flannel

[ flan-l ]

/ ˈflæn l /

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See synonyms for: flannels on Thesaurus.com

noun

a soft, slightly napped fabric of wool or wool and another fiber, used for trousers, jackets, shirts, etc.

a soft, warm, light fabric of cotton or cotton and another fiber, thickly napped on one side and used for sleepwear, undergarments, sheets, etc.

flannels,

an outer garment, especially trousers, made of flannel.
woolen undergarments.

British.

a washcloth.
Informal. nonsense; humbug; empty talk.
Informal. flattery; insincere or overdone praise.

verb (used with object), flan·neled, flan·nel·ing or (especially British), flan·nelled, flan·nel·ling.

to cover or clothe with flannel.

to rub with flannel.

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Origin of flannel

1300–50; Middle English flaunneol, perhaps dissimilated variant of flanyn sackcloth <Welsh; compare Welsh gwlanen woolen article, equivalent to gwlânwool (akin to Latin lāna) + -en suffix denoting a single item (as a piece of a mass noun or singular of a collective plural)

Words nearby flannel

flangeway, flank, flanken, flanker, flank speed, flannel, flannelboard, flannel cake, flannelet, flannelette, flannel flower

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use flannel in a sentence

Avoid thick covers with flannel linings, as these can attract mice.
Optimal Grilling Accessories and Grilling Tools For The Best Backyard BBQ|Irena Collaku|June 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Casually dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, she arranges a couple of chairs and a slide projector.
A mix of laughs and sadness in ‘2.5 Minute Ride’|Patrick Folliard|May 27, 2021|Washington Blade
Cotton flannels also provide additional protection by absorbing moisture from breath, Vicenzi and colleagues report March 8 in ACS Applied Nano Materials.
Microscopic images reveal the science and beauty of face masks|Emiliano Rodríguez Mega|April 2, 2021|Science News
He was wearing a blue plaid flannel shirt with more than one pen in the pocket, and he was both quick to smile and to qualify a point during our conversation.
The Charmed Life of Frank Wilczek - Issue 98: Mind|Nell Freudenberger|March 17, 2021|Nautilus

Leather gloves can be lined in cashmere, flannel or fleece materials.
Best winter gloves: Our picks for touch screen gloves, ski gloves, and more|PopSci Commerce Team|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
Have you met the lumbersexual: all beards, flannel shirts, and work boots?
How Straight World Stole ‘Gay’: The Last Gasp of the ‘Lumbersexual’|Tim Teeman|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Until then, men shall all wearily grow our facial hair, wear flannel, and confuse the hell out of each other out on the streets.
How Straight World Stole ‘Gay’: The Last Gasp of the ‘Lumbersexual’|Tim Teeman|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It will prove so helpful, according to one radio flannel-mouth, that it was likely an act of strategic planning.
Stop the Baby Clinton Madness|Jeff Greenfield|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We cared about your formerly firm stance against women who have Uncle Jessie mullets and wear flannel!
The Tithe Is High: End the GOP Civil War!|Bill Schulz|January 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There's a bearded, flannel-shirted movement afoot to ditch the Internet and reclaim the pre-digital life.
Dave Eggers, Arcade Fire and Other Hipsters Shun the Internet|James Poulos|September 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Behold a dumpy, comfortable British paterfamilias in a light flannel suit and a faded sun hat.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
His hat was pushed back from his forehead, the collar of his blue flannel shirt was open.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
She was in a soiled dressing gown of purple flannel, with several of the buttons off.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
A handkerchief, once red, with polka spots, contained a ragged flannel shirt and a stocking-heel tied with a piece of tape.
A Lost Hero|Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward
A piece of red flannel was wrapped around Mademoiselle's throat; a stiff neck compelled her to hold her head on one side.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for flannel

flannel

/ (ˈflænəl) /

noun

a soft light woollen fabric with a slight nap, used for clothing

(plural) trousers or other garments made of flannel

See cotton flannel

British a small piece of cloth used to wash the face and hands; face clothUS and Canadian equivalent: washcloth

British informal indirect or evasive talk; deceiving flattery

verb -nels, -nelling or -nelled or US -nels, -neling or -neled (tr)

to cover or wrap with flannel

to rub, clean, or polish with flannel

British informal to talk evasively to; flatter in order to mislead

Derived forms of flannel

flannelly, adjective

Word Origin for flannel

C14: probably variant of flanen sackcloth, from Welsh gwlanen woollen fabric, from gwlân wool

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

flannel

Origin of flannel

Words nearby flannel

Words related to flannel

How to use flannel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flannel

Derived forms of flannel

Word Origin for flannel