World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesAs-the-crow-flies
/æz ðə ˈkroʊ ˌflaɪz/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
In a straight line, measuring the shortest distance between two places without regard for curves in roads or terrain.
"The two towns are only ten miles apart as the crow flies."
- 1
Describing a direct, straight-line measurement across a geographical expanse.
"We calculated the as-the-crow-flies distance across the mountain range."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Originating in 18th-century England, this idiomatic expression derives from the observation that birds, specifically crows, fly in a straight, direct line to their destination without being hindered by roads, rivers, or terrain. Over time, it transitioned from a literal description of avian flight to a standardized figurative idiom used to measure the shortest distance between two points.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "As-the-crow-flies"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "As-the-crow-flies" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
à vol d'oiseau
Transliteration: a vol d'wazo
"Les deux villages sont à dix kilomètres à vol d'oiseau."
luftlinie
Transliteration: luftlinie
Script: Luftlinie
"Die Städte sind zwanzig Kilometer Luftlinie voneinander entfernt."
in linea d'aria
Transliteration: in linea d'aria
"Il mare dista solo cinque chilometri in linea d'aria."
en línea recta
Transliteration: en linea recta
"Están a cincuenta kilómetros en línea recta."
em linha reta
Transliteration: em linha reta
"Fica a dez quilômetros em linha reta."
सीधी रेखा में
Transliteration: seedhi rekha mein
Script: हिंदी देवनागरी
"दोनों शहर सीधी रेखा में पचास किलोमीटर की दूरी पर हैं।"
直线距离
Transliteration: zhíxiàn jùlí
"两地相距直线距离五十公里。"
직선거리로
Transliteration: jikseon-georiro
Script: 한국어 한글
"두 도시는 직선거리로 20킬로미터 떨어져 있습니다."
直線距離で
Transliteration: chokusen kyori de
Script: 日本語
"その2つの町は直線距離で10キロメートル離れています。"
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