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Fall vs Fly - What's the difference?

fall | fly |

As verbs the difference between fall and fly

is that fall is while fly is to travel through the air, another gas or a vacuum, without being in contact with a grounded surface or fly can be (baseball) to hit a fly ball; to hit a fly ball that is caught for an out compare ground (verb) and line (verb).

As a noun fly is

(zoology) any insect of the order diptera; characterized by having two wings, also called true flies or fly can be (obsolete) the action of flying; flight.

As an adjective fly is

(slang|dated) quick-witted, alert, mentally sharp, smart (in a mental sense).

fall

English

(wikipedia fall)

Verb

  • To move downwards.
  • #To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
  • #:
  • #*
  • #*:There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.
  • #To come down, to drop or descend.
  • #:
  • #*1920 , (Herman Cyril McNeile), (Bulldog Drummond) , Ch.1:
  • #*:Her eyes fell on the table, and she advanced into the room wiping her hands on her apron.
  • #To come to the ground deliberately, to prostrate oneself.
  • #:
  • #To be brought to the ground.
  • (lb) To be moved downwards.
  • #(lb) To let fall; to drop.
  • #*(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • #*:For every tear he falls , a Trojan bleeds.
  • #(lb) To sink; to depress.
  • #:
  • # To fell; to cut down.
  • #:
  • (lb) To happen, to change negatively.
  • #(lb) To become.
  • #:
  • #To occur (on a certain day of the week, date, or similar); (said of an instance of a recurring event such as a holiday or date).
  • #:
  • #(lb) To collapse; to be overthrown or defeated.
  • #:
  • # To die, especially in battle or by disease.
  • #:
  • #(lb) To become lower (in quantity, pitch, etc.).
  • #:
  • #*Sir (c.1569-1626)
  • #*:The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly fell and vanished.
  • #*1835 , Sir , Sir (James Clark Ross), Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage …, Vol.1 , pp.284-5:
  • #*:Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction.
  • #*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Old soldiers? , passage=Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine.
  • #(lb) To become; to be affected by or befallen with a calamity; to change into the state described by words following; to become prostrated literally or figuratively .
  • #:
  • (lb) To be allotted to; to arrive through chance, fate, or inheritance.
  • :
  • *(Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
  • *:If to her share some female errors fall , / Look on her face, and you'll forget them all.
  • To diminish; to lessen or lower.
  • * (John Locke) (1632-1705)
  • *:Upon lessening interest to four per cent, you fall the price of your native commodities.
  • To bring forth.
  • :
  • :(Shakespeare)
  • To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; said of the young of certain animals.
  • :(Shakespeare)
  • To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin.
  • *(Bible)}, (w) iv.11:
  • *:Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
  • To become ensnared or entrapped; to be worse off than before.
  • :
  • To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; said of the face.
  • *(Bible), (w) iv.5:
  • *:Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell .
  • *(Joseph Addison) (1672–1719)
  • *:I have observed of late thy looks are fallen .
  • To happen; to come to pass; to chance or light (upon).
  • *(Jonathan Swift) (1667–1745)
  • *:The Romans fell on this model by chance.
  • *(Bible), (w) iii.18:
  • *:Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall .
  • *(Herbert Spenser) (1820-1903)
  • *:Primitive mendo not make laws, they fall into customs.
  • To begin with haste, ardour, or vehemence; to rush or hurry.
  • :
  • *(Benjamin Jowett) (1817-1893) ((Thucydides))
  • *:They now no longer doubted, but fell to work heart and soul.
  • To be dropped or uttered carelessly.
  • :
  • Quotations

    * , Andrew Wi?e (publisher, 1598 — second quarto), Act V, Scene 3: *: Ghoa?t [of Clarence]. / To morrow in the battaile thinke on me, / And fall thy edgele??e ?word, di?paire and die.

