Flay

Pronunciation

• enPR: flā, IPA: /fleɪ/
• Rhymes: -eɪ

From Middle English flayen, flaien, fleien, from Old English *flīeġan ("to cause to fly, put to flight, frighten"; found only in compounds: āflīeġan), from Proto-Germanic *flaugijaną ("to let fly, cause to fly"), causitive of Proto-Germanic *fleuganą ("to fly"), from Proto-Indo-European *plew-k-, *plew- ("to run, flow, swim, fly"). Cognate with Old High German arflaugjan (), Icelandic fleygja ("to throw away, discard"), Gothic 𐌿𐍃-𐍆𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (us-flaugjan, "to cause to fly").

Alternative forms

• fla Yorkshire
• fley, flee, fly, fleg, flae, flea Scotland

Full definition of flay

Verb

1. (transitive, UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening).
2. (transitive, UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To frighten; scare; terrify.
3. (intransitive, UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To be fear-stricken.

Derived terms

• flaying

Noun

1. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) A fright; a scare.
2. (UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Fear; a source of fear; a formidable matter; a fearsome or repellent-looking individual.

Derived terms

• flaysome

From Old English flean from Proto-Germanic *flahaną. Cognate with Old Norse flá ("to flay"), whence Danish flå.

Verb

1. to strip skin off
2. to lash

Synonyms

• (remove the skin of) fleece, flense, skin

Anagrams

• Alfy