Flagellate Fla·gel"late adjective 1. Flagelliform. 2. (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Flagellata.
Flagellation Flag`el·la"tion noun [ Latin
flagellatio : confer French
flagellation .]
A beating or flogging; a whipping; a scourging. Garth.
Flagellator Flag"el·la`tor noun One who practices flagellation; one who whips or scourges.
Flagelliform Fla·gel"li·form adjective [ Latin
flagellum a whip +
-form .]
Shaped like a whiplash; long, slender, round, flexible, and (comming) tapering.
Flagellum Fla·gel"lum noun ;
plural English
Flagellums , Latin
Flagella . [ Latin , a whip. See
Flagellate ,
transitive verb ]
1. (Botany) A young, flexible shoot of a plant; esp., the long trailing branch of a vine, or a slender branch in certain mosses. 2. (Zoology) (a) A long, whiplike cilium. See Flagellata . (b) An appendage of the reproductive apparatus of the snail. (c) A lashlike appendage of a crustacean, esp. the terminal ortion of the antennæ and the epipodite of the maxilipeds. See Maxilliped .
Flageolet Flag"eo·let` noun [ French
flageolet , dim. of Old French
flaj...l (as if from a Late Latin
flautio ;
us ), of
flaüte ,
flahute , French
fl...te . See
Flute .]
(Mus.) A small wooden pipe, having six or more holes, and a mouthpiece inserted at one end. It produces a shrill sound, softer than of the piccolo flute, and is said to have superseded the old recorder. Flageolet tones (Mus.) ,
the naturel harmonics or overtones of stringed instruments.
Flagginess Flag"gi·ness noun The condition of being flaggy; laxity; limberness. Johnson.
Flagging Flag"ging noun A pavement or sidewalk of flagstones; flagstones, collectively.
Flagging Flag"ging adjective Growing languid, weak, or spiritless; weakening; delaying. --
Flag"ging*ly ,
adverb
Flaggy Flag"gy adjective 1. Weak; flexible; limber. "
Flaggy wings."
Spenser. 2. Tasteless; insipid; as, a flaggy apple. [ Obsolete]
Bacon.
Flaggy Flag"gy adjective [ From 5th
Flag .]
Abounding with the plant called flag ; as, a flaggy marsh.
Flagitate Flag"i·tate transitive verb [ Latin
flagitatus , past participle of
flagitare to demand. See
Flagitious .]
To importune; to demand fiercely or with passion. [ Archaic]
Carcyle.
Flagitation Flag`i·ta"tion noun [ Latin
flagitatio .]
Importunity; urgent demand. [ Archaic]
Carlyle.
Flagitious Fla·gi"tious adjective [ Latin
flagitiosus , from
flagitium a shameful or disgraceful act, orig., a burning desire, heat of passion, from
flagitare to demand hotly, fiercely; confer
flagrare to burn, English
flagrant .]
1. Disgracefully or shamefully criminal; grossly wicked; scandalous; shameful; -- said of acts, crimes, etc. Debauched principles and flagitious practices.
I. Taylor. 2. Guilty of enormous crimes; corrupt; profligate; -- said of persons. Pope. 3. Characterized by scandalous crimes or vices; as, flagitious times. Pope. Syn. -- Atrocious; villainous; flagrant; heinous; corrupt; profligate; abandoned. See
Atrocious . --
Fla*gi"tious*ly ,
adverb --
Fla*gi"tious*ness ,
noun A sentence so flagitiously unjust.
Macaulay.
Flagman Flag"man noun ;
plural Flagmen One who makes signals with a flag.
Flagon Flag"on noun [ French
flacon , for
flascon , from Old French
flasche , from Late Latin
flasco . See
Flask .]
A vessel with a narrow mouth, used for holding and conveying liquors. It is generally larger than a bottle, and of leather or stoneware rather than of glass. A trencher of mutton chops, and a flagon of ale.
Macaulay.
Flagrance Fla"grance noun Flagrancy. Bp. Hall.
Flagrancy Fla"gran·cy noun ;
plural Flagrancies . [ Latin
flagrantia a burning. See
Flagrant .]
1. A burning; great heat; inflammation. [ Obsolete]
Lust causeth a flagrancy in the eyes.
Bacon. 2. The condition or quality of being flagrant; atrocity; heiniousness; enormity; excess. Steele.
Flagrant Fla"grant adjective [ Latin
flagrans ,
-antis , present participle of
flagrate to burn, akin to Greek ...: confer French
flagrant . Confer
Flame ,
Phlox .]
