Chapter 601

Flash , n. [OE. flasche , flaske ; cf. OF. flache , F. flaque .] 1. A pool. [Prov. Eng.]

Haliwell.

2. (Engineering) A reservoir and sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the shoal.

Flash wheel (Mech.) , a paddle wheel made to revolve in a breast or curved water way, by which water is lifted from the lower to the higher level.

Flashboard <Xpage=567>

Flash"board` (?) , n. A board placed temporarily upon a milldam, to raise the water in the pond above its usual level; a flushboard. [U.S.]

Flasher <Xpage=567>

Flash"er (?) , n. 1. One who, or that which, flashes.

2. A man of more appearance of wit than reality. <-- 3. an exhibitionist -->

3. (Zo\'94l.) (a) A large sparoid fish of the Atlantic coast and all tropical seas ( Lobotes Surinamensis ). (b) The European red-backed shrile ( Lanius collurio ); -- called also flusher .

Flashily <Xpage=567>

Flash"i*ly (?) , adv. In a flashy manner; with empty show.

Flashiness <Xpage=567>

Flash"i*ness , n. The quality of being flashy.

Flashing <Xpage=567>

Flash"ing , n. 1. (Engineering) The creation of an artifical flood by the sudden letting in of a body of water; -- called also flushing .

2. (Arch.) Pieces of metal, built into the joints of a wall, so as to lap over the edge of the gutters or to cover the edge of the roofing; also, similar pieces used to cover the valleys of roofs of slate, shingles, or the like. By extension, the metal covering of ridges and hips of roofs; also, in the United States, the protecting of angles and breaks in walls of frame houses with waterproof material, tarred paper, or the like. Cf. Filleting .

3. (Glass Making) (a) The reheating of an article at the furnace aperture during manufacture to restore its plastic condition; esp., the reheating of a globe of crown glass to allow it to assume a flat shape as it is rotated. (b) A mode of covering transparent white glass with a film of colored glass.

Knight.

Flashing point (Chem.) , that degree of temperature at which a volatile oil gives off vapor in sufficient quantity to burn, or flash, on the approach of a flame, used as a test of the comparative safety of oils, esp. kerosene; a flashing point of 100&deg; F. is regarded as a fairly safe standard. The burning point of the oil is usually from ten to thirty degree above the flashing point of its vapor.

Flashy <Xpage=567>

Flash"y (?) , a. 1. Dazzling for a moment; making a momentary show of brilliancy; transitorily bright.

A little flashy and transient pleasure. Barrow.

2. Fiery; vehement; impetuous.

A temper always flashy . Burke.

3. Showy; gay; gaudy; as, a flashy dress .

4. Without taste or spirit.

Lean and flashy songs. Milton.

Flask <Xpage=567>

Flask (?) , n. [AS. flasce , flaxe ; akin to D. flesch , OHG. flasca , G. flasche , Icel. & Sw. flaska , Dan. flaske , OF. flasche , LL. flasca , flasco ; of uncertain origin; cf. L. vasculum , dim. of vas a vessel, Gr. <?/, <?/, <?/. Cf. Flagon , Flasket .] 1. A small bottle-shaped vessel for holding fluids; as, a flask of oil or wine .

2. A narrow-necked vessel of metal or glass, used for various purposes; as of sheet metal, to carry gunpowder in; or of wrought iron, to contain quicksilver; or of glass, to heat water in, etc.

3. A bed in a gun carriage. [Obs.]

Bailey.

4. (Founding) The wooden or iron frame which holds the sand, etc., forming the mold used in a foundry; it consists of two or more parts; viz., the cope or top; sometimes, the cheeks , or middle part; and the drag , or bottom part. When there are one or more cheeks, the flask is called a three part flask , four part flask , etc.

Erlenmeyer flask , a thin glass flask, flat-bottomed and cone-shaped to allow of safely shaking its contents laterally without danger of spilling; -- so called from Erlenmeyer , a German chemist who invented it. -- Florence flask . [From Florence in Italy.] (a) Same as Betty , n. , 3. (b) A glass flask, round or pear-shaped, with round or flat bottom, and usually very thin to allow of heating solutions. -- Pocket flask , a kind of pocket dram bottle, often covered with metal or leather to protect it from breaking.

