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1. Full of flaws or cracks; broken; defective; faulty. Johnson.
2. Subject to sudden flaws or gusts of wind.
Flax
(Flax) n. [AS. fleax; akin to D. vlas, OHG. flahs, G. flachs, and prob. to flechten to braid, plait,m
twist, L. plectere to weave, plicare to fold, Gr. to weave, plait. See Ply.]
1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Linum, esp. the L. usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk,
about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers. The fiber of the bark is used for making thread and cloth,
called linen, cambric, lawn, lace, etc. Linseed oil is expressed from the seed.
2. The skin or fibrous part of the flax plant, when broken and cleaned by hatcheling or combing.
Earth flax (Min.), amianthus. — Flax brake, a machine for removing the woody portion of flax from
the fibrous. — Flax comb, a hatchel, hackle, or heckle. — Flax cotton, the fiber of flax, reduced
by steeping in bicarbonate of soda and acidulated liquids, and prepared for bleaching and spinning like
cotton. Knight. — Flax dresser, one who breaks and swingles flax, or prepares it for the spinner. —
Flax mill, a mill or factory where flax is spun or linen manufactured. — Flax puller, a machine for
pulling flax plants in the field. — Flax wench. (a) A woman who spins flax. [Obs.] (b) A prostitute.
[Obs.] Shak. — Mountain flax (Min.), amianthus. — New Zealand flax (Bot.) See Flax- plant.
Flaxen
(Flax"en) a. Made of flax; resembling flax or its fibers; of the color of flax; of a light soft straw color; fair
and flowing, like flax or tow; as, flaxen thread; flaxen hair.
Flax-plant
(Flax"-plant`) n. (Bot.) A plant in new Zealand allied to the lilies and aloes. The leaves are
two inches wide and several feet long, and furnish a fiber which is used for making ropes, mats, and
coarse cloth.
Flaxseed
(Flax"seed`) n. The seed of the flax; linseed.
Flaxweed
(Flax"weed`) n. (Bot.) See Toadflax.
Flaxy
(Flax"y) a. Like flax; flaxen. Sir M. Sandys.
Flay
(Flay) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flayed (flad); p. pr. & vb. n. Flaying.] [OE. flean, flan, AS. fleán; akin
to D. vlaen, Icel. fla, Sw. flå, Dan. flaae, cf. Lith. pleszti to tear, plyszti, v.i., to burst, tear; perh.
akin to E. flag a flat stone, flaw.] To skin; to strip off the skin or surface of; as, to flay an ox; to flay
the green earth.
With her nails
She 'll flay thy wolfish visage. Shak.
Flayer
(Flay"er) n. One who strips off the skin.
Flea
(Flea) v. t. [See Flay.] To flay. [Obs.]
He will be fleaed first
And horse collars made of's skin. J. Fletcher. Flea
(Flea), n. [OE. fle, flee, AS. fleá, fleáh; akin to D. vtoo, OHG. floh, G. floh, Icel. flo, Russ. blocha; prob.
from the root of E. flee. &radic84. See Flee.] (Zoöl.) An insect belonging to the genus Pulex, of the
order Aphaniptera. Fleas are destitute of wings, but have the power of leaping energetically. The bite is
poisonous to most persons. The human flea abundant in Europe, is rare in America, where the dog flea
(P. canis) takes its place. See Aphaniptera, and Dog flea. See Illustration in Appendix.
A flea in the ear, an unwelcome hint or unexpected reply, annoying like a flea; an irritating repulse; as,
to put a flea in one's ear; to go away with a flea in one's ear. — Beach flea, Black flea, etc. See
under Beach, etc.
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