FLEET Definition & Meaning

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fleet

[ fleet ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the largest organized unit of naval ships grouped for tactical or other purposes.
the largest organization of warships under the command of a single officer.
a number of naval vessels or vessels carrying armed crew members.
a large group of ships, airplanes, trucks, etc., operated by a single company or under the same ownership:
He owns a fleet of cabs.
a large group of airplanes, automobiles, etc., moving or operating together.

fleet

[ fleet ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

fleeter, fleetest.

swift; rapid:
to be fleet of foot;
a fleet horse.

verb (used without object)

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

verb (used with object)

to cause (time) to pass lightly or swiftly.
Synonyms: , ,
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

[ fleet ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

British Dialect.

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

Fleet

/ �ڱ��ː�� /

noun

a stream that formerly ran into the Thames between Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street and is now a covered sewer
Also calledFleet Prison (formerly) a London prison, esp used for holding debtors

fleet

/ �ڱ��ː�� /

noun

a number of warships organized as a tactical unit
all the warships of a nation
a number of aircraft, ships, buses, etc, operating together or under the same ownership

fleet

/ �ڱ��ː�� /

adjective

rapid in movement; swift
poetic.
fleeting; transient

verb

intr to move rapidly
archaic.
intr to fade away smoothly; glide
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)
obsolete.
intr to float or swim
obsolete.
tr to cause (time) to pass rapidly

fleet

⁴

/ �ڱ��ː�� /

noun

a small coastal inlet; creek

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Derived Forms

ˈ�ڱ��ٲԱ��, noun
ˈ�ڱ��ٱ��, adverb

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

�ڱ��l�� adverb
�ڱ��n�� noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of fleet¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English flete, fleot(e), Old English �ڱ�ŧ�ǳ� “bay, estuary; boat,” derivative of �ڱ�ŧ�ǳ�an float ( def ); fleet ²

Origin of fleet²

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

Origin of fleet³

First recorded before 900; Middle English flete, Old English �ڱ�ŧ�ǳ� “flowing water”; cognate with German Fliess “b��Ǵǰ�”; 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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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of fleet¹

Old English �ڱ�ŧ�ǳ� ship, flowing water, from �ڱ�ŧ�ǳ�an to float

Origin of fleet²

probably Old English �ڱ�ŧ�ǳ�an to float, glide rapidly; related to Old High German fliozzan to flow, Latin pluere to rain

Origin of fleet³

Old English �ڱ�ŧ�ǳ� flowing water; see fleet ¹

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Poodle-dog isn’t a household name like poison oak and ivy, likely due to its limited geographic region and fleeting nature.

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Yet even within the dour working environment at the local mine, these two young men find fleeting moments of satisfaction.

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Tesla was granted a permit in California allowing it to operate its own fleet of taxis driven by company employees, state officials said, the first in a step toward autonomous Tesla taxis.

From

Society may react to them negatively, but these are shown as fleeting interactions and/or the disabled people in question emphasize how they use these opportunities to create teachable moments.

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In the car park at the back, a fleet of vehicles stands destroyed.

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