flat
adjectiveadverbnounverbnounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈflat//
- Australia//ˈflæt//
- New Zealand//ˈflɛt//
Having no variations in height.
adjective
- 1
Having no variations in height.
The land around here is flat.
- 2
Having no variations in height. In a horizontal line or plane; not sloping.
a flat roof
- 3
Having no variations in height. Smooth; having no protrusions, indentations or other surface irregularities, or relatively so.
The surface of the mirror must be completely flat.
The carpet isn't properly flat in that corner.
She has quite a flat face.
The face which emerged was not reassuring. It was blunt and grey, the nose springing thick and flat from high on the frontal bone of the forehead, whilst his eyes were narrow slits of dark in a tight bandage of tissue. […].
- 4
slangHaving no variations in height. Having small or invisible breasts and/or buttocks.
Near-synonym: flat-chested
That girl is completely flat on both sides.
- 5
Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc.
The exchange rate has been flat for several weeks.
- 6
Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc. At a consistently depressed level; consistently lacklustre.
Sales have been flat all year, and we've barely broken even.
- 7
Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc. Of fees, fares etc., fixed; unvarying.
a flat fee
flat rates
a flat fare on public transport
- 8
Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc. Without variations in pitch.
He delivered the speech in a flat tone.
- 9
Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc. Not diphthongal; without variation in height or backness.
- 10
Without variation in level, quantity, value, tone etc. Without variation in tone or hue (uniform), and dull (not glossy).
The walls were painted a flat gray.
- 11
figurativeLacking liveliness or action; depressed; uninteresting; dull and boring.
The party was a bit flat.
The market is flat today as most traders are on holiday.
The dialogue in your screenplay is flat — you need to make it more exciting.
February 16, 1833, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Table Talk A large part of the work is, to me, very flat.
- 12
figurativeLacking liveliness or action; depressed; uninteresting; dull and boring. Lacking in depth, substance, or believability; underdeveloped; one-dimensional.
The author added a chapter to flesh out the book's flatter characters.
- 13
Lowered by one semitone.
- 14
Of a note or voice, lower in pitch than it should be.
Your A string is flat.
- 15
Absolute; downright; peremptory.
His claim was in flat contradiction to experimental results.
I'm not going to the party and that's flat.
Wag[ner]. Vilaine, call me Maiſter Wagner, and let thy left eye be diametarily fixt vpon my right heele, with quaſi veſtigias nostras inſistere [as if to follow in our footsteps]. / Clo[wn]: God forgiue me, he ſpeakes Dutch fuſtian: / well, Ile folow him, Ile ſerue him, thats flat.
SECOND WATCH. Marry, that he had received a thousand ducats of Don John for accusing the Lady Hero wrongfully. DOGBERRY. Flat burglary as ever was committed
- 16
Deflated, especially because of a puncture.
- 17
With all or most of its carbon dioxide having come out of solution so that the drink no longer fizzes or contains any bubbles.
- 18
Lacking acidity without being sweet.
- 19
Unable to emit power; dead.
- 20
Without spin; spinless.
- 21
datedSonant; vocal, as distinguished from a sharp (non-sonant) consonant.
- 22
Not having an inflectional ending or sign, such as a noun used as an adjective, or an adjective as an adverb, without the addition of a formative suffix; or an infinitive without the sign "to".
Many flat adverbs, as in 'run fast', 'buy cheap', etc. are from Old English.
- 23
Having a head at a very obtuse angle to the shaft.
- 24
Flattening at the ends.
- 25
Exact.
He finished the race in a flat four minutes.
- 26
Such that the tensor product preserves exact sequences. See Flat module on Wikipedia.Wikipedia.
- 27
Such that its target, regarded as a module over its source, is flat (as above).
- 28
Such that the induced map on every stalk is flat (as a map of rings).
- 29
Having little froth and little milk.
- 30
obsoleteFoolish; simple-minded.
