Chapter 23

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

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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.

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.

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 [] before a note, indicating a tone which is a half step or semitone lower.

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

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, v. i. 1. To become flat, or flattened; to sink or fall 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.]

Flat"bill` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) Any bird of the genus Flatyrynchus. They belong to the family of flycatchers.

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

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

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.

Flat"fish` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) Any fish of the family PleuronectidÊ; 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` (?). (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"-foot`ed, a. 1. Having a flat foot, with little or no arch of the instep.

2. Firm-footed; determined. [Slang, U.S.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jer. Taylor.

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; insipidity.

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

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

Flat"ten (flt"t'n), 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.

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

Flat"ter (flt"tr), 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.

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.

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.

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

The most abject flaterers degenerate into the greatest tyrants.

Addison.

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.

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

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 artful 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.

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.

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

{ Flat"u*lence (?), Flat"u*len*cy (?) }, n. [Cf. F. flatulence.] The state or quality of being flatulent.

Flat"u*lent (?), a. [L. flatus a blowing, flatus ventris windiness, flatulence, fr. flare to blow: cf. F. flatulent. See Blow.] 1. Affected with flatus or gases generated in the alimentary canal; windy.

2. Generating, or tending to generate, wind in the stomach.

Vegetables abound more with aÎrial particles than animal substances, and therefore are more flatulent.

Arbuthnot.

3. Turgid with flatus; as, a flatulent tumor. Quincy.

4. Pretentious without substance or reality; puffy; empty; vain; as, a flatulent vanity.

He is too flatulent sometimes, and sometimes too dry.

Dryden.

Flat"u*lent*ly, adv. In a flatulent manner; with flatulence.

Flat`u*os"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. flatuositÈ.] Flatulence. [Obs.] Bacon.

Flat"u*ous (?), a. [Cf. F. flatueux.] Windy; generating wind. [Obs.] Bacon.

||Fla"tus (?), n.; pl. E. Flatuses (#), L. Flatus. [L., fr. flare to ||blow.] 1. A breath; a puff of wind. Clarke.

2. Wind or gas generated in the stomach or other cavities of the body. Quincy.

Flat"ware` (?), n. Articles for the table, as china or silverware, that are more or less flat, as distinguished from hollow ware. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Flat"wise` (?), a. or adv. With the flat side downward, or next to another object; not edgewise.

Flat"worm` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) Any worm belonging to the Plathelminthes; also, sometimes applied to the planarians.

Flaun"drish (? or ?), a. Flemish. [Obs.]

Flaunt (fl‰nt or flnt; 277), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flaunted; p. pr. & vb. n.. Flaunting.] [Cf. dial. G. flandern to flutter, wave; perh. akin to E. flatter, flutter.] To throw or spread out; to flutter; to move ostentatiously; as, a flaunting show.

You flaunt about the streets in your new gilt chariot.

Arbuthnot.

One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade.

Pope.

Flaunt, v. t. To display ostentatiously; to make an impudent show of.

Flaunt, n. Anything displayed for show. [Obs.]

In these my borrowed flaunts.

Shak.

Flaunt"ing*ly, adv. In a flaunting way.

Flau"tist (?), n. [It. flauto a flute See Flute.] A player on the flute; a flutist.

||Flau"to (flou"t), n. [It.] A flute.

Flaute piccolo (&?;) [It., little flute], an octave flute. -- Flauto traverso (&?;) [It., transverse flute], the German flute, held laterally, instead of being played, like the old fl˚te ‡ bec, with a mouth piece at the end.

Fla*van"i*line (? or ?; 104), n. [L. flavus yellow + E. aniline.] (Chem.) A yellow, crystalline, organic dyestuff, C16H14N2, of artifical production. It is a strong base, and is a complex derivative of aniline and quinoline.

Fla*ves"cent (?), a. [L. flavescens, p. pr. of flavescere to turn yellow.] Turning yellow; yellowish.

Fla*vic"o*mous (?), a. [L. flavicomus; flavus yellow + coma hair.] Having yellow hair. [R.]

Fla"vin (?), n. [L. flavus yellow.] (Chem.) A yellow, vegetable dyestuff, resembling quercitron.

Fla"vine (?; 104), n. (Chem.) A yellow, crystalline, organic base, C13H12N2O, obtained artificially.

Fla"vol (?), n. [L. flavus yellow + -oil.] (Chem.) A yellow, crystalline substance, obtained from anthraquinone, and regarded as a hydroxyl derivative of it.

