flying
n. uncountablen. the act of traveling through the air in an aircraft or as a bird. You use this word to talk about the activity or the experience of being in the sky.
n. the activity or process of moving through the air by using wings or an aircraft.
I am nervous about flying in a small plane.
Many people find that flying is the fastest way to travel across the country for business trips.
While some passengers enjoy the convenience of flying, others find the logistical challenges of modern airports to be increasingly stressful and time-consuming.
From Middle English fleynge, fleeʒinge, flihinde, vlyinde, vleoinde, flyand, ffleghand, flighand (also fleoninde, fleonninde, etc.), from Old English flēogende, from Proto-Germanic fleugandz (“flying”), present participle of Proto-Germanic fleuganą (“to fly”), equivalent to fly + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian fljoogend (“flying”), West Frisian fleanend (“flying”), Dutch vliegend (“flying”), German Low German flegend (“flying”), German fliegend (“flying”), Danish flyvende (“flying”), Swedish flygande (“flying”), Icelandic fljúgandi (“flying”).
From Middle English flyinge, fleyng, fleyinge, fleynge, fleghyng, fleiʒeyng, flyeghynge, equivalent to fly + -ing. Cognate with Danish flyvning (“flying”), Swedish flygning (“flying”), Norwegian flyvning, flygning, flyging, flying (“flying”).
Often functions as a gerund; when used as a subject or object, it follows standard uncountable noun patterns.