Flying \Fly"ing\, a. [From Fly, v. i.]
Moving in the air with, or as with, wings; moving lightly or
rapidly; intended for rapid movement.
[1913 Webster]
Flying army (Mil.) a body of cavalry and infantry, kept in
motion, to cover its own garrisons and to keep the enemy
in continual alarm. --Farrow.
Flying artillery (Mil.), artillery trained to rapid
evolutions, -- the men being either mounted or trained to
spring upon the guns and caissons when they change
position.
Flying bridge, Flying camp. See under Bridge, and
Camp.
Flying buttress (Arch.), a contrivance for taking up the
thrust of a roof or vault which can not be supported by
ordinary buttresses. It consists of a straight bar of
masonry, usually sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid
pier or buttress sufficient to receive the thrust. The
word is generally applied only to the straight bar with
supporting arch.
Flying colors, flags unfurled and waving in the air; hence:
To come off with flying colors, to be victorious; to
succeed thoroughly in an undertaking.
Flying doe (Zool.), a young female kangaroo.
Flying dragon.
(a) (Zool.) See Dragon, 6.
(b) A meteor. See under Dragon.
Flying Dutchman.
(a) A fabled Dutch mariner condemned for his crimes to sail
the seas till the day of judgment.
(b) A spectral ship.
Flying fish. (Zool.) See Flying fish, in the Vocabulary.
Flying fox (Zool.), see Flying fox in the vocabulary.
Flying frog (Zool.), either of two East Indian tree frogs
of the genus Rhacophorus (Rhacophorus nigrapalmatus
and Rhacophorus pardalis), having very large and broadly
webbed feet, which serve as parachutes, and enable it to
make very long leaps.
Flying gurnard (Zool.), a species of gurnard of the genus
Cephalacanthus or Dactylopterus, with very large
pectoral fins, said to be able to fly like the flying
fish, but not for so great a distance.
Note: Three species are known; that of the Atlantic is
Cephalacanthus volitans.
Flying jib (Naut.), a sail extended outside of the standing
jib, on the flying-jib boom.
Flying-jib boom (Naut.), an extension of the jib boom.
Flying kites (Naut.), light sails carried only in fine
weather.
Flying lemur. (Zool.) See Colugo.
Flying level (Civil Engin.), a reconnoissance level over
the course of a projected road, canal, etc.
Flying lizard. (Zool.) See Dragon, n. 6.
Flying machine, any apparatus for navigating through the
air, especially a heavier-than-air machine. -- Flying
mouse (Zool.), the opossum mouse (Acrobates pygm[ae]us), a
marsupial of Australia. Called also feathertail glider.
Note: It has lateral folds of skin, like the flying
squirrels, and a featherlike tail. -- Flying party
(Mil.), a body of soldiers detailed to hover about an
enemy. -- Flying phalanger (Zool.), one of several
species of small marsuupials of the genera Petaurus and
Belideus, of Australia and New Guinea, having lateral
folds like those of the flying squirrels. The sugar
squirrel (Belideus sciureus), and the ariel (Belideus
ariel), are the best known; -- called also squirrel
petaurus and flying squirrel. See Sugar squirrel. --
Flying pinion, the fly of a clock. -- Flying sap (Mil.),
the rapid construction of trenches (when the enemy's fire
of case shot precludes the method of simple trenching), by
means of gabions placed in juxtaposition and filled with
earth. -- Flying shot, a shot fired at a moving object,
as a bird on the wing. -- Flying spider. (Zool.) See
Ballooning spider. -- Flying squid (Zool.), an oceanic
squid (Ommastrephes Bartramii syn. Sthenoteuthis
Bartramii), abundant in the Gulf Stream, which is able to
leap out of the water with such force that it often falls
on the deck of a vessel. -- Flying squirrel (Zool.) See
Flying squirrel, in the Vocabulary. -- Flying start, a
start in a sailing race in which the signal is given while
the vessels are under way. -- Flying torch (Mil.), a
torch attached to a long staff and used for signaling at
night.
[1913 Webster]
|
Mouse \Mouse\ (mous), n.; pl. Mice (m[imac]s). [OE. mous, mus,
AS. m[=u]s, pl. m[=y]s; akin to D. muis, G. maus, OHG. &
Icel. m[=u]s, Dan. muus, Sw. mus, Russ. muishe, L. mus, Gr.
my^s, Skr. m[=u]sh mouse, mush to steal. [root]277. Cf.
Muscle, Musk.]
1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small rodents
belonging to the genus Mus and various related genera of
the family Muridae. The common house mouse (Mus
musculus) is found in nearly all countries. The American
white-footed mouse, or deer mouse (Peromyscus
leucopus, formerly Hesperomys leucopus) sometimes lives
in houses. See Dormouse, Meadow mouse, under Meadow,
and Harvest mouse, under Harvest.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Naut.)
(a) A knob made on a rope with spun yarn or parceling to
prevent a running eye from slipping.
(b) Same as 2d Mousing, 2.
[1913 Webster]
3. A familiar term of endearment. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
4. A dark-colored swelling caused by a blow. [Slang]
[1913 Webster]
5. A match used in firing guns or blasting.
[1913 Webster]
Field mouse, Flying mouse, etc. See under Field,
Flying, etc.
Mouse bird (Zool.), a coly.
Mouse deer (Zool.), a chevrotain, as the kanchil.
Mouse galago (Zool.), a very small West American galago
(Galago murinus). In color and size it resembles a
mouse. It has a bushy tail like that of a squirrel.
Mouse hawk. (Zool.)
(a) A hawk that devours mice.
(b) The hawk owl; -- called also mouse owl.
Mouse lemur (Zool.), any one of several species of very
small lemurs of the genus Chirogaleus, found in
Madagascar.
Mouse piece (Cookery), the piece of beef cut from the part
next below the round or from the lower part of the latter;
-- called also mouse buttock.
[1913 Webster]
|