flesh

[ flesh ]

noun

1. the soft substance of a human or other animal body, consisting of muscle and fat.
2. muscular and fatty tissue.
3. the muscular and fatty substance or tissue in animals that is consumed as food: often regarded specifically as meat while excluding seafood.
4. fatness; weight:

   Even after giving birth to her third child, she had very little excess flesh to lose.

5. the body, especially as distinguished from the spirit or soul:

   The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

6. the physical or animal nature of humankind as distinguished from its moral or spiritual nature:

   the needs of the flesh.

7. Archaic. humankind:

   It is a higher plane of existence, a domain of mystery, where flesh has never walked.

8. Archaic. living creatures generally:

   Are we not the guardians of all flesh, from the tiniest burrowers of earth to the grandest dwellers of ocean?

9. a person's family or relatives; flesh and blood:

   With the death of his sister, he is now the last of his lineal flesh.

10. Botany. the soft, pulpy portion of a fruit, vegetable, etc., as distinguished from the core, skin, shell, etc.:

    After roasting the squash halves, scrape the flesh from the skin and mash with some cream and butter.

11. the surface of the human body; skin:

    A person with tender flesh should not expose it to direct sunlight.

12. (no longer in common use; now considered offensive) flesh color:

    The crayons they once called “flesh” have been labeled “peach” since 1962.

verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to plunge (a weapon) into the flesh:

   With brazen might, she fleshed her sword into the dragon’s throat.

2. Hunting Obsolete. to feed (a hound or hawk) with flesh in order to make it more eager for the chase: Compare blood ( def 16 ).

   It was hardly necessary to flesh those foxhounds—they were excited enough by their master’s call to the hunt.

3. Archaic. to incite and accustom (persons) to bloodshed or battle by an initial experience:

   Under his regime, it was not uncommon for very young boys to be fleshed as indoctrination into a culture of brutality.

4. Obsolete. to inflame the ardor or passions of by a foretaste:

   I shall not be easily fleshed—especially by those of questionable intent.

5. to overlay or cover (a skeleton or skeletal frame) with flesh or with a fleshlike substance:

   The bones appeared to have been fleshed, as if to simulate some sort of reconstruction.

6. to give dimension, substance, or reality to (often followed by out ):

   When Evan tells the story, it’s more fleshed, more compelling and believable.

   The playwright wrote pretty good characters, but the actors really fleshed them out.

7. to remove adhering flesh from (hides), in leather manufacture:

   The hides we work with have been thoroughly fleshed before we receive them.

8. Archaic. to satiate with flesh or fleshly enjoyments; surfeit; glut:

   Are you gentlemen quite fleshed?

verb phrase

1. 1. to add details to or make more complete:

      She fleshed out her proposal considerably before presenting it to the committee for action.

   2. to gain weight:

      He realized to his dismay that he had fleshed out during the months of forced inactivity.

flesh

/ flɛʃ /

noun

1. the soft part of the body of an animal or human, esp muscular tissue, as distinct from bone and viscera sarcoid
2. informal.
   excess weight; fat
3. archaic.
   the edible tissue of animals as opposed to that of fish or, sometimes, fowl; meat
4. the thick usually soft part of a fruit or vegetable, as distinct from the skin, core, stone, etc
5. the human body and its physical or sensual nature as opposed to the soul or spirit carnal
6. mankind in general
7. animate creatures in general
8. one's own family; kin (esp in the phrase one's own flesh and blood )
9. a yellowish-pink to greyish-yellow colour
10. Christian Science belief on the physical plane which is considered erroneous, esp the belief that matter has sensation
11. modifier tanning of or relating to the inner or under layer of a skin or hide

    a flesh split

12. in the flesh
    in person; actually present
13. make one's flesh creep
    (esp of something ghostly) to frighten and horrify one
14. press the flesh informal.
    to shake hands, usually with large numbers of people, esp in political campaigning

verb

1. tr hunting to stimulate the hunting instinct of (hounds or falcons) by giving them small quantities of raw flesh
2. to wound the flesh of with a weapon
3. archaic.
   to accustom or incite to bloodshed or battle by initial experience
4. tanning to remove the flesh layer of (a hide or skin)
5. to fatten; fill out

Other Words From

• flesh·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flesh¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English flesh, flæsh, flash, Old English flǣsc; cognate with Old Frisian flēsk, Old High German fleisk, German Fleisch, Old Norse flesk “pork, ham, bacon”

Word History and Origins

Origin of flesh¹

Old English flǣsc ; related to Old Norse flesk ham, Old High German fleisk meat, flesh

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the flesh, present and alive before one's eyes; in person:

   The movie star looked quite different in the flesh.

2. pound of flesh, something that strict terms or codes of justice demand is due, but can only be paid with great loss or suffering to the payer:

   These guys are notorious for providing loans that can never be paid off without a pound of flesh.

3. press the flesh, Informal. to shake hands, as with voters while campaigning:

   The senator is busy as ever pressing the flesh on the campaign trail.

More idioms and phrases containing flesh

• go the way of all flesh
• in person (the flesh)
• make one's flesh creep
• neither fish nor fowl (flesh)
• pound of flesh
• press the flesh
• spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
• thorn in one's flesh

Example Sentences

In certain species, a male anglerfish will latch onto his chosen female with a sexy bite, then release digestive enzymes to melt their flesh together.

From Popular-Science

That predator’s active ocean cruising generates enough body heat to keep it toastier than surrounding seawater, an effort that burns through the equivalent of about six pounds of flesh a day.

From Popular-Science

Others might have thick, spongy flesh that can store water for long periods of time.

From Science News For Students

You can register in the flesh at your state or local election office.

From Popular-Science

The collaboration will next flesh out the bounce itself — a more complex stage that requires novel interactions to push everything apart again.

From Quanta Magazine

There was deep brown flesh, and bronze flesh, and pallid white flesh, and flesh turned red from the hot sun.

From The Daily Beast

Flesh encircled him at the main pool of the Paradise Hotel and Residences at Boca.

From The Daily Beast

It also contains some clunky passages of adultery, temptations of the flesh, and general sexual awkwardness.

From The Daily Beast

His flesh is sagging a bit, but he is still trim and looks lean, sinewy and tough.

From The Daily Beast

He carried around a hundred pounds too many most of his life, a great buffer of flesh between himself and the world.

From The Daily Beast

It is full of poetic feeling, and the flesh tints are unusually natural.

From Project Gutenberg

Such things happen to all flesh, from man even to beast, and upon sinners are sevenfold more.

From Project Gutenberg

Woe to the man that first did teach the cursed steel to bite in his own flesh, and make way to the living spirit.

From Project Gutenberg

In fact, on the palm a small drop of blood showed distinctly against the firm, pink flesh.

From Project Gutenberg

And as the fat taken away from the flesh, so was David chosen from among the children of Israel.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• beef
• fat
• meat
• muscle