Forms: 6 flie-bote, flee-boate, flibote, 7 fly(e)boat(e, 7– fly-boat. [app. ad. Du. vlieboot, originally denoting one of the small boats used on the Vlie or channel leading out of the Zuyder Zee, afterwards applied in ridicule to the small vessels used against the Spaniards by the Gueux de mer (1572); the word has passed into several European langs.: F. flibot, Sp. flibote, Ger. flieboot. But in Eng. it was very early associated with FLY v.1, and this is prob. the source of sense 4. Sense 3, belonging esp. to Shetland, may be a distinct word, representing ON. fley; cf. ONorthumb. flœge, perh. adopted from ON.]
† 1. A fast-sailing vessel used chiefly in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: a. for rapid transport of goods, etc., esp. in the coasting trade; Obs. exc. spec. a Dutch flat-bottomed boat; = FLIGHT 12 a.
1577. Dee, Relat. Spir., I. (1659), 33. Our Fisher-boat his sayl-yard and sayl was entangled on the Mayn-yard of the Fly-boat.
1588. Wills Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), II. 182. Paid to the fliebote, for freight of cxxx last of rye.
1698. Froger, Voy., 140. We took a small Fly-boat of forty Tunn, coming from Virginia, laden with Tobacco, Bacon, and Meal for Barbadoes.
1733. P. Lindsay, Interest Scot., 133. Our Merchants might build in New-England, large Hag Boats and Fly Boats, from 3 to 600 Tons, for the bulky Trade.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1776), Fly-boat, or Flight, a large flat-bottom’d Dutch vessel, whose burthen is generally from four to six hundred tons.
fig. 1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., V. Wks. 1856, I. 63. Here’s such a companie of flibotes, hulling about this galleasse of greatnesse, that there’s no boarding him.
1664. J. Wilson, Cheats, IV. iv. Dram. Wks. (1874), 79. She’s [landlady] a pretty Fly-Boat, two Men won’t sink her!
† b. for warlike purposes, voyages of discovery, etc.; a kind of frigate. Obs. exc. Hist.
1590. Nashe, Pasquil’s Apol., 11. He was built but for a Flie-boate, to take and leaue; when the skyrmish is too hote for him to tarrie, he may sette vp his sayles and runne away.
1673. Lond. Gaz., No. 758/4. This Caper is a Flyboat of two tire of Guns, carrying in all, as we suppose, 32.
1752. Carte, Hist. Eng., III. 538–9. The Flushingers, knowing it, put a number of flyboats to sea, and seized all ships coming from Spaine.
1868. St. John, Life Raleigh, I. 257. A ship of London, fell in with the fly-boat, and made prize of her almost close to the shore.
† 2. A small boat, esp. a ship’s boat. Obs.
1598. Florio, Fusta, a pinace or Fliebote.
1688. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), I. 473. Some of our ships, since the passing by the Dutch fleet, have pickt up a small flyboat or two belonging to them.
1820. Scott, Monast., xxix. While the humble fly-boat carries to shore those friends.
† 3. A fishing boat used in Shetland, a buss. Obs.
1614. T. Gentleman, Eng. Way to Wealth, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), III. 239. Fly-boats … ride at anchor all the season at Shetland, in the fishing-grounds.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 243. Another fleete of Fisher-men (called Flyboats).
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, I. 242, plate. Herring Buss or Fly Boat.
4. a. A swift passage boat used on canals. b. See quot. 1893.
1841. S. C. Hall, Ireland (1843), III. 275. We entered the county by the Royal Canal, voyaging part of the way in one of the ‘Fly-boats.’
1841–56. S. C. Brees, Gloss. Civ. Engin., s.v. Canal, Slow boats 21/2 miles per hour … Fly boats 4 miles.
1893. Labour Commission, Gloss., s.v. Boats, Fly-Boats … barges of unusual length and of a narrow construction, drawing a very small amount of water.
5. Comb., as fly-boat-built adj.
1688. Clayton, Virginia, i., in Phil. Trans., XVII. 782. We Sail’d in the Ship Judith, Captain Trim Commander, ’twas Fly-boat built, about 200 or 250 Tuns; she sprung a considerable Leak.
