flake

¹ American  

[fleyk] / fleɪk /

noun

1. a small, flat, thin piece, especially one that has been or become detached from a larger piece or mass.

   flakes of old paint.

2. any small piece or mass.

   a flake of snow.

3. a stratum or layer.

4. Slang. an eccentric person; screwball.

   My sister's new boyfriend is a real flake—I can't imagine why she goes out with him.

5. Slang. cocaine.

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

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verb (used without object)

flaked, flaking

1. to peel off or separate in flakes.

2. to fall in flakes, as snow.

verb (used with object)

flaked, flaking

1. to remove in flakes.

2. to break flakes or chips from; break into flakes.

   to flake fish for a casserole.

3. to cover with or as if with flakes.

4. to form into flakes.

flake ² American  

[fleyk] / fleɪk /

noun

1. a frame, as for drying fish.

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flake ³ American  

[fleyk] / fleɪk /

noun

1. fake.

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verb (used with object)

flaked, flaking

1. fake.

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

flake ⁴ American  

[fleyk] / fleɪk /

verb (used without object)

Slang.

flaked, flaking

1. to back out of a plan, promise, engagement, agreement, etc.; fail to follow through on something (usually followed byout ).

   We had a 3 o’clock appointment, but he flaked on me an hour before.

2. to fall asleep; take a nap (usually followed byout ).

   She drank way too much and flaked out on my couch.

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flake ¹ British  

/ fleɪk /

verb

1. nautical another word for fake 1

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flake ² British  

/ fleɪk /

noun

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

2. a small piece or particle

   a flake of snow

3. a thin layer or stratum

4. archaeol

   1. a fragment removed by chipping or hammering from a larger stone used as a tool or weapon See also blade

   2. ( as modifier )

      flake tool

5. slang an eccentric, crazy, or unreliable person

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verb

1. to peel or cause to peel off in flakes; chip

2. to cover or become covered with or as with flakes

3. (tr) to form into flakes

flake ³ British  

/ fleɪk /

noun

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

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flake ⁴ British  

/ fleɪk /

noun

1. a rack or platform for drying fish or other produce

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flake Scientific  

/ flāk /

1. 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.

2. See more at flake tool

3. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• flaker
  noun
• flakeless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of flake¹

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”; flake ¹ def. 4 by back formation from flaky, in sense “eccentric, odd”; (verb) late Middle English: “to fall in flakes,” derivative of the noun

Origin of flake²

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

Origin of flake³

First recorded in 1620–30; apparently variant of fake ²

Origin of flake⁴

First recorded in 1935–40; perhaps expressive variant of flag ³; compare British dialect flack “to hang loosely, flap”

Explanation

A flake is a tiny piece of something. A flake could be a tasty morsel like a croissant flake, or a not so tasty morsel — like a dandruff flake. Ewww. In some places, you can see flakes of mica, a shiny glimmering mineral, lining the banks of a pond or paths through the woods. There are also croissant flakes, dandruff flakes, and of course snow flakes, individual snow crystals. When something flakes, it comes off in tiny flecks: "The paint had started to flake off the kitchen wall." If someone calls you a flake, they basically mean you're a weirdo.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flake flaked flaking

After deep contemplation, she despaired, writing: “Nature’s silence is its one remark, and every flake of world is a chip off that old mute and immutable block.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

Due to tiny differences in atmospheric conditions, each flake will create a unique pattern.

From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2024

Any while we’re on the subject of flavor, level up your loved one’s spice game with Flatiron Pepper Co.’s chili flake blends.

From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2024

He said digs at the site have turned up about 70 items ranging from flake stones to a rare example of an early ground stone.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2024

A white flake floated out into the night, and began its slow descent.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Or take a bright yuzu marmalade: pair it with black sesame seeds, flaked coconut, a drizzle of coconut cream, a swirl of tahini, and a scatter of lime zest.

From Salon ● Nov. 13, 2025

Tender flaked blue crab and summer squash add sweetness and depth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025

You’ve just been flaked on and it hurts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2025

Mr Glauser said while his first choice remained Cadbury Flake 99, when they are unusable he turns to a German alternative marketed as "milk chocolate flaked sticks".

From BBC ● May 26, 2023

The baby powder flaked off her cheeks as her shock turned to outrage.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

It appeared to London that the women thought she was flaking on their plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

King recommends that people with dry or sensitive skin, as well as those with rosacea, stay away from ice facials, as the cold can be irritating and cause flaking and redness.

From National Geographic ● Feb. 21, 2024

It was white all over, but the white layer seemed to be flaking off.

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2024

The family lives “seven in a two-bedroom in a fourth-floor walk-up with leaking pipes, flaking paint, inconsistent heat, quarrelsome neighbors, and a landlord who remembered them only when the rent was due.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2023

I reach out and touch the green rail, running my thumb across a ridged section where the paint is chipped and flaking.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

Related Words

• exfoliate
• sliver