1. Home
2. Idioms
3. be on the wing

be on the wing

---

---

be on the wing

To be flying. This phrase is typically reserved for living things (such as birds or insects), rather than airplanes and other machines that can fly. When eagles are on the wing, you can clearly see their field marks.

See also: on, wing

be on the wing

  (literary)

if a bird or insect is on the wing, it is flying Numerous orange-tip butterflies were on the wing in the warm sunshine.

See also: on, wing