| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| flail | noun | 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., An ancient military weapon, like the common flail, often having the striking part armed with rows of spikes, or loaded. |
| flain | p. p. of Flay. | |
| flake | noun | A paling; a hurdle., A platform of hurdles, or small sticks made fast or interwoven, supported by stanchions, for drying codfish and other things., A small stage hung over a vessel’s side, for workmen to stand on in calking, etc., 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., A little particle of lighted or incandescent matter, darted from a fire; a flash., A sort of carnation with only two colors in the flower, the petals having large stripes., To form into flakes., To separate in flakes; to peel or scale off. |
| flaky | adjective | Consisting of flakes or of small, loose masses; lying, or cleaving off, in flakes or layers; flakelike. |
| flame | noun | A stream of burning vapor or gas, emitting light and heat; darting or streaming fire; a blaze; a fire., Burning zeal or passion; elevated and noble enthusiasm; glowing imagination; passionate excitement or anger., Ardor of affection; the passion of love., A person beloved; a sweetheart., To burn with a flame or blaze; to burn as gas emitted from bodies in combustion; to blaze., To burst forth like flame; to break out in violence of passion; to be kindled with zeal or ardor., To kindle; to inflame; to excite. |
| flamy | adjective | Flaming; blazing; flamelike; flame-colored; composed of flame. |
| flang | noun | A miner’s two-pointed pick. |
| flank | noun | The fleshy or muscular part of the side of an animal, between the ribs and the hip. See Illust. of Beef., The side of an army, or of any division of an army, as of a brigade, regiment, or battalion; the extreme right or left; as, to attack an enemy in flank is to attack him on the side., That part of a bastion which reaches from the curtain to the face, and defends the curtain, the flank and face of the opposite bastion; any part of a work defending another by a fire along the outside of its parapet., The side of any building., That part of the acting surface of a gear wheel tooth that lies within the pitch line., To stand at the flank or side of; to border upon., To overlook or command the flank of; to secure or guard the flank of; to pass around or turn the flank of; to attack, or threaten to attack; the flank of., To border; to touch., To be posted on the side. |
| flare | verb i. | To burn with an unsteady or waving flame; as, the candle flares., To shine out with a sudden and unsteady light; to emit a dazzling or painfully bright light., To shine out with gaudy colors; to flaunt; to be offensively bright or showy., To be exposed to too much light., To open or spread outwards; to project beyond the perpendicular; as, the sides of a bowl flare; the bows of a ship flare., An unsteady, broad, offensive light., A spreading outward; as, the flare of a fireplace., Leaf of lard. |
| flash | verb i. | To burst or break forth with a sudden and transient flood of flame and light; as, the lighting flashes vividly; the powder flashed., To break forth, as a sudden flood of light; to burst instantly and brightly on the sight; to show a momentary brilliancy; to come or pass like a flash., To burst forth like a sudden flame; to break out violently; to rush hastily., To send out in flashes; to cause to burst forth with sudden flame or light., To convey as by a flash; to light up, as by a sudden flame or light; as, to flash a message along the wires; to flash conviction on the mind., To cover with a thin layer, as objects of glass with glass of a different color. See Flashing, n., 3 (b)., To trick up in a showy manner., To strike and throw up large bodies of water from the surface; to splash., A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously appearing and disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash of lightning., A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or genius; a momentary brightness or show., The time during which a flash is visible; an instant; a very brief period., A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for coloring and giving a fictious strength to liquors., Showy, but counterfeit; cheap, pretentious, and vulgar; as, flash jewelry; flash finery., Wearing showy, counterfeit ornaments; vulgarly pretentious; as, flash people; flash men or women; — applied especially to thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes that dress in a showy way and wear much cheap jewelry., Slang or cant of thieves and prostitutes., A pool., A reservoir and sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the shoal. |
