flitch

[ flich ]

noun

1. the side of a hog (or, formerly, some other animal) salted and cured:

   a flitch of bacon.

2. a steak cut from a halibut.
3. Carpentry.
   1. a piece, as a board, forming part of a flitch beam.
   2. a thin piece of wood, as a veneer.
   3. a bundle of veneers, arranged as cut from the log.
   4. a log about to be cut into veneers.
   5. cant ²( def 8 ).

verb (used with object)

1. to cut into flitches.
2. Carpentry. to assemble (boards or the like) into a laminated construction.

flitch

/ flɪtʃ /

noun

1. a side of pork salted and cured
2. a steak cut from the side of certain fishes, esp halibut
3. a piece of timber cut lengthways from a tree trunk, esp one that is larger than 4 by 12 inches

verb

1. tr to cut (a tree trunk) into flitches

Other Words From

• un·flitched adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flitch¹

before 900; Middle English flicche, Old English flicca; cognate with Middle Low German vlicke, Old Norse flikki

Word History and Origins

Origin of flitch¹

Old English flicce ; related to Old Norse flikki , Middle Low German vlicke , Norwegian flika ; see flesh

Example Sentences

The prior, impressed by their devotion, gave them a flitch of bacon.

From BBC

The abbreviation has given rise to a nickname the pilots use for the characteristic, “the flitch trap.”

From New York Times

Americans who fly the 777 say that on their airplanes, in flitch mode, the auto throttle does not work.

From New York Times

Moreover on Christmas Day she had to ask at the abbess’ kitchen for “livery bacon” for the convent, four messes for each lady; a flitch was reckoned to provide ten messes.

From Project Gutenberg

There were now fifteen men in all, and their provisions were reduced to limited rations of bread, one barrel of Dutch cheese, one flitch of bacon, and some small runlets of wine, oil, and vinegar.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• carve
• divide
• rip
• slash
• slice