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.
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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.
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Flying squirrel \Fly"ing squir"rel\ (? or ?). (Zool.)
One of a group of squirrels, of the genus Glaucomys
(formerly Pteromus and Sciuropterus [1913 Webster]),
especially Glaucomys volans and Glaucomys sabrinus,
having parachute-like folds of skin extending from the fore
to the hind legs, which enable them to make very long,
gliding leaps.
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Note: The species of Pteromys are large, with bushy tails,
and inhabit southern Asia and the East Indies; those of
Sciuropterus are smaller, with flat tails, and inhabit
the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America. The
American species (Sciuropterus volucella) is also
called Assapan. The Australian flying squirrels, or
flying phalangers, are marsupials. See Flying
phalanger (above).
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Squirrel \Squir"rel\ (skw[~e]r"r[e^]l or skw[i^]r"-; 277), n.
[OE. squirel, OF. esquirel, escurel, F. ['e]cureuil, LL.
squirelus, squirolus, scuriolus, dim. of L. sciurus, Gr.
si`oyros; skia` shade + o'yra` tail. Cf. Shine, v. i.]
1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small rodents
belonging to the genus Sciurus and several allied genera
of the family Sciuridae. Squirrels generally have a
bushy tail, large erect ears, and strong hind legs. They
are commonly arboreal in their habits, but many species
live in burrows.
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Note: Among the common North American squirrels are the gray
squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis) and its black
variety; the fox, or cat, squirrel (Sciurus cinereus,
or Sciurus niger) which is a large species, and
variable in color, the southern variety being
frequently black, while the northern and western
varieties are usually gray or rusty brown; the red
squirrel (see Chickaree); the striped, or chipping,
squirrel (see Chipmunk); and the California gray
squirrel (Sciurus fossor). Several other species
inhabit Mexico and Central America. The common European
species (Sciurus vulgaris) has a long tuft of hair on
each ear. The so-called Australian squirrels are
marsupials. See Petaurist, and Phalanger.
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2. One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work
with the large cylinder.
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Barking squirrel (Zool.), the prairie dog.
Federation squirrel (Zool.), the striped gopher. See
Gopher, 2.
Flying squirrel (Zool.). See Flying squirrel, in the
Vocabulary.
Java squirrel. (Zool.). See Jelerang.
Squirrel corn (Bot.), a North American herb (Dicentra
Canadensis) bearing little yellow tubers.
Squirrel cup (Bot.), the blossom of the Hepatica triloba,
a low perennial herb with cup-shaped flowers varying from
purplish blue to pink or even white. It is one of the
earliest flowers of spring.
Squirrel fish. (Zool.)
(a) A sea bass (Serranus fascicularis) of the Southern
United States.
(b) The sailor's choice (Diplodus rhomboides).
(c) The redmouth, or grunt.
(d) A market fish of Bermuda (Holocentrum Ascensione).
Squirrel grass (Bot.), a pestiferous grass (Hordeum
murinum) related to barley. In California the stiffly
awned spikelets work into the wool of sheep, and into the
throat, flesh, and eyes of animals, sometimes even
producing death.
Squirrel hake (Zool.), a common American hake (Phycis
tenuis); -- called also white hake.
Squirrel hawk (Zool.), any rough-legged hawk; especially,
the California species Archibuteo ferrugineus.
Squirrel monkey. (Zool.)
(a) Any one of several species of small, soft-haired South
American monkeys of the genus Callithrix. They are
noted for their graceful form and agility. See
Teetee.
(b) A marmoset.
Squirrel petaurus (Zool.), a flying phalanger of Australia.
See Phalanger, Petaurist, and Flying phalanger under
Flying.
Squirrel shrew (Zool.), any one of several species of East
Indian and Asiatic insectivores of the genus Tupaia.
They are allied to the shrews, but have a bushy tail, like
that of a squirrel.
Squirrel-tail grass (Bot.), a grass (Hordeum jubatum)
found in salt marshes and along the Great Lakes, having a
dense spike beset with long awns.
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