flax

[ flaks ]

/ flæks /

Save This Word!

noun

any plant of the genus Linum, especially L. usitatissimum, a slender, erect, annual plant having narrow, lance-shaped leaves and blue flowers, cultivated for its fiber and seeds.

the fiber of this plant, manufactured into linen yarn for thread or woven fabrics.

any of various plants resembling flax.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of flax

before 900; Middle English; Old English fleax; cognate with Dutch, Low German vlas,German Flachs

Words nearby flax

flavourful, flavouring, flaw, flawed, flawless, flax, flaxen, flax kit, Flaxman, flaxseed, flay

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

How to use flax in a sentence

Use gluten-free all-purpose flour, vegan butter and flax eggs, and brush with oat milk rather than an egg wash.
These Chinese walnut cookies are buttery and crumbly, with a five-spice streusel filling|Hetty McKinnon|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
For the flax eggs, combine 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with 5 tablespoons of water.
These Chinese walnut cookies are buttery and crumbly, with a five-spice streusel filling|Hetty McKinnon|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
Seek out varieties that include seeds—like flax, chia and sesame—which add nutrients including omega-3s and protein.
How to Buy Gluten-Free Without Getting Duped|DailyBurn|April 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Menstrual Cramps—Eat two tbsps of flax seeds during your period because of their hormone balancing lignans and phytoestrogens.
Use These 15 Home Remedies Based On Ayurveda To Cure Menstrual Cramps, Hangovers, and Indigestion|Ari Meisel|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

These include ground flax seeds for breakfast, pomegranate juice, green tea, tomato sauce, fatty fish, and physical exercise.
Fighting Cancer With Fruit|David Servan-Schreiber|October 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Some of the cut grass looks as if it were Flax spread out to rot, and all of it evinces a want of shelter.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
Flax is a great staple of the North of Ireland, and three fourths of it is beaten flat to the earth.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench, he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Twelve of these ropes were used, about nine inches thick, some of them being made of flax and others of papyrus.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
Catharine smiled and kept on spinning flax till her visitor entered.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 101, March, 1866|Various

British Dictionary definitions for flax

flax

/ (flæks) /

noun

any herbaceous plant or shrub of the genus Linum, esp L. usitatissimum, which has blue flowers and is cultivated for its seeds (flaxseed) and for the fibres of its stems: family Linaceae

the fibre of this plant, made into thread and woven into linen fabrics

any of various similar plants

Also called: harakeke NZ a swamp plant producing a fibre that is used by Māoris for decorative work, baskets, etc

Word Origin for flax

Old English fleax; related to Old Frisian flax, Old High German flahs flax, Greek plekein to plait

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

flax

Origin of flax

Words nearby flax

Words related to flax

How to use flax in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flax

Word Origin for flax