Flannel

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈflænÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -ænÉ™l
• Hyphenation: flan + nel

Alternative forms

• flannen dialectal
• flanan, flanning, flanen Scotland

Origin

From Middle English flaunneol, from Anglo-Norman flanelle (compare Jerriais flianné), diminutive of Old French flaine, floene ("coarse wool"), from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *wlānos, *wlanā ("wool") (compare Welsh gwlân, Breton gloan), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂. More at wool.

Full definition of flannel

Noun

1. (uncountable) A soft cloth material woven from wool, possibly combined with cotton or synthetic fibers.With the weather turning colder, it was time to dig out our flannel sheets and nightclothes.
• 2012, Tom Lamont, How Mumford & Sons became the biggest band in the world (in The Daily Telegraph, 15 November 2012)http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/nov/15/mumford-sons-biggest-band-worldFirst singer and guitarist Marcus Mumford, wearing a black suit, then bassist Ted Dwane, in leather bomber and T-shirt. Next bearded banjo player Winston Marshall, his blue flannel shirt hanging loose, and pianist Ben Lovett, wrapped in a woollen coat.
2. (New Zealand, British) A washcloth.
3. (slang) Soothing plausible untruth and half truth, claptrap - ''"Don't talk flannel" http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/56/messages/708.htmlhttp://dictionary.reverso.net/english-synonyms/claptraphttp://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19971103

Derived terms

Adjective

1. made of flannel

Verb

1. (transitive) to rub with a flannel
2. to flatter; suck up to