Flasket <Xpage=567>

Flask"et (?) , n. [Cf. W. fflasged a vessel of straw or wickerwork, fflasg flask, basket, and E. flask .] 1. A long, shallow basket, with two handles. [Eng.]

In which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket . Spenser.

2. A small flask.

3. A vessel in which viands are served. [Obs.]

Pope.

Flat <Xpage=567>

Flat (?) , a. [ Compar. Flatter (?) ; superl. Flattest (?) .] [Akin to Icel. flatr , Sw. flat , Dan. flad , OHG. flaz , and AS. flet floor, G. fl\'94tz stratum, layer.] 1. Having an even and horizontal surface, or nearly so, without prominences or depressions; level without inclination; plane.

Though sun and moon Were in the flat sea sunk. Milton.

2. Lying at full length, or spread out, upon the ground; level with the ground or earth; prostrate; as, to lie flat on the ground ; hence, fallen; laid low; ruined; destroyed.

What ruins kingdoms, and lays cities flat ! Milton.

I feel . . . my hopes all flat . Milton.

3. (Fine Arts) Wanting relief; destitute of variety; without points of prominence and striking interest.

A large part of the work is, to me, very flat . Coleridge.

4. Tasteless; stale; vapid; insipid; dead; as, fruit or drink flat to the taste .

5. Unanimated; dull; uninteresting; without point or spirit; monotonous; as, a flat speech or composition .

How weary, stale, flat , and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world. Shak.

6. Lacking liveliness of commercial exchange and dealings; depressed; dull; as, the market is flat .

7. Clear; unmistakable; peremptory; absolute; positive; downright.

Flat burglary as ever was committed. Shak.

A great tobacco taker too, -- that's flat . Marston.

8. (Mus.) (a) Below the true pitch; hence, as applied to intervals, minor, or lower by a half step; as, a flat seventh; A flat . (b) Not sharp or shrill; not acute; as, a flat sound .

9. (Phonetics) Sonant; vocal; -- applied to any one of the sonant or vocal consonants, as distinguished from a nonsonant (or sharp ) consonant.

Flat arch . (Arch.) See under Arch , n. , 2. ( b ). -- Flat cap , cap paper, not folded. See under Paper . -- Flat chasing , in fine art metal working, a mode of ornamenting silverware, etc., producing figures by dots and lines made with a punching tool. Knight. -- Flat chisel , a sculptor's chisel for smoothing. -- Flat file , a file wider than its thickness, and of rectangular section. See File . -- Flat nail , a small, sharp-pointed, wrought nail, with a flat, thin head, larger than a tack. Knight. -- Flat paper , paper which has not been folded. -- Flat rail , a railroad rail consisting of a simple flat bar spiked to a longitudinal sleeper. -- Flat rods (Mining) , horizontal or inclined connecting rods, for transmitting motion to pump rods at a distance. Raymond. -- Flat rope , a rope made by plaiting instead of twisting; gasket; sennit. Some flat hoisting ropes, as for mining shafts, are made by sewing together a number of ropes, making a wide, flat band . Knight. -- Flat space . (Geom.) See Euclidian space . -- Flat stitch , the process of wood engraving. [Obs.] -- Flat tint (Painting) , a coat of water color of one uniform shade. -- To fall flat (Fig.) , to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect; as, his speech fell flat .

Of all who fell by saber or by shot, Not one fell half so flat as Walter Scott. Lord Erskine.

Flat <Xpage=567>

Flat (?) , adv. 1. In a flat manner; directly; flatly.

Sin is flat opposite to the Almighty. Herbert.

2. (Stock Exchange) Without allowance for accrued interest. [Broker's Cant]

<page="568"> Page 568

Flat <Xpage=568>

Flat , n. 1. A level surface, without elevation, relief, or prominences; an extended plain; specifically, in the United States, a level tract along the along the banks of a river; as, the Mohawk Flats .

Envy is as the sunbeams that beat hotter upon a bank, or steep rising ground, than upon a flat . Bacon.

<page="568"> Page 568

2. A level tract lying at little depth below the surface of water, or alternately covered and left bare by the tide; a shoal; a shallow; a strand.

Half my power, this night Passing these flats , are taken by the tide. Shak.

3. Something broad and flat in form ; as: (a) A flat-bottomed boat, without keel, and of small draught . (b) A straw hat, broad-brimmed and low-crowned . (c) (Railroad Mach.) A car without a roof, the body of which is a platform without sides; a platform car . (d) A platform on wheel, upon which emblematic designs, etc., are carried in processions.

