flax

[flaks]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR flax ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Origin of flax

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

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

Related Words for flax

fiber, marijuana, cannabis, hashish, flax, bhang, jute, cord, wire, string, yarn, wool, filament, silk, strand, cotton, thrash, chastise, smack, flog

Examples from the Web for flax

Contemporary Examples of flax

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
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

Historical Examples of flax

The flax which was sown in this country rose three feet high.
The History of Louisiana
Le Page Du Pratz
Fruit trees, Turkey corn, vines, and flax flourished in luxuriance.
Vivian Grey
Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
They won't be bothered with flax, which wants no end of attention.
Ireland as It Is
Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)
Then the girl took the flax and drove the heifer out to graze.
Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales
Anonymous
Sheets and table-cloths were of flax or hemp; dishes were of brass or pewter.
William Shakespeare
Samuel Levy Bensusan

British Dictionary definitions for flax

flax

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

Word Origin and History for flax

Old English fleax "cloth made with flax, linen," from Proto-Germanic *flakhsan (cf. Old Frisian flax, Middle Dutch and Dutch vlas, Old Saxon flas, Old High German flahs, German Flachs), probably from Proto-Germanic base *fleh-, corresponding to PIE *plek- "to weave, plait" (see ply (v.1)). But some connect it with PIE *pleik- (see flay) from the notion of "stripping" fiber to prepare it.