flyer

noun, verb — 18 senses

flyer

noun

/ˈflaɪə(ɹ)/

Etymology From fly + -er (agent noun suffix). With regard to the sense "female kangaroo": because of the high speed at which they move.

16 senses
  1. 1That which flies, as a bird or insect.
  2. 2A machine that flies.
  3. 3An airplane pilot.
  4. 4A person who travels by airplane.
  5. 5A leaflet, often for advertising.
  6. 6The part of a spinning machine that twists the thread as…
  7. 7An arch that connects a flying buttress into the…
  8. 8A person who is lifted and/or thrown by another person…
  9. 9A stray shot away from the group on a target.
  10. 10A standard rectangular step of a staircase (as opposed…
  11. 11A female kangaroo; a roo; a doe; a jill.
  12. 12A leap or jump.
  13. 13A risky investment or other venture.
  14. 14A fast-moving person or thing.
  15. 15A false start.
  16. 16Synonym of flying cymbal.
1

That which flies, as a bird or insect.

2

A machine that flies.

3

Dated An airplane pilot.

4

A person who travels by airplane.

5

A leaflet, often for advertising.

6

The part of a spinning machine that twists the thread as it takes it to and winds it on the bobbin

7

Architecture An arch that connects a flying buttress into the structure it supports.

8

Acrobatics, Arts, Cheerleading, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Performing arts, Sports A person who is lifted and/or thrown by another person or persons.

Synchronized swimming

9

Engineering, Firearms, Government, Military, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Politics, Tools, War, Weaponry A stray shot away from the group on a target.

10

A standard rectangular step of a staircase (as opposed to a winder).

11

A female kangaroo; a roo; a doe; a jill.

12

A leap or jump.

13

A risky investment or other venture.

  • It was a great day for the pair of Fosters. They were speechless for joy. Also speechless for another reason: after much watching of the market, Aleck had lately, with fear and trembling, made her first flyer on a “margin,” using the remaining twenty thousand of the bequest in this risk.1903, Mark Twain, The $30,000 Bequest:
14

Informal A fast-moving person or thing.

  • An amusing incident on the first of these journeys was the checking by signal of the flyer about 3 miles out of Paris, with the result that it was overhauled by the 6.25 p.m. semi-fast from Paris to Montargis, to the unconcealed delight of passengers in the latter.1952 December, 'Mercury', “Modern French Locomotive Performance”, in Railway Magazine, pages 808-809:
  • The new Waterloo–Exeter times of the S.R. flyer are 2hr 58min down and 1min more up, in less than 3hr, that is to say, in both directions, with the help of four runs timed at over a mile a minute.1961 October, “The winter timetables of British Railways: Southern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 593:
15

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A false start.

16

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Synonym of flying cymbal.

Derived terms
Baltimore flyer, blue flyer, blue pigeon flyer, cave flyer, flyerer, frequent flyer, high flyer, high-flyer, microflyer, paper flyer, take a flyer

flyer

verb

Etymology From fly + -er (agent noun suffix). With regard to the sense "female kangaroo": because of the high speed at which they move.

1

To distribute flyers (leaflets).

  • Neil McKinnon, the Fringe's head of external affairs, asks: Are you flyering in the right place at the right time? How are you flyering? Good flyering is about more than standing there handing out flyers to as many people as you can.2012, Mark Fisher, quoting Neil McKinnon, The Edinburgh Fringe Survival Guide, A&C Black, →ISBN, page 156:
2

To distribute flyers in (a location) or to (recipients).

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.