n. (pl. -s or florae) 1 plant life of a region or period.

- list or book of these. [latin flora, name of the goddess of flowers]

—n. - rough silk of a silkworm's cocoon.

- silk thread used in embroidery.

- = *dental floss. —v. (also absol.) Clean (teeth) with dental floss. flossy adj. [french floche]

—n. - meal or powder from ground wheat etc.

- any fine powder. —v. Sprinkle with flour. floury adj. (-ier, -iest). Flouriness n. [different spelling of *flower ‘best part’]

—v. Disobey (the law etc.) Contemptuously; mock; insult. —n. Flouting speech or act. [dutch fluiten whistle: related to *flute]

past part. Of *fly1.

—n. - soft fur, feathers, or fabric particles etc.

- slang mistake in a performance etc. —v. - (often foll. By up) shake into or become a soft mass.

- colloq. Make a fluff; bungle. bit of fluff slang offens. Attractive woman. fluffy adj. (-ier, -iest). Fluffiness n. [probably dial. Alteration of flue fluff]

ounce n. One-twentieth, or us one-sixteenth, of a pint.

- —n. - substance, esp. A gas or liquid, whose shape is determined by its confines.

- fluid part or secretion. —adj. - able to flow and alter shape freely.

- constantly changing (situation is fluid).

—n. Lucky accident (won by a fluke). —v. (-king) achieve by a fluke. fluky adj. (-ier, -iest). [origin uncertain]

- n. - parasitic flatworm, e.g. The liver fluke.

- flat-fish, esp. A flounder. [old english]

- n. - broad triangular plate on an anchor arm.

- lobe of a whale's tail. [perhaps from *fluke2]

past and past part. Of *fling.

v. Us colloq. Fail (esp. An exam). [origin unknown]