    Synonyms

    * (move to a lower position under the effect of gravity) drop, plummet, plunge * (come down) come down, descend, drop * (come to the ground deliberately) drop, lower oneself, prostrate oneself * (be brought to the ground) * : be beaten by, be defeated by, be overthrown by, be smitten by, be vanquished by, * (die) die * (be allotted to) be the responsibility of, be up to * : dip, drop * (become) become, get * : cut down (of a tree), fell, knock down, knock over, strike down

    Antonyms

    * (come down) ascend, go up, rise * (come to the ground deliberately) get up, pick oneself up, stand up * : beat, defeat, overthrow, smite, vanquish * : rise

    Derived terms

    * the apple does not fall far from the tree * the * the curtain falls * fair fall * fallable * fall aboard * fall aboard of * fall about * fall about someone's ears * fall abreast of * fall abroad of * fall across * fall adown * fall afire * fall afoul * fall afoul of * fall after * fallage * fall all over someone or oneself * fall among * fall apart * fall asleep * fall aslope * fall astern * fall asunder * fall at * fall at the crest * fall at the first fence, fall at the first hurdle * fall away * fall back * * fall back on, fall back upon * fall behind, fall behindhand * fall between the cracks * fall between two stools * fall by * fall by the wayside * fall calm * fall dead * fall down * fall down on * fall due * fallen * faller * fall flat * fall flat on one's face * fall for * fall forth * fall foul * fall foul of, fall foul with * fall from * fall from grace * fall heir * fall home * fall ill * fall in * fall in age * fall in flesh * fall in for * falling * fall in line * fall in love * fall in mold, fall in mould * fall in one's road * fall in one's way * fall in somebody's heart, fall in someone's heart * fall in somebody's mind, fall in someone's mind * fall into one's hands * fall into one's lap * fall in two * fall in upon * fall in with * fall into * fall into line * fall into place * fall into somebody's heart, fall into someone's heart * fall into somebody's mind, fall into someone's mind * fall of * fall off * fall off the turnip truck * fall on * fall on board * fall on deaf ears * fall one's crest * fall on one's face * fall on one's feet * fall on shore * fall on sleep * fall on one's knees * fall on one's sword * fall on the crest * fall open * fall out * fall out in * fall out of * fall out upon * fall out with * fall over * fall over oneself * fall over one's feet * fall pregnant * fall prey to * fall short * fall short of * fall short to * fall sick * fall silent * fallstreaks, fallstreifen * fall through * fall through the cracks * fall to * fall to be * fall together * fall to loggerheads * fall to mold, fall to mould * fall to oneself * fall to one's knees * fall to one's lot * fall to one's share * fall to pieces * fall to powder * fall to the ground * fall under * fall unto * fall upon * fall victim to * fall what can fall, fall what will fall * fall with * fall within * foul fall * let fall * let the chips fall where they may * may fall, may-fall * misfall * overfall * the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain * refall * tendency of the rate of profit to fall * to-fall * under-fall *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of moving to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
  • A reduction in quantity, pitch, etc.
  • *
  • *:“I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”.
  • A loss of greatness or status.
  • (label) A crucial event or circumstance.
  • # The action of a batsman being out.
  • # (label) A defect in the ice which causes stones thrown into an area to drift in a given direction.
  • # (label) An instance of a wrestler being pinned to the mat.
  • Blame or punishment for a failure or misdeed.
  • The part of the rope of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.
  • See'' falls'''
  • An old Scots unit of measure equal to six ells.
  • Synonyms

    * (act of moving to a lower position) descent, drop * (reduction) decrease, dip, drop, lowering, reduction * (season) autumn * (loss of greatness or status) downfall * rap

    Antonyms

    * (act of moving to a lower position under the effect of gravity) ascent, rise * (reduction) increase, rise * (loss of greatness or status) ascent, rise

