2 N‑COUNT [oft with poss] The flagship of a group of things that are owned or produced by a particular organization is the most important one. □ [N n] The company plans to open a flagship store in New York this month.
flag|staff /flæ gstɑːf, -stæf/ (flagstaffs ) N‑COUNT A flagstaff is the same as a flagpole .
flag|stone /flæ gstoʊn/ (flagstones ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Flagstones are large, flat, square pieces of stone which are used for covering a path or area of ground.
fla g-waving N‑UNCOUNT You can use flag-waving to refer to the expression of feelings for a country in a loud or exaggerated way, especially when you disapprove of this. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The real costs of the war have been ignored in the flag-waving of recent months.
flail /fle I l/ (flails , flailing , flailed ) VERB If your arms or legs flail or if you flail them about, they wave about in an energetic but uncontrolled way. □ [V ] His arms were flailing in all directions. □ [V n] He gave a choked cry, flailed his arms wildly for a moment, and then went over the edge. ● PHRASAL VERB Flail around means the same as flail . □ [V P ] He starting flailing around and hitting Vincent in the chest.
flair /fleə r /
1 N‑SING If you have a flair for a particular thing, you have a natural ability to do it well. □ [+ for ] …a friend who has a flair for languages.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you have flair , you do things in an original, interesting, and stylish way. [APPROVAL ] □ Their work has all the usual punch, panache and flair you'd expect.
flak /flæ k/ N‑UNCOUNT If you get a lot of flak from someone, they criticize you severely. If you take the flak , you get the blame for something. [INFORMAL ] □ The President is getting a lot of flak for that.
flake /fle I k/ (flakes , flaking , flaked )
1 N‑COUNT [n N ] A flake is a small thin piece of something, especially one that has broken off a larger piece. □ Large flakes of snow began swiftly to fall. □ …oat flakes.
2 VERB If something such as paint flakes , small thin pieces of it come off. □ [V ] They can see how its colours have faded and where paint has flaked. ● PHRASAL VERB Flake off means the same as flake . □ [V P ] The surface corrosion was worst where the paint had flaked off.
fla k jack|et (flak jackets ) N‑COUNT A flak jacket is a thick sleeveless jacket that soldiers and police officers sometimes wear to protect themselves against bullets.
flaky /fle I ki/
1 ADJ Something that is flaky breaks easily into small thin pieces or tends to come off in small thin pieces. □ …a small patch of red, flaky skin.
2 ADJ If you describe an idea, argument, or person as flaky , you mean that they are rather eccentric and unreliable. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He wondered if the idea wasn't just a little too flaky, a little too outlandish.
flam|boy|ant /flæmbɔ I ənt/ ADJ If you say that someone or something is flamboyant , you mean that they are very noticeable, stylish, and exciting. □ Freddie Mercury was a flamboyant star of the British hard rock scene. ● flam|boy|ance N‑UNCOUNT □ Campese was his usual mixture of flamboyance and flair.
flame /fle I m/ (flames , flaming , flamed )
1 N‑VAR A flame is a hot bright stream of burning gas that comes from something that is burning. □ The heat from the flames was so intense that roads melted. □ …a huge ball of flame.
2 N‑COUNT A flame is an email message which severely criticizes or attacks someone. [COMPUTING , INFORMAL ] □ The best way to respond to a flame is to ignore it. ● VERB Flame is also a verb. □ [be V -ed] Ever been flamed?
3 → see also flaming , old flame
4 PHRASE If something bursts into flames or bursts into flame , it suddenly starts burning strongly. □ She managed to scramble out of the vehicle as it burst into flames.
5 PHRASE If someone or something fans the flames of a situation or feeling, usually a bad one, they make it more intense or extreme in some way. □ He accused the Tories of 'fanning the flames of extremism'.
6 PHRASE If something goes up in flames , it starts to burn strongly and is destroyed. □ Fires broke out everywhere, the entire city went up in flames.
7 PHRASE Something that is in flames is on fire.
fla|men|co /fləme ŋkoʊ/ (flamencos ) N‑VAR Flamenco is a Spanish dance that is danced to a special type of guitar music.
flame|proof /fle I mpruːf/ also flame-proof ADJ [usu ADJ n] Flameproof cooking dishes can withstand direct heat, so they can be used, for example, on top of a cooker or stove, or under a grill.
fla me-retardant ADJ Flame-retardant is the same as fire-retardant .
fla me-thrower (flame-throwers ) also flame thrower N‑COUNT A flame-thrower is a gun that can send out a stream of burning liquid and that is used as a weapon or for clearing plants from an area of ground.
flam|ing /fle I m I ŋ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Flaming is used to describe something that is burning and producing a lot of flames. □ The plane, which was full of fuel, scattered flaming fragments over a large area.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Something that is flaming red or orange is bright red or orange in colour. □ He has flaming red hair.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A flaming row or a flaming temper, for example, is a very angry row or a very bad temper. [EMPHASIS ] □ She has had a flaming row with her lover.