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flesh

Syllabification: (flesh)
Pronunciation: /fleSH/
Translate flesh | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of flesh

noun

  • the soft substance consisting of muscle and fat that is found between the skin and bones of an animal or a human:she grabbed Anna’s arm, her fingers sinking into the flesh
  • flesh in an animal or fish, regarded as food:boned lamb flesh [in combination]:a flesh-eater
  • the pulpy substance of a fruit or vegetable, especially the part that is eaten:halve the avocados and scrape out the flesh
  • the skin or surface of the human body with reference to its color, appearance, or sensual properties:she gasped as the cold water hit her flesh
  • (the flesh) the human body and its physical needs and desires, especially as contrasted with the mind or the soul:I have never been one to deny the pleasures of the flesh
  • flesh color.

verb

  • 1 [no object] (flesh out) put weight on:he had fleshed out to a solid 220 pounds
  • [with object] (flesh something out) add more details to something that exists only in a draft or outline form:the theorists have fleshed out a variety of scenarios
  • 2 [with object] British give (a hound or hawk) a piece of the flesh of game that has been killed in order to incite it.
  • literary initiate (someone) in bloodshed or warfare:he fleshed his troops by indulging them with enterprises against the enemy’s posts
  • 3 [with object] (often as noun fleshing) remove the flesh adhering to (a skin or hide):after fleshing, the hide is soaked again

Phrases

all flesh

all human and animal life.

go the way of all flesh

die or come to an end.

in the flesh

in person rather than via a telephone, a movie, the written word, or other means:they decided that they should meet Alexander in the flesh

lose flesh

archaic become thinner.

make someone's flesh crawl (or creep)

another way of saying make someone's skin crawl (see skin).

one flesh

used to refer to the spiritual and physical union of two people in a relationship, especially marriage:my body is his, his is mine: one flesh
[with biblical allusion to Gen. 2:24]

put flesh on (the bones of) something

add more details to something that exists only in a draft or outline form:he has yet to put flesh on his “big idea.”

put on flesh

put on weight.

sins of the flesh

archaic or humorous sins related to physical indulgence, especially sexual gratification.

Derivatives

fleshed

Pronunciation: /fleSHt/
adjective
[usually in combination]:a white-fleshed fish

fleshless

adjective

Origin:

Old English flǣsc, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vlees and German Fleisch

flesh in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of flesh in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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