1. n. & v.
--n.
1. a a small thin light piece of snow. b a similar piece of another material.
2 a thin broad piece of material peeled or split off.
3 Archaeol. a piece of hard stone chipped off and used as a tool.
4 a natural division of the flesh of some fish.
5 the dogfish or other shark as food.
--v.tr. & intr. (often foll. by away, off)
1. take off or come away in flakes.
2 sprinkle with or fall in snowlike flakes.
Phrases and idioms:
flake out colloq. fall asleep or drop from exhaustion; faint.
Etymology: ME: orig. unkn.: cf. ON flakna flake off 2. n.1 a stage for drying fish etc.
2 a rack for storing oatcakes etc.
Etymology: ME, perh. f. ON flaki, fleki wicker shield