Flounce, flowns, n. a plaited strip sewed to the skirt of a dress.—v.t. to furnish with flounces.—n. Floun′cing, material for flounces. [Earlier form frounce—O. Fr. fronce, fronche, prob. from L. frons, forehead; or Old High Ger. runza, a wrinkle, Ger. runze.]
Flounder, flown′dėr, v.i. to struggle with violent and awkward motion: to stumble helplessly in thinking or speaking. [Prob. an onomatopœic blending of the sound and sense of earlier words like founder, blunder. Skeat compares Dut. flodderen, to splash.]
Flounder, flown′dėr, n. a small flat-fish, generally found in the sea near the mouth of rivers. [Anglo-Fr., floundre, O. Fr. flondre, most prob. of Scand. origin; cf. Ice. flyðra, Sw. flundra.]
Flour, flowr, n. the finely-ground meal of wheat or other grain: the fine soft powder of any substance.—v.t. to reduce into or sprinkle with flour.—v.i. to break up into fine globules of mercury in the amalgamation process.—ns. Flour′-bolt, a machine for bolting flour; Flour′-mill, a mill for making flour.—adj. Flour′y, covered with flour. [Fr. fleur (de farine, of meal), fine flour—L. flos, floris, a flower.]
Flourish, flur′ish, v.i. to thrive luxuriantly: to be prosperous: to use copious and flowery language: to move in fantastic figures: to display ostentatiously: (mus.) to play ostentatious passages, or ostentatiously: to play a trumpet-call: to make ornamental strokes with the pen: to boast or brag.—v.t. to adorn with flourishes or ornaments: to swing about by way of show or triumph: (Shak.) to gloss over.—n. decoration: showy splendour: a figure made by a bold stroke of the pen: the waving of a weapon or other thing: a parade of words: a musical prelude: a trumpet-call.—adjs. Flour′ished, decorated with flourishes; Flour′ishing, thriving: prosperous: making a show.—adv. Flour′ishingly.—adj. Flour′ishy, abounding in flourishes.—Flourish of trumpets, a trumpet-call sounded on the approach of great persons; any ostentatious introduction. [O. Fr. florir, L. flos, flower.]
Flouse, flows, v.t. and v.i. (prov.) to splash.—Also Floush.
Flout, flowt, v.t. and v.i. to jeer, mock, or insult: to treat with contempt.—n. a mock: an insult.—adv. Flout′ingly, with flouting: insultingly.—n. Flout′ing-stock (Shak.), an object for flouting. [Prob. a specialised use of floute, M. E. form of flute, to play on the flute. So with Dut. fluiten.]
Flow, flō, v.i. to run, as water: to rise, as the tide: to move in a stream, as air: to glide smoothly: to circulate, as the blood: to abound: to hang loose and waving: (B.) to melt.—v.t. to cover with water.—n. a stream or current: the setting in of the tide: abundance: copiousness: free expression.—n. Flow′age, act of flowing: state of being flooded.—adj. Flow′ing, moving, as a fluid: fluent or smooth: falling in folds or in waves.—adv. Flow′ingly.—n. Flow′ingness. [A.S. flówan; Ger. fliessen.]
Flow, flow, n. a morass: (Scot.) a flat, moist tract of land. [Ice. floi, a marsh—flóa, to flood.]
Flower, flow′ėr, n. a growth comprising the reproductive organs of plants: the blossom of a plant: the best of anything: the prime of life: the person or thing most distinguished: a figure of speech: ornament of style: (pl.) menstrual discharge (B.).—v.t. to adorn with figures of flowers.—v.i. to blossom: to flourish.—ns. Flow′erage, a gathering of flowers; Flow′er-bell, a blossom shaped like a bell; Flow′er-bud, a bud with the unopened flower; Flow′er-clock, a collection of flowers so arranged that the time of day is indicated by their times of opening and closing; Flow′er-de-luce, the old name for the common species of iris (q.v.), or for the heraldic emblem conventionalised therefrom (see Fleur-de-lis); Flow′eret, a little flower: a floret; Flow′er-head, a compound flower in which all the florets are sessile on the receptacle; Flow′eriness; Flow′ering-rush, a monocotyledonous plant usually reckoned under the order Alismaceæ, with large linear three-edged leaves and an umbel of rose-coloured flowers.—adjs. Flow′er-kir′tled, Flow′ery-kir′tled (Milt.), dressed in robes or garlands of flowers; Flow′erless (bot.) having no flowers.—ns. Flow′er-pot, a utensil in culture whereby plants are rendered portable;, Flow′er-serv′ice, a church service where offerings of flowers are made, to be afterwards sent to hospitals; Flow′er-show, an exhibition of flowers; Flow′er-stalk, the stem that supports the flower.—adj. Flow′ery, full of, or adorned with, flowers: highly embellished, florid.—Flower of Jove, a caryophyllaceous plant, with heads of purple or scarlet flowers, and leaves silky-white with hairs. [O. Fr. flour (Fr. fleur)—L. flos, floris, a flower.]