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
a swamp plant producing a fibre that is used by Māoris for decorative work, baskets, etc
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
flax /flæks/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Plant Biologya plant with blue flowers that is cultivated for its fiber, used for making linen yarn.
- Textilesthe fiber of this plant.
flax
(flaks),USA pronunciation n.
- Plant Biologyany plant of the genus Linum, esp. L. usitatissimum, a slender, erect, annual plant having narrow, lance-shaped leaves and blue flowers, cultivated for its fiber and seeds.
- Textilesthe fiber of this plant, manufactured into linen yarn for thread or woven fabrics.
- Plant Biologyany of various plants resembling flax.
- bef. 900; Middle English; Old English fleax; cognate with Dutch, Low German vlas, German Flachs
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'flax' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
New Zealand flax
- Rumpelstiltskin
- bagasse
- band
- bast
- bastard toadflax
- boll
- boon
- brake
- byssinosis
- byssus
- card
- cloth
- comber
- crinoline
- distaff
- dizen
- dodder
- flax lily
- flaxen
- flaxseed
- flowering flax
- fustian
- hackle
- harakeke
- hards
- heckle
- herl
- kit
- leno
- linaria
- line
- linen
- lingerie
- linnet
- linoleic
- linoleum
- linseed
- linseed oil
- lint
- lintwhite
- linum
- lock
- piupiu
- poi
- reap
- ret
- ripple
- rippler
- rope