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Flake

1. A paling; a hurdle.

2. 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)

3. A small stage hung over a vessels side, for workmen to stand on in calking, etc.

Origin: cf. Icel. Flaki, fleki, dan. Flage, D. Vlaak.

1. 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. Great flakes of ice encompassing our boat. (Evelyn)

2. A little particle of lighted or incandescent matter, darted from a fire; a flash. With flakes of ruddy fire. (Somerville)

3. (Science: botany) a sort of carnation with only two colours in the flower, the petals having large stripes. Flake knife The purest white lead, in the form of flakes or scales. The trisnitrate of bismuth.

Origin: 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.