flesh

[ flesh ]

/ flɛʃ /

noun

the soft substance of a human or other animal body, consisting of muscle and fat.

muscular and fatty tissue.

this substance or tissue in animals, viewed as an article of food, usually excluding fish and sometimes fowl; meat.

fatness; weight.

the body, especially as distinguished from the spirit or soul: The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

the physical or animal nature of humankind as distinguished from its moral or spiritual nature: the needs of the flesh.

humankind.

living creatures generally.

a person's family or relatives.

Botany. the soft, pulpy portion of a fruit, vegetable, etc., as distinguished from the core, skin, shell, etc.

the surface of the human body; skin: A person with tender flesh should not expose it to direct sunlight.

(no longer in common use; now considered offensive) flesh color.

verb (used with object)

to plunge (a weapon) into the flesh.

Hunting. to feed (a hound or hawk) with flesh in order to make it more eager for the chase. Compare blood(def 16).

to incite and accustom (persons) to bloodshed or battle by an initial experience.

to inflame the ardor or passions of by a foretaste.

to overlay or cover (a skeleton or skeletal frame) with flesh or with a fleshlike substance.

to give dimension, substance, or reality to (often followed by out): The playwright wrote pretty good characters, but the actors really fleshed them out.

to remove adhering flesh from (hides), in leather manufacture.

Archaic. to satiate with flesh or fleshly enjoyments; surfeit; glut.

Verb Phrases

flesh out,

to gain weight: He realized to his dismay that he had fleshed out during the months of forced inactivity.
to add details to or make more complete: She fleshed out her proposal considerably before presenting it to the committee for action.

Idioms for flesh

in the flesh, present and alive before one's eyes; in person: The movie star looked quite different in the flesh.

pound of flesh, something that strict justice demands is due, but can only be paid with great loss or suffering to the payer.

press the flesh, Informal. to shake hands, as with voters while campaigning: The senator is busy as ever pressing the flesh on the campaign trail.

Origin of flesh

before 900; Middle English flesc, Old English flǣsc; cognate with Old Frisian flēsk, Old High German fleisk (German Fleisch), Old Norse flesk bacon

OTHER WORDS FROM flesh

flesh·less, adjective

Words nearby flesh

flemish scroll, flemming, flensburg, flense, flerovium, flesh, flesh and blood, flesh color, flesh fly, flesh out, flesh peddler

British Dictionary definitions for pound of flesh (1 of 2)

pound of flesh

noun

something that is one's legal right but is an unreasonable demand (esp in the phrase to have one's pound of flesh)

Word Origin for pound of flesh

from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (1596), Act IV, scene i

British Dictionary definitions for pound of flesh (2 of 2)

flesh

/ (flɛʃ) /

noun

the soft part of the body of an animal or human, esp muscular tissue, as distinct from bone and viscera Related adjective: sarcoid

informal excess weight; fat

archaic the edible tissue of animals as opposed to that of fish or, sometimes, fowl; meat

the thick usually soft part of a fruit or vegetable, as distinct from the skin, core, stone, etc

the human body and its physical or sensual nature as opposed to the soul or spirit Related adjective: carnal

mankind in general

animate creatures in general

one's own family; kin (esp in the phrase one's own flesh and blood)

a yellowish-pink to greyish-yellow colour

Christian Science belief on the physical plane which is considered erroneous, esp the belief that matter has sensation

(modifier) tanning of or relating to the inner or under layer of a skin or hide a flesh split

in the flesh in person; actually present

make one's flesh creep (esp of something ghostly) to frighten and horrify one

press the flesh informal to shake hands, usually with large numbers of people, esp in political campaigning

verb

(tr) hunting to stimulate the hunting instinct of (hounds or falcons) by giving them small quantities of raw flesh

to wound the flesh of with a weapon

archaic, or poetic to accustom or incite to bloodshed or battle by initial experience

tanning to remove the flesh layer of (a hide or skin)

to fatten; fill out

Word Origin for flesh

Old English flǣsc; related to Old Norse flesk ham, Old High German fleisk meat, flesh

Medical definitions for pound of flesh

flesh

[ flĕsh ]

n.

The soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate, covering the bones and consisting mainly of skeletal muscle and fat.

Other words from flesh

flesh′y adj.

Cultural definitions for pound of flesh (1 of 2)

pound of flesh

A phrase from the play The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare. The moneylender Shylock demands the flesh of the “merchant of Venice,” Antonio, under a provision in their contract. Shylock never gets the pound of flesh, however, because the character Portia discovers a point of law that overrides the contract: Shylock is forbidden to shed any blood in getting the flesh from Antonio's body.

notes for pound of flesh

People who cruelly or unreasonably insist on their rights are said to be demanding their “pound of flesh.”

Cultural definitions for pound of flesh (2 of 2)

pound of flesh

Creditors who insist on having their “pound of flesh” are those who cruelly demand the repayment of a debt, no matter how much suffering it will cost the debtor: “The bank will have its pound of flesh; it is going to foreclose on our mortgage and force us to sell our home.” The expression is from The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare.

Idioms and Phrases with pound of flesh (1 of 2)

pound of flesh

A debt whose payment is harshly insisted on, as in The other members of the cartel all want their pound of flesh from Brazil. This expression alludes to the scene in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (4:1) where the moneylender Shylock demands the pound of flesh promised him in payment for a loan, and Portia responds that he may have it but without an ounce of blood (since blood was not promised). [c. 1600]

Idioms and Phrases with pound of flesh (2 of 2)

flesh

In addition to the idioms beginning with flesh

flesh and blood
flesh out

also see:

go the way of all flesh
in person (the flesh)
make one's flesh creep
neither fish nor fowl (flesh)
pound of flesh
press the flesh
spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
thorn in one's flesh

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

flesh

noun

verb (used with object)

Verb Phrases

Idioms for flesh

Origin of flesh

OTHER WORDS FROM flesh

Words nearby flesh

British Dictionary definitions for pound of flesh (1 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for pound of flesh

British Dictionary definitions for pound of flesh (2 of 2)

noun

verb

Word Origin for flesh

Medical definitions for pound of flesh

n.

Other words from flesh

Cultural definitions for pound of flesh (1 of 2)

notes for pound of flesh

Cultural definitions for pound of flesh (2 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with pound of flesh (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with pound of flesh (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

flesh

noun

verb (used with object)

Verb Phrases

Idioms for flesh

Origin of flesh

OTHER WORDS FROM flesh

Words nearby flesh

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for pound of flesh (1 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for pound of flesh

British Dictionary definitions for pound of flesh (2 of 2)

noun

verb

Word Origin for flesh

Medical definitions for pound of flesh

n.

Other words from flesh

Cultural definitions for pound of flesh (1 of 2)

notes for pound of flesh

Cultural definitions for pound of flesh (2 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with pound of flesh (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with pound of flesh (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for pound of flesh (1 of 2)