Fleet | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Fleet, n.

noun

n. [A-S. fleot, a place where vessels float, bay, river, from fleotan, to float, swim; L. Ger. flet, sewer, rivulet, D. vliet, M. H. Ger. vliez, N. H. Ger. fliesz.] 1. A flood; a creek or inlet; a bay or estuary; a river;—sometimes used in compound names of places; as, Fleet-street, North-fleet, Fleet-prison. [Obs.] Together wove we nets to entrap the fish In floods and sedgy fleets. Matthews. 2. A former prison in London;—so called from a stream, the Fleet (now filled up), on which it stood. Fleet parson, a clergyman of low character, in the vicinity of the Fleet-prison, who united persons in marriage, called Fleet-marriage, at any time of day or night, without public notice or witnesses, and without consent of parents.

Fleet, n.

noun

[A-S. fliet, flota, ship, from fleótan, to float, swim, Icel. floti, fleet, boat, O. Dan. flaade, N. Dan. fiode, Sw. flotta, D. vloot, L. & H. Ger. flotte, Fr. flotte, It. flotta.] A navy or squadron of ships; a number of ships in company; especially, a number of ships of war.

Fleet, a.

adjective

a. [compar. FLEETER; superl. FLEETEST.] [Icel. fliótr, quick. See FLIT.]

Sense 1. Swift in motion; moving with velocity; light and quick in going from place to place; nimble.

In mail their horses clad, yet fleet and strong. Milton.

Sense 2. Light; superficially fruitful, or thin; not penetrating deep, as soil. [Prov. Eng.] Mortimer.

Fleet, v. i.

verbintransitive

[imp. & p. p. FLEETED; p. pr. & vb. n. FLEETING.] 1. To fly swiftly; to hasten; to flit as a light substance. All the unaccomplished works of Nature's hand, Dissolved on earth, fleet hither. Milton. 2. To sail; to float. [Obs.] And in frail wood on Adrian Gulf doth fleet. Spenser. 3. (Naut.) To slip down the barrel of a capstan or windlass;—said of a rope or chain.

Fleet, v. t.

verbtransitive

[See supra.]

To pass over rapidly; to skim the surface of; as, a ship that fleets the gulf. Spenser.
To hasten over; to cause to pass lightly, or in mirth and joy.

Young gentlemen flock to him, and fleet the time carelessly. Shak.

[A-S. flêt, flĭĕt, cream, from flēotan.] To take the cream from;—to skim. [Eng.]
(Naut.) (a.) To draw apart the blocks of;—said of a tackle. Totten. (b.) To cause to slip down the barrel of a capstan or windlass, as a rope or chain.