Fla"vor (?), n. [OF. fleur, flaur (two syllables), odor, cf. F. fleurer to emit an odor, It. flatore a bad odor, prob. fr. L. flare to bow, whence the sense of exhalation. Cf. Blow.] [Written also flavour.] 1. That quality of anything which affects the smell; odor; fragrances; as, the flavor of a rose.

2. That quality of anything which affects the taste; that quality which gratifies the palate; relish; zest; savor; as, the flavor of food or drink.

3. That which imparts to anything a peculiar odor or taste, gratifying to the sense of smell, or the nicer perceptions of the palate; a substance which flavors.

4. That quality which gives character to any of the productions of literature or the fine arts.

Fla"vor, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flavored (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Flavoring.] To give flavor to; to add something (as salt or a spice) to, to give character or zest.

Fla"vored (?), a. Having a distinct flavor; as, high-flavored wine.

Fla"vor*less (?), a. Without flavor; tasteless.

Fla"vor*ous (?), a. Imparting flavor; pleasant to the taste or smell; sapid. Dryden.

Fla"vous (?), a. [L. flavus.] Yellow. [Obs.]

Flaw (fl), n. [OE. flai, flaw flake; cf. Sw. flaga flaw, crack, breach, flake, D. vlaag gust of wind, Norw. flage, flaag, and E. flag a flat stone.] 1. A crack or breach; a gap or fissure; a defect of continuity or cohesion; as, a flaw in a knife or a vase.

This heart Shall break into a hundered thousand flaws.

Shak.

2. A defect; a fault; as, a flaw in reputation; a flaw in a will, in a deed, or in a statute.

Has not this also its flaws and its dark side?

South.

3. A sudden burst of noise and disorder; a tumult; uproar; a quarrel. [Obs.]

And deluges of armies from the town Came pouring in; I heard the mighty flaw.

Dryden.

4. A sudden burst or gust of wind of short duration.

Snow, and hail, and stormy gust and flaw.

Milton.

Like flaws in summer laying lusty corn.

Tennyson.

Syn. -- Blemish; fault; imperfection; spot; speck.

Flaw, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flawed (fld); p. pr. & vb. n. Flawing.] 1. To crack; to make flaws in.

The brazen caldrons with the frosts are flawed.

Dryden.

2. To break; to violate; to make of no effect. [Obs.]

France hath flawed the league.

Shak.

Flaw"less, a. Free from flaws. Boyle.

Flawn (fln), n. [OF. flaon, F. flan, LL. flado, fr. OHG. flado, G. fladen, a sort of pancake; cf. Gr. &?; broad. See Place.] A sort of flat custard or pie. [Obs.] Tusser.

Flaw"ter (?), v. t. [Cf. Flay.] To scrape or pare, as a skin. [Obs.] Johnson.

Flaw"y (?), a. 1. Full of flaws or cracks; broken; defective; faulty. Johnson.

2. Subject to sudden flaws or gusts of wind.

Flax (flks), n. [AS. fleax; akin to D. vlas, OHG. flahs, G. flachs, and prob. to flechten to braid, plait,m twist, L. plectere to weave, plicare to fold, Gr. &?; to weave, plait. See Ply.] 1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Linum, esp. the L. usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers. The fiber of the bark is used for making thread and cloth, called linen, cambric, lawn, lace, etc. Linseed oil is expressed from the seed.

2. The skin or fibrous part of the flax plant, when broken and cleaned by hatcheling or combing.

Earth flax (Min.), amianthus. -- Flax brake, a machine for removing the woody portion of flax from the fibrous. -- Flax comb, a hatchel, hackle, or heckle. -- Flax cotton, the fiber of flax, reduced by steeping in bicarbonate of soda and acidulated liquids, and prepared for bleaching and spinning like cotton. Knight. -- Flax dresser, one who breaks and swingles flax, or prepares it for the spinner. -- Flax mill, a mill or factory where flax is spun or linen manufactured. -- Flax puller, a machine for pulling flax plants in the field. -- Flax wench. (a) A woman who spins flax. [Obs.] (b) A prostitute. [Obs.] Shak. -- Mountain flax (Min.), amianthus. -- New Zealand flax (Bot.) See Flax- plant.

Flax"en (?), a. Made of flax; resembling flax or its fibers; of the color of flax; of a light soft straw color; fair and flowing, like flax or tow; as, flaxen thread; flaxen hair.

Flax"-plant` (?), n. (Bot.) A plant in new Zealand (Phormium tenax), allied to the lilies and aloes. The leaves are two inches wide and several feet long, and furnish a fiber which is used for making ropes, mats, and coarse cloth.