We either burns the old brooms, or, if we can, we sells ’em for a ha’penny to some other boy, if he’s flat enough to buy ’em.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *flataz Old Norse flatrbor. Middle English flat English flat From Middle English flat, a borrowing from Old Norse flatr (compare Norwegian and Swedish flat, Danish flad), from Proto-Germanic *flataz, from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- (“flat”); akin to Saterland Frisian flot (“smooth”), German Flöz (“a geological layer”), Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús), Latvian plats, Sanskrit प्रथस् (prathas, “extension”). Doublet of plat and pleyt. The noun is from Middle English flat (“level piece of ground, flat edge of a weapon”), from the adjective. The algebraic sense was coined by Serre in a 1956 paper, originally as French plat.
adverb
- 1
So as to be flat.
Spread the tablecloth flat over the table.
- 2
Completely, firmly, or unequivocally.
I asked him if he wanted to marry me and he turned me down flat.
"You'll understand this flat, I won't be fooled about by you any longer."
- 3
Exactly, precisely.
In the mile race, Smith's time was 3:58.56, and Brown's was four minutes flat.
Dan Patch clocked a scorching 1:55.5 flat.
I play doctor for five minutes flat Before I cut my heart open and let the air out
- 4
Used to emphasize the smallness of the measurement.
He can run a mile in four minutes flat.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat / Made the bus in seconds flat
- 5
Without parole.
The recent case in Dallas where two gay males were killed by an 18 yr old straight kid is a perfect example of what gays in this state face. The kid got 30 yrs (he'll do 3 or 4 yrs and be paroled) yet I must do 12 years flat for a robbery in which no one was hurt.
- 6
Completely.
I am flat broke this month.
- 7
Directly; flatly.
Sin is flat opposite to the Almighty.
- 8
Without allowance for accrued interest.
The bonds are trading flat.
- 9
Flat out (at top speed).
In the dry, the racing cars can take the corner flat.
noun
- 1
An area of level ground (sometimes covered with shallow or tidal water).
The hovercraft skimmed across the open flats.
the eastern end of the salt flat; mud flat, tidal flat, flood flat
Envy is as the sunbeams that beat hotter upon a bank, or steep rising ground, than upon a flat.
My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price.
- 2
An area of level ground (sometimes covered with shallow or tidal water). Level ground in general.
I can run on the flat but not up hills.
The going will be easier once we're through these mountains and onto the flat.
"Indeed it's troubling you too much, Sir!" the maid exclaimed. "She can walk very well on the flat."
- 3
An area of level ground (sometimes covered with shallow or tidal water). Level horse-racing ground, as contrasted with courses incorporating jumps, or the racing done on such ground.
This horse will do better over the flat.
flat racing, the flat season
In light of Horse Racing Ireland's Covid-19 contingency plan announcement, that whenever racing resumes the Flat will be given priority, Elliott has decided to keep a number of talented jumpers on the go during the summer, with a view towards a dual-purpose campaign.
2021 (retrieved), racing365.com, "Flat Racing Explained" https://racing365.com/flat-racing-explained/ In British horse racing, the classics are a series of horse races run over the flat (i.e. without jumps).
- 4
An area of level ground (sometimes covered with shallow or tidal water). the area in the centre of a racecourse.
As forecast, Joe suspected nothing as he pottered round the flat in the sunshine, absorbed in the task of picking winners.
- 5
An area of level ground (sometimes covered with shallow or tidal water). The areas behind the line of scrimmage to either side of an offensive football formation.
- 6
A note played one chromatic semitone lower than a natural, denoted by the symbol ♭ placed after the letter representing the note (e.g., B♭) or in front of the note symbol (e.g. ♭♪).
The key of E♭ has three flats.
- 7
informalA flat tyre/flat tire.
The next one surrendered his bike, only for that, too, to give him a second flat as he started the descent.
- 8
A type of ladies' shoe with a very low heel.
She liked to walk in her flats more than in her high heels.
