flake

¹

[ fleyk ]

noun

1. a small, flat, thin piece, especially one that has been or become detached from a larger piece or mass:

   flakes of old paint.

2. any small piece or mass:

   a flake of snow.

3. a stratum or layer.
4. Slang. an eccentric person; screwball:

   My sister's new boyfriend is a real flake—I can't imagine why she goes out with him.

5. Slang. cocaine.
6. a usually broad, often irregular piece of stone struck from a larger core and sometimes retouched to form a flake tool.

verb (used without object)

, flaked, flak·ing.

1. to peel off or separate in flakes.
2. to fall in flakes, as snow.

verb (used with object)

, flaked, flak·ing.

1. to remove in flakes.
2. to break flakes or chips from; break into flakes:

   to flake fish for a casserole.

3. to cover with or as if with flakes.
4. to form into flakes.

flake

²

[ fleyk ]

noun

1. a frame, as for drying fish.

flake

³

[ fleyk ]

noun

1. fake ²( defs 2, 3 ).

verb (used with object)

, flaked, flak·ing.

1. fake ²( def 1 ).
2. to lower (a fore-and-aft sail) so as to drape the sail equally on both sides over its boom.

flake

⁴

[ fleyk ]

verb (used without object)

, Slang.

, flaked, flak·ing.

1. to back out of a plan, promise, engagement, agreement, etc.; fail to follow through on something (usually followed by out ):

   We had a 3 o’clock appointment, but he flaked on me an hour before.

2. to fall asleep; take a nap (usually followed by out ):

   She drank way too much and flaked out on my couch.

flake

¹

/ fleɪk /

noun

1. a small thin piece or layer chipped off or detached from an object or substance; scale
2. a small piece or particle

   a flake of snow

3. a thin layer or stratum
4. archaeol
   1. a fragment removed by chipping or hammering from a larger stone used as a tool or weapon See also blade
   2. ( as modifier )

      flake tool

5. slang.
   an eccentric, crazy, or unreliable person

verb

1. to peel or cause to peel off in flakes; chip
2. to cover or become covered with or as with flakes
3. tr to form into flakes

flake

²

/ fleɪk /

noun

1. (in Australia) the commercial name for the meat of the gummy shark

flake

³

/ fleɪk /

noun

1. a rack or platform for drying fish or other produce

flake

⁴

/ fleɪk /

verb

1. nautical another word for fake 1

flake

/ flāk /

1. A relatively thin, sharp-edged stone fragment removed from a core or from another flake by striking or prying, serving as a tool or blade itself or as a blank for making other tools.
2. See more at flake tool
3. A small, symmetrical, six-sided crystal of snow. Flakes can be large or small and wet or dry, depending on weather conditions. They are white in color because of their large number of reflecting surfaces.

Derived Forms

• ˈflaker, noun

Other Words From

• flakeless adjective
• flaker noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of flake¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; (noun) Middle English; akin to Old English flac- in flacox “flying (said of arrows),” Old Norse flakka “to rove, wander,” Middle Dutch vlacken “to flutter”; flake ¹def 4 by back formation from flaky, in sense “eccentric, odd”; (verb) late Middle English: “to fall in flakes,” derivative of the noun

Origin of flake²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English flake, fleke, from Old Norse flaki, fleki “bridge, hurdle”

Origin of flake³

First recorded in 1620–30; apparently variant of fake ²

Origin of flake⁴

First recorded in 1935–40; perhaps expressive variant of flag ³; compare British dialect flack “to hang loosely, flap”

Word History and Origins

Origin of flake¹

C14: of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian flak disc, Middle Dutch vlacken to flutter

Origin of flake²

C14: from Old Norse flaki ; related to Dutch vlaak hurdle

Example Sentences

Getting my first job as a college graduate in 1976 and going outside with snow coming down and seeing a streetlight refract the flakes into a kaleidoscopic rainbow.

From Washington Post

I fry the breadcrumbs in a Dutch oven with a generous amount of olive oil, five minced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

From Washington Post

The kitchen can adjust that dashi by omitting a few ingredients including bonito flakes to make it a vegan complement to plant-based dishes.

From Washington Post

In a medium bowl, combine the panko, the 3 tablespoons of oil, the parsley, garlic, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper flakes.

From Washington Post

You’ll know your fish is ready to eat when the meat is opaque and flakes easily.

From Outside Online

The 2014 midterm elections are just months behind us, but already Flake feels the pressure of the 2016 presidential elections.

From The Daily Beast

Add olive oil to the pan and toss in the garlic and chili flake.

From The Daily Beast

Visiting Gold Flake Paint is like talking to a brilliant friend who has exqusite taste that's just a bit different from yours.

From The Daily Beast

Republicans Rob Portman of Ohio and Jeff Flake of Arizona also tumbled.

From The Daily Beast

The Hispanic candidate Richard Carmona lost his Senate bid to Republican Jeff Flake.

From The Daily Beast

See if you can strike off tiny flakes until the large flake looks like a spearhead.

From Project Gutenberg

After that Fleetfoot took great pains to learn how to flake flint points.

From Project Gutenberg

He pushed a flint flake back and forth upon one of the prongs of the antler.

From Project Gutenberg

You simply fastened a flake of flint in the cock and snapped it against a steel plate.

From Project Gutenberg

If you can strike off a large flint flake with three faces, see if you can make it into a knife-saw-file.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• leaf