different between elench vs flench

English

Etymology

Latin elenchus, from Ancient Greek ??????? (élenkhos, “refutation, scrutiny”); compare Old French elenche. Doublet of elenchus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??l??k/

Noun

elench (plural elenchs)

1. (logic) That part of an argument on which its conclusiveness depends; that which convinces or refutes an antagonist; a refutation.
   • 1599, Thomas Blundeville, The Art of Logicke, London: Matthew Lownes, 1619, Book 6, Chapter 2, p. 186,^[1]

     Reprehension or Elench […] is a Syllogisme, which gathereth a conclusion contrary to the assertion of the respondent, as if a man would defend Medea not to love her childe, because she killed it, another might reason against him in this manner: every Mother loveth her child: but Medea is a Mother: Ergo, Medea loveth her child: the Conclusion of this Syllogisme is contrarie to the first Assertion […]

2. (obsolete) A specious argument; a sophism.
   • 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica, p. 40,^[2]

     But of these Sophisms and Elenchs of marchandize I skill not […]

   • 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, London: Edw. Dod & Nath. Ekins, 1650, Book I, Chapter 4, p. 10,^[3]

     This fallacy in the first delusion Satan put upon Eve, and his whole tentation might be the same Elench continued; so when he said, Ye shall not die, that was in his equivocation, ye shall not incurre a present death, or a destruction immediatly ensuing your transgression.

English

Verb

flench (third-person singular simple present flenches, present participle flenching, simple past and past participle flenched)

1. Alternative form of flense