English Dictionary: Flatter | by the DICT Development Group |
5 results for Flatter | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Flat \Flat\, a. [Compar. {Flatter}; superl. {Flattest}.] [Akin to Icel. flatr, Sw. flat, Dan. flad, OHG. flaz, and AS. flet floor, G. fl[94]tz stratum, layer.] 1. Having an even and horizontal surface, or nearly so, without prominences or depressions; level without inclination; plane. Though sun and moon Were in the flat sea sunk. --Milton. 2. Lying at full length, or spread out, upon the ground; level with the ground or earth; prostrate; as, to lie flat on the ground; hence, fallen; laid low; ruined; destroyed. What ruins kingdoms, and lays cities flat! --Milton. I feel . . . my hopes all flat. --Milton. 3. (Fine Arts) Wanting relief; destitute of variety; without points of prominence and striking interest. A large part of the work is, to me, very flat. --Coleridge. 4. Tasteless; stale; vapid; insipid; dead; as, fruit or drink flat to the taste. 5. Unanimated; dull; uninteresting; without point or spirit; monotonous; as, a flat speech or composition. How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world. --Shak. 6. Lacking liveliness of commercial exchange and dealings; depressed; dull; as, the market is flat. 7. Clear; unmistakable; peremptory; absolute; positive; downright. Flat burglary as ever was committed. --Shak. A great tobacco taker too, -- that's flat. --Marston. 8. (Mus.) (a) Below the true pitch; hence, as applied to intervals, minor, or lower by a half step; as, a flat seventh; A flat. (b) Not sharp or shrill; not acute; as, a flat sound. 9. (Phonetics) Sonant; vocal; -- applied to any one of the sonant or vocal consonants, as distinguished from a nonsonant (or sharp) consonant. {Flat arch}. (Arch.) See under {Arch}, n., 2. (b). {Flat cap}, cap paper, not folded. See under {Paper}. {Flat chasing}, in fine art metal working, a mode of ornamenting silverware, etc., producing figures by dots and lines made with a punching tool. --Knight. {Flat chisel}, a sculptor's chisel for smoothing. {Flat file}, a file wider than its thickness, and of rectangular section. See {File}. {Flat nail}, a small, sharp-pointed, wrought nail, with a flat, thin head, larger than a tack. --Knight. {Flat paper}, paper which has not been folded. {Flat rail}, a railroad rail consisting of a simple flat bar spiked to a longitudinal sleeper. {Flat rods} (Mining), horizontal or inclined connecting rods, for transmitting motion to pump rods at a distance. --Raymond. {Flat rope}, a rope made by plaiting instead of twisting; gasket; sennit. Note: Some flat hoisting ropes, as for mining shafts, are made by sewing together a number of ropes, making a wide, flat band. --Knight. {Flat space}. (Geom.) See {Euclidian space}. {Flat stitch}, the process of wood engraving. [Obs.] -- {Flat tint} (Painting), a coat of water color of one uniform shade. {To fall flat} (Fig.), to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect; as, his speech fell flat. Of all who fell by saber or by shot, Not one fell half so flat as Walter Scott. --Lord Erskine. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Flatter \Flat"ter\, n. 1. One who, or that which, makes flat or flattens. 2. (Metal Working) (a) A flat-faced fulling hammer. (b) A drawplate with a narrow, rectangular orifice, for drawing flat strips, as watch springs, etc. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Flatter \Flat"ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Flattered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Flattering}.] [OE. flateren, cf. OD. flatteren; akin to G. flattern to flutter, Icel. fla[?]ra to fawn, flatter: cf. F. flatter. Cf. {Flitter}, {Flutter}, {Flattery}.] 1. To treat with praise or blandishments; to gratify or attempt to gratify the self-love or vanity of, esp. by artful and interested commendation or attentions; to blandish; to cajole; to wheedle. When I tell him he hates flatterers, He says he does, being then most flattered. --Shak. A man that flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth a net for his feet. --Prov. xxix. 5. Others he flattered by asking their advice. --Prescott. 2. To raise hopes in; to encourage or favorable, but sometimes unfounded or deceitful, representations. 3. To portray too favorably; to give a too favorable idea of; as, his portrait flatters him. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Flatter \Flat"ter\, v. i. To use flattery or insincere praise. If it may stand him more in stead to lie, Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or adjure. --Milton. |