flaky
Americanadjective
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of or like flakes.
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lying or cleaving off in flakes or layers.
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Slang. eccentric; wacky; dizzy.
a flaky math professor.
adjective
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like or made of flakes
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tending to peel off or break easily into flakes
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Also: flakey. slang eccentric; crazy
Other Word Forms
- flakily adverb
- flakiness noun
- nonflakily adverb
- nonflakilyness noun
- nonflaky adjective
- unflaky adjective
Etymology
Origin of flaky
First recorded in 1570–80; 1965–70 flaky for def. 3; flake 1 + -y 1; sense of flaky def. 3 probably flake 4 + -y 1, though influenced by flake 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Nestled in a flaky, buttery crust, the cinnamon-spiced, diced apple filling is topped with a brown sugar crumble and baked to a golden brown,” TJ’s describes.
From Salon
It’s a singular piece of extremely thick-cut toast that has been grilled until crispy and topped with a scoop of rich honey butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
From Seattle Times
On my flaky video call, it seemed to help when I moved away from the window.
From Washington Post
We opted for the whole Bronzino, which was spectacular, flaky, and perfectly prepared.
From Salon
“It’s a flaky and weird little town,” Anderson said in an interview last fall at their studio in downtown Farmington, and chuckled.
From New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
