flake

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈflāk 

1

: a small loose mass or bit

flakes of snow

2

: a thin flattened piece or layer : chip

3

slang : cocaine

4

: flake tool

flake

2 of 4

verb

flaked; flaking

transitive verb

1

: to cover with or as if with flakes

2

: to form or break into flakes : chip

intransitive verb

1

: to separate into flakes

also : to peel in flakes

2

or flake out informal : to fail or neglect to do or participate in something previously scheduled, agreed upon, or assigned

He'd disappear, then text, disappear, and then text again. So it's not particularly surprising that when we finally made plans to meet he flaked without a word.

—Kerensa Cadenas

My brother isn't the type to flake out without warning.

—D. Morgan Ballmer

—often used with on

Flake on your friends too often and pretty soon your only friends will be Dharma and Greg.

—Colleen Rush

Let's get him to sign his name to that before he flakes out on you!

—Rhoda Janzen

flake

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a stage, platform, or tray for drying fish or produce

flake

4 of 4

noun (3)

: a person who is flaky : oddball

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• chip
• sliver
• spall
• splint
• splinter

Noun (3)

• character
• codger
• crack
• crackbrain
• crackpot
• crank
• eccentric
• fruitcake
• head case
• kook
• nut
• nutcase
• nutter [British slang]
• oddball
• oddity
• original
• quiz
• screwball
• weirdo
• zany

Examples of flake in a Sentence

Noun (1)

sprinkle the cake with coconut flakes

Verb

Bake the fish until it flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Noun (3)

the lady with all those cats is sweet, but kind of a flake

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Pureed carrots and chile flakes enrich the broth of this tortellini and white bean soup. —Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024

The paint was created by the British artist Stuart Temple using 64% real silver flakes and pigments blended into an acrylic paint suspension. —Trinity Francis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Verb

When an old army friend comes to town, he’s tempted to flake, even after Jimmy gets in the ring to challenge him to a fight in his latest Jimmying relapse. —Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024

Signs of an allergic reaction include itchiness, flaking, and redness or darker discoloration, depending on your skin tone. —Melanie Rud, SELF, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English; akin to Old English flacor flying (of arrows), Old Norse flakna to flake off, split

Noun (2)

Middle English flake, fleke hurdle; akin to Middle Dutch vlāke, vlaec hurdle, Old Norse flaki

Noun (3)

perhaps from flake out

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1623, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1964, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing flake

• flake out
• flake tool

Kids Definition

flake

1 of 2 noun

ˈflāk 

: a small thin flat usually loose piece : chip

flake

2 of 2 verb

flaked; flaking

: to form or separate into flakes