FLAY


Meaning of FLAY in English

ˈflā transitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English flen, from Old English flēan; akin to Middle Dutch vlaen to skin, Old Norse flā to skin, Lithuanian plėšti to tear

1. : to strip off the skin or surface of : skin

flay an ox

flayed him with a lash

with her nails she'll flay thy wolfish visage — Shakespeare

2. : to subject to treatment like or likened to skinning: as

a. : to strip of possessions

the people flayed by excessive taxes

b. : to reprove harshly : criticize severely : censure , excoriate

his wife flayed him when she heard where he had been

Synonyms: see skin

- flay a flint

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.