<B>flamingo plant,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a tropical American plant of the arum family, grown for its bright-scarlet spathe and showy flowers. </DL>
<A NAME="flammability">
<B>flammability, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> flammable quality or condition; inflammability. <BR> <I>Ex. The material has a flammability similar to kerosine (Occupational Health Newsletter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flammable">
<B>flammable, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> easily set on fire; inflammable. <BR> <I>Ex. Hair and beards are extremely flammable in the oxygen-rich atmosphere of a spacecraft (Science News).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> something flammable. <BR> <I>Ex. The majority of home fires could be prevented ... if portable heaters were kept away from curtains and other flammables (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<B>flammulation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Zoology.) a small flamelike marking. </DL>
<A NAME="flamy">
<B>flamy, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or like flame. <BR> <I>Ex. And look! that flash of flamy wings, the fireplumed oriole! (Oliver Wendell Holmes).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flan">
<B>flan, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(British.) an open tart filled with custard, cream, or fruit. <BR> <I>Ex. large fresh strawberry flans, dripping with juice (Manchester Guardian).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a piece of metal shaped to make a coin but not yet stamped. </DL>
<A NAME="flanch">
<B>flanch</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Heraldry.) a subordinary formed on each side of the shield by a line arched or convex toward the center. </DL>
<A NAME="flanch">
<B>flanch</B> (2), intransitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to spread; widen out; flare. <BR> <I>Ex. The sides of the boat flanch outwards.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flanched">
<B>flanched, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Heraldry.) having a flanch. </DL>
<A NAME="flandersbrick">
Flanders brick, =Bath brick.</DL>
<A NAME="flanderspoppy">
<B>Flanders poppy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the common field poppy of European cornfields; corn poppy; coquelicot. The Flanders poppy is a historic emblem or symbol of those who were killed in World War I. </DL>
<B>flaneur, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) an idler. </DL>
<A NAME="flange">
<B>flange, </B>noun, verb, <B>flanged,</B> <B>flanging.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a raised edge, collar, or rim on a wheel, pulley, pipe, or other object. It is used to keep an object in place, fasten it to another object, or strengthen it. Railroad cars and locomotives have wheels with flanges to keep them on the track. <DD><B> 2. </B>a tool used in making flanges. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to provide with a flange. <BR> <I>Ex. "With flanged and battering tail ..." He said, "Let there be Whale!" (William Rose Benet).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to project like, or take the form of, a flange. noun <B>flanger.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="flank">
<B>flank, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the side of an animal or person between the ribs and the hip. <DD><B> 2. </B>the strip of flesh and muscle forming this part. <DD><B> 3. </B>a piece of beef cut from this part. <DD><B> 4. </B>the outer part of the thigh. <DD><B> 5. </B>the side of a mountain, building, or similar large object. <BR> <I>Ex. Mountains have arisen since With cities on their flanks (Tennyson).</I> <DD><B> 6a. </B>the far right or the far left side of an army, fleet, or other military formation; wing. <DD><B> b. </B>the right or left side of a fortification or one of its projecting parts. <DD><B> c. </B>the section of a fortification that protects an adjacent part by gunfire. <DD><B> d. </B>the wall of a bastion between the curtain and the face on either side. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to be at the side of. <BR> <I>Ex. A garage flanked the house. High buildings flanked the dark, narrow alley.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to get around the far right or left side of; march past the flank of. <BR> <I>Ex. Did they flank the snow and go around to the right?</I> <DD><B> 3a. </B>to attack from or on the side. <DD><B> b. </B>to protect, control, or guard the side of. <DD><B> 4. </B>to present the flank to (waves or other opposing object or force). <BR> <I>Ex. Again to flank the tempest she might reel (William Falconer).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to occupy a position on a flank or side. <DD><B> 2. </B>to present the flank or side. </DL>
<A NAME="flanken">
<B>flanken, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Jewish Cookery.) cooked ribs of beef cut from the flank, usually eaten with horseradish. </DL>
<A NAME="flanker">
<B>flanker, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that flanks. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=flankerback.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="flankerback">
<B>flankerback, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (American Football.) a back who lines up for a flanking position closer to the sidelines than his opponent. </DL>
<A NAME="flankspeed">
<B>flank speed,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a ship's maximum prescribed speed. <BR> <I>Ex. They turned out to be three Indonesian torpedo boats racing at flank speed (40 knots) toward the Dutch New Guinea coast (Time).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a very great speed; top speed. <BR> <I>Ex. Seventh Avenue was filled with cabs, all rushing past at flank speed (Russell Baker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flanksteak">
<B>flank steak,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a boneless cut of beef from the underside of the flank. Broiled and sliced flank steak is called <I>London broil.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flannel">