| flask | noun | A small bottle-shaped vessel for holding fluids; as, a flask of oil or wine., A narrow-necked vessel of metal or glass, used for various purposes; as of sheet metal, to carry gunpowder in; or of wrought iron, to contain quicksilver; or of glass, to heat water in, etc., A bed in a gun carriage., The wooden or iron frame which holds the sand, etc., forming the mold used in a foundry; it consists of two or more parts; viz., the cope or top; sometimes, the cheeks, or middle part; and the drag, or bottom part. When there are one or more cheeks, the flask is called a three part flask, four part flask, etc. |
| flawn | noun | A sort of flat custard or pie. |
| flawy | adjective | Full of flaws or cracks; broken; defective; faulty., Subject to sudden flaws or gusts of wind. |
| flaxy | adjective | Like flax; flaxen. |
| fleak | noun | A flake; a thread or twist. |
| fleam | noun | A sharp instrument used for opening veins, lancing gums, etc.; a kind of lancet. |
| flear | verb t. & i. | See Fleer., A word or look of derision or mockery., A grin of civility; a leer. |
| fleck | noun | A flake; also, a lock, as of wool., A spot; a streak; a speckle., To spot; to streak or stripe; to variegate; to dapple. |
| fleen | noun pl. | Obs. pl. of Flea. |
| fleer | noun | One who flees., To make a wry face in contempt, or to grin in scorn; to deride; to sneer; to mock; to gibe; as, to fleer and flout., To grin with an air of civility; to leer., To mock; to flout at. |
| fleet | noun & adjective | To sail; to float., To fly swiftly; to pass over quickly; to hasten; to flit as a light substance., To slip on the whelps or the barrel of a capstan or windlass; — said of a cable or hawser., To pass over rapidly; to skin the surface of; as, a ship that fleets the gulf., To hasten over; to cause to pass away lighty, or in mirth and joy., To draw apart the blocks of; — said of a tackle., To cause to slip down the barrel of a capstan or windlass, as a rope or chain., Swift in motion; moving with velocity; light and quick in going from place to place; nimble., Light; superficially thin; not penetrating deep, as soil., A number of vessels in company, especially war vessels; also, the collective naval force of a country, etc., A flood; a creek or inlet; a bay or estuary; a river; — obsolete, except as a place name, — as Fleet Street in London., A former prison in London, which originally stood near a stream, the Fleet (now filled up)., To take the cream from; to skim. |
| fleme | verb t. | To banish; to drive out; to expel. |
| flesh | noun | The aggregate of the muscles, fat, and other tissues which cover the framework of bones in man and other animals; especially, the muscles., Animal food, in distinction from vegetable; meat; especially, the body of beasts and birds used as food, as distinguished from fish., The human body, as distinguished from the soul; the corporeal person., The human eace; mankind; humanity., Human nature, In a good sense, tenderness of feeling; gentleness., In a bad sense, tendency to transient or physical pleasure; desire for sensual gratification; carnality., The character under the influence of animal propensities or selfish passions; the soul unmoved by spiritual influences., Kindred; stock; race., The soft, pulpy substance of fruit; also, that part of a root, fruit, and the like, which is fit to be eaten., To feed with flesh, as an incitement to further exertion; to initiate; — from the practice of training hawks and dogs by feeding them with the first game they take, or other flesh. Hence, to use upon flesh (as a murderous weapon) so as to draw blood, especially for the first time., To glut; to satiate; hence, to harden, to accustom., To remove flesh, membrance, etc., from, as from hides. |
| flete | verb i. | To float; to swim. |
| flews | noun pl. | The pendulous or overhanging lateral parts of the upper lip of dogs, especially prominent in hounds; — called also chaps. See Illust. of Bloodhound. |
| flick | verb t. | To whip lightly or with a quick jerk; to flap; as, to flick a horse; to flick the dirt from boots., A flitch; as, a flick of bacon. |
