flat : Idioms & Phrases


alluvial flat

  • noun a flat resulting from repeated deposits of alluvial material by running water
    alluvial plain.
WordNet

b-flat clarinet

  • noun the ordinary clarinet with a middle range
    licorice stick.
WordNet

become flat

  • verb lose sparkle or bouquet
    die; pall.
    • wine and beer can pall
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cold-water flat

  • noun an apartment without modern conveniences
WordNet

common flat pea

  • noun low spreading evergreen shrub of southern Australia having triangular to somewhat heart-shaped foliage and orange-yellow flowers followed by flat winged pods
    Playlobium obtusangulum; native holly.
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Dead flat

  • (Naut.), the widest or midship frame.
Webster 1913

double flat

  • noun a musical notation of two flats in front of a note indicating that it is to be lowered by two semitones
WordNet

fall flat

  • verb fail utterly; collapse
    founder; flop; fall through.
    • The project foundered
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Flat arch

  • noun an arch with mutually supporting voussoirs that has a straight horizontal extrados and intrados
    straight arch.
WordNet
  • . (Arch.) See under Arch, n., 2. (b).
Webster 1913

flat bench

  • noun a bench on which a weightlifter lies to do exercises
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flat bone

  • noun part of the sirloin next to the wedge bone
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Flat cap

  • noun a flat woolen cap with a stiff peak
    cloth cap.
WordNet
  • cap paper, not folded. See under Paper.
Webster 1913

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.
Webster 1913

Flat chisel

  • a sculptor's chisel for smoothing.
Webster 1913

flat coat

  • noun the first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface
    ground; primer coat; undercoat; priming coat; primer; priming.
WordNet

Flat file

  • noun a file with two flat surfaces
WordNet
  • a file wider than its thickness, and of rectangular section. See File.
Webster 1913

flat foot

Flat" foot`
Definitions
  1. (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.
Webster 1913

flat knot

  • noun a square knot used in a reef line
    reef knot.
WordNet

Flat nail

  • a small, sharp-pointed, wrought nail, with a flat, thin head, larger than a tack. Knight.
Webster 1913

flat out

  • adverb in a blunt direct manner
    brusquely; bluffly; roundly; bluntly.
    • he spoke bluntly
    • he stated his opinion flat-out
    • he was criticized roundly
  • adverb at top speed
    like blue murder.
    • he ran flat out to catch the bus
    • he was off down the road like blue murder
WordNet

flat panel display

  • noun a type of video display that is thin and flat; commonly used in laptop computers
    FPD.
WordNet

Flat paper

  • paper which has not been folded.
Webster 1913

flat pea

  • noun evergreen shrub having almost heart-shaped foliage and bright yellow pea-like flowers followed by flat pods with flat wings; Australia and Tasmania
    Platylobium formosum.
  • noun European perennial with mottled flowers of purple and pink; sometimes cultivated for fodder or as green manure
    Lathyrus sylvestris; narrow-leaved everlasting pea.
WordNet

Flat rail

  • a railroad rail consisting of a simple flat bar spiked to a longitudinal sleeper.
Webster 1913

Flat rods

  • (Mining), horizontal or inclined connecting rods, for transmitting motion to pump rods at a distance. Raymond.
Webster 1913

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.
Webster 1913

flat solid

  • noun a flat artifact that is thin relative to its length and width
    sheet.
WordNet

Flat space

  • . (Geom.) See Euclidian space.
Webster 1913

Flat stitch

  • the process of wood engraving. Obs.
Webster 1913

Flat tint

  • (Painting), a coat of water color of one uniform shade.
Webster 1913

flat tip screwdriver

  • noun a screwdriver with a flat wedge-shaped tip that fits into a slot in the head of a screw
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flat tire

  • noun a deflated pneumatic tire
    flat.
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flat wash

  • noun ironing that can be done mechanically
    flatwork.
WordNet

flat-bellied

  • adjective lacking a prominent belly
    bellyless.
WordNet

flat-bottom

  • adjective satellite having a flat bottom
    flat-bottom.
    • a flat-bottomed boat
WordNet

flat-bottomed

  • adjective satellite having a flat bottom
    flat-bottom.
    • a flat-bottomed boat
WordNet
Flat"-bot`tomed adjective
Definitions
  1. Having an even lower surface or bottom; as, a flat-bottomed boat.
Webster 1913

flat-cap

Flat"-cap` noun
Definitions
  1. 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.
Webster 1913

flat-coated retriever

  • noun an English breed having a shiny black or liver-colored coat; retrieves game from land or water
WordNet

flat-footed

  • adjective satellite with feet flat on the ground; not tiptoe
  • adjective satellite unprepared and unable to react quickly
    • the new product caught their competitors flat-footed
  • adjective satellite having broad flat feet that usually turn outward
    • a slow flat-footed walk
  • adjective satellite without reservation
    • a flat-footed refusal
WordNet
Flat"-foot`ed adjective
Definitions
  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
Webster 1913

flat-growing

  • adjective satellite of plants that grow relatively low to the ground
    low-growing; ground-hugging.
WordNet

flat-hat

  • verb fly very close to the ground
    hedgehop.
WordNet

flat-heated

Flat"-heat`ed adjective
Definitions
  1. Having a head with a flattened top; as, a flat-headed nail.
Webster 1913

flat-leaf parsley

  • noun a variety of parsley having flat leaves
    Italian parsley; Petroselinum crispum neapolitanum.
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flat-top

  • adjective satellite having a flat or flattened upper surface
    flat-top.
WordNet

flat-topped

  • adjective satellite having a flat or flattened upper surface
    flat-top.
WordNet

flat-topped white aster

  • noun a variety of aster
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mud flat

  • noun a tract of low muddy land near an estuary; covered at high tide and exposed at low tide
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railroad flat

  • noun an apartment whose rooms are all in a line with doors between them
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salt flat

  • noun a flat expanse of salt left by the evaporation of a body of salt water
    salt plain.
WordNet

To fall flat

  • to produce no response or result; to fail of the intended effect; as, his speech fell 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.
Webster 1913

To flat out

  • to fail from a promising beginning; to make a bad ending; to disappoint expectations. Colloq.
Webster 1913

wing flat

  • noun a flat situated in the wings
    coulisse.
WordNet