Flax"seed` (?), n. The seed of the flax; linseed.

Flax"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) See Toadflax.

Flax"y (?), a. Like flax; flaxen. Sir M. Sandys.

Flay (fl), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flayed (fld); p. pr. & vb. n. Flaying.] [OE. flean, flan, AS. fle·n; akin to D. vlaen, Icel. fl, Sw. flÂ, Dan. flaae, cf. Lith. pleszti to tear, plyszti, v.i., to burst, tear; perh. akin to E. flag a flat stone, flaw.] To skin; to strip off the skin or surface of; as, to flay an ox; to flay the green earth.

With her nails She 'll flay thy wolfish visage.

Shak.

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Flay"er (?), n. One who strips off the skin.

Flea (fl), v. t. [See Flay.] To flay. [Obs.]

He will be fleaed first And horse collars made of's skin.

J. Fletcher.

Flea, n. [OE. fle, flee, AS. fle·, fle·h; akin to D. vtoo, OHG. flh, G. floh, Icel. fl, Russ. blocha; prob. from the root of E. flee. &radic;84. See Flee.] (Zoˆl.) An insect belonging to the genus Pulex, of the order Aphaniptera. Fleas are destitute of wings, but have the power of leaping energetically. The bite is poisonous to most persons. The human flea (Pulex irritans), abundant in Europe, is rare in America, where the dog flea (P. canis) takes its place. See Aphaniptera, and Dog flea. See Illustration in Appendix.

A flea in the ear, an unwelcome hint or unexpected reply, annoying like a flea; an irritating repulse; as, to put a flea in one's ear; to go away with a flea in one's ear. -- Beach flea, Black flea, etc. See under Beach, etc.

Flea"bane` (?), n. (Bot.) One of various plants, supposed to have efficacy in driving away fleas. They belong, for the most part, to the genera Conyza, Erigeron, and Pulicaria.

Flea"-bee`tle (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A small beetle of the family HalticidÊ, of many species. They have strong posterior legs and leap like fleas. The turnip flea-beetle (Phyllotreta vittata) and that of the grapevine (Graptodera chalybea) are common injurious species.

Flea"-bite` (?), n. 1. The bite of a flea, or the red spot caused by the bite.

2. A trifling wound or pain, like that of the bite of a flea. Harvey.

Flea"-bit`ten (?), a. 1. Bitten by a flea; as, a flea-bitten face.

2. White, flecked with minute dots of bay or sorrel; -- said of the color of a horse.

Fleagh (fl), obs. imp. of Fly.

Fleak (flk), n. A flake; a thread or twist. [Obs.]

Little long fleaks or threads of hemp.

Dr. H. More.

Fleak"ing, n. A light covering of reeds, over which the main covering is laid, in thatching houses. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.

Flea"-louse` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A jumping plant louse of the family PsyllidÊ, of many species. That of the pear tree is Psylla pyri.

Fleam (?), n. [F. flamme, OF. flieme, fr. LL. flevotomum, phlebotomum; cf. D. vlijm. See Phlebotomy.] (Surg. & Far.) A sharp instrument used for opening veins, lancing gums, etc.; a kind of lancet.

Fleam tooth, a tooth of a saw shaped like an isosceles triangle; a peg tooth. Knight.

Fleam"y (?), a. Bloody; clotted. [Obs. or Prov.]

Foamy bubbling of a fleamy brain.

Marston.

Flear (?), v. t. & i. See Fleer.

Flea"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) An herb used in medicine (Plantago Psyllium), named from the shape of its seeds. Loudon.

||FlËche (?), n. [F. flËche, prop., an arrow.] (Fort.) A simple ||fieldwork, consisting of two faces forming a salient angle pointing ||outward and open at the gorge.

Fleck (flk), n. A flake; also, a lock, as of wool. [Obs.] J. Martin.

Fleck (?), n. [Cf. Icel. flekkr; akin to Sw. fl‰ck, D. vlek, G. fleck, and perh. to E. flitch.] A spot; a streak; a speckle. "A sunny fleck." Longfellow.

Life is dashed with flecks of sin.

tennyson.

Fleck, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flecked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Flecking.] [Cf. Icel. flekka, Sw. fl‰cka, D. vlekken, vlakken, G. flecken. See Fleck, n.] To spot; to streak or stripe; to variegate; to dapple.

Both flecked with white, the true Arcadian strain.

Dryden.

A bird, a cloud, flecking the sunny air.

