Flap, flap, n. the blow or motion of a broad loose object: anything broad and flexible hanging loose, as the tail of a coat: a portion of skin or flesh detached from the underlying part for covering and growing over the end of an amputated limb.—v.t. to beat or move with a flap.—v.i. to move, as wings: to hang like a flap:—pr.p. flap′ping; pa.p. flapped.—ns. Flap′doodle, the food of fools: transparent nonsense, gross flattery, &c.; Flap′-drag′on, a play in which small edibles, as raisins, are snatched from burning brandy, and swallowed.—v.t. (Shak.) to swallow or devour, as in flap-dragon.—adj. Flap′-eared (Shak.), having ears hanging like a flap.—n. Flap′-jack (Shak.), a kind of broad, flat pancake.—adj. Flap′-mouthed.—n. Flap′per. [Prob. imit.]
Flare, flār, v.i. to burn with a glaring, unsteady light: to glitter or flash: to display glaringly.—n. an unsteady light.—p.adj. Flā′ring, giving out an unsteady light: gaudy.—adv. Flā′ringly.—adj. Flā′ry. [Prob. Scand.; cf. Norw. flara, to blaze.]
Flash, flash, n. a momentary gleam of light: a sudden burst, as of merriment: a short transient state.—v.i. to break forth, as a sudden light: to break out into intellectual brilliancy: to burst out into violence.—v.t. to cause to flash: to expand, as blown glass, into a disc: to send by some startling or sudden means.—n. Flash′-house, a brothel.—adv. Flash′ily.—ns. Flash′iness; Flash′ing, the act of blazing: a sudden burst, as of water; Flash′-point, the temperature at which an inflammable liquid takes fire—in the case of petroleum, &c., ascertained by placing oil in a vessel called a tester (used open and closed), and heating it up to a point at which sufficient vapour is generated as to give off a small flash when a light is applied to it.—adj. Flash′y, dazzling for a moment: showy but empty: (Milt.) vapid: gay—also Flash, vulgarly showy, gay but tawdry: pertaining to thieves, vagabonds, &c., as the 'flash language'=thieves' cant or slang: 'flash notes'=counterfeit notes.—Flash in the pan (see Pan). [Prob. imit.; cf. Sw. prov. flasa, to blaze.]
Flask, flask, n. a narrow-necked vessel for holding liquids: a bottle: a pocket-bottle: a horn or metal vessel for carrying powder.—n. Flask′et, a vessel in which viands are served: (Spens.) a basket.—Florence flask, a narrow-necked globular glass bottle of thin glass, as those in which olive-oil is brought from Italy. [A.S. flasce; Ger. flasche; prob. not Teut. acc. to Diez, but from Low L. flasco—L. vasculum, a flask.]
Flat, flat, adj. smooth: level: wanting points of prominence and interest: monotonous: vapid, insipid: dejected: unqualified, positive: (mus.) opposite of sharp.—n. a level plain: a tract covered by shallow water: something broad: a story or floor of a house, esp. when fitted up as a separate residence for a family: a simpleton, a gull: (mus.) a character (♭) which lowers a note a semitone.—ns. Flat′boat, a large flat-bottomed boat for floating goods down the Mississippi, &c.; Flat′-fish, a name applied to marine bony fishes that have a flat body, such as the flounder, turbot, &c.—adj. Flat′-foot′ed, having flat feet: resolute.—adj. and n. Flat′-head, having an artificially flattened head, as some American Indians of the Chinooks—the name is officially but incorrectly applied to the Selish Indians in particular.—n. Flat′-ī′ron, an iron for smoothing cloth.—advs. Flat′ling, Flat′long (Spens., Shak.), with the flat side down: not edgewise; Flat′ly.—ns. Flat′ness; Flat′-race, a race over open or clear ground.—v.t. Flat′ten, to make flat.—v.i. to become flat.—n. Flat′ting, a mode of house-painting in which the paint is left without gloss.—adj. Flat′tish, somewhat flat.—adj. or adv. Flat′wise, flatways, or with the flat side downward.—n. Flat′-worm, a tapeworm. [From a Teut. root found in Ice. flatr, flat, Sw. flat, Dan. flad, Old High Ger. flaz.]
Flatter, flat′ėr, v.t. to soothe with praise and servile attentions: to please with false hopes or undue praise.—n. Flatt′erer.—adj. Flatt′ering, uttering false praise: pleasing to pride or vanity.—adv. Flatt′eringly.—n. Flatt′ery, false praise. [O. Fr. flater (Fr. flatter); Teut.; cf. Ice. fladhra.]
Flatulent, flat′ū-lent, adj. affected with air in the stomach: apt to generate such: empty: vain.—ns. Flat′ulence, Flat′ulency, distension of the stomach or bowels by gases formed during digestion: windiness, emptiness.—adv. Flat′ulently.—n. Flā′tus, a puff of wind: air generated in the stomach or intestines. [Fr.,—Low L. flatulentus—L. flāre, flatum, to blow.]
Flaught, flaht, n. (Scot.) a flight, a flapping.—n. Flaugh′ter, a fluttering motion.—v.i. to flutter, flicker. [See Flight.]
Flaunt, flawnt, v.i. to fly or wave in the wind: to move or display ostentatiously: to carry a gaudy or saucy appearance.—n. (Shak.) anything displayed for show.—n. Flaunt′er.—adj. Flaunt′ing.—adv. Flaunt′ingly, in a flaunting or showy manner.—adj. Flaunt′y, showy. [Prob. imit.; Skeat suggests Sw. prov. flanka, to waver.]
Flautist. Same as Flutist.