The recent improvements in autofocus technology have made photographing birds in flight more enjoyable and rewarding.
Academic text (2007) -
One bird follows another in flight away.
-
One bird still remaining in flight.
-
Every morning the petrels take flight just before the wind turns east.
-
We watched the birds singing in flight with a high, lisping sound.
Fiction book (1994) -
A flock of strange birds, like huge flamingos, take flight in a blaze of pink and gold.
Fiction book (1996) -
A blue jay hovered in suspended flight across the gully while I wrestled with confusion.
Fiction book (1994) -
A fall of woodcocks skimmed a tree-ringed meadow, their flight sounding like faraway drumming.
Fiction book (1992) -
The graceful birds formed a beautiful flight as they soared across the sunset sky.
Synonyms
1
8.3
A small group of birds like quail or partridges
1
9.3
A large group of starlings flying together in changing shapes
1
9.9
A group of larks flying together overhead
Idioms
Compounds
101
3.2
A person who looks after passengers on an airplane and keeps them safe and comfortable
10
3.4
A flight with a stop where you change planes to reach your final destination
- Specialized
6
3.5
A machine on the ground that copies the feeling of flying a plane for training
- Specialized
5
4.1
A computer system on a plane or drone that automatically keeps it steady and guides it
- Specialized
5
4.8
A crew member who checks and runs a plane's engines and systems during a trip
- Specialized
3
6.0
An area at an airport where planes are parked and worked on before flying
- Informal
1
8.6
A very frightening plane trip that makes people on board feel scared
- Specialized
1
7.2
A simple place where planes land without airport buildings for emergencies or military landings
How Large
Surface Forms
Etymology
Flight of birds uses the simple idea fly meaning 'in the air', so a flight of geese is just a number of birds flying together in the sky.