fleet
fleet — noun
1. several warships organised to operate as one unit under a single commander, or t
several warships organised to operate as one unit under a single commander, or the complete collection of a nation's naval vessels
The country's fleet of ten destroyers set sail for the western Pacific.
fleet of [number] + [vessel type]
Salma's grandfather served on a fishing fleet during the war.
fishing fleet
The navy sent its entire fleet to support the rescue operation.
A fleet of cargo ships waited outside the harbour for permission to dock.
文法句型
fleet of + [number] + [vessel type]
possessive + fleet
用法筆記
Commonly used in news reports about naval exercises, trade routes, and maritime defence.
常見錯誤
2. a group of vehicles such as buses, taxis, trucks, or aircraft that are owned or
a group of vehicles such as buses, taxis, trucks, or aircraft that are owned or operated by the same company or organisation
The airline is renewing its entire fleet of Boeing jets next year.
Felix drives one of the company's fleet of delivery vans.
fleet of [vehicle type]
The city's bus fleet was upgraded to electric vehicles last spring.
Yan manages a fleet of taxis for a transport firm in Taipei.
文法句型
fleet of + [vehicle type]
company's/organisation's + fleet
用法筆記
This sense is common in business and logistics contexts. The organisation's name often comes before 'fleet', as in 'the company fleet' or 'the city fleet'.
常見錯誤
fleet — adjective
1. moving or able to move with noticeable speed and lightness, especially in a grac
moving or able to move with noticeable speed and lightness, especially in a graceful or effortless way
The fleet-footed messenger crossed the mountains in just three days.
compound: fleet-footed
Fleet horses carried the riders across the wide grassland.
With fleet movements the dancer seemed to glide across the stage.
Élise watched the fleet deer leap over the fence and disappear.
- slow
standard antonym for speed
文法句型
fleet + noun
fleet-footed (compound)
用法筆記
This adjective is now mostly found in literary or poetic writing. In everyday conversation, speakers use 'swift' or 'fast' instead. The compound form 'fleet-footed' is more common than the bare adjective.
常見錯誤
fleet — verb
1. to move rapidly and lightly over or through a surface or space, often with a smo
to move rapidly and lightly over or through a surface or space, often with a smooth gliding motion
Clouds fleeted across the moon, casting shifting shadows on the ground.
fleet across [surface]
A small boat fleeted over the calm surface of the lake.
Thoughts fleeted through Mayumi's mind faster than she could catch them.
Swallows fleeted past the window as the sun began to set.
文法句型
fleet across/over/through/past [surface or space]
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in descriptive or poetic prose. The subject is typically something light or natural (clouds, birds, boats, thoughts). Not used in ordinary conversation or news reporting.
常見錯誤
2. to slowly become less visible, less strong, or less present until nothing remain
to slowly become less visible, less strong, or less present until nothing remains; to pass out of existence
The memory of that summer fleeted away as the years passed.
fleet away
All hope of rescue fleeted when the storm destroyed the radio.
Ayesha's smile fleeted as quickly as it had appeared on her face.
The last light of evening fleeted from the sky above the hills.
文法句型
fleet away
fleet from [place/memory]
用法筆記
This is the rarest sense of 'fleet' — it is archaic and almost never used in modern English outside of poetry. The more common word for this meaning is 'fade' or 'vanish'. The related adjective 'fleeting' (lasting a very short time) is still widely used.