Trench.

Fleck"er (?), v. t. To fleck. Johnson.

Fleck"less, a. Without spot or blame. [R.]

My consnience will not count me fleckless.

Tennyson.

Flec"tion (?), n. [See Flexion.] 1. The act of bending, or state of being bent.

2. The variation of words by declension, comparison, or conjugation; inflection.

Flec"tion*al (?), a. Capable of, or pertaining to, flection or inflection.

A flectional word is a phrase in the bud.

Earle.

Flec"tor (?), n. A flexor.

Fled (?), imp. & p. p. of Flee.

Fledge (?), a. [OE. flegge, flygge; akin to D. vlug, G. fl¸gge, fl¸cke, OHG. flucchi, Icel. fleygr, and to E. fly. &radic;84. See Fly, v. i.] Feathered; furnished with feathers or wings; able to fly.

His shoulders, fledge with wings.

Milton.

Fledge, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Fledged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fledging.] 1. To furnish with feathers; to supply with the feathers necessary for flight.

The birds were not as yet fledged enough to shift for themselves.

L'Estrange.

2. To furnish or adorn with any soft covering.

Your master, whose chin is not yet fledged.

Shak.

Fledge"ling (?), n. A young bird just fledged.

Flee (fl), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fled (fld); p. pr. & vb. n. Fleeing.] [OE. fleon, fleen, AS. fleÛn (imperf. fle·h); akin to D. vlieden, OHG. & OS. fliohan, G. fliehen, Icel. flja (imperf. fli), Dan. flye, Sw. fly (imperf. flydde), Goth. ˛liuhan. &radic;84. Cf. Flight.] To run away, as from danger or evil; to avoid in an alarmed or cowardly manner; to hasten off; -- usually with from. This is sometimes omitted, making the verb transitive.

[He] cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.

Shak.

Flee fornication.

1 Cor. vi. 18.

So fled his enemies my warlike father.

Shak.

When great speed is to be indicated, we commonly use fly, not flee; as, fly hence to France with the utmost speed. "Whither shall I fly to 'scape their hands?" Shak. See Fly, v. i., 5.

Fleece (fls), n. [OE. flees, AS. fleÛs; akin to D. flies, vlies .] 1. The entire coat of wool that covers a sheep or other similar animal; also, the quantity shorn from a sheep, or animal, at one time.

Who shore me Like a tame wether, all my precious fleece.

Milton.

2. Any soft woolly covering resembling a fleece.

3. (Manuf.) The fine web of cotton or wool removed by the doffing knife from the cylinder of a carding machine.

Fleece wool, wool shorn from the sheep. -- Golden fleece. See under Golden.

Fleece, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fleeced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fleecing.] 1. To deprive of a fleece, or natural covering of wool.

2. To strip of money or other property unjustly, especially by trickery or fraud; to bring to straits by oppressions and exactions.

Whilst pope and prince shared the wool betwixt them, the people were finely fleeced.

Fuller.

3. To spread over as with wool. [R.] Thomson.

Fleeced (?), a. 1. Furnished with a fleece; as, a sheep is well fleeced. Spenser.

2. Stripped of a fleece; plundered; robbed.

Fleece"less (?), a. Without a fleece.

Flee"cer (?), n. One who fleeces or strips unjustly, especially by trickery or fraund. Prynne.

Flee"cy (?), a. Covered with, made of, or resembling, a fleece. "Fleecy flocks." Prior.

Fleen (?), n. pl. Obs. pl. of Flea. Chaucer.

Fle"er (?), n. One who flees. Ld. Berners.

Fleer (?), [imp. & p. p. Fleered (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Fleering.] [OE. flerien; cf. Scot. fleyr, Norw. flira to titter, giggle, laugh at nothing, MHG. vlerre, vlarre, a wide wound.] 1. To make a wry face in contempt, or to grin in scorn; to deride; to sneer; to mock; to gibe; as, to fleer and flout.

To fleer and scorn at our solemnity.

Shak.

2. To grin with an air of civility; to leer. [Obs.]

Grinning and fleering as though they went to a bear baiting.

Latimer.

Fleer, v. t. To mock; to flout at. Beau. & Fl.

Fleer, n. 1. A word or look of derision or mockery.

And mark the fleers, the gibes, and notable scorn.

Shak.

2. A grin of civility; a leer. [Obs.]

A sly, treacherous fleer on the face of deceivers.

South.

Fleer"er (?), n. One who fleers. Beau. & Fl.

Fleer"ing*ly, adv. In a fleering manner.