1. Flaming; inflamed; glowing; burning; ardent. The beadle's lash still flagrant on their back.
Prior. A young man yet flagrant from the lash of the executioner or the beadle.
De Quincey. Flagrant desires and affections.
Hooker. 2. Actually in preparation, execution, or performance; carried on hotly; raging. A war the most powerful of the native tribes was flagrant .
Palfrey. 3. Flaming into notice; notorious; enormous; heinous; glaringly wicked. Syn. -- Atrocious; flagitious; glaring. See
Atrocious .
Flagrantly Fla"grant·ly adverb In a flagrant manner.
Flagrate Fla"grate transitive verb [ Latin
flagrare ,
flagratum , v.i. & t., to burn.]
To burn. [ Obsolete]
Greenhill.
Flagration Fla·gra"tion noun A conflagration. [ Obsolete]
Flagship Flag"ship` noun (Nautical) The vessel which carries the commanding officer of a fleet or squadron and flies his distinctive flag or pennant.
Flagstaff Flag"staff` noun ;
plural -staves or
-staffs A staff on which a flag is hoisted.
Flagstone Flag"stone` noun A flat stone used in paving, or any rock which will split into such stones. See Flag , a stone.
Flagworm Flag"worm` noun (Zoology) A worm or grub found among flags and sedge.
Flail Flail noun [ Latin
flagellum whip, scourge, in Late Latin , a threshing flail: confer Old French
flael ,
flaiel , French
fléau . See
Flagellum .]
1. An instrument for threshing or beating grain from the ear by hand, consisting of a wooden staff or handle, at the end of which a stouter and shorter pole or club, called a swipe, is so hung as to swing freely. His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn.
Milton. 2. An ancient military weapon, like the common flail, often having the striking part armed with rows of spikes, or loaded. Fairholt. No citizen thought himself safe unless he carried under his coat a small flail , loaded with lead, to brain the Popish assassins.
Macaulay.
Flaily Flail"y adjective Acting like a flail. [ Obsolete]
Vicars.
Flain Flain obsolete
past participle of Flay . Chaucer.
Flair Flair (flâr)
noun [ Middle English
flaire odor, from Old French & French
flair , from Old French
flairier , French
flairer , to smell, Late Latin
flagrare for Latin
fragrare . See
Flagrant .]
1. Smell; odor. [ Obsolete]
2. Sense of smell; scent; fig., discriminating sense.
Flake Flake (flāk)
noun [ Confer Icelandic
flaki ,
fleki , Danish
flage , Dutch
vlaak .]
1. A paling; a hurdle. [ prov. Eng.]
2. A platform of hurdles, or small sticks made fast or interwoven, supported by stanchions, for drying codfish and other things. You shall also, after they be ripe, neither suffer them to have straw nor fern under them, but lay them either upon some smooth table, boards, or flakes of wands, and they will last the longer.
English Husbandman. 3. (Nautical) A small stage hung over a vessel's side, for workmen to stand on in calking, etc.
Flake Flake (flāk)
noun [ Confer Icelandic
flakna to flake off, split,
flagna to flake off, Swedish
flaga flaw, flake,
flake plate, Danish
flage snowflake. Confer
Flag a flat stone.]
1. A loose filmy mass or a thin chiplike layer of anything; a film; flock; lamina; layer; scale; as, a flake of snow, tallow, or fish. "Lottle
flakes of scurf."
Addison. Great flakes of ice encompassing our boat.
Evelyn. 2. A little particle of lighted or incandescent matter, darted from a fire; a flash. With flakes of ruddy fire.
Somerville. 3. (Botany) A sort of carnation with only two colors in the flower, the petals having large stripes. Flake knife (Archæol.) ,
a cutting instrument used by savage tribes, made of a flake or chip of hard stone. Tylor. --
Flake stand ,
the cooling tub or vessel of a still worm. Knight. --
Flake white .
(Paint.) (a) The purest white lead, in the form of flakes or scales. (b) The trisnitrate of bismuth. Ure.
Flake Flake transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Flaked ;
present participle & verbal noun Flaking .]
To form into flakes. Pope.
Flake Flake intransitive verb To separate in flakes; to peel or scale off.
Flake Flake noun [ Etym. uncertain; confer 1st
Fake .]
A flat layer, or fake, of a coiled cable. Flake after flake ran out of the tubs, until we were compelled to hand the end of our line to the second mate.
F. T. Bullen.
Flakiness Flak"i·ness noun The state of being flaky.
Flaky Flak"y adjective Consisting of flakes or of small, loose masses; lying, or cleaving off, in flakes or layers; flakelike. What showers of mortal hail, what flaky fires!
