flèche
Americannoun
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Architecture. a steeple or spire, especially one in the Gothic style, emerging from the ridge of a roof.
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Fortification. a fieldwork consisting of two faces forming a salient angle with an open gorge.
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Fencing. a method of attack with saber or épée in which the attacker leaves from the rear foot and advances rapidly toward the opponent.
noun
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Also called: spirelet. a slender spire, esp over the intersection of the nave and transept ridges of a church roof
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a pointed part of a fortification directed towards the attackers
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fencing a short running attack
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of flèche
1700–10; < French: literally, arrow, probably < Germanic. Cf. fly 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Around this great flèche, he concocted a fantastical menagerie of apostles and mythical creatures – most of which appear to have been saved from the flames, having already been removed for restoration.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 16, 2019
As originally designed the Chapel was to have had a slender flèche instead of a tower.
From St. John's College, Cambridge by New, E. H. (Edmund Hort)
Winfree, trying a gambit he'd seen in one of MacHenery's books but had never before attempted, extended his saber and flew forward toward MacHenery in a flèche.
From The Great Potlatch Riots by Lang, Allen Kim
A characteristic feature of Hertfordshire churches—rare elsewhere—is the narrow tapering flèche, or leaded spire; a feature almost wholly absent is the apse, which is, I believe, present only at Bengeo, Great Wymondley, and Amwell.
From Hertfordshire by New, E. H. (Edmund Hort)
She could just discern Neigh’s form upon the steps of the flèche above, ascending toilsomely in search of her.
From The Hand of Ethelberta by Hardy, Thomas
Backgammon is one of the older kindred games, frequently played on the interior of the chess board which was for that purpose marked with twelve points or flèches in alternate colours.
From Chats on Household Curios by Burgess, Fred. W. (Frederick William)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