<B>flannel, </B>noun, adjective, verb, <B>-neled,</B> <B>-neling</B> or (especially British) <B>-nelled,</B> <B>-nelling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a soft, warm, woolen cloth. Flannel has a nap on both sides. <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar fabric made of cotton, especially a strong fabric with a long, soft nap, usually on one side only. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=flannelette.</B> <DD><B> 4. </B>(British Slang.) insincere talk or action used to cover up or deceive; bluff; blarney. <BR> <I>Ex. The Government wanted the power to put the troops in. The rest was all fairy tale and flannel (London Times).</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> made of flannel. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to wrap in or rub with flannel. <DD><B> 2. </B>(British Slang.) to cover up or deceive by insincere talk or action; bluff. <BR> <I>Ex. I ... believed that I could flannel my way through by a combination of Parliamentary sleight-of-hand and spur-of-the-moment decisions (Punch).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> (British Slang.) to talk or act insincerely; bluff. <BR> <I>Ex. Some of the cast, I suspect, were flanneling; but there are two spellbinding performances (Irving Wardle).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>flannels,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>clothes, especially trousers, made of flannel. </I> <I>Ex. [He] changed to a costume of white flannels, white shirt of silk, and white leather shoes (L. J. Vance).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>woolen underwear. <BR> <I>Ex. Mother made the children wear flannels in winter.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flannelboard">
<B>flannel board,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a flannel or felt-covered board to which material with a similar backing will adhere without glue, widely used for displaying visual aids in teaching. </DL>
<A NAME="flannelcake">
<B>flannel cake,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a thin, soft-textured pancake. </DL>
<A NAME="flannelette">
<B>flannelette</B> or <B>flannelet, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a soft, warm cotton cloth with a nap that looks like flannel. </DL>
<A NAME="flannelly">
<B>flannelly, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> characteristic of or like flannel; suggesting the quality or texture of flannel. <BR> <I>Ex. a thick, muffled, flannelly voice; a downy, flannelly cloth.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flannels">
<B>flannels, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>flannel.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="flap">
<B>flap, </B>verb, <B>flapped,</B> <B>flapping,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to swing or sway about loosely and with some noise. <BR> <I>Ex. The sails flapped in the wind. Curtains flapped in the open windows.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to move up and down, as a bird's wings do; produce noise by beating of wings. <BR> <I>Ex. While o'er them flapped the sea birds' dewy wing (Byron).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to fly by moving wings up and down. <BR> <I>Ex. The goose flapped heavily away through the air.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to strike with something broad and flat. <BR> <I>Ex. The clown's big shoes flapped along the ground.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>to throw oneself flat (down). <BR> <I>Ex. Soldiers flap down to drink it from the puddles (Thomas Carlyle).</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Slang.) to become excited, confused, or alarmed. <BR> <I>Ex. The Navy flapped when Congress asked why it stored 886,020 pounds of canned hamburger, plus 812,179 gallons of ketchup (New York Times).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to cause to swing or sway loosely, especially with noise. <BR> <I>Ex. The wind is flapping the shade.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to move (wings, arms, or the like) up and down; beat. <BR> <I>Ex. The ostrich flapped its wings but could not rise from the ground.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to strike noisily with a broad, flat object; drive away thus. <BR> <I>Ex. Then let me flap this bug with gilded wings (Alexander Pope).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Informal.) to toss (a flat, flexible object) with a smart movement; throw; cast; turn. <BR> <I>Ex. He flapped the cover back.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a flapping motion. <BR> <I>Ex. the flap of the banners, that flit as they're borne (Byron).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the noise caused by flapping. <BR> <I>Ex. the flap of a bird's wing.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a blow from something broad and flat. <BR> <I>Ex. a flap from a beaver's tail.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>a broad, flat, piece usually hanging or fastened at one edge only. <BR> <I>Ex. His coat had flaps on the pockets.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>a hinged or sliding section, usually at the trailing edge of a wing of an aircraft, that can be extended or tilted to assist a take-off or a landing. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Slang.) excitement or anger; commotion. <BR> <I>Ex. Congress is in a flap about the budget proposals.</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>(in surgery) a piece of flesh partially detached from adjacent tissue, such as one for later use in grafting. <DD><B> 8. </B>(Phonetics.) a type of trill in which the vibrating organ gives only a single tap, as in the London English pronunciation of <I>merry, very.</I> <DD><B> 9. </B>a concentration of sightings of unidentified flying objects in a small area within a short period. <BR> <I>Ex. We talked the Michigan flap over with three local ufologists and found them both elated and alarmed (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
