FLATTEN


Meaning of FLATTEN in English

(~s, ~ing, ~ed)

1.

If you ~ something or if it ~s, it becomes flat or flatter.

He carefully ~ed the wrappers and put them between the leaves of his book...

The dog’s ears ~ed slightly as Cook spoke his name.

...the pitiful shacks built of cardboard boxes, corrugated iron sheets and ~ed oil drums.

VERB: V n, V, V-ed

Flatten out means the same as ~ .

The hills ~ed out just south of the mountain...

Peel off the blackened skin, ~ the pepper out and trim it into edible pieces.

PHRASAL VERB: V P, V n P, also V P n (not pron)

2.

To ~ something such as a building, town, or plant means to destroy it by knocking it down or crushing it.

...explosives capable of ~ing a five-storey building.

...areas of ~ed corn.

VERB: V n, V-ed

3.

If you ~ yourself against something, you press yourself flat against it, for example to avoid getting in the way or being seen.

He ~ed himself against a brick wall as I passed.

VERB: V pron-refl against/on n, also V pron-refl

4.

If you ~ someone, you make them fall over by hitting them violently.

‘I’ve never seen a woman ~ someone like that,’ said a crew member. ‘She knocked him out cold.’

VERB: V n

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .