| flaw | 1. A crack or breach; a gap or fissure; a defect of continuity or cohesion; as, a flaw in a knife or a vase. "This heart Shall break into a hundered thousand flaws." (Shak) 2. A defect; a fault; as, a flaw in reputation; a flaw in a will, in a deed, or in a statute. "Has not this also its flaws and its dark side?" (South) 3. A sudden burst of noise and disorder; a tumult; uproar; a quarrel. "And deluges of armies from the town Came pouring in; I heard the mighty flaw." (Dryden) 4. A sudden burst or gust of wind of short duration. "Snow, and hail, and stormy gust and flaw." (Milton) "Like flaws in summer laying lusty corn." (Tennyson) Synonym: Blemish, fault, imoerfection, spot, speck. Origin: OE. Flai, flaw flake; cf. Sw. Flaga flaw, crack, breach, flake, D. Vlaag gust of wind, Norw. Flage, flaag, and E. Flag a flat stone. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| flawter | To scrape o pare, as a skin. Origin: Cf. Flay. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| flax | 1. <botany> A plant of the genus Linum, especially. The L. Usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers. The fibre 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, amianthus. <botany> New Zealand flax See Flax-plant. Origin: 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. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| flax-dresser's disease | <disease> Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by inhalation of particles of unprocessed flax; a form of byssinosis. See: byssinosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| flax-plant | <botany> A plant in new Zealand (Phormium tenax), allied to the lilies and aloes. The leaves are two inches wide and several feet long, and furnish a fibre which is used for making ropes, mats, and coarse cloth. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| flaxseed | The seed of the flax; linseed. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| flaxseed oil | <chemical> The fixed oil obtained from the dried ripe seed of linseed, linum usitatissimum (l. Linaceae). It is used as an emollient in liniments, pastes, and medicinal soaps, and in veterinary medicine as a laxative. It is also called flaxseed oil. Pharmacological action: cathartic, emollients. Chemical name: Linseed oil (12 Dec 1998) |
| flaxweed | <botany> See Toadflax. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| flay | 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) Origin: OE. Flean, flan, AS. Flean; akin to D. Vlaen, Icel. Fla, Sw. Fla, Dan. Flaae, cf. Lith. Ples to tear, plyszti, v.i, to burst tear; perh. Akin to E. Flag to flat stone, flaw. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| flayer | One who strips off the skin. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| flea | <entomology> 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 (Pulex irritans), abundant in Europe, is rare in America, where the dog flea (P. Canis) takes its place. 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 Beach, etc. Origin: OE. Fle, flee, AS. Flea, fleah; akin to D, OHG. Flh, G. Floh, Icel. Fl, Russ. Blocha; prob. From the root of E. Flee. 84. See Flee. (30 Mar 1998) |
| flea-beetle | <zoology> A small beetle of the family Halticidae, of many species. They have strong posterior legs and leap like fleas. The turnip flea-beetle (Phyllotreta vittata) and that of the grapevine (Graptodera chalybea) are common injurious species. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| flea-bitten kidney | The kidney seen at autopsy in some cases of bacterial endocarditis, the appearance being caused by diffuse petechial haemorrhages resulting from focal glomerulonephritis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| flea-borne typhus | An acute infectious disease with fever, headache, and rash, all quite similar to, but milder than, epidemic typhus, caused by a related microoganism, rickettsia typhi (mooseri), transmitted to humans by rat fleas (xenopsylla cheopis). The animal reservoir includes rats, mice and other rodents. Murine typhus occurs sporadically worldwide but is more prevalent in congested rat-infested urban areas. Also known as endemic typhus, rat-flea typhus; urban typhus of malaya). (12 Dec 1998) |
| flea-louse | <zoology> A jumping plant louse of the family Psyllidae, of many species. That of the pear tree is Psylla pyri. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |