"on the fly" meaning in English

See on the fly in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

Audio: En-au-on the fly.ogg
Head templates: {{en-adv|-}} on the fly (not comparable)
  1. (baseball, of the ball) While in the air, without having touched the ground. Tags: not-comparable Categories (topical): Baseball Synonyms: in flight Translations (while in the air): al vol (Catalan), i farten (Danish), i skyndingen (Danish), lennosta (Finnish), à la volée (French), sem sobressaltos (Portuguese), на лету́ (na letú) (Russian), al vuelo (Spanish), i flykten (Swedish), på lyra (Swedish), uçarken (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-on_the_fly-en-adv-7VAIiQbc Topics: ball-games, baseball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports Disambiguation of 'while in the air': 98 2 0
  2. (idiomatic) Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity. Tags: idiomatic, not-comparable Synonyms: in flight, on the wing, ;, on the spot, ;, on the hoof Translations (spontaneously or extemporaneously): lennosta (Finnish), à la volée (French), sur le fly (French), in Eile (German), spontan (German), unvorbereitet (German), ohne Vorbereitung (German), fliegend (German), auf die Schnelle (German), improvisiert (German), w locie (Polish), на лету́ (na letú) (Russian), al vuelo (Spanish), a vuelapluma (Spanish), sobre la marcha (Spanish), i flykten (Swedish), anında (Turkish), hazırlıksız (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-on_the_fly-en-adv-o3pzdQhy Disambiguation of 'spontaneously or extemporaneously': 5 73 22
  3. (slang) On the move. Tags: not-comparable, slang Synonyms: on-the-fly [adjective] Derived forms: OTFE, on-the-fly encryption Related terms: fly by the seat of one's pants
    Sense id: en-on_the_fly-en-adv-QB4dGqNj Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 19 19 62 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 17 18 65 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 19 18 63 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 16 19 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 19 20 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 19 19 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 21 22 57 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 23 23 54 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 18 20 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 22 22 56 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 19 20 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 15 17 68 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 18 20 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 19 19 62 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 19 19 62
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
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        "(baseball, of the ball) While in the air, without having touched the ground."
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        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "al vol"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "i farten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "i skyndingen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "lennosta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "à la volée"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "sem sobressaltos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "na letú",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "на лету́"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "al vuelo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "i flykten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "på lyra"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2 0",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "while in the air",
          "word": "uçarken"
        }
      ]
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          "text": "The software program has a table of values for some results, but calculates others on the fly.",
          "type": "example"
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        "(idiomatic) Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "in flight"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the wing"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the spot"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the hoof"
        }
      ],
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "lennosta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "à la volée"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "sur le fly"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "in Eile"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "spontan"
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        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "unvorbereitet"
        },
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          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "ohne Vorbereitung"
        },
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          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "fliegend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "auf die Schnelle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "improvisiert"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "w locie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "ru",
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          "roman": "na letú",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "на лету́"
        },
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          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "al vuelo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "a vuelapluma"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "sobre la marcha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "i flykten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
          "word": "anında"
        },
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          "_dis1": "5 73 22",
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          "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
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      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 7 90",
          "word": "OTFE"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 7 90",
          "word": "on-the-fly encryption"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1966, “Cool McCool (theme song)”, Bernie Green (music) (Cool McCool (television series)), performed by Bob McFadden:",
          "text": "The Owl is flying high, frightening to the eye.\nThe Rattler is nearby, Cool is on the fly.\nDanger is his business.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "On the move."
      ],
      "id": "en-on_the_fly-en-adv-QB4dGqNj",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) On the move."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 7 90",
          "word": "fly by the seat of one's pants"
        }
      ],
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        {
          "_dis1": "3 7 90",
          "tags": [
            "adjective"
          ],
          "word": "on-the-fly"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
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{
  "categories": [
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      "word": "on-the-fly encryption"
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  "lang_code": "en",
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        "en:Baseball"
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          "text": "Jones caught the ball on the fly.",
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      ],
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        "(baseball, of the ball) While in the air, without having touched the ground."
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      "raw_tags": [
        "of the ball"
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      "synonyms": [
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          "word": "in flight"
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        "sports"
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    {
      "categories": [
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        {
          "text": "The software program has a table of values for some results, but calculates others on the fly.",
          "type": "example"
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Spontaneously",
          "spontaneously"
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        [
          "extemporaneously",
          "extemporaneously"
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        "(idiomatic) Spontaneously or extemporaneously; done as one goes, or during another activity."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "in flight"
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        {
          "word": "on the wing"
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        {
          "word": ";"
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        {
          "word": "on the spot"
        },
        {
          "word": ";"
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        {
          "word": "on the hoof"
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          "ref": "1966, “Cool McCool (theme song)”, Bernie Green (music) (Cool McCool (television series)), performed by Bob McFadden:",
          "text": "The Owl is flying high, frightening to the eye.\nThe Rattler is nearby, Cool is on the fly.\nDanger is his business.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "On the move."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) On the move."
      ],
      "tags": [
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "al vol"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "i farten"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "i skyndingen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "lennosta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "à la volée"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "sem sobressaltos"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "na letú",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "на лету́"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "al vuelo"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "i flykten"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "på lyra"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "while in the air",
      "word": "uçarken"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "lennosta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "à la volée"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "sur le fly"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "in Eile"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "spontan"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "unvorbereitet"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "ohne Vorbereitung"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "fliegend"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "auf die Schnelle"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "improvisiert"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "w locie"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "na letú",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "на лету́"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "al vuelo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "a vuelapluma"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "sobre la marcha"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "i flykten"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "anında"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "spontaneously or extemporaneously",
      "word": "hazırlıksız"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "on the fly"
  ],
  "word": "on the fly"
}

Download raw JSONL data for on the fly meaning in English (5.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (05fdf6b and 9dbd323). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.