FLAUNT

verb Etymology: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse flana to rush around Date: 1566 intransitive verb to display or obtrude oneself to public notice , to wave or flutter showily , transitive verb to display ostentatiously or impudently ; parade , to treat contemptuously , see: show ~ noun ~ingly adverb ~y adjective Usage: Although transitive sense 2 of ~ undoubtedly arose from confusion with flout, the contexts in which it appears cannot be called substandard . If you use it, however, you should be aware that many people will consider it a mistake. Use of flout in the sense of ~ 1 is found occasionally .