to let fly

Fly \Fly\ (fl[imac]), v. i. [imp. {Flew} (fl[=u]); p. p. {Flown}
   (fl[=o]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Flying}.] [OE. fleen, fleen,
   fleyen, flegen, AS. fle['o]gan; akin to D. vliegen, OHG.
   fliogan, G. fliegen, Icel. flj[=u]ga, Sw. flyga, Dan. flyve,
   Goth. us-flaugjan to cause to fly away, blow about, and perh.
   to L. pluma feather, E. plume. [root]84. Cf. {Fledge},
   {Flight}, {Flock} of animals.]
   1. To move in or pass through the air with wings, as a bird.

   2. To move through the air or before the wind; esp., to pass
      or be driven rapidly through the air by any impulse.
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   3. To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag.
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            Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
                                                  --Job v. 7.
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   4. To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away; to circulate
      rapidly; as, a ship flies on the deep; a top flies around;
      rumor flies.
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            Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race.
                                                  --Milton.
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            The dark waves murmured as the ships flew on.
                                                  --Bryant.
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   5. To run from danger; to attempt to escape; to flee; as, an
      enemy or a coward flies. See Note under {Flee}.
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            Fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.   --Milton.
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            Whither shall I fly to escape their hands ? --Shak.
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   6. To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly
      or swiftly; -- usually with a qualifying word; as, a door
      flies open; a bomb flies apart.
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   {To fly about} (Naut.), to change frequently in a short time;
      -- said of the wind.

   {To fly around}, to move about in haste. [Colloq.]

   {To fly at}, to spring toward; to rush on; to attack
      suddenly.

   {To fly in the face of}, to insult; to assail; to set at
      defiance; to oppose with violence; to act in direct
      opposition to; to resist.

   {To fly off}, to separate, or become detached suddenly; to
      revolt.

   {To fly on}, to attack.

   {To fly open}, to open suddenly, or with violence.

   {To fly out}.
      (a) To rush out.
      (b) To burst into a passion; to break out into license.

   {To let fly}.
      (a) To throw or drive with violence; to discharge. "A man
          lets fly his arrow without taking any aim." --Addison.
      (b) (Naut.) To let go suddenly and entirely; as, to let
          fly the sheets.
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Let \Let\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Let} ({Letted} (l[e^]t"t[e^]d),
   [Obs].); p. pr. & vb. n. {Letting}.] [OE. leten, l[ae]ten
   (past tense lat, let, p. p. laten, leten, lete), AS.
   l[=ae]tan (past tense l[=e]t, p. p. l[=ae]ten); akin to
   OFries. l[=e]ta, OS. l[=a]tan, D. laten, G. lassen, OHG.
   l[=a]zzan, Icel. l[=a]ta, Sw. l[*a]ta, Dan. lade, Goth.
   l[=e]tan, and L. lassus weary. The original meaning seems to
   have been, to let loose, let go, let drop. Cf. {Alas},
   {Late}, {Lassitude}, {Let} to hinder.]
   1. To leave; to relinquish; to abandon. [Obs. or Archaic,
      except when followed by alone or be.]
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            He . . . prayed him his voyage for to let.
                                                  --Chaucer.
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            Yet neither spins nor cards, ne cares nor frets,
            But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.
                                                  --Spenser.
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            Let me alone in choosing of my wife.  --Chaucer.
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   2. To consider; to think; to esteem. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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   3. To cause; to make; -- used with the infinitive in the
      active form but in the passive sense; as, let make, i. e.,
      cause to be made; let bring, i. e., cause to be brought.
      [Obs.]
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            This irous, cursed wretch
            Let this knight's son anon before him fetch.
                                                  --Chaucer.
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            He . . . thus let do slay hem all three. --Chaucer.
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            Anon he let two coffers make.         --Gower.
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   4. To permit; to allow; to suffer; -- either affirmatively,
      by positive act, or negatively, by neglecting to restrain
      or prevent.
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   Note: In this sense, when followed by an infinitive, the
         latter is commonly without the sign to; as to let us
         walk, i. e., to permit or suffer us to walk. Sometimes
         there is entire omission of the verb; as, to let [to be
         or to go] loose.
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               Pharaoh said, I will let you go.   --Ex. viii.
                                                  28.
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               If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it
               is.                                --Shak.
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   5. To allow to be used or occupied for a compensation; to
      lease; to rent; to hire out; -- often with out; as, to let
      a farm; to let a house; to let out horses.
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   6. To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or
      contract; -- often with out; as, to let the building of a
      bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering.
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   Note: The active form of the infinitive of let, as of many
         other English verbs, is often used in a passive sense;
         as, a house to let (i. e., for letting, or to be let).
         This form of expression conforms to the use of the
         Anglo-Saxon gerund with to (dative infinitive) which
         was commonly so employed. See {Gerund}, 2. " Your
         elegant house in Harley Street is to let." --Thackeray.
         In the imperative mood, before the first person plural,
         let has a hortative force. " Rise up, let us go."
         --Mark xiv. 42. " Let us seek out some desolate shade."
         --Shak.
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   {To let alone}, to leave; to withdraw from; to refrain from
      interfering with.

   {To let blood}, to cause blood to flow; to bleed.

   {To let down}.
      (a) To lower.
      (b) To soften in tempering; as, to let down tools,
          cutlery, and the like.

   {To let fly} or {To let drive}, to discharge with violence,
      as a blow, an arrow, or stone. See under {Drive}, and
      {Fly}.

   {To let in} or {To let into}.
      (a) To permit or suffer to enter; to admit.
      (b) To insert, or imbed, as a piece of wood, in a recess
          formed in a surface for the purpose.

   {To let loose}, to remove restraint from; to permit to wander
      at large.

   {To let off}.
      (a) To discharge; to let fly, as an arrow; to fire the
          charge of, as a gun.
      (b) To release, as from an engagement or obligation.
          [Colloq.]

   {To let out}.
      (a) To allow to go forth; as, to let out a prisoner.
      (b) To extend or loosen, as the folds of a garment; to
          enlarge; to suffer to run out, as a cord.
      (c) To lease; to give out for performance by contract, as
          a job.
      (d) To divulge.

   {To let slide}, to let go; to cease to care for. [Colloq.] "
      Let the world slide." --Shak.
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