4. The flat part, or side, of anything; as, the broad side of a blade, as distinguished from its edge.

5. (Arch.) A floor, loft, or story in a building; especially, a floor of a house, which forms a complete residence in itself<-- an apartment taking up a whole floor -->.

6. (Mining) A horizontal vein or ore deposit auxiliary to a main vein; also, any horizontal portion of a vein not elsewhere horizontal.

Raymond.

7. A dull fellow; a simpleton; a numskull. [Colloq.]

Or if you can not make a speech, Because you are a flat . Holmes.

8. (Mus.) A character [&flat;] before a note, indicating a tone which is a half step or semitone lower.

9. (Geom.) A homaloid space or extension.

Flat <Xpage=568>

Flat (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Flatted (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Flatting (?) .] 1. To make flat; to flatten; to level.

2. To render dull, insipid, or spiritless; to depress.

Passions are allayed, appetites are flatted . Barrow.

3. To depress in tone, as a musical note; especially, to lower in pitch by half a tone.

Flat <Xpage=568>

Flat , v. i. 1. To become flat, or flattened; to sink or fal to an even surface.

Sir W. Temple.

2. (Mus.) To fall form the pitch.

To flat out , to fail from a promising beginning; to make a bad ending; to disappoint expectations. [Colloq.] <-- = to fall flat -->

Flatbill <Xpage=568>

Flat"bill` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) Any bird of the genus Flatyrynchus . They belong to the family of flycatchers.

Flatboat <Xpage=568>

Flat"boat` (?) , n. A boat with a flat bottom and square ends; -- used for the transportation of bulky freight, especially in shallow waters.

Flat-bottomed <Xpage=568>

Flat"-bot`tomed (?) , a. Having an even lower surface or bottom; as, a flat-bottomed boat .

Flat-cap <Xpage=568>

Flat"-cap` (?) , n. A kind of low-crowned cap formerly worn by all classes in England, and continued in London after disuse elsewhere; -- hence, a citizen of London.

Marston.

Flatfish <Xpage=568>

Flat"fish` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) Any fish of the family Pleuronectid\'91 ; esp., the winter flounder ( Pleuronectes Americanus ). The flatfishes have the body flattened, swim on the side, and have eyes on one side, as the flounder, turbot, and halibut. See Flounder .

Flat foot <Xpage=568>

Flat" foot` (?) . (Med.) A foot in which the arch of the instep is flattened so that the entire sole of the foot rests upon the ground; also, the deformity, usually congential, exhibited by such a foot; splayfoot.

Flat-footed <Xpage=568>

Flat"-foot`ed , a. 1. Having a flat foot, with little or no arch of the instep.

2. Firm-footed; determined. [Slang, U.S.] <-- catch flat-footed = catch unprepared -->

Flathead <Xpage=568>

Flat"head` (?) , a. Characterized by flatness of head, especially that produced by artificial means, as a certain tribe of American Indians.

Flathead <Xpage=568>

Flat"head` , n. (Ethnol.) A Chinook Indian. See Chinook , n. , 1.

Flat-heated <Xpage=568>

Flat"-heat`ed (?) , a. Having a head with a flattened top; as, a flat-headed nail .

Flatiron <Xpage=568>

Flat"i`ron (?) , n. An iron with a flat, smooth surface for ironing clothes.

Flative <Xpage=568>

Fla"tive (?) , a. [L. flare , flatum to blow.] Producing wind; flatulent. [Obs.]

A. Brewer.

Flating <Xpage=568>

Flat"ing (?) , adv. [ Flat , a. + adverbial suff. -ing .] With the flat side, as of a sword; flatlong; in a prostrate position. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Flatlong <Xpage=568>

Flat"long (?) ; 115), adv . With the flat side downward; not edgewise.

Shak.

Flatly <Xpage=568>

Flat"ly , adv. In a flat manner; evenly; horizontally; without spirit; dully; frigidly; peremptori;y; positively, plainly. "He flatly refused his aid."

Sir P. Sidney.

He that does the works of religion slowly, flatly , and without appetite. Jer. Taylor.

Flatness <Xpage=568>

Flat"ness , n. 1. The quality or state of being flat.

