flaky

or flak·ey

[fley-kee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR flaky ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, flak·i·er, flak·i·est.

of or like flakes.

lying or cleaving off in flakes or layers.

Slang. eccentric; wacky; dizzy: a flaky math professor.

Origin of flaky

1570–80; 1965–70 for def 3; flake¹ + -y¹; sense of def. 3 probably flake⁴ + -y¹, though influenced by flake¹

Related formsflak·i·ly, adverbflak·i·ness, nounnon·flak·i·ly, adverbnon·flak·i·ly·ness, nounnon·flak·y, adjectiveun·flak·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for flaky

It is the “glue that holds often flaky single malts together,” as Broom puts it.
Don't Be a Single-Malt Scotch Snob|Kayleigh Kulp|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Its flaky and slightly burned crust was reminiscent of crème brulee.
Portugal's Kings of Pastry|Molly Hannon|April 5, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The phyllo cooks until golden, crisp, and flaky, and the cheesy spinach filling is addictive, to say the least.
What to Eat: Light Greek Meal|Cookstr.com|June 1, 2010|DAILY BEAST
It was brown as to crust, and flaky and light as to interior.
In the Midst of Alarms|Robert Barr

These rays caught the flaky clouds above Samothrace, and just pencilled their outline with a tiny rim of gold and fire.
Tell England|Ernest Raymond
Our talk flagged and the fire grew gray in its flaky ashes before Fanny again appeared.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. XII. No. 30. September, 1873|Various
The fresh bread and good butter, and the flaky wedges of apple pie, each flanked by its pilot of cheese, were likewise enjoyed.
The Girls of Hillcrest Farm|Amy Bell Marlowe
With the tarpans of the northern Steppes it is thick, flaky, and frizzled.
The Desert World|Arthur Mangin

British Dictionary definitions for flaky

flaky

adjective flakier or flakiest

like or made of flakes

tending to peel off or break easily into flakes

Also: flakey US slang eccentric; crazy

Derived Formsflakily, adverbflakiness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for flaky

adj.

1570s, from flake + -y (2). Meaning "eccentric, crazy" first recorded 1959, said to be American English baseball slang, but probably from earlier druggie slang flake "cocaine" (1920s). Flake "eccentric person" is a 1968 back-formation from it.

The term 'flake' needs explanation. It's an insider's word, used throughout baseball, usually as an adjective; someone is considered 'flaky.' It does not mean anything so crude as 'crazy,' but it's well beyond 'screwball' and far off to the side of 'eccentric.' ["New York Times," April 26, 1964]

flaky

or flak·ey

adjective, flak·i·er, flak·i·est.

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Origin of flaky

Examples from the Web for flaky

flaky

adjective flakier or flakiest