flyback

1 of 2

adjective

: tending to fly back or capable of flying back: such as

a

of a stopwatch or chronograph : having a sweep second hand that may be made to fly back to zero

b

of fur, hair, or feathers : having a tendency to fall back into position when brushed the wrong way

flyback

2 of 2

noun

"

1

: the return to zero of the second hand or the split-second hand of a stopwatch or chronograph

2

: the return of a cathode-ray beam in a television picture tube after it has traced one picture before it traces the next

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from fly back, verb

Noun

from fly back, verb

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!