as the crow flies
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The shortest route be- tween two given places. The crow flies straight to its destination. Cp. BEE-LINE.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “as the crow flies” mean?
The shortest route be- tween two given places. The crow flies straight to its destination. Cp. BEE-LINE.
Is “as the crow flies” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.