Part 4388

<h1>Flighty</h1> <Xpage=570>

<hw>Flight"y</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Fleeting; swift; transient.</def>

<blockquote>The <b>flighty</b> purpose never is o'ertook, Unless the deed go with it. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Indulging in flights, or wild and unrestrained sallies, of imagination, humor, caprice, etc.; given to disorder<?/ fancies and extravagant conduct; volatile <?/ giddy; eccentric; slighty delirious.</def>

<blockquote>Proofs of my <b>flighty</b> and paradoxical turn of mind. <i>Coleridge.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>A harsh disciplinarian and a <b>flighty</b> enthusiast. <i>J. S. Har<?/ord.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Flimflam</h1> <Xpage=570>

<hw>Flim"flam</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. <er>Flam</er>.]</ety> <def>A freak; a trick; a lie.</def>

<i>Beau. & Fl.</i>

<h1>Flimsily</h1> <Xpage=570>

<hw>Flim"si*ly</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>adv.</tt> <def>In a flimsy manner.</def>

<h1>Flimsiness</h1> <Xpage=570>

<hw>Flim"si*ness</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The state or quality of being flimsy.</def>

<h1>Flimsy</h1> <Xpage=570>

<hw>Flim"sy</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>Compar.</tt> <er>Flimsier</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>superl.</tt> <er>Flimsiest</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Cf. W. <ets>llumsi</ets> naked, bare, empty, slouggish, spiritless. Cf. <er>Limsy</er>.]</ety> <def>Weak; feeble; limp; slight; vain; without strength or solidity; of loose and unsubstantial structure; without reason or <i>plausibility</i>; <i>as</i>, <i>a flimsy</i> argument, excuse, objection.</def>

<blockquote>Proud of a vast extent of <b>flimsy</b> lines. <i>Pope.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>All the <b>flimsy</b> furniture of a country miss's brain. <i>Sheridan.</i></blockquote>

<syn>Syn. -- Weak; feeble; superficial; shallow; vain.</syn>

<h1>Flimsy</h1> <Xpage=570>

<hw>Flim"sy</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Thin or transfer paper.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A bank note.</def> <mark>[Slang, Eng.]</mark>

<h1>Flinch</h1> <Xpage=570>

<hw>Flinch</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Flinched</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Flinching</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Prob. fr. OE. <ets>flecchen</ets> to waver, give way, F. <ets>fl\'82chir</ets>, fr. L. <ets>flectere</ets> to bend; but prob. influenced by E. <ets>blench</ets>. Cf. <er>Flex</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To withdraw from any suffering or undertaking, from pain or danger; to fail in doing or perserving; to show signs of yielding or of suffering; to shrink; to wince; <as>as, one of the parties <ex>flinched</ex> from the combat</as>.</def>

<blockquote>A child, by a constant course of kindness, may be accustomed to bear very rough usage without <b>flinching</b> or complaining. <i>Locke.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Croquet)</fld> <def>To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.</def>

<h1>Flinch</h1> <Xpage=570>

<hw>Flinch</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The act of flinching.</def>

<h1>Flincher</h1> <Xpage=570>