flake

4
[ fleyk ]
/ fleɪk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR flake ON THESAURUS.COM

verb, flaked, flak·ing.

flake out, Slang. to fall asleep; take a nap.

Origin of flake

4
1935–40; perhaps expressive variant of flag3; compare British dialect flack to hang loosely, flap

Words nearby flake

flail joint, flair, flak, flak jacket, flak suit, flake, flake out, flake tool, flake white, flakeboard, flakelet

Words related to flake out

quit, perish, wilt, buckle, yield, bow, defer, cease, capitulate, topple, founder, disintegrate, faint, shatter, break, fail, drop, crumple, weaken, dump

British Dictionary definitions for flake out (1 of 5)

flake out

verb (intr, adverb)

informal to collapse or fall asleep as through extreme exhaustion

British Dictionary definitions for flake out (2 of 5)

flake 1
/ (fleɪk) /

noun

verb

Derived forms of flake

flaker, noun

Word Origin for flake

C14: of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian flak disc, Middle Dutch vlacken to flutter

British Dictionary definitions for flake out (3 of 5)

flake 2
/ (fleɪk) /

noun

a rack or platform for drying fish or other produce

Word Origin for flake

C14: from Old Norse flaki; related to Dutch vlaak hurdle

British Dictionary definitions for flake out (4 of 5)

flake 3
/ (fleɪk) /

verb

nautical another word for fake 1

British Dictionary definitions for flake out (5 of 5)

flake 4
/ (fleɪk) /

noun

(in Australia) the commercial name for the meat of the gummy shark

Scientific definitions for flake out

flake
[ flāk ]

A relatively thin, sharp-edged stone fragment removed from a core or from another flake by striking or prying, serving as a tool or blade itself or as a blank for making other tools. See more at flake tool.
A small, symmetrical, six-sided crystal of snow. Flakes can be large or small and wet or dry, depending on weather conditions. They are white in color because of their large number of reflecting surfaces.

Idioms and Phrases with flake out

flake out
1

Drop from exhaustion, faint. For example, After running the marathon, be simply flaked out on the ground. This expression possibly is derived from a now obsolete meaning of flake, “to become flabby or fall in folds.” [Slang; c. 1940]

2

Lie down, go to sleep, as in Homeless persons flaked out in doorways. [Slang; early 1940s]

3

Lose one's nerve, as in Please don't flake out now. [Slang; 1950s]

4

Go crazy; also, cause someone to go crazy. For example, She just flaked out and we had to call an ambulance, or This project is flaking us out. The usages in def. 3 and 4 probably are derived from the adjective flaky, meaning “eccentric.” [c. 1970]

5

Die, as in He flaked out last night. [1960s]

6

Surprise, astonish, as in She said she'd just been made a partner, and that flaked me out. This usage appears to be a variant of freak out. [c. 1970]