    Derived terms

    * accidental fall * angle of fall * ash fall, ashfall * backfall * best-of-three-falls match * block and fall * break a fall * break-fall, breakfall * break one's fall * byfall * catfall * center of falls, centre of falls * chainfall * crossfall * darkfall * dead fall, dead-fall, deadfall * dew-fall, dewfall * dog-fall, dogfall * downfall * dustfall * earthfall * even-fall, evenfall * fall-and-rise phenomenon * fall armyworm * fall and tackle * fall block, fall-block * fall-blooming * fall-board, fallboard * fall-breaker * fall-bridge * fall cankerworm * (Fall Classic) * fall-cloud * fall colors * fall dandelion * fall-door * fall duck * fall equinox * fall factor * fall-fish, fallfish * fall foliage * fall-forward * fall from grace * fall front * fall-front desk * fall guy, fall-guy * fall herring * fall-iron door * fall-leaf * fall-less * fall line, fall-line * fall money * The (Fall of Baghdad) * The (Fall of Constantinople) * fall of day * the (w) * the Fall of Man, the fall of man * The (Fall of Saigon) * fall of the leaf * fall of the perch * the (w), the (Fall of Rome) * fall of wicket * fall overturn * fall-pipe * fall-pippin * fall rate * fall-rise * fall-rope * fall-run fish * falls * (Falls-to-Falls Corridor) * fall time * fall-trap * fall turnover * fall-way * fall webworm * fall wind, fall-wind * fall-window * fall-wood * fally * fall zone * fish fall * foot-fall, footfall * free fall * give a fall * ice fall, ice-fall * infall * jaw-fall, jawfall * landfall * law-fall * leaf-fall * litterfall * mid-fall, midfall * misfall * mouse-fall * near-fall * nightfall * offal * onfall * outfall * overfall * parachute landing fall * pinfall * pitfall * planetfall * prat-fall, pratfall, pratt-fall * pressure-fall center, pressure-fall centre * pride comes before a fall, pride goes before a fall, pride goeth before a fall * proudfall * rainfall * ride for a fall * rises and falls * rock-fall, rockfall * roof fall * root-fall * shake a fall * shout-and-fall * slip and fall * smokefall * snow-fall, snowfall * speck falls * stiff board fall * sunfall * Swedish fall * tackle fall * take the fall * technical fall * terminal fall velocity * threadfall * throughfall * toe drain and outfall * trad fall * trap-fall, trapfall * try a fall * two-out-of-three-falls match * underfall * waterfall * whale fall * windfall * withfall * wrestle a fall * zipper fall

    See also

    * falls * [http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/Words/
  • fall]
  • fly

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . Cognate with Scots flee, Dutch vlieg, German Fliege, Swedish fluga.

    Noun

    (flies)
  • (zoology) Any insect of the order Diptera; characterized by having two wings, also called true flies.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-01
  • , author=Douglas Larson, volume=100, issue=1, page=46, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= Runaway Devils Lake , passage=Devils Lake is where I began my career as a limnologist in 1964, studying the lake’s neotenic salamanders and chironomids, or midge flies . […] The Devils Lake Basin is an endorheic, or closed, basin covering about 9,800 square kilometers in northeastern North Dakota.}}
  • (non-technical) Especially , any of the insects of the family Muscidae, such as the common housefly (other families of Diptera include mosquitoes and midges).
  • * , chapter=5
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose. And the queerer the cure for those ailings the bigger the attraction. A place like the Right Livers' Rest was bound to draw freaks, same as molasses draws flies .}}
  • Any similar, but unrelated insect such as dragonfly or butterfly.
  • (fishing) A lightweight fishing lure resembling an insect.
  • (weightlifting) A chest exercise performed by moving extended arms from the sides to in front of the chest. (also flye)
  • (obsolete) A witch's familiar.
  • * Ben Jonson
  • a trifling fly , none of your great familiars
  • (obsolete) A parasite.
  • (Massinger)
    Derived terms
    * blackfly * blowfly * botfly * caddis fly * cranefly * damselfly * dragonfly * drain fly * firefly * fly agaric * fly on the wall * flyswatter * flyweight * fruit fly * gadfly * greenfly * horsefly * housefly * hoverfly * march fly * mayfly * moth fly * no flies on * sandfly, sand fly * sawfly * warble fly * whitefly * wouldn't hurt a fly

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) flien, from (etyl) . More at flow.

