Flight (flīt), n. [AS. fliht,
flyht, a flying, fr.
fleógan to fly; cf. flyht a fleeing, fr.
fleón to flee, G. flucht a fleeing, Sw. flykt, G.
flug a flying, Sw.
flygt, D. vlugt a
fleeing or flying, Dan. flugt. √84. See
Flee, Fly.]
1. The act
of flying; a
passing through the air by the help of
wings; volitation; mode
or style of
flying.
Like the night owl's lazy flight.
Shak. 2. The act of fleeing; the act of running away, to escape danger or expected evil; hasty departure.
Pray ye that
your flight be not in the winter.
Matt. xxiv. 20. Fain by flight to save themselves.
Shak.
3. Lofty elevation and excursion; a mounting; a soaring; as, a
flight of imagination, ambition,
folly.
Could he have
kept his spirit to that flight,
He had been happy.
Byron.
His highest flights were indeed far below those of Taylor.
Macaulay. 4. A number of beings or things passing through the air together; especially, a flock of birds flying in company; the birds that fly or migrate together; the birds produced in one season; as, a flight of arrows. Swift.
Swift flights of angels ministrant.
Milton.
Like a flight of fowl
Scattered winds and tempestuous
gusts.
Shak. 5. A series of
steps or stairs from one landing to another. Parker.
6. A kind of arrow for the
longbow; also, the sport of
shooting with it. See Shaft. [Obs.]
Challenged
Cupid at the flight.
Shak. Not a flight drawn home
E'er made that haste that they have.
Beau. &
Fl. 7. The husk or glume
of oats. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.
Flight
feathers (Zoöl.), the wing feathers of a bird,
including the quills, coverts, and bastard wing. See Bird. -- To put to flight, To turn to flight, to compel to run
away; to force to flee; to rout.
Syn. -- Pair; set. See
Pair.
Hear it pronounced