poet. Obs. Also flitt. [var. of FLEET a., the form being influenced by FLIT v. Cf. also FLIGHT a.] a. Swift, nimble, quickly-moving. b. Fleeting, shifting; light, airy, unsubstantial.

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  a.  1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. iv. 38.

          And in his hand two darts exceeding flit,
  And deadly sharpe he held, whose heads were dight
In poyson and in bloud, of malice and despight.
    Ibid., III. xi. 39.
  Now like a Stag, now like a faulcon flit:
All which in that faire arras was most liuely writ.

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1600.  Fairfax, Tasso, XIV. lxxii. 265.

        Her curled lockes about her front are twinde,
A partie colour’d roabe of silke she weares:
This shall conduct you swift as aire or winde,
Or that flit birde that Ioues hot weapon beares.

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  b.  1590.  Spenser, F. Q., III. x. 57.

        And nothing left, but like an aery Spright,
That on the rockes he fell so flit and light,
That he thereby receiu’d no hurt at all.
    Ibid., III. i. 56.
Therewith a while she her flit fancy fed,
  Till she mote winne fit time for her desire,
  But yet her wound still inward freshly bled.

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1633.  P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., VII. vii.

          Who then shall look for happines beneath;
  Where each new day proclaims chance, change, and death,
And life it self’s as flit as is the aire we breathe?

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