flake

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a small loose mass or bit
flakes of snow
2
: a thin flattened piece or layer : chip
3
slang : cocaine
4

flake

2 of 4

verb

flaked; flaking

transitive verb

1
: to cover with or as if with flakes
2
: to form or break into flakes : chip

intransitive verb

1
: to separate into flakes
also : to peel in flakes
2
or flake out informal : to fail or neglect to do or participate in something previously scheduled, agreed upon, or assigned
He'd disappear, then text, disappear, and then text again. So it's not particularly surprising that when we finally made plans to meet he flaked without a word.Kerensa Cadenas
My brother isn't the type to flake out without warning.D. Morgan Ballmer
often used with on
Flake on your friends too often and pretty soon your only friends will be Dharma and Greg.Colleen Rush
Let's get him to sign his name to that before he flakes out on you!Rhoda Janzen

flake

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a stage, platform, or tray for drying fish or produce

flake

4 of 4

noun (3)

: a person who is flaky : oddball

Examples of flake in a Sentence

Noun (1) sprinkle the cake with coconut flakes Verb Bake the fish until it flakes easily when tested with a fork. Noun (3) the lady with all those cats is sweet, but kind of a flake
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
UltraViolet delights with its creamy purple vanilla ice cream, sweet gooey marshmallow swirls, crunchy chocolate cookies (gluten-free), and rich fudge flakes. Ronny Maye, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025 Flip the fillets and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes until salmon is cooked through and flakes evenly. The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
Verb
The entire process took about 40 minutes, and unlike more aggressive resurfacing lasers, Secret DUO doesn’t damage the outer layer of skin, so there’s minimal downtime and no risk of flaking or scabbing. Larry Stansbury, Essence, 17 June 2025 Stone came back around a few years later to advertise 1982’s Ain’t But One Way, the patchy final studio album under the Family Stone moniker, completed by a producer when Stone flaked on the sessions. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for flake

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English; akin to Old English flacor flying (of arrows), Old Norse flakna to flake off, split

Noun (2)

Middle English flake, fleke hurdle; akin to Middle Dutch vlāke, vlaec hurdle, Old Norse flaki

Noun (3)

perhaps from flake out

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1602, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1623, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flake was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flake. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

flake

1 of 2 noun
: a small thin flat usually loose piece : chip

flake

2 of 2 verb
flaked; flaking
: to form or separate into flakes

More from Merriam-Webster on flake

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