📖 F — The English dictionary · page 25

fleet — Everyday, meaning 1: A group of ships, especially navy ships, that sail together.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A group of buses, taxis, planes or lorries owned by one company: a fleet of taxis.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (adjective, literary) Fast and light on your feet: fleet of foot.↗ Example: The fleet sailed out of the harbour.↗ · The bus company has a fleet of 40 buses.↗ · A fishing fleet came back with full nets.↗ · The school hired a fleet of coaches for the trip.↗ · If each of the 5 buses in the fleet carries 50 people, the fleet carries 250.↗ · The deer was fleet of foot.↗ · He assembled his fleet and all the seamen, and set out.↗

fleeth — Early Modern English, meaning 1: «fleeth» means «flees», a form of «flee».↗ e.g. To flee is to run away from danger or from a place, quickly.↗ Example: But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth;↗ (Torah NUM.35.26, JPS 1917)

fleming — Everyday, meaning 1: Fleming is a family name.↗ The most famous is Alexander Fleming, a Scottish scientist who discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic medicine, when he noticed mould killing germs on a dish.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Ian Fleming was a British writer who wrote the James Bond spy stories.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A Fleming is a person from Flanders, the Dutch-speaking north of Belgium.↗ Example: Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin.↗ · Fleming noticed that mould had killed the bacteria on his dish.↗ · Penicillin, found by Fleming, fights infections.↗ · Ian Fleming wrote books about the spy James Bond.↗ · Our neighbours are the Flemings at number 12.↗ · The Flemings of Belgium speak Dutch.↗ · Fleming's discovery started the age of antibiotics.↗

flemish — Everyday, meaning 1: Flemish means to do with Flanders, the northern Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, or its people.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Flemish is the name for the Dutch spoken in Belgium.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Flemish art means paintings by artists from Flanders, like Bruegel and Van Eyck.↗ Example: In Belgium, Flemish is spoken in the north.↗ · Bruegel was a Flemish painter.↗ · The museum has Flemish paintings of village life.↗ · Flemish weavers came to England in the Middle Ages.↗ · Flemish is very close to the Dutch of the Netherlands.↗ · Brussels has signs in French and Flemish.↗

flesh — Everyday, meaning 1: Flesh is the soft part of the body of a person or animal, between the skin and bones, mostly muscle and fat.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Flesh is the soft part of a fruit or vegetable that you can eat.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (Bible, church) «The flesh» means the human body and its desires, as opposed to the spirit; «the Word became flesh» means Christians believe God became a human in Jesus.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To flesh out an idea or a story means to add more details.↗ Early Modern English, meaning 1: the body of a person or animal, or the living skin and muscle; here also a general word for all living creatures.↗ Example: The peach had sweet orange flesh.↗ · Lions eat the flesh of other animals.↗ · I met my favourite author in the flesh!↗ · Flesh out your story with more details.↗ · He's my own flesh and blood.↗ · Christians believe the Word became flesh at Christmas.↗ · I have even got flesh and clothes.↗ · But whensoever raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.↗ (Torah LEV.13.14, JPS 1917)↗ · And as for the flesh, every one that is clean may eat thereof.↗ (Torah LEV.7.19, JPS 1917)↗ · And the flesh and the skin were burnt with fire without the camp.↗ (Torah LEV.9.11, JPS 1917)↗ · Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh; (Writings PRO.23.20, JPS 1917)↗ · Hast Thou eyes of flesh? or seest Thou as man seeth?↗ (Writings JOB.10.4, JPS 1917)↗ · All flesh shall perish together, and man shall return unto dust.↗ (Writings JOB.34.15, JPS 1917)↗ · But whensoever raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.↗ (Torah LEV.13.14, JPS 1917) · I smell Russian flesh!↗ [188] Who's there?"↗ (Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore) · The Two Covenants, by the Word or Spirit, and by the Flesh, made by Jehovah with Abraham, Genesis XVII.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)

fleshy — Everyday, meaning 1: Fleshy means thick, soft and juicy, especially describing fruit or plant parts, like a fleshy peach or fleshy cactus leaves.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Fleshy describes a body part that is plump or has a lot of flesh, like the fleshy part of your thumb.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Fleshy can mean having the pinkish colour of skin.↗ Example: A peach is a fleshy fruit with a stone in the middle.↗ · Cactuses have fleshy stems that store water.↗ · The doctor gave the injection in the fleshy part of the arm.↗ · Aloe vera has thick, fleshy leaves.↗ · Mushrooms have a fleshy cap.↗ · The troll had a big, fleshy nose.↗

