flake Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a crystal of snow
snowflake.
noun a person with an unusual or odd personality
eccentric person; eccentric; geek; oddball.
noun a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
bit; fleck; chip; scrap.
- a bit of rock caught him in the eye
verb form into flakes
- The substances started to flake
verb cover with flakes or as if with flakes
verb come off in flakes or thin small pieces
peel off; flake off; peel.
- The paint in my house is peeling off

Cf. Icel. flaki, fleki, Dan. flage, D. vlaak.

A paling; a hurdle. prov. Eng.
A platform of hurdles, or small sticks made fast or interwoven, supported by stanchions, for drying codfish and other things.
You shall also, after they be ripe, neither suffer them to have straw nor fern under them, but lay them either upon some smooth table, boards, or flakes of wands, and they will last the longer. English Husbandman.
(Naut.) A small stage hung over a vessel's side, for workmen to stand on in calking, etc.

Cf. Icel. flakna to flake off, split, flagna to flake off, Sw. flaga flaw, flake, flake plate, Dan. flage snowflake. Cf. Flag a flat stone.

A loose filmy mass or a thin chiplike layer of anything; a film; flock; lamina; layer; scale; as, a flake of snow, tallow, or fish. "Lottle flakes of scurf." Addison.
Great flakes of ice encompassing our boat. Evelyn.
A little particle of lighted or incandescent matter, darted from a fire; a flash.
With flakes of ruddy fire. Somerville.
(Bot.) A sort of carnation with only two colors in the flower, the petals having large stripes. 4. a flaky{2} person

imperfect & past participle Flaked ; present participle & verbal noun Flaking