flax dressing (flaksdres"ing)

The act, proce , or trade of breaking and scutching flax. flaxedt (flak's ed), a. [ a light light color: color; fair. The four colours. signify these four virtues. The flaxy , having whitene , appertains to temperance. Sir M. Sandys , E ays, p. 16. flayl (fla), v. t. [Early mod. E. flea, fley, dial. flaw, flaugh; an ox. But, know you (varlets) whom you dally with? My little finger over-balanceth My Father's loigns: he did but rub you light, I'l flay your backs. Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, ii., The Schisme. A prince is the pastor of the people. Hee ought to sheere, not to flea his sheepe; to take their fleeces, not their fels. B. Jonson, Discoveries. Habits are soon a um'd; but when we strive To strip them off, 'tis being flay'd alive. Cowper, Progre of Error, 1. 583. 21. To strip off, in a general sense. I shall come vpon the with all myn hoste, and make thy beerde be flayn, and drawe from thy chyn boustously, and that thou shalt knowe verily. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 620. flay2 (flā), v.; pret. and pp. flayed, flaid, ppr. flay ing. [E. dial. also fla (Yorkshire), Sc. flay, fley, flee, fly, and with orig. guttural fleg, frighten; To take flay, to take fright. flayer (fla'er), n. [ Euery fox must yeeld his owne skin and haires to the Aayer. Purchas , Pilgrimage, p. 181. flayflint (fla'flint), n. [ flint ; after skinflint, q. v.] A skinflint; a miser. [Rare.] I was at school - a college in the South: There lived a flayflint near; we stole his fruit, His hens, his eggs. Tennyson, Walking to the Mail.