flèche

[ fleysh; French flesh ]
/ fleɪʃ; French flɛʃ /

noun, plural flè·ches [fley-shiz; French flesh] /ˈfleɪ ʃɪz; French flɛʃ/.

Architecture. a steeple or spire, especially one in the Gothic style, emerging from the ridge of a roof.
Fortification. a fieldwork consisting of two faces forming a salient angle with an open gorge.
Fencing. a method of attack with saber or épée in which the attacker leaves from the rear foot and advances rapidly toward the opponent.

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Origin of flèche

1700–10; < French: literally, arrow, probably < Germanic. Cf. fly1

Words nearby flèche

flyweight, flywheel, flywhisk, flânerie, flâneur, flèche, flèches d'amour, fléchette, flémalle, flügelhorn, fm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for fleche

British Dictionary definitions for fleche

flèche
/ (fleɪʃ, flɛʃ) /

noun

Also called: spirelet a slender spire, esp over the intersection of the nave and transept ridges of a church roof
a pointed part of a fortification directed towards the attackers
fencing a short running attack

Word Origin for flèche

C18: from French: spire (literally: arrow), probably of Germanic origin; related to Middle Low German flieke long arrow
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