flex — Everyday, meaning 1: To flex means to bend a part of your body, like your arm or fingers.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To flex your muscles means to tighten them so they stand out, often to show strength.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (UK, Ireland, Australia) A flex is a bendy electric cable with a plug, for a lamp or kettle (in US English, a cord).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (slang) To flex means to show off something, like new trainers or money; «a flex» is a showing-off.↗ Example: Flex your arm and feel your biceps.↗ · The gymnast flexed her feet before the jump.↗ · Don't touch that kettle flex; it's frayed.↗ · He was flexing his new phone all day.↗ · «I've got two hundred cousins.»↗ «Weird flex, but OK.»↗ · The country flexed its muscles by showing off its army.↗ · Gently flex your fingers after typing for a long time.↗

flexibility — Everyday, meaning 1: Flexibility is the ability to bend easily without breaking.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Flexibility is being able to change or fit in with new situations or plans.↗ Example: Yoga helps improve flexibility.↗ · Gymnasts need great flexibility.↗ · Rubber's flexibility makes it good for tyres.↗ · Teachers need flexibility when plans change.↗ · The new timetable gives more flexibility.↗

flexible — Everyday, meaning 1: Something flexible can bend easily without breaking, like rubber or a plastic ruler.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A flexible person can bend and stretch their body easily.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A flexible plan, time or rule can change to suit new situations.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A flexible person is willing to change their plans or ideas.↗ Example: Rubber is a flexible material.↗ · Gymnasts are very flexible and can do the splits.↗ · The plastic ruler is flexible, but the wooden one is not.↗ · Mum has flexible hours, so she can pick us up.↗ · Our plans are flexible — we can go tomorrow if it rains.↗ · Be flexible and try another way to solve the problem.↗ · Copper wire is flexible enough to bend into shapes.↗ · The branches were long slimy arms, with fingers like flexible worms, moving limb after limb from the root to the top.↗

flexion — Everyday, meaning 1: (science, medical) Flexion is bending a joint so that the angle between the bones gets smaller, like bending your elbow or knee.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (grammar, rare) Flexion can mean changing the ending of a word to show its grammar (more often called inflection).↗ Example: Bending your elbow is flexion.↗ · Flexion and extension work like a hinge.↗ · After his injury, he could only manage a little knee flexion.↗ · The biceps muscle causes flexion of the arm.↗ · Stretches improve flexion of the hips.↗ · The physio measured the flexion of her ankle.↗

flick — Everyday, meaning 1: To hit or move something with a quick small movement, for example with a finger.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To switch something on or off quickly: «flick the light switch».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To turn pages quickly or change TV channels: «flick through a book».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (noun) A quick, light movement or hit.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (informal, noun) A film: «the flicks» means the cinema (old UK).↗ Example: He flicked the crumbs off the table.↗ · Flick the switch to turn on the light.↗ · I flicked through the book to find the pictures.↗ · The horse flicked its tail at the flies.↗ · Don't flick rubber bands; you could hurt someone's eye.↗ · With a flick of her wrist, she spun the top.↗ · The lizard's tongue flicked in and out.↗ · So he awoke the wolf by flicking him across the eyes with his brush.↗

flicker — Everyday, meaning 1: To flicker is to shine unsteadily, getting brighter and dimmer quickly, like a candle flame.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To flicker is also to move quickly and lightly, like eyelids or a shadow.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A flicker is a quick unsteady light or movement, or a small sudden feeling, like a flicker of hope.↗ Example: The candle flickered in the draught.↗ · The lights flickered and went out.↗ · A flicker of hope crossed her face.↗ · Shadows flickered on the walls of the cave.↗ · His eyelids flickered as he woke up.↗ · The TV screen flickered.↗ · There was a flicker of a smile on Dad's face.↗ · All at once in the distance a small light flickered.↗

