different between flinch vs fawn

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fl?nt?/
• Rhymes: -?nt?

Etymology 1

From Middle French flenchir (“to bend”), of Germanic origin. Compare Middle High German lenken (“to bend”). Attested in English since the 16th century.

Noun

flinch (plural flinches)

1. A reflexive jerking away.

   My eye doctor hates the flinch I have every time he tries to get near my eyes.

2. (croquet) The slipping of the foot from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.

Translations

See also

• (reflexive jerking away): cringe

Verb

flinch (third-person singular simple present flinches, present participle flinching, simple past and past participle flinched)

1. (intransitive) To make a sudden, involuntary movement in response to a (usually negative) stimulus; to cringe.
   • 1693 John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education:

     A child, by a constant course of kindness, may be accustomed to bear very rough usage without flinching or complaining.

2. To dodge (a question), to avoid an unpleasant task or duty
3. (croquet) To let the foot slip from a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.

Translations

References

• “flinch” in the Collins English Dictionary
• “flinch”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).

Etymology 2

Verb

flinch (third-person singular simple present flinches, present participle flinching, simple past and past participle flinched)

1. Alternative form of flense

References

• “flinch” in the Collins English Dictionary

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f??n/
• Rhymes: -??n
• Homophone: faun

Etymology 1

From Middle English foun, fawne, from Old French faon, from Vulgar Latin *fetonem, from Latin f?tus (“offspring, young”), from Proto-Indo-European *d?eh?(y)- (“to suckle, nurse”)

Noun

fawn (plural fawns)

1. A young deer.
2. A pale brown colour tinted with yellow, like that of a fawn.

3. (obsolete) The young of an animal; a whelp.

   • she [the tigress] rageth upon the shore and the sands, for the losse of her fawnes

Derived terms

• in fawn

Translations

Adjective

fawn (not comparable)

1. Of the fawn colour.

Derived terms

• fawn lily

Translations

Verb

fawn (third-person singular simple present fawns, present participle fawning, simple past and past participle fawned)

1. (intransitive) To give birth to a fawn.

Etymology 2

From Middle English fawnen, from Old English fahnian, fagnian, fæ?nian (“to rejoice, make glad”). Akin to Old Norse fagna (“to rejoice”). See also fain.

Verb

fawn (third-person singular simple present fawns, present participle fawning, simple past and past participle fawned)

1. (intransitive) To exhibit affection or attempt to please.
2. (intransitive) To seek favour by flattery and obsequious behaviour (with on or upon).

   Synonyms: grovel, wheedle, soft-soap, toady

3. (intransitive, of a dog) To show devotion or submissiveness by wagging its tail, nuzzling, licking, etc.

Derived terms

• fawn over
• overfawn

Translations

Noun

fawn (plural fawns)

1. (rare) A servile cringe or bow.
2. Base flattery.

See also

• Appendix:Colors

References

Middle English

Alternative forms

• faun, faawn

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Faunus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fau?n/

Noun

fawn (plural fawnes or fawny)

1. faun, satyr

Descendants

• English: faun

References

• “faun, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vau?n/

Verb

fawn

1. Soft mutation of bawn.

Mutation