flake

[fleɪk]

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flakes - flake

A flake is a small piece or fragment that breaks off from something. It can also refer to a thin layer of something.

When it snows, people often talk about flakes - those delicate, lacy bits of ice that fall gently from the sky. But the word "flake" has other meanings too. In cooking, a flake is a small piece of food that breaks off easily, like when you're crumbling crackers into a salad. In fashion, a person who doesn't take things seriously and changes their mind often might be called a flake. This use of the word isn't very nice, implying that someone is unreliable or flighty. On the other hand, in computer science, a flake can refer to a small error or glitch in a system.

How common is "flake"?

Word flake is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

noun

A loose filmy mass or a thin chiplike layer of anything
Example: There were a few flakes of paint on the floor from when we were painting the walls.
A scale of a fish or similar animal
A prehistoric tool chipped out of stone.
A person who is impractical, flighty, unreliable, or inconsistent; especially with maintaining a living.
Example: She makes pleasant conversation, but she's kind of a flake when it comes time for action.
A carnation with only two colours in the flower, the petals having large stripes.
A flat turn or tier of rope.

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verb

To break or chip off in a flake.
Example: The paint flaked off after only a year.
To prove unreliable or impractical; to abandon or desert, to fail to follow through.
Example: He said he'd come and help, but he flaked.
To store an item such as rope or sail in layers
Example: The line is flaked into the container for easy attachment and deployment.
To hit (another person).

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Real examples of "flakes" in context

Gordon Ramsay Savagely Critiques Spicy Wings | Hot Ones

Interview

but they don't season it properly. So, season this thing. Chili flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper.

8:48