Part 201

3. Wavering; not steady; flickering. Bacon.

Flex"u*ral (?), a. [From Flexure.] Of, pertaining to, or resulting from, flexure; of the nature of, or characterized by, flexure; as, flexural elasticity.

Flex"ure (?; 135), n. [L. flexura.] 1. The act of flexing or bending; a turning or curving; flexion; hence, obsequious bowing or bending.

Will it give place to flexure and low bending?

Shak.

2. A turn; a bend; a fold; a curve.

Varying with the flexures of the valley through which it meandered.

British Quart. Rev.

3. (Zoˆl.) The last joint, or bend, of the wing of a bird.

4. (Astron.) The small distortion of an astronomical instrument caused by the weight of its parts; the amount to be added or substracted from the observed readings of the instrument to correct them for this distortion.

The flexure of a curve (Math.), the bending of a curve towards or from a straight line.

Flib"ber*gib (?), n. A sycophant. [Obs. & Humorous.] "Flatterers and flibbergibs." Latimer.

Flib"ber*ti*gib`bet (?), n. An imp. Shak.

||Fli`bus`tier" (?), n. [F.] A buccaneer; an American pirate. See ||Filibuster. [Obs.]

Flick (flk), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flicked (flkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Flicking.] [Cf. Flicker.] To whip lightly or with a quick jerk; to flap; as, to flick a horse; to flick the dirt from boots. Thackeray.

Flick, n. A flitch; as, a flick of bacon.

Flick"er (-r), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flickered (-rd); p. pr. & vb. n. Flickering.] [OE. flikeren, flekeren, to flutter, AS. flicerian, flicorian, cf. D. flikkeren to sparkle. √84. Cf. Flacker.] 1. To flutter; to flap the wings without flying.

And flickering on her nest made short essays to sing.

Dryden.

2. To waver unsteadily, like a flame in a current of air, or when about to expire; as, the flickering light.

The shadows flicker to fro.

Tennyson.

Flick"er, n. 1. The act of wavering or of fluttering; fluctuation; sudden and brief increase of brightness; as, the last flicker of the dying flame.

2. (Zoˆl.) The golden-winged woodpecker (Colaptes auratus); -- so called from its spring note. Called also yellow-hammer, high-holder, pigeon woodpecker, and yucca.

The cackle of the flicker among the oaks.

Thoureau.

Flick"ering*ly, adv. In a flickering manner.

Flick"er*mouse` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) See Flittermouse.