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Flay

to skin; to strip off the skin or surface of; as, to flay an ox; to flay the green earth. With her nails she 'll flay thy wolfish visage. (Shak)

Origin: oe. Flean, flan, as. Flean; akin to D. Vlaen, Icel. Fla, Sw. Fla, dan. Flaae, cf. Lith. Ples to tear, plyszti, v.i, to burst tear; perh. Akin to E. Flag to flat stone, flaw.