    Verb

  • To travel through the air, another gas or a vacuum, without being in contact with a grounded surface.
  • *
  • Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-09-07, volume=408, issue=8852, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= On a bright new wing , passage=Flying using only the power of the sun is an enticing prospect. But manned solar-powered aircraft are fragile and slow, […].}}
  • (ambitransitive, archaic, poetic) To flee, to escape (from).
  • * (John Dryden)
  • Sleep flies the wretch.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • to fly the favours of so good a king
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • Whither shall I fly to escape their hands?
  • * (John Milton)
  • Fly , ere evil intercept thy flight.
  • *
  • He staggered and fell, grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the abyss. “Fly , you fools!” he cried, and was gone.
  • (ergative) To cause to fly (travel or float in the air): to transport via air or the like.
  • *
  • The brave black flag I fly .
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-09-07, volume=408, issue=8852, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= On a bright new wing , passage=A solar-powered unmanned aerial system (a UAS, more commonly called a drone) could fly long, lonely missions that conventional aircraft would not be capable of.}}
  • To be accepted, come about or work out.
  • To travel very fast.
  • * (John Milton)
  • Fly , envious Time, till thou run out thy race.
  • * Bryant
  • The dark waves murmured as the ships flew on.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 18, author=Ben Dirs, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia , passage=After yet another missed penalty by Kvirikashvili from bang in front of the posts, England scored again, centre Tuilagi flying into the line and touching down under the bar.}}
  • To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly.
  • To hunt with a hawk.
  • (Francis Bacon)
    Synonyms
    * (travel through air) soar, hover, wing, skim, glide, ascend, rise, float, aviate * (flee) escape, flee, abscond
    Antonyms
    * (travel through air) walk * (flee) remain, stay
    Derived terms
    * fly a kite * fly-by-night * fly into a rage * fly like a bird * fly like a rock * fly like the wind * fly off the handle * fly out the window * on the fly * overfly

    Noun

    (flies)
  • (obsolete) The action of flying; flight.
  • An act of flying.
  • (baseball) A fly ball.
  • A type of small, fast carriage (sometimes pluralised flys).
  • * 1897 , (Bram Stoker), (Dracula) , Folio Society 2008, p. 124:
  • As we left the house in my fly , which had been waiting, Van Helsing said:— ‘Tonight I can sleep in peace [...].’
  • * , chapter=16
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=“[…] She takes the whole thing with desperate seriousness. But the others are all easy and jovial—thinking about the good fare that is soon to be eaten, about the hired fly , about anything.”}}
  • *1924 , (Ford Madox Ford), Some Do Not…'', Penguin 2012 (''Parade's End ), p. 54:
  • *:And, driving back in the fly , Macmaster said to himself that you couldn't call Mrs. Duchemin ordinary, at least.
  • A piece of canvas that covers the opening at the front of a tent.
  • A strip of material hiding the zipper, buttons etc. at the front of a pair of trousers, pants, underpants, bootees, etc.
  • The free edge of a flag.
  • The horizontal length of a flag.
  • Butterfly, a form of swimming.
  • (weightlifting) An exercise that involves wide opening and closing of the arms perpendicular to the shoulders.
  • The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.
  • (nautical) That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card.
  • (Totten)
  • Two or more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the air, as in the striking part of a clock.
  • A heavy wheel, or cross arms with weights at the ends on a revolving axis, to regulate or equalize the motion of machinery by means of its inertia, where the power communicated, or the resistance to be overcome, is variable, as in the steam engine or the coining press. See fly wheel.
  • In a knitting machine, the piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch.
  • (Knight)
  • The pair of arms revolving around the bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the yarn.
  • (weaving) A shuttle driven through the shed by a blow or jerk.
  • (Knight)
  • (printing, historical) The person who took the printed sheets from the press.
  • (printing, historical) A vibrating frame with fingers, attached to a power printing press for doing the same work.
  • One of the upper screens of a stage in a theatre.
  • Derived terms
    * flyman * fly-coach * fly system

    Verb

  • (baseball) To hit a fly ball; to hit a fly ball that is caught for an out. Compare ground (verb) and line (verb).
  • Jones flied to right in his last at-bat.

    Etymology 3

    Origin uncertain; probably from the verb or noun.

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (slang, dated) Quick-witted, alert, mentally sharp, smart (in a mental sense).
  • be assured, O man of sin—pilferer of small wares and petty larcener—that there is an eye within keenly glancing from some loophole contrived between accordions and tin breastplates that watches your every movement, and is "fly,"— to use a term peculiarly comprehensible to dishonest minds—to the slightest gesture of illegal conveyancing. (Charles Dickens, "Arcadia"; Household Words Vol.7 p.381)
  • (slang) Well dressed, smart in appearance.
  • He's pretty fly .
  • (slang) Beautiful; displaying physical beauty.