flake1
n.
- a small, flat, very thin piece of something.
▸Archaeology a piece of hard stone chipped off for use as a tool.
- a snowflake.
- N. Amer. informal a crazy or eccentric person.
v.
- come away from a surface in flakes.
- split into flakes.
Derivative
Etymology
ME: the immediate source is unknown, the senses perh. deriving from different words; prob. of Gmc origin and rel. to flag2 and flaw1.
flake2
n.
a rack for storing or drying food such as fish.
Etymology
ME (denoting a wicker hurdle): perh. of Scand. origin.
flake3
v.
(
flake out)
informal fall asleep; drop from exhaustion.
Etymology
C15 (in the senses ‘become languid’ and (of a garment) ‘fall in folds’): var. of obs. flack and flag4.
flake4
n.
a single turn of a coiled rope or hawser.
v.
lay (a rope) in loose coils in order to prevent it tangling.
▸lay (a sail) down in folds either side of the boom.
Etymology
C17: of unknown origin.