test-flew ˈtest-ˌflü How to pronounce test-fly (audio) ; test-flown ˈtest-ˌflōn How to pronounce test-fly (audio) ; test-flying

transitive verb

: to subject to a flight test
test-fly an experimental plane

Examples of test-fly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The plan was for a brisk and breezy mission—test-flying Boeing’s brand-new Starliner spacecraft up to the ISS for a short eight-day cruise. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 13 Aug. 2024 If all goes well, the team plans to test-fly the hybrid-propulsion Saab 340 within about six years. Amy Jankovsky, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2023 The team verified this by test-flying various rectangular sheets of paper, changing the front weight by adding thin metallic tape to one edge. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023 Airbus test-flew a miniaturized airliner demonstrator in 2019. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 24 Aug. 2023 Now, one company has gotten a step closer to making that vision a reality, receiving government approval to test-fly its sports car. Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 4 July 2023 The two met up last week to test-fly a plane that had come out of maintenance. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 6 June 2023 On Thursday, the same day as the tour, REGENT — which stands for Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport — was test-flying its quarter-scale unmanned prototype in the waters of Narragansett Bay nearby. Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of test-fly was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near test-fly

Cite this Entry

“Test-fly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test-fly. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!