<B>flap door,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a door with the hinges on the lower side, so that it opens downward and outward; falling door. </DL>
<A NAME="flapeared">
<B>flap-eared, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having broad, loose, flapping ears. </DL>
<A NAME="flapjack">
<B>flapjack, </B>noun. =pancake.</DL>
<A NAME="flapless">
<B>flapless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> without a flap or flaps. <BR> <I>Ex. The Army wanted its pockets flapless (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flapmouthed">
<B>flap-mouthed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having loose, hanging lips, as a dog. </DL>
<A NAME="flappability">
<B>flappability, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) flappable quality or condition. </DL>
<A NAME="flappable">
<B>flappable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) tending to become excited, alarmed, or confused. <BR> <I>Ex. As he demonstrated for a nationwide audience while he was being questioned by newsmen after the assassination attempt, Chief Reddin is not easily flappable (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flapper">
<B>flapper, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>something that flaps. A broad fin is sometimes called a flapper. <DD><B> 2. </B>a broad, flat, hanging piece; flap. <DD><B> 3. </B>a young bird just able to fly. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Informal.) <DD><B> a. </B>a young girl. <DD><B> b. </B>a rather forward and unconventional girl of the 1920's. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to move with a loose, flapping motion. </DL>
<A NAME="flapperbag">
<B>flapper-bag, </B>noun. =burdock.</DL>
<A NAME="flapperish">
<B>flapperish, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) having to do with or characteristic of a flapper or flappers of the 1920's. </DL>
<B>flare, </B>verb, <B>flared,</B> <B>flaring,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to flame up briefly or unsteadily, sometimes with smoke. <BR> <I>Ex. A gust of wind made the torches flare.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to shine; glow. <BR> <I>Ex. Lo! the blood-red light of dawn flared on her face (Tennyson).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to spread out in the shape of a bell. <BR> <I>Ex. This skirt flares at the bottom. The sides of a ship flare from the keel to the deck.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to signal by lights. <BR> <I>Ex. The rockets flared a warning.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to cause (a lamp, lantern, or torch) to burn with a swaying or variable flame. <BR> <I>Ex. He flared the candle at me again, smoking my face and hair (Dickens).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to spread out to view; make a display of; flourish. <BR> <I>Ex. We ... began ... to make every signal in our power, by flaring the shirts in the air (Edgar Allan Poe).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to give an outward-curving shape to. <BR> <I>Ex. The skirt should be flared at the bottom.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Metallurgy.) to heat (brass containing a large amount of zinc) to the temperature at which the zinc vapors start burning. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a bright, unsteady light or blaze that lasts only a short time. <BR> <I>Ex. The flare of a match showed us his face.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a dazzling light that burns for a short time, used for signaling, lighting up a battlefield or rescue area, or the like. <BR> <I>Ex. The police put up flares on the road to warn motorists of the accident. The Coast Guard vessel responded to the flare sent up from the lifeboat.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a sudden eruption of gases on the surface of the sun; solar flare. <DD><B> 4. </B>a burst into sudden action or feeling. <DD><B> 5. </B>the act of spreading out into a bell shape. <DD><B> 6. </B>the part that spreads out. <BR> <I>Ex. the flare of a skirt.</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>(Optics.) a spot of light or a blurred area in an image or film caused by reflection of light between lens surfaces. <BR><I>expr. <B>flare out,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>to flame up; burst into sudden anger or violence. </I> <I>Ex. Tempers flared out at court during the final argument.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to bring an aircraft down in a smooth curve preparatory to touching down. <BR> <I>Ex. Should the pilot flare out too soon, the airplane may overshoot the runway.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>flare up,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>to burst into flames. </I> <I>Ex. The California forest fires, which were regarded yesterday as almost under control, flared up again during the night (London Times).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) to burst into sudden anger or violence. <BR> <I>Ex. Their quarrel flared up all over again when the two angry boys met in the hall.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flareback">
<B>flareback, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a burst of flame from unburned powder that shoots back from the breech of a howitzer or other heavy gun when it is opened after firing. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative:) <BR> <I>Ex. a flareback of winter.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flareout">
<B>flare-out, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the final glide position of an aircraft in which power is reduced and the nose is raised to decrease the steepness of its approach before touchdown. </DL>
<A NAME="flarestar">
