different between flab vs flax

English

Etymology

Back-formation from flabby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flæb/
• Rhymes: -æb

Noun

flab (usually uncountable, plural flabs)

1. (informal) Soft, loose flesh on a person's body; fat.

Synonyms

• spare tire (North America)
• spare tyre (United Kingdom)
• roll of fat

Translations

English

Etymology

From Old English fleax, from Proto-Germanic *flahs?, from Proto-Indo-European *ple?- (“to plait”). Cognate with Old Frisian flax, Old Saxon *flahs (Dutch vlas), Old High German flahs (German Flachs); the Northern Germanic (and most likely the Gothic too) stem is different.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flæks/
• Rhymes: -æks

Noun

flax (countable and uncountable, plural flaxes)

1. 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.
2. The fibers of Linum usitatissimum, grown to make linen and related textiles.
3. 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

• flaxen
• New Zealand flax (Phormium spp.)
• For numerous others see Linum#Selected species on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Translations

See also

• Flax Bourton
• linen
• tow

References

• flax at OneLook Dictionary Search
• flax on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Linum on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Anagrams

• falx

Swedish

Noun

flax c

1. (slang) (unexpected) good luck

Declension