on the fly
3
4.6
- idiom
- Specialized
:
dinámicamente
- I think the thing that we don't know how to replace today is the ability to adapt on the fly to new information.
And so they were now about to create real time video on the fly, you know, goodbye, Hollywood.
- And so they were now about to create real time video on the fly, you know, goodbye, Hollywood.
- It's trying to smooth out the pixels for you on the fly.
- You have the big white walls, like you said, and you can just create a CDF on the fly, right?
- And it adjusts both the window size and the re transmission timer on the fly to find the best performance for that network at that point.
Examples
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A permanent 3G cellular connection allows Tesla to continually update software and even add controls on the fly.
Blog text (26) -
Interest may be received for content that does not yet exist, allowing a publisher to generate that content on the fly in response to a particular query.
Academic text (2012) -
And so they were now about to create real time video on the fly, you know, goodbye, Hollywood.
-
One combined file specific to each page, generated on the fly as a combination of needed modules.
Blog text (34) -
Having the ability to change ISOs "on the fly" with my digital camera came in handy.
Academic text (2005) -
The organization of the screens is so well done, and they can be rearranged on the fly.
Blog text (24) -
In addition, the system recognizes 40 languages, can translate 23 languages on the fly, and read documents aloud via text-to-speech.
Blog text (13) -
Kavo of Biberach, Germany, developed a sterilization box for its endodontic files that lets a dentist change files on the fly as the drill spins.
Academic text (2001) -
The software enables users to create new graphics on the fly as they interact with the application.
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You can adjust the settings on the fly while the program is running to see immediate results.
Synonyms
5
5.1
By a program while it runs, not fixed in advance
Antonyms
- Specialized
To prepare in advance so it is ready to use by turning code into a form the computer can run
How Dynamic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression evokes a motion/metaphor ('on' + 'fly' ≈ 'while flying' or 'while in motion'), so an informed B1 learner who knows the words can often guess a general sense of doing something quickly or while something else is happening. However, the specific, conventionalized uses (especially the technical computing sense 'performed at runtime') are idiomatic and not fully predictable from the parts, and cross-linguistic realizations vary, so full comprehension usually requires prior exposure.
Etymology
The adverb on the fly in computing uses the same idea: the computer makes or changes things while it is running, like a cook preparing a meal only when the customer orders it. So, it means 'made or processed while a computer or program runs, not made in advance'.