<B>flare star,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a star that exhibits a sudden, intense increase in brightness followed by return to normal within a few minutes. </DL>
<A NAME="flareup">
<B>flare-up, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an outburst of flame. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal, Figurative.) a sudden outburst of anger or violence. <BR> <I>Ex. The two boys had frequent flare-ups but remained friends.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="flaring">
<B>flaring, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>burning with a broad, irregular flame; flaming. <BR> <I>Ex. flaring tapers brightening as they waste (Oliver Goldsmith).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) showy; gaudy. <BR> <I>Ex. The modern building had a sort of flaring beauty.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>spreading or curving gradually outward in form. <BR> <I>Ex. a flaring skirt, a flaring bow.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> the practice of burning unwanted natural gas that has been piped off from an oil well during oil production. adv. <B>flaringly.</B> </DL>
<B>flash, </B>noun, verb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a sudden, brief light or flame. <BR> <I>Ex. a flash of lightning.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a sudden, short feeling or display. <BR> <I>Ex. a flash of hope, a flash of wit, a flash of unforeseen remembrance.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a very short time; an instant. <BR> <I>Ex. It all happened in a flash.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>a showy display. <BR> <I>Ex. Pedants ... are apt to decry the writings of a polite author, as flash and froth (Joseph Addison).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>a news report sent by teletype, telegraph, radio, or other means of communication. <BR> <I>Ex. The same flash that recommended the sale of General Telephone urged the purchase of Western Union, which jumped 3 3/8 points (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><B> 6. </B><B>=flashbulb.</B> <DD><B> 7. </B>(Informal.) a flashlight. <DD><B> 8a. </B>a rush of water, such as that produced by a dam or sluiceway, used to float a boat over shoals or for other purposes. <DD><B> b. </B>the device, such as a lock or sluice, used for this purpose. <DD><B> 9. </B>(Informal.) the jargon of thieves, tramps, etc. <DD><B> 10. </B>a preparation of cayenne and caramel used for tinting liquors. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1a. </B>to give out a sudden, brief light or flame. <BR> <I>Ex. Lightning flashed in the sky.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) to give out like a flash; gleam. <BR> <I>Ex. Her eyes flashed with happiness.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to come suddenly; pass quickly. <BR> <I>Ex. A train flashed by. (Figurative.) A thought flashed across his mind.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(U.S. Slang.) to experience the effects of a psychedelic drug. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Informal.) to make a showy display. <BR> <I>Ex. She was flashing around with a big diamond.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Archaic.) to splash or dash. <BR> <I>Ex. The tortured wave ... Now flashes o'er the scattered fragments (James Thomson).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1a. </B>to give out by flashes. <BR> <I>Ex. The lighthouse flashes signals twice a minute.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) to send out like a flash. <BR> <I>Ex. Her eyes flashed defiance. Stern is the tyrant's mandate, red the gaze that flashes desolation (Shelley).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to cause to flash. <BR> <I>Ex. to flash a lamp in a person's face, to flash one's sword.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to communicate by flashes; send by teletype, telegraph, radio, or other means of communication. <BR> <I>Ex. to flash the news across the country.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to flood or flush with water. <DD><B> 5. </B>to display shortly or quickly. <BR> <I>Ex. to flash a card, (Figurative.) to flash one's wit.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Informal.) to make a great display of; show off. <BR> <I>Ex. to flash one's jewelry.</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>(Archaic.) to dash or splash (water). <BR> <I>Ex. With his raging arms he rudely flashed The waves about (Edmund Spenser).</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>to protect from water by providing with a flashing. <DD><B> 9a. </B>to coat (glass or a glass article) with a film of colored glass. <DD><B> b. </B>to apply (a film of colored glass) to glass. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>flashy. <BR> <I>Ex. The new car has a flash appearance.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>very sudden and rapid. <BR> <I>Ex. a flash fire, flash heating.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Slang.) shrewdly knowing; smart; sly. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Informal.) of or having to do with thieves, tramps, or other groups, or their cant or jargon. <BR> <I>Ex. flash language.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>flash in the pan,</B> </I>a sudden, showy attempt or effort that fails or is not followed by further efforts. <BR> <I>Ex. The Kuwait oil strike was no flash in the pan; ... the country's known reserves will last more than a century (New Yorker).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>flash on,</B> </I>(U.S. Slang.) to appreciate immediately; understand quickly. <BR> <I>Ex. If you "dig" something, you "flash on it," ... "get into it" (Sara Davidson).</I> </DL>