flier — Everyday, meaning 1: A flier is a person or thing that flies, such as a pilot, a bird or a passenger on planes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A flier is also a sheet of paper advertising something, handed out or put through letterboxes; this is more often spelled flyer.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) A fast runner or a very quick start, as in «get off to a flier».↗ Example: We handed out fliers for the school fair.↗ · A flier for a new pizza place came through the door.↗ · My dad is a frequent flier because he travels for work.↗ · The early fliers built planes out of wood and cloth.↗ · Swifts are amazing fliers that hardly ever land.↗ · She is a high flier and got top marks.↗ · Our team got off to a flier and scored in the first minute.↗ · We made a flier about the missing cat.↗

flieth — Early Modern English, meaning 1: «flieth» means «flies», a form of «fly».↗ e.g. To fly is to move through the air with wings, like a bird, an insect or a plane.↗ Example: the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the heaven,↗ (Torah DEU.4.17, JPS 1917) · "See, see, she hangeth by the throte, and therefor she speaketh not," saide others; "and the beast flieth not like a beast;" so she opened her mouth and "pashte hir all to pieces."↗ (Indian Fairy Tales)

flight — Everyday, meaning 1: A flight is a trip in an aeroplane: «our flight to Dublin».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Flight is flying, the act of moving through the air: «birds in flight».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A flight of stairs is a set of steps between two floors.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Flight is running away from danger: «take flight».↗ Example: The flight takes 3 hours.↗ · A plane ticket for the flight costs 150 dollars.↗ · Each flight of stairs has 12 steps.↗ · She climbed 4 flights of stairs.↗ · Our flight to Auckland was late.↗ · The birds took flight when the dog barked.↗ · The Wright brothers made the first powered flight.↗ · Fasten your seat belt during the flight.↗ · The fox took flight at the sound of the hunters.↗ · How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had given them over and the LORD had delivered them up?↗ (Torah DEU.32.30, JPS 1917)↗ · Madmenah is in mad flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee to cover.↗ (Prophets ISA.10.31, JPS 1917)↗ · And flight shall fail the swift, and the strong shall not exert his strength, neither shall the mighty deliver himself; (Prophets AMO.2.14, JPS 1917)↗ · and Beriah, and Shema, who were heads of fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath.↗ (Writings 1CH.8.13, JPS 1917)↗

flightless — Everyday, meaning 1: Flightless means not able to fly.↗ It is used for birds and insects that have wings but cannot fly.↗ Example: The kiwi is a flightless bird from New Zealand.↗ · Penguins are flightless, but they are great swimmers.↗ · Ostriches are flightless and run very fast.↗ · The dodo was a flightless bird that is now extinct.↗ · Many flightless birds lived on islands with no predators.↗ · Emus are flightless birds from Australia.↗ · Some flightless insects, like fleas, jump instead.↗

flinch — Everyday, meaning 1: To flinch is to make a small, quick movement backwards or away because of pain, fear or surprise.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Not to flinch from something means to face it bravely without avoiding it.↗ Example: She flinched when the nurse gave her the injection.↗ · He didn't flinch when the ball flew at him.↗ · The dog flinched at the sound of fireworks.↗ · She faced the bully without flinching.↗ · He gave a little flinch when I touched the bruise.↗ · The firefighter never flinched from danger.↗ · The ogre thought to terrify his foe, but Watanabe never flinched.↗

flinders — Everyday, meaning 1: Small broken pieces or splinters, as in «smashed to flinders».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (a name) Matthew Flinders, an English navigator who sailed round Australia in 1801–1803; many places are named after him, such as the Flinders Ranges and Flinders Street in Melbourne.↗ Example: The boat hit the rocks and was smashed to flinders.↗ · The old chair broke into flinders.↗ · Matthew Flinders was the first to sail all the way round Australia.↗ · We went walking in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia.↗ · The car crash left the cart in flinders.↗ · Flinders Street Station is in the centre of Melbourne.↗

fling — Everyday, meaning 1: To fling something is to throw it hard and carelessly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To fling yourself or your arms is to move suddenly and with force.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A fling is a short time of fun, or a short love affair.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: If something flings light or sunshine somewhere, it sends it there suddenly and strongly.↗ Example: She flung her bag on the floor and ran outside.↗ · He flung open the window to let in fresh air.↗ · The boy flung his arms around his grandma.↗ · Don't fling your coat on the chair; hang it up.↗ · The wind flung leaves across the yard.↗ · We learned the Highland fling in dance class.↗ · He flung himself onto the sofa.↗ · Cecco went, first flinging his arms despairingly.↗