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

Related Words for flaky

crazy, unconventional, wacky, nutty, goofy, odd, haywire, peculiar, queer, screwy

Examples from the Web for flaky

Contemporary Examples of 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
Its flaky and slightly burned crust was reminiscent of crème brulee.
Portugal's Kings of Pastry
Molly Hannon
April 5, 2011
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

Historical Examples of flaky

It was brown as to crust, and flaky and light as to interior.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
If properly made, it will be light and flaky, and the suet imperceptible.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
Plainer tartlets may be made with short, flaky, or other pastry.
The Skilful Cook
Mary Harrison
The cake came out of the oven light and flaky and beautiful.
The Goody-Naughty Book
Sarah Cory Rippey
His biscuits came to the table hot and flaky, his bacon was done to a turn.
The Highgrader
William MacLeod Raine

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]