flaxу, flaxey

[Eng. flax; -y.] Resembling flax; of a light or fair color; flaxen. flāy (1), *flan, *flea, *flean, *flee, *fleen, *flen, *fley (1), v . t . [A. S. fléan ; Icel. flá; Sw. fld; Dan. flade ; Dut. vlaan , vlaen .] I. Literally : 1. To strip off the skin from; to skin. 2. To pare or take off the surface of. II. Figuratively: 1. To torture exceedingly. *2. To undre . *flay-flint, s. A skinflint, a miser. *flay (2), *flaie, *fley (2), v . t . [A. S. flégan, flýgan.] To put to flight, to frighten, to terrify. filāy-er, s. [Eng. flay:-er.] One who strips off the skin of anything. *flay-some, a . [ Eng.flay (2), v., and suff. -some.] Terrifying; frightful. fie a, *flee (pl. fie as, *fileen), s. & a. [A S. flea ; Icel. flo ; Ger. floh ; Dut. vloo , from the root plu = to fly or jump; Sansc. plu to swim, fly, or jump. Pulex seems a modification of the same word. ( Skeat .)] A. As substantive : I. Ordinary Language: 1. Lit .: The insect described under II. 1. *2. Fig .: Anything insignificant. "After whom is the King of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea ? "-1 Sam uel xxiv. 14. II. Technically : 1. Entom .: A too well-known wingle insect, Pulex irritans . Though, as a rule, each species of Pulex is parasitic only upon one animal, as Pulex can is upon the dog, P. talpæ on the mole, and P. IMG:content-1735.png:[blocks in formation] to be an exception, and to prey on man, the dog, and the cat. If there is no confounding of species, then the presence of a dog or cat in the house can intro- duce fleas. The female lays in the cracks of floors or such places, a dozen of eggs, white and a little viscous. In favorable weather they hatch in five or six days, giving exit to little footle larvæ, like small worms, first white, then reddish, which roll themselves in a circle or spiral, and move forward in a serpentine manner. In about twelve days they inclose themselves in a small silken shell, and be- come nymphs. After other twelve they come forth as perfect insects. The last brood of summer con- tinues in the larval state all winter. The flea is encased in armor like a medieval knight. It can leap thirty times its own height; it can draw with ease eighty times its own weight. A plant [FLEA BANE] has been said to destroy it. This can be done more effectually by putting a piece of fur or flannel in the haunts of the insects. In this they take refuge, and can then be detected and killed. IMG:content-1736.png:[blocks in formation] ly called Puli- Puli car i a Dysenteric a (Fleabane). caria vulgar is. 2. Erigeron acre , also E. viscosum and E grave olens. 3. Plant a go psyllium. ( Lyte; Britten & Holland. ) 4. The genus Conyza. ( Loudon.) African fleabane is a popular name for the Composite genus Tar chon an thus ( Loudon ); and Blue fleabane for Erigeron acre. ( Britten & Hol land .) fle a-bīte, s. [Eng. flea, and bite.] 1. Lit : The bite of a flea or the red spot caused by the bite. 2. Fig .: Anything of little or no moment; the smallest trifle. *fle'a-bit-ing, s. [Eng. flea , and biting .] The same as FLEABITE (q. v.).