flèche
Americannoun
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flèches
plural
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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
‘Let us go to the platform at the base of the flèche, and wait for a view there.’
From The Hand of Ethelberta by Thomas Hardy
As originally designed the Chapel was to have had a slender flèche instead of a tower.
From St. John's College, Cambridge by E. H. (Edmund Hort) New
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 E. H. (Edmund Hort) New
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 Allen Kim Lang
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 Fred. W. (Frederick William) Burgess
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