flein

• IPA^(key): /ˈflæɪn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æɪn
• Hyphenation: flein

From Swedish fläin (“swollen ice”), possibly related to Swedish flen (“wound, skin growth”).

flein m (definite singular fleinen, indefinite plural fleiner, definite plural fleinene)

1. (dialectal) a layer of hard ice crust on the ground

   Synonym: isskorpe

   • 1945, Kirsten Bergh, Lorck sine, page 25:

     fleinen lå over landet i uendelige miles omkrets og tynet renen

     the ice crust lay over the land for endless miles and bothered the reindeer

From Swedish flen (“wound, skin growth”), original meaning possibly "swell" or "knot". Possibly related to Swedish fläin (“swollen ice”).

flein (neuter singular fleint, definite singular and plural fleine, comparative fleinere, indefinite superlative fleinest, definite superlative fleineste)

1. (dialectal) bare or uncovered

   Synonyms: bar, snau

flein n (definite singular fleinet, indefinite plural flein, definite plural fleina or fleinene)

1. (dialectal) a knot, scab or wound, especially on a cow, horse or sheep

   Synonyms: knute, skurv, sår

   • 1923, Hans Aanrud, Fortællinger II, page 150:

     [se til] om ikke et trangt hjerte kan skaffe langrompesauen din baade klaae og flein

     if a narrow heart can not get your long-tailed sheep both to scratch and scab

From Old Norse fleinn (“hook, barbed weapon, javelin, arrow”), from Proto-Germanic *flainaz (“hook, prong, speartip, ord”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleyn- (“metal arrow, spear-head, hook”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel- (“to split, divide”).

flein m (definite singular fleinen, indefinite plural fleiner, definite plural fleinene)

1. (weaponry) an arrow with a barb
   • 1900, Gustav Storm, transl., Kongesagaer, page 114:

     da fløi en pil af den slags som kaldes flein, og kom i kong Haakons arm

     then an arrow of the kind called barbed arrow flew, and came into King Haakon's arm

   • 1975, Ludvig Holm-Olsen, transl., Edda-dikt, page 154:

     [Jarl] skjøt med flein og frankiske spyd

     shot with barbed arrows and Frankish spears

• “flein_1” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “flein_2” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “flein_3” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “flein_4” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “flein” in Store norske leksikon

• filen, fline

Back-formation from fleinsopp

flein m (definite singular fleinen, uncountable)

1. (slang) Alternative form of fleinsopp