Watts. A flaky weight of winter's purest snows.
Wordsworth.
Flam Flam (flăm)
noun [ Confer Anglo-Saxon
fleám ,
flǣm , flight. √ 84 . Confer
Flimflam .]
A freak or whim; also, a falsehood; a lie; an illusory pretext; deception; delusion. [ Obsolete]
A perpetual abuse and flam upon posterity.
South.
Flam Flam transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Flammed ;
present participle & verbal noun Flamming .]
To deceive with a falsehood. [ Obsolete]
God is not to be flammed off with lies.
South.
Flambé Flam`bé" adjective [ French, p.p. of
flamber to singe, pass (a thing) through flame. Confer
Flambeau .]
(Ceramics) Decorated by glaze splashed or irregularly spread upon the surface, or apparently applied at the top and allowed to run down the sides; -- said of pieces of Chinese porcelain.
Flambeau Flam"beau ;
noun ;
plural Flambeaux or
Flambeaus . [ French, from Old French
flambe flame, for
flamble , from Latin
flammula a little flame, dim. of
flamma flame. See
Flame .]
A flaming torch, esp. one made by combining together a number of thick wicks invested with a quick-burning substance (anciently, perhaps, wax; in modern times, pitch or the like); hence, any torch.
Flamboyant Flam·boy"ant adjective [ French]
(Architecture) Characterized by waving or flamelike curves, as in the tracery of windows, etc.; -- said of the later (15th century) French Gothic style.
Flamboyer Flam·boy"er noun [ French
flamboyer to be bright.]
(Botany) A name given in the East and West Indies to certain trees with brilliant blossoms, probably species of Cæsalpinia .
Flame Flame (flām)
noun [ Middle English
flame ,
flaume ,
flaumbe , Old French
flame ,
flambe , French
flamme , from Latin
flamma , from
flamma , from
flagrare to burn. See
Flagrant , and confer
Flamneau ,
Flamingo .]
1. A stream of burning vapor or gas, emitting light and heat; darting or streaming fire; a blaze; a fire. 2. Burning zeal or passion; elevated and noble enthusiasm; glowing imagination; passionate excitement or anger. "In a
flame of zeal severe."
Milton. Where flames refin'd in breasts seraphic glow.
Pope. Smit with the love of sister arts we came,
And met congenial, mingling flame with flame .
Pope. 3. Ardor of affection; the passion of love. Coleridge. 4. A person beloved; a sweetheart. Thackeray. Syn. -- Blaze; brightness; ardor. See
Blaze .
Flame bridge ,
a bridge wall. See Bridge , noun , 5. --
Flame color ,
brilliant orange or yellow. B. Jonson. --
Flame engine ,
an early name for the gas engine. --
Flame manometer ,
an instrument, invented by Koenig, to obtain graphic representation of the action of the human vocal organs. See Manometer . --
Flame reaction (Chemistry) ,
a method of testing for the presence of certain elements by the characteristic color imparted to a flame; as, sodium colors a flame yellow, potassium violet, lithium crimson, boracic acid green, etc. Confer Spectrum analysis , under Spectrum . --
Flame tree (Botany) ,
a tree with showy scarlet flowers, as the Rhododendron arboreum in India, and the Brachychiton acerifolium of Australia.
Flame Flame intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Flamed ;
present participle & verbal noun Flaming .] [ Middle English
flamen ,
flaumben , French
flamber , Old French also,
flamer . See
Flame ,
noun ]
1. To burn with a flame or blaze; to burn as gas emitted from bodies in combustion; to blaze. The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again.
Shak. 2. To burst forth like flame; to break out in violence of passion; to be kindled with zeal or ardor. He flamed with indignation.
Macaulay.
Flame Flame transitive verb To kindle; to inflame; to excite. And flamed with zeal of vengeance inwardly.
Spenser.
Flame-colored Flame"-col`ored adjective Of the color of flame; of a bright orange yellow color. Shak.
Flameless Flame"less adjective Destitute of flame. Sandys.
Flamelet Flame"let noun [
Flame +
- let .]
A small flame. The flamelets gleamed and flickered.
Longfellow.
Flamen Fla"men noun ;
plural English
Flammens , Latin
Flamines . [ Latin ]
(Rom. Antiq.) A priest devoted to the service of a particular god, from whom he received a distinguishing epithet. The most honored were those of Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus, called respectively Flamen Dialis , Flamen Martialis , and Flamen Quirinalis . Affrights the flamens at their service quaint.
Milton.