Part 4366

<p><b>3.</b> <def>Want of vivacity or spirit; prostration; dejection; depression.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>Want of variety or flavor; dullness; inspidity.</def>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>Depression of tone; the state of being below the true pitch; -- opposed to <i>sharpness</i> or <i>acuteness</i>.</def>

<h1>Flatour</h1> <Xpage=568>

<hw>Fla*tour"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OF.]</ety> <def>A flatterer.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>Flatten</h1> <Xpage=568>

<hw>Flat"ten</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Flattened</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Flattening</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[From <er>Flat</er>, <tt>a.</tt>]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To reduce to an even surface or one approaching evenness; to make flat; to level; to make plane.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To throw down; to bring to the ground; to prostrate; hence, to depress; to deject; to dispirit.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To make vapid or insipid; to render stale.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Mus.)</fld> <def>To lower the pitch of; to cause to sound less sharp; to let fall from the pitch.</def>

<cs><col>To flatten a sail</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>to set it more nearly fore-and-aft of the vessel.</cd> -- <col>Flattening oven</col>, <cd>in glass making, a heated chamber in which split glass cylinders are flattened for window glass.</cd></cs>

<h1>Flatten</h1> <Xpage=568>

<hw>Flat"ten</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To become or grow flat, even, depressed dull, vapid, spiritless, or depressed below pitch.</def>

<h1>Flatter</h1> <Xpage=568>

<hw>Flat"ter</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>One who, or that which, makes flat or flattens.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Metal Working)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <def>A flat-faced fulling hammer.</def> <sd>(b)</sd> <def>A drawplate with a narrow, rectangular orifice, for drawing flat strips, as watch springs, etc.</def>

<h1>Flatter</h1> <Xpage=568>

<hw>Flat"ter</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Flattered</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Flattering</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[OE. <ets>flateren</ets>, cf. OD. <ets>flatteren</ets>; akin to G. <ets>flattern</ets> to flutter, Icel. <ets>fla<?/ra</ets> to fawn, flatter: cf. F. <ets>flatter</ets>. Cf. <er>Flitter</er>, <er>Flutter</er>, <er>Flattery</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To treat with praise or blandishments; to gratify or attempt to gratify the self-love or vanity of, esp. by artful and interested commendation or attentions; to blandish; to cajole; to wheedle.</def>

<blockquote>When I tell him he hates flatterers, He says he does, being then most <b>flattered</b>. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>A man that <b>flattereth</b> his neighbor, spreadeth a net for his feet. <i>Prov. xxix. 5.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Others he <b>flattered</b> by asking their advice. <i>Prescott.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To raise hopes in; to encourage or favorable, but sometimes unfounded or deceitful, representations.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To portray too favorably; to give a too favorable idea of; <as>as, his portrait <ex>flatters</ex> him</as>.</def>

<h1>Flatter</h1> <Xpage=568>

<hw>Flat"ter</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To use flattery or insincere praise.</def>

<blockquote>If it may stand him more in stead to lie, Say and unsay, feign, <b>flatter</b>, or adjure. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Flatterer</h1> <Xpage=568>