2. Eveness of surface; want of relief or prominence; the state of being plane or level.

3. Want of vivacity or spirit; prostration; dejection; depression.

4. Want of variety or flavor; dullness; inspidity.

5. Depression of tone; the state of being below the true pitch; -- opposed to sharpness or acuteness .

Flatour <Xpage=568>

Fla*tour" (?) , n. [OF.] A flatterer. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Flatten <Xpage=568>

Flat"ten (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Flattened (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Flattening .] [From Flat , a. ] 1. To reduce to an even surface or one approaching evenness; to make flat; to level; to make plane.

2. To throw down; to bring to the ground; to prostrate; hence, to depress; to deject; to dispirit.

3. To make vapid or insipid; to render stale.

4. (Mus.) To lower the pitch of; to cause to sound less sharp; to let fall from the pitch.

To flatten a sail (Naut.) , to set it more nearly fore-and-aft of the vessel. -- Flattening oven , in glass making, a heated chamber in which split glass cylinders are flattened for window glass.

Flatten <Xpage=568>

Flat"ten , v. i. To become or grow flat, even, depressed dull, vapid, spiritless, or depressed below pitch.

Flatter <Xpage=568>

Flat"ter (?) , n. 1. One who, or that which, makes flat or flattens.

2. (Metal Working) (a) A flat-faced fulling hammer. (b) A drawplate with a narrow, rectangular orifice, for drawing flat strips, as watch springs, etc.

Flatter <Xpage=568>

Flat"ter (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Flattered (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Flattering .] [OE. flateren , cf. OD. flatteren ; akin to G. flattern to flutter, Icel. fla<?/ra to fawn, flatter: cf. F. flatter . Cf. Flitter , Flutter , Flattery .] 1. To treat with praise or blandishments; to gratify or attempt to gratify the self-love or vanity of, esp. by artful and interested commendation or attentions; to blandish; to cajole; to wheedle.

When I tell him he hates flatterers, He says he does, being then most flattered . Shak.

A man that flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth a net for his feet. Prov. xxix. 5.

Others he flattered by asking their advice. Prescott.

2. To raise hopes in; to encourage or favorable, but sometimes unfounded or deceitful, representations.

3. To portray too favorably; to give a too favorable idea of; as, his portrait flatters him .

Flatter <Xpage=568>

Flat"ter , v. i. To use flattery or insincere praise.

If it may stand him more in stead to lie, Say and unsay, feign, flatter , or adjure. Milton.

Flatterer <Xpage=568>

Flat"ter*er (?) , n. One who flatters.

The most abject flaterers degenerate into the greatest tyrants. Addison.

Flattering <Xpage=568>

Flat"ter*ing , a. That flatters (in the various senses of the verb); as, a flattering speech .

Lay not that flattering unction to your soul. Shak.

A flattering painter, who made it his care, To draw men as they ought be, not as they are. Goldsmith.

Flatteringly <Xpage=568>

Flat"ter*ing*ly , adv. With flattery.

Flattery <Xpage=568>

Flat"ter*y (?) , n. ; pl. Flatteries (#) . [OE. flaterie , OF. flaterie , F. flaterie , fr. flater to flatter, F. flatter ; of uncertain origin. See Flatter , v. t. ] The act or practice of flattering; the act of pleasing by artiful commendation or compliments; adulation; false, insincere, or excessive praise.

Just praise is only a debt, but flattery is a present. Rambler.

Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver. Burke.

Syn. -- Adulation; compliment; obsequiousness. See Adulation .

Flatting <Xpage=568>

Flat"ting (?) , n. 1. The process or operation of making flat, as a cylinder of glass by opening it out.

2. A mode of painting,in which the paint, being mixed with turpentine, leaves the work without gloss.

Gwilt.

3. A method of preserving gilding unburnished, by touching with size.

Knolles.

4. The process of forming metal into sheets by passing it between rolls.

Flatting coat , a coat of paint so put on as to have no gloss. -- Flatting furnace . Same as Flattening oven , under Flatten . -- Flatting mill . (a) A rolling mill producing sheet metal; esp., in mints, the ribbon from which the planchets are punched. (b) A mill in which grains of metal are flatted by steel rolls, and reduced to metallic dust, used for purposes of ornamentation.

Flattish <Xpage=568>

Flat"tish (?) , a. Somewhat flat.

Woodward.

Flatulence, Flatlency <Xpage=568>