flake1(flāk),USA pronunciationn., v.,flaked, flak•ing. n.
a small, flat, thin piece, esp. one that has been or become detached from a larger piece or mass:flakes of old paint.
any small piece or mass:a flake of snow.
a stratum or layer.
Slang Termsan eccentric person; screwball.
Slang Termscocaine.
Anthropology, Buildinga usually broad, often irregular piece of stone struck from a larger core and sometimes retouched to form a flake tool.
v.i.
to peel off or separate in flakes.
to fall in flakes, as snow.
v.t.
to remove in flakes.
to break flakes or chips from; break into flakes:to flake fish for a casserole.
to cover with or as if with flakes.
to form into flakes.
1350–1400; (noun, nominal) Middle English; akin to Old English flac- in flacox flying (said of arrows), Old Norse flakka to rove, wander, Middle Dutch vlacken to flutter; (in def. 4) by back formation from flaky, in sense "eccentric, odd''; (verb, verbal) late Middle English: to fall in flakes, derivative of the noun, nominal
flake′less, adj. flak′er, n.
flake2(flāk),USA pronunciationn.
a frame, as for drying fish.
Old Norse flaki, fleki bridge, hurdle
Middle English flake, fleke 1300–50
flake3(flāk),USA pronunciationn., v.,flaked, flak•ing.[Naut.] n.
Nautical, Naval Termsfake2 (defs. 1, 2).
v.t.
Nautical, Naval Termsfake2 (def. 3).
Nautical, Naval Termsto lower (a fore-and-aft sail) so as to drape the sail equally on both sides over its boom.