flax
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A field of flax (Linum usitatissimum)
See also: Flax
English
Etymology
From Middle English flax, from Old English fleax, from Proto-Germanic *flahsą, from Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- (“to plait”). Cognate with Old Frisian flax, Dutch vlas, Old High German flahs (German Flachs); the Northern Germanic (and most likely the Gothic too[1]) stem is different.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /flæks/
- (dialectal, obsolete) IPA(key): /flɛks/[2]
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -æks
Noun
flax (countable and uncountable, plural flaxes)
- A plant of the genus Linum, especially Linum usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers. Also known as linseed, especially when referring to the seeds.
- The fibers of Linum usitatissimum, grown to make linen and related textiles.
- The flax bush, a plant of the genus Phormium, native to New Zealand, with strap-like leaves up to 3 metres long that grow in clumps.
Usage notes
The plural flaxes is used to indicate multiple species or varieties of flax; otherwise, flax is uncountable.
Derived terms
- blue flax
- false flax
- flax bow
- flax-dresser
- flaxen
- flax-leaved daphne
- flax milk
- flax seed
- flax-stick
- holy flax
- Lewis flax
- mountain flax
- New Zealand flax (Phormium spp.)
- yellow flax
For numerous others see
Linum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Translations
plant
|
the fibers
|
plant native to New Zealand — see phormium
See also
References
- “flax”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- flax on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Linum on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
- ^ Etymology in the Deutsches Wörterbuch of Jakob und Wilhelm Grimm: "however, Old Norse hör ... The Gothic word has not been transmitted, but one might guess harvs"
- ^ Bingham, Caleb (1808) “Improprieties in Pronunciation, common among the people of New-England”, in The Child's Companion; Being a Conciſe Spelling-book , 12th edition, Boston: Manning & Loring, →OCLC, page 75.
Anagrams
Middle English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Old English fleax, from Proto-West Germanic *flahs, from Proto-Germanic *flahsą, from Proto-Indo-European *plek-.
Pronunciation
Noun
flax (uncountable)
- Flax (Linum usitatissimum) or its fibers
- Linen; fabric made out of flax
- Flax or straw used as a firestarter; tinder
Related terms
Descendants
- English: flax
References
- “flex, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Swedish
Noun
flax c
- (colloquial) (unexpected) good luck
Declension
| nominative | genitive | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| singular | indefinite | flax | flax |
| definite | flaxet | flaxets | |
| plural | indefinite | — | — |
| definite | — | — |