on the wing
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on the wing
Of a bird, in flight or while flying. My uncle is such a marksman that he uses rifles to hunt birds on the wing, rather than shotguns. It's a beautiful spot where one can view ducks and swans on the wing.
on the wing
Fig. while flying; while in flight. (Usually refers to birds, fowl, etc., not people or planes.) There is nothing as pretty as a bird on the wing. The hawk caught the sparrow on the wing.
on the wing
1. In flight, usually referring to a bird as opposed to a plane. For example, Louise is very good at identifying birds on the wing. [Late 1400s]
2. Active, in motion, as in Coaches are always on the wing, trying to recruit talented athletes. This usage may be obsolescent. [c. 1500]
on the ˈwing
(literary) (of a bird) flyingon the wing
In flight; flying.