überfliegen
Translation
to skim, to scan, to fly over
Examples
Das Flugzeug überfliegt die Stadt.
The plane is flying over the city.
Ich überfliege nur die Schlagzeilen.
I'm just skimming the headlines.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to fly over (sth.) The plane flies over the Alps.
((sth.)) to skim (sth.) He quickly skimmed the letter.
Similar Words
Synonyms: to scan, to browse; Antonyms: to study, to read carefully
Etymology
From 'über-' (over) + 'fliegen' (to fly). The literal meaning is 'to fly over'. The figurative meaning 'to skim' comes from this idea.
Memory Tips
Imagine your eyes 'flying over' the text on a page, just as a plane flies over a landscape.