| flier | verb | One who flies or flees; a runaway; a fugitive., A fly. See Fly, n., 9, and 13 (b)., See Flyer, n., 5., See Flyer, n., 4. |
| flung | imp. & past participle | of Fling, imp. & p. p. of Fling. |
| fling | verb t. | To cast, send, to throw from the hand; to hurl; to dart; to emit with violence as if thrown from the hand; as, to fing a stone into the pond., To shed forth; to emit; to scatter., To throw; to hurl; to throw off or down; to prostrate; hence, to baffle; to defeat; as, to fling a party in litigation., To throw; to wince; to flounce; as, the horse began to kick and fling., To cast in the teeth; to utter abusive language; to sneer; as, the scold began to flout and fling., To throw one’s self in a violent or hasty manner; to rush or spring with violence or haste., A cast from the hand; a throw; also, a flounce; a kick; as, the fling of a horse., A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm., A kind of dance; as, the Highland fling., A trifing matter; an object of contempt. |
| flint | noun | A massive, somewhat impure variety of quartz, in color usually of a gray to brown or nearly black, breaking with a conchoidal fracture and sharp edge. It is very hard, and strikes fire with steel., A piece of flint for striking fire; — formerly much used, esp. in the hammers of gun locks., Anything extremely hard, unimpressible, and unyielding, like flint. |
| flipe | verb t. | To turn inside out, or with the leg part back over the foot, as a stocking in pulling off or for putting on. |
| flirt | verb t. | To throw with a jerk or quick effort; to fling suddenly; as, they flirt water in each other’s faces; he flirted a glove, or a handkerchief., To toss or throw about; to move playfully to and fro; as, to flirt a fan., To jeer at; to treat with contempt; to mock., To run and dart about; to act with giddiness, or from a desire to attract notice; especially, to play the coquette; to play at courtship; to coquet; as, they flirt with the young men., To utter contemptuous language, with an air of disdain; to jeer or gibe., A sudden jerk; a quick throw or cast; a darting motion; hence, a jeer., One who flirts; esp., a woman who acts with giddiness, or plays at courtship; a coquette; a pert girl., Pert; wanton. |
| flisk | verb i. | To frisk; to skip; to caper., A caper; a spring; a whim. |
| flite | verb i. | To scold; to quarrel. |
| float | verb i. | Anything which floats or rests on the surface of a fluid, as to sustain weight, or to indicate the height of the surface, or mark the place of, something., A mass of timber or boards fastened together, and conveyed down a stream by the current; a raft., The hollow, metallic ball of a self-acting faucet, which floats upon the water in a cistern or boiler., The cork or quill used in angling, to support the bait line, and indicate the bite of a fish., Anything used to buoy up whatever is liable to sink; an inflated bag or pillow used by persons learning to swim; a life preserver., A float board. See Float board (below)., A contrivance for affording a copious stream of water to the heated surface of an object of large bulk, as an anvil or die., The act of flowing; flux; flow., A quantity of earth, eighteen feet square and one foot deep., The trowel or tool with which the floated coat of plastering is leveled and smoothed., A polishing block used in marble working; a runner., A single-cut file for smoothing; a tool used by shoemakers for rasping off pegs inside a shoe., A coal cart., The sea; a wave. See Flote, n., To rest on the surface of any fluid; to swim; to be buoyed up., To move quietly or gently on the water, as a raft; to drift along; to move or glide without effort or impulse on the surface of a fluid, or through the air., To cause to float; to cause to rest or move on the surface of a fluid; as, the tide floated the ship into the harbor., To flood; to overflow; to cover with water., To pass over and level the surface of with a float while the plastering is kept wet., To support and sustain the credit of, as a commercial scheme or a joint-stock company, so as to enable it to go into, or continue in, operation. |
