flake

[ fleyk ]

/ fleɪk /

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noun

a small, flat, thin piece, especially one that has been or become detached from a larger piece or mass: flakes of old paint.

any small piece or mass: a flake of snow.

a stratum or layer.

Slang. an eccentric person; screwball: My sister's new boyfriend is a real flake—I can't imagine why she goes out with him.

Slang. cocaine.

a usually broad, often irregular piece of stone struck from a larger core and sometimes retouched to form a flake tool.

verb (used without object), flaked, flak·ing.

to peel off or separate in flakes.

to fall in flakes, as snow.

verb (used with object), flaked, flak·ing.

to remove in flakes.

to break flakes or chips from; break into flakes: to flake fish for a casserole.

to cover with or as if with flakes.

to form into flakes.

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Origin of flake

First recorded in 1350–1400; (noun) Middle English; akin to Old English flac- in flacox “flying (said of arrows),” Old Norse flakka “to rove, wander,” Middle Dutch vlacken “to flutter”; def. 4 by back formation from flaky, in sense “eccentric, odd”; (verb) late Middle English: “to fall in flakes,” derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM flake

flakeless, adjectiveflaker, noun

Words nearby flake

flail, flail chest, flail joint, flair, flak, flake, flakeboard, flakelet, flake out, flake tool, flake white

Definition for flake (2 of 4)

flake²

[ fleyk ]

/ fleɪk /

noun

a frame, as for drying fish.

Origin of flake

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English flake, fleke, from Old Norse flaki, fleki “bridge, hurdle”

Definition for flake (3 of 4)

flake³

[ fleyk ]

/ fleɪk /

Nautical

noun

fake² (defs. 2, 3).

verb (used with object), flaked, flak·ing.

fake² (def. 1).

to lower (a fore-and-aft sail) so as to drape the sail equally on both sides over its boom.

Origin of flake

First recorded in 1620–30; apparently variant of fake²

Definition for flake (4 of 4)

flake⁴

[ fleyk ]

/ fleɪk /

verb (used without object), flaked, flak·ing.Slang.

to back out of a plan, promise, engagement, agreement, etc.; fail to follow through on something (usually followed by out): We had a 3 o’clock appointment, but he flaked on me an hour before.

to fall asleep; take a nap (usually followed by out): She drank way too much and flaked out on my couch.

Origin of flake

⁴

First recorded in 1935–40; perhaps expressive variant of flag³; compare British dialect flack “to hang loosely, flap”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use flake in a sentence

Getting my first job as a college graduate in 1976 and going outside with snow coming down and seeing a streetlight refract the flakes into a kaleidoscopic rainbow.
Every Thanksgiving, my mental health strategy is recalling memorable, personal moments|Bob Brody|November 23, 2020|Washington Post
I fry the breadcrumbs in a Dutch oven with a generous amount of olive oil, five minced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Homemade, seasoned breadcrumbs add crunch and flavor to pastas, vegetables and more|Jesse Szewczyk|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
The kitchen can adjust that dashi by omitting a few ingredients including bonito flakes to make it a vegan complement to plant-based dishes.
Shibuya Eatery lives up to its name, bringing Tokyo street food to Adams Morgan|Tom Sietsema|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
In a medium bowl, combine the panko, the 3 tablespoons of oil, the parsley, garlic, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper flakes.
Turn cod into a swoon-worthy sheet-pan meal with herby, spicy bread crumbs|Ellie Krieger|October 29, 2020|Washington Post

You’ll know your fish is ready to eat when the meat is opaque and flakes easily.
How to Clean, Cook, and Eat Trout in the Backcountry|Ryan Wichelns|October 15, 2020|Outside Online
The 2014 midterm elections are just months behind us, but already Flake feels the pressure of the 2016 presidential elections.
Can This Republican Bring the GOP Back to Its Senses on Immigration?|Tim Mak|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Add olive oil to the pan and toss in the garlic and chili flake.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Visiting Gold Flake Paint is like talking to a brilliant friend who has exqusite taste that's just a bit different from yours.
The Best Music Blogs|Howard Wolfson|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Republicans Rob Portman of Ohio and Jeff Flake of Arizona also tumbled.
Next Time, the NRA Will Lose|Michael Tomasky|May 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Hispanic candidate Richard Carmona lost his Senate bid to Republican Jeff Flake.
Latinos, Progressives Suspicious About How Arizona Conducted Election|Terry Greene Sterling|November 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
See if you can strike off tiny flakes until the large flake looks like a spearhead.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
After that Fleetfoot took great pains to learn how to flake flint points.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
He pushed a flint flake back and forth upon one of the prongs of the antler.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
You simply fastened a flake of flint in the cock and snapped it against a steel plate.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
If you can strike off a large flint flake with three faces, see if you can make it into a knife-saw-file.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp

British Dictionary definitions for flake (1 of 4)

flake¹

/ (fleɪk) /

noun

a small thin piece or layer chipped off or detached from an object or substance; scale

a small piece or particlea flake of snow

a thin layer or stratum

archaeol

a fragment removed by chipping or hammering from a larger stone used as a tool or weaponSee also blade
(as modifier)flake tool

slang, mainly US an eccentric, crazy, or unreliable person

verb

to peel or cause to peel off in flakes; chip

to cover or become covered with or as with flakes

(tr) to form into flakes

Derived forms of flake

flaker, noun

Word Origin for flake

C14: of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian flak disc, Middle Dutch vlacken to flutter

British Dictionary definitions for flake (2 of 4)

flake²

/ (fleɪk) /

noun

a rack or platform for drying fish or other produce

Word Origin for flake

C14: from Old Norse flaki; related to Dutch vlaak hurdle

British Dictionary definitions for flake (3 of 4)

flake³

/ (fleɪk) /

verb

nautical another word for fake 1

British Dictionary definitions for flake (4 of 4)

flake⁴

/ (fleɪk) /

noun

(in Australia) the commercial name for the meat of the gummy shark

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for flake

flake

[ flāk ]

A relatively thin, sharp-edged stone fragment removed from a core or from another flake by striking or prying, serving as a tool or blade itself or as a blank for making other tools. See more at flake tool.

A small, symmetrical, six-sided crystal of snow. Flakes can be large or small and wet or dry, depending on weather conditions. They are white in color because of their large number of reflecting surfaces.

flake

noun

verb (used without object), flaked, flak·ing.

verb (used with object), flaked, flak·ing.

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Origin of flake

OTHER WORDS FROM flake

Words nearby flake

Definition for flake (2 of 4)

noun

Origin of flake

Definition for flake (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object), flaked, flak·ing.

Origin of flake

Definition for flake (4 of 4)

verb (used without object), flaked, flak·ing.Slang.

Origin of flake

Words related to flake

How to use flake in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flake (1 of 4)

noun

verb

Derived forms of flake

Word Origin for flake

British Dictionary definitions for flake (2 of 4)

noun

Word Origin for flake

British Dictionary definitions for flake (3 of 4)

verb

British Dictionary definitions for flake (4 of 4)

noun

Scientific definitions for flake