на лету

• НА ЛЕТУ{{}}

[PrepP; Invar]

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1. [adv]

⇒ during flight, while sth. or s.o. is still in the air:

- on the fly;

- on the wing;

- in midair;

- in mid flight.

     ♦ Началось кормление. Александр Петрович вынул из сачка крупную ставриду и бросил её пеликану. Разинув свой чудовищный клюв, пеликан... на лету подхватил добычу (Искандер 3). The feeding began. Alexander Petrovich took a large horse mackerel from the net and threw it to the pelican. Opening its monstrous bill, the pelican caught it adroitly on the fly... (3a).

     ♦ Доктор ещё раз брезгливо оглядел комнату и соросил с себя шубу... Штабс-капитан подхватил на лету шубу, а доктор снял фуражку (Достоевский 1). The doctor once again looked squeamishly around the room and threw off his fur coat . The captain caught the coat in midair, and the doctor took off his hat (1a)

2. [usu. adv or nonagreeing modif]

⇒ (to do sth., sth. is carried out) in a hurried fashion (often during a brief encounter):

- hurriedly;

- in a rush;

- for a brief moment;

- a quick (brief, fleeting) [NP].

     ♦ Странное, необычное то было лето... Была радость у людей. Были свадьбы и скороспелая любовь на лету. И были плачи великие. От земли до неба. По тем, кто не вернулся с войны... (Абрамов 1). A strange, an unusual summer it was. ...There was rejoicing among the people There were weddings and there were rushed, fleeting romances And there was great weeping. From earth to heaven on high. For the ones who did not come home from the war (1a).