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View synonyms for

fleet

1

[ fleet ]

noun

  1. the largest organized unit of naval ships grouped for tactical or other purposes.
  2. the largest organization of warships under the command of a single officer.
  3. a number of naval vessels or vessels carrying armed crew members.
  4. a large group of ships, airplanes, trucks, etc., operated by a single company or under the same ownership:

    He owns a fleet of cabs.

  5. a large group of airplanes, automobiles, etc., moving or operating together.

fleet

2

[ fleet ]

adjective

fleeter, fleetest.

  1. to be fleet of foot;

    a fleet horse.

verb (used without object)

  1. to move swiftly; fly.
  2. Nautical. to change position; shift.
  3. Archaic.
    1. to glide along like a stream.
    2. to fade; vanish.
  4. Obsolete. to float; drift; swim.

verb (used with object)

  1. to cause (time) to pass lightly or swiftly.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. Nautical.
    1. to move or change the position of.
    2. to separate the blocks of (a tackle).
    3. to lay (a rope) along a deck.

fleet

3

[ fleet ]

noun

British Dialect.
  1. an arm of the sea; inlet.
  2. a creek; stream; watercourse.
  3. the Fleet, a former prison in London, long used for debtors.

Fleet

1

/ ڱː /

noun

  1. a stream that formerly ran into the Thames between Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street and is now a covered sewer
  2. Also calledFleet Prison (formerly) a London prison, esp used for holding debtors
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fleet

2

/ ڱː /

noun

  1. a number of warships organized as a tactical unit
  2. all the warships of a nation
  3. a number of aircraft, ships, buses, etc, operating together or under the same ownership
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fleet

3

/ ڱː /

adjective

  1. rapid in movement; swift
  2. poetic.
    fleeting; transient
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. intr to move rapidly
  2. archaic.
    intr to fade away smoothly; glide
  3. tr nautical
    1. to change the position of (a hawser)
    2. to pass (a messenger or lead) to a hawser from a winch for hauling in
    3. to spread apart (the blocks of a tackle)
  4. obsolete.
    intr to float or swim
  5. obsolete.
    tr to cause (time) to pass rapidly
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fleet

4

/ ڱː /

noun

  1. a small coastal inlet; creek
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈڱٲԱ, noun
  • ˈڱٱ, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • ڱl adverb
  • ڱn noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of fleet1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English flete, fleot(e), Old English ڱŧdz “bay, estuary; boat,” derivative of ڱŧdzan float ( def ); fleet 2

Origin of fleet2

First recorded in 1520–30; probably from or akin to Old Norse ڱóٰ “quick, speedy”

Origin of fleet3

First recorded before 900; Middle English flete, Old English ڱŧdz “flowing water”; cognate with German Fliess “bǴǰ”; fleet 3def 3 is so called after the Fleet a stream, later covered and used as a sewer, near which the prison was located; fleet 1( def )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of fleet1

Old English ڱŧdz ship, flowing water, from ڱŧdzan to float

Origin of fleet2

probably Old English ڱŧdzan to float, glide rapidly; related to Old High German fliozzan to flow, Latin pluere to rain

Origin of fleet3

Old English ڱŧdz flowing water; see fleet 1
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Yet, Luke’s ultimately fleeting contributions to the cause say that a fumbling step is better than staying still.

From

Up to 24 of the latest F-35B stealth jets will join the carrier as it leads a multi-national fleet of warships to 40 countries across the Mediterranean, Middle East, south-east Asia, Japan and Australia.

From

He wanted to hire a fleet of surrogate mothers, so he could build a "legion" of children by keeping many women pregnant at once.

From

Through launching Western and domestically-produced drones, Russia's fleet has been forced back, and a major shipping lane has been restored.

From

The ex-footballer likened it to returning a kickoff and taking advantage of a fleeting hole in the defense.

From

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