| flock | noun | A company or collection of living creatures; — especially applied to sheep and birds, rarely to persons or (except in the plural) to cattle and other large animals; as, a flock of ravenous fowl., A Christian church or congregation; considered in their relation to the pastor, or minister in charge., To gather in companies or crowds., To flock to; to crowd., A lock of wool or hair., Woolen or cotton refuse (sing. / pl.), old rags, etc., reduced to a degree of fineness by machinery, and used for stuffing unpholstered furniture., Very fine, sifted, woolen refuse, especially that from shearing the nap of cloths, used as a coating for wall paper to give it a velvety or clothlike appearance; also, the dust of vegetable fiber used for a similar purpose., To coat with flock, as wall paper; to roughen the surface of (as glass) so as to give an appearance of being covered with fine flock. |
| flong | imp. & p. p. of Fling. | |
| flood | verb i. | A great flow of water; a body of moving water; the flowing stream, as of a river; especially, a body of water, rising, swelling, and overflowing land not usually thus covered; a deluge; a freshet; an inundation., The flowing in of the tide; the semidiurnal swell or rise of water in the ocean; — opposed to ebb; as, young flood; high flood., A great flow or stream of any fluid substance; as, a flood of light; a flood of lava; hence, a great quantity widely diffused; an overflowing; a superabundance; as, a flood of bank notes; a flood of paper currency., Menstrual disharge; menses., To overflow; to inundate; to deluge; as, the swollen river flooded the valley., To cause or permit to be inundated; to fill or cover with water or other fluid; as, to flood arable land for irrigation; to fill to excess or to its full capacity; as, to flood a country with a depreciated currency. |
| flook | noun | A fluke of an anchor. |
| floor | noun | The bottom or lower part of any room; the part upon which we stand and upon which the movables in the room are supported., The structure formed of beams, girders, etc., with proper covering, which divides a building horizontally into stories. Floor in sense 1 is, then, the upper surface of floor in sense 2., The surface, or the platform, of a structure on which we walk or travel; as, the floor of a bridge., A story of a building. See Story., The part of the house assigned to the members., The right to speak., That part of the bottom of a vessel on each side of the keelson which is most nearly horizontal., The rock underlying a stratified or nearly horizontal deposit., A horizontal, flat ore body., To cover with a floor; to furnish with a floor; as, to floor a house with pine boards., To strike down or lay level with the floor; to knock down; hence, to silence by a conclusive answer or retort; as, to floor an opponent., To finish or make an end of; as, to floor a college examination. |
| flora | noun | The goddess of flowers and spring., The complete system of vegetable species growing without cultivation in a given locality, region, or period; a list or description of, or treatise on, such plants. |
| flosh | noun | A hopper-shaped box or /nortar in which ore is placed for the action of the stamps. |
| floss | noun | The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also called silk., Untwisted filaments of silk, used in embroidering., A small stream of water., Fluid glass floating on iron in the puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths which are present. |
| flota | noun | A fleet; especially, a /eet of Spanish ships which formerly sailed every year from Cadiz to Vera Cruz, in Mexico, to transport to Spain the production of Spanish America. |
| flote | verb t. | To fleet; to skim., A wave. |
| flour | noun | The finely ground meal of wheat, or of any other grain; especially, the finer part of meal separated by bolting; hence, the fine and soft powder of any substance; as, flour of emery; flour of mustard., To grind and bolt; to convert into flour; as, to flour wheat., To sprinkle with flour. |
| flout | verb t. | To mock or insult; to treat with contempt., To practice mocking; to behave with contempt; to sneer; to fleer; — often with at., A mock; an insult. |
| flowk | noun | See 1st Fluke. |
| flown | p. p. of Fly; — often used with the auxiliary verb to be; as, the birds are flown., Flushed, inflated., of Fly | |
| fluey | adjective | Downy; fluffy. |
| fluff | noun | Nap or down; flue; soft, downy feathers. |
| fluid | adjective | Having particles which easily move and change their relative position without a separation of the mass, and which easily yield to pressure; capable of flowing; liquid or gaseous., A fluid substance; a body whose particles move easily among themselves. |
