Flem|ish /fle m I ʃ/
1 ADJ Flemish means belonging or relating to the region of Flanders in northern Europe, or to its people, language, or culture.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Flemish is a language spoken in Belgium.
flesh /fle ʃ/ (fleshes , fleshing , fleshed )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Flesh is the soft part of a person's or animal's body between the bones and the skin. □ …maggots which eat away dead flesh. □ …the pale pink flesh of trout and salmon.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You can use flesh to refer to human skin and the human body, especially when you are considering it in a sexual way. □ …the sins of the flesh.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The flesh of a fruit or vegetable is the soft inside part of it. □ Cut the flesh from the olives and discard the stones.
4 PHRASE You use flesh and blood to emphasize that someone has human feelings or weaknesses, often when contrasting them with machines. [EMPHASIS ] □ I'm only flesh and blood, like anyone else.
5 PHRASE If you say that someone is your own flesh and blood , you are emphasizing that they are a member of your family. [EMPHASIS ] □ The kid, after all, was his own flesh and blood. He deserved a second chance.
6 PHRASE If something makes your flesh creep or makes your flesh crawl , it makes you feel disgusted, shocked or frightened. □ It makes my flesh creep to think of it. □ I was heading on a secret mission that made my flesh crawl.
7 PHRASE If you meet or see someone in the flesh , you actually meet or see them, rather than, for example, seeing them in a film or on television. □ The first thing viewers usually say when they see me in the flesh is 'You're smaller than you look on TV.'
▸ flesh out PHRASAL VERB If you flesh out something such as a story or plan, you add details and more information to it. □ [V P n] He talked an hour, fleshing out his original five-minute account. [Also V n P ]
fle sh-coloured in AM, use flesh-colored ADJ Something that is flesh-coloured is yellowish pink in colour.
fle sh wound (flesh wounds ) N‑COUNT A flesh wound is a wound that breaks the skin but does not damage the bones or any of the body's important internal organs.
fleshy /fle ʃi/
1 ADJ If you describe someone as fleshy , you mean that they are slightly too fat. □ He was well-built, but too fleshy to be impressive.
2 ADJ Fleshy parts of the body or fleshy plants are thick and soft. □ …fleshy fruits like apples, plums, pears, peaches.
flew /fluː / Flew is the past tense of fly .
flex /fle ks/ (flexes , flexing , flexed )
1 N‑VAR A flex is an electric cable containing two or more wires that is connected to an electrical appliance. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use cord 2 VERB If you flex your muscles or parts of your body, you bend, move, or stretch them for a short time in order to exercise them. □ [V n] He slowly flexed his muscles and tried to stand.
3 to flex your muscles → see muscle
flex|ible ◆◇◇ /fle ks I b ə l/
1 ADJ A flexible object or material can be bent easily without breaking. □ …brushes with long, flexible bristles. ● flexi|bil|ity /fle ks I b I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ The flexibility of the lens decreases with age.
2 ADJ Something or someone that is flexible is able to change easily and adapt to different conditions and circumstances as they occur. [APPROVAL ] □ Look for software that's flexible enough for a range of abilities. □ …flexible working hours. ● flexi|bil|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ The flexibility of distance learning would be particularly suited to busy managers. SYNONYMS flexible ADJ 1
pliable: As your baby grows bigger, his bones become less pliable.
elastic: Beat it until the dough is slightly elastic.
supple: The leather is supple and sturdy enough to last for years.
bendy: …a bendy toy whose limbs bend in every direction.
flexi|time /fle ksita I m/ in AM, use flextime N‑UNCOUNT Flexitime is a system that allows employees to vary the time that they start or finish work, provided that an agreed total number of hours are spent at work. [BUSINESS ]
flick /fl I k/ (flicks , flicking , flicked )
1 VERB If something flicks in a particular direction, or if someone flicks it, it moves with a short, sudden movement. □ [V prep/adv] His tongue flicked across his lips. □ [V n prep/adv] He flicked his cigarette out of the window. [Also V , V n] ● N‑COUNT [oft a N of n] Flick is also a noun. □ …a flick of a paintbrush.
2 VERB If you flick something away, or off something else, you remove it with a quick movement of your hand or finger. □ [V n + from/off ] Shirley flicked a speck of fluff from the sleeve of her black suit. □ [V n + away ] Alan stretched out his hand and flicked the letter away.
3 VERB If you flick something such as a whip or a towel, or flick something with it, you hold one end of it and move your hand quickly up and then forward, so that the other end moves. □ [V n] He helped her up before flicking the reins. □ [V n prep] She sighed and flicked a dishcloth at the counter. ● N‑COUNT Flick is also a noun. □ …a flick of the whip.