different between flea vs fleak

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English fle, from Old English fl?ah, fl?a, from Proto-West Germanic *flauh, from Proto-Germanic *flauhaz (compare West Frisian flie, Low German Flo, Flö, Dutch vlo, German Floh, Icelandic fló), from pre-Germanic *plóukos, *plówkos, from Proto-Indo-European *plúsis (compare Latin pulex, Sanskrit ?????? (plú?i)).

The archaic plural fleen is from Middle English fleen, flen, from Old English fl?an (“fleas”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fli?/

• Rhymes: -i?

• Homophones: flee

Noun

flea (plural fleas)

1. A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
2. (derogatory) A thing of no significance.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

flea (third-person singular simple present fleas, present participle fleaing, simple past and past participle fleaed)

1. (transitive) To remove fleas from (an animal).

   Synonym: deflea

   • 1861, Horace William Wheelwright, Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist (page 192)

     I have seen a Lubra, or native woman, suckling two puppies; and, like monkeys, these ladies have a particular fancy for fleaing their dogs.

Etymology 2

Alternative forms.

Verb

flea (third-person singular simple present fleas, present participle fleaing, simple past and past participle flead)

1. Obsolete spelling of flay
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 74:

     In this Thwackum had the advantage; for while Square could only scarify the poor lad's reputation, he could flea his skin [...].

1. • 1605, Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, Everyman's Library 1991, p. 36:

     [...] he'd flea me alive like another St Bartholomew.

Anagrams

• Lafe, Leaf, alef, feal, leaf

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fli?k/

Noun

fleak (plural fleaks)

1. (obsolete) A flake; a thread or twist.
   • 1662, Henry More, An Antidote Against Atheism, Book II, A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More, p. 61:

     […] that all the businesses of Men do very much depend upon these little long fleaks or threds of Hemp and Flax.

Anagrams

• Flake, flake