| fluke | noun | The European flounder. See Flounder., A parasitic trematode worm of several species, having a flat, lanceolate body and two suckers. Two species (Fasciola hepatica and Distoma lanceolatum) are found in the livers of sheep, and produce the disease called rot., The part of an anchor which fastens in the ground; a flook. See Anchor., One of the lobes of a whale’s tail, so called from the resemblance to the fluke of an anchor., An instrument for cleaning out a hole drilled in stone for blasting., An accidental and favorable stroke at billiards (called a scratch in the United States); hence, any accidental or unexpected advantage; as, he won by a fluke. |
| fluky | adjective | Formed like, or having, a fluke. |
| flume | noun | A stream; especially, a passage channel, or conduit for the water that drives a mill wheel; or an artifical channel of water for hydraulic or placer mining; also, a chute for conveying logs or lumber down a declivity. |
| flunk | verb i. | To fail, as on a lesson; to back out, as from an undertaking, through fear., To fail in; to shirk, as a task or duty., A failure or backing out, a total failure in a recitation. |
| fluo- | A combining form indicating fluorine as an ingredient; as in fluosilicate, fluobenzene. | |
| fluor | noun | A fluid state., Menstrual flux; catamenia; menses., See Fluorite. |
| flurt | noun | A flirt. |
| flush | verb i. | To flow and spread suddenly; to rush; as, blood flushes into the face., To become suddenly suffused, as the cheeks; to turn red; to blush., To snow red; to shine suddenly; to glow., To start up suddenly; to take wing as a bird., To cause to be full; to flood; to overflow; to overwhelm with water; as, to flush the meadows; to flood for the purpose of cleaning; as, to flush a sewer., To cause the blood to rush into (the face); to put to the blush, or to cause to glow with excitement., To make suddenly or temporarily red or rosy, as if suffused with blood., To excite; to animate; to stir., To cause to start, as a hunter a bird., A sudden flowing; a rush which fills or overflows, as of water for cleansing purposes., A suffusion of the face with blood, as from fear, shame, modesty, or intensity of feeling of any kind; a blush; a glow., Any tinge of red color like that produced on the cheeks by a sudden rush of blood; as, the flush on the side of a peach; the flush on the clouds at sunset., A sudden flood or rush of feeling; a thrill of excitement. animation, etc.; as, a flush of joy., A flock of birds suddenly started up or flushed., A hand of cards of the same suit., Full of vigor; fresh; glowing; bright., Affluent; abounding; well furnished or suppled; hence, liberal; prodigal., Unbroken or even in surface; on a level with the adjacent surface; forming a continuous surface; as, a flush panel; a flush joint., Consisting of cards of one suit., So as to be level or even. |
| flute | verb i. | A musical wind instrument, consisting of a hollow cylinder or pipe, with holes along its length, stopped by the fingers or by keys which are opened by the fingers. The modern flute is closed at the upper end, and blown with the mouth at a lateral hole., A channel of curved section; — usually applied to one of a vertical series of such channels used to decorate columns and pilasters in classical architecture. See Illust. under Base, n., A similar channel or groove made in wood or other material, esp. in plaited cloth, as in a lady’s ruffle., A long French breakfast roll., A stop in an organ, having a flutelike sound., A kind of flyboat; a storeship., To play on, or as on, a flute; to make a flutelike sound., To play, whistle, or sing with a clear, soft note, like that of a flute., To form flutes or channels in, as in a column, a ruffle, etc. |
| fluty | adjective | Soft and clear in tone, like a flute. |
| flies | plural | of Fly |
| flyer | noun | One that uses wings., The fly of a flag: See Fly, n., 6., Anything that is scattered abroad in great numbers as a theatrical programme, an advertising leaf, etc., One in a flight of steps which are parallel to each other(as in ordinary stairs), as distinguished from a winder., The pair of arms attached to the spindle of a spinning frame, over which the thread passes to the bobbin; — so called from their swift revolution. See Fly, n., 11., The fan wheel that rotates the cap of a windmill as the wind veers., A small operation not involving ? considerable part of one’s capital, or not in the line of one’s ordinary business; a venture. |