long fly
- noun
- Archaic
:
salto largo
- During the competition, she executed a perfect long fly that showcased her athleticism.
Examples
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He practiced his long fly daily to improve his performance in gymnastics.
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It's a long fly.
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The gymnast impressed the judges with a stunning long fly from the vaulting horse.
Synonyms
17
4.1
A jump over an obstacle, often using the hands or a pole for support
How Far
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a gymnastic long leap' is directly derivable from combining 'long' (of considerable length) with 'fly' (to move through the air); a B1 learner who knows both words can plausibly infer a long aerial movement or jump even without specialized gymnastics knowledge. This composition follows ordinary English semantics (length + motion/flight) and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so the expression is transparently built from its parts.
Etymology
Long fly likely comes from the picture of a gymnast jumping from a vaulting horse and seeming to fly a long distance through the air. That's why Long fly now means 'a long leap' in gymnastics.