flake

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a small loose mass or bit
flakes of snow
2
: a thin flattened piece or layer : chip
3
slang : cocaine
4

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Halve the potatoes and top generously with feta, honey, and chile flakes or hot sauce. Scott Clark, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2025 Dandruff and dry scalp can cause flakes in the hair and itching, which may get worse in cold weather or during weather changes. Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
A lot of common hair issues, like excessive thinning, flaking, and oiliness, can be traced back to an unbalanced scalp that’s either too greasy or too dry, Dr. Graf says, which is why paying attention to the roots isn’t such a bad thing. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2025 This may help reduce flaking and scaling skin and lessen corns or calluses.56 Supports antifungal medications: Fungal infections like onychomycosis are typically treated with topical or oral antifungal medications. Sherri Gordon, Health, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flake

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of flake was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flake. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

flake

1 of 2 noun
: a small thin flat usually loose piece : chip

flake

2 of 2 verb
flaked; flaking
: to form or separate into flakes

More from Merriam-Webster on flake

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