- 9
A type of flat-soled running shoe without spikes.
- 10
A thin, broad brush used in oil and watercolour painting.
- 11
The most prominent flat part of something.
The outboard bales in each tier should be placed on their edges so that their flats will be presented to the sweat battens. This precaution is necessary to lessen the damage in case of chafage. If the bales chafe or become wet on their flats, only one or two layers will be damaged.
- 12
The most prominent flat part of something. The flat side of a blade, as opposed to the sharp edge.
- 13
The most prominent flat part of something. The palm of the hand, with the adjacent part of the fingers.
- 14
A wide, shallow container or pallet.
a flat of strawberries
In mild areas, start sowing seeds in pots and flats for later transplanting.
- 15
A large mail piece measuring at least 8 1/2 by 11 inches, such as catalogs, magazines, and unfolded paper enclosed in large envelopes.
- 16
A railroad car without a roof, and whose body is a platform without sides; a platform car or flatcar.
- 17
A flat spot on the wheel of a rail vehicle.
The tender roared along vibrating vigorously; braking had resulted in "flats" on most of its tyres.
- 18
A flat-bottomed boat, without keel, and of small draught.
- 19
A subset of n-dimensional space that is congruent to a Euclidean space of lower dimension.
- 20
A straw hat, broad-brimmed and low-crowned.
- 21
A flat sheet for use on a bed.
You might think that Americans buy roughly the same number of fitted sheets as flats. Or, considering the market for electric blankets, duvets, and other covers, that consumers buy even more bottom sheets, simply forgoing the tops.
- 22
A flat, glossy children's book with few pages.
This same publisher notes pricing is a crucial factor in the mass market field of $1, $1.95 and $2.95 "flats."
- 23
A platform on a wheel, upon which emblematic designs etc. are carried in processions.
- 24
A horizontal vein or ore deposit auxiliary to a main vein; also, any horizontal portion of a vein not elsewhere horizontal.
- 25
A rectangular wooden structure covered with masonite, lauan, or muslin, often produced in standard modules, that is used to build wall surfaces on stage. Flats can be painted and outfitted with doors and/or windows to depict a building or other part of a scene, and are a hard-surfaced alternative to a backcloth or backdrop.
- 26
Any of various hesperiid butterflies that spread their wings open when they land.
- 27
historicalAn early kind of toy soldier having a flat design.
Among the many US museums hosting flats, we may mention the Toy Soldier Museum in the Pocono Mountains, supervised by the historian, collector and dealer J. Hillestad.
- 28
obsoleteA dull fellow; a simpleton.
[…] if you cannot make a speech, Because you are a flat, Go very quietly and drop A button in the hat!
"He fancies he can play at billiards," said he. "I won two hundred of him at the Cocoa-Tree. HE play, the young flat! […]"
“But,” said I, “you said the other day, that you liked the fair thing.” “That was by way of gammon,” said the landlord; “just, do you see, as a Parliament cove might say speechifying from a barrel to a set of flats, whom he means to sell. Come, what do you think of the plan?”
"She can indeed walk very well on the flat," I said. "And I think I was the Flat."
- 29
A flat (i.e. plane) mirror
"When sampling the aperture of a telescope, using auto-collimating flats (ACFs) is more economical"
- 30
slangA cheater's die with the edges shaved to make certain rolls more likely.
He would slip in his six-ace flats, shaved dice that were made to bring up sevens. He'd throw them just long enough to get well, and then replace them with legitimate cubes.
- 31
A 24-case of beer.
- 32
Variant of flat waterEllipsis of flat water (“nonfizzy drinking water”).
Waiter: Would you like sparkling or flat? Guest: Flat, thank you.
- 33
Variant of flat rideEllipsis of flat ride (“spinning amusement ride”).
verb
- 1
slangTo make a flat call; to call without raising.
- 2
To become flat or flattened; to sink or fall to an even surface.
- 3
To fall from the pitch.
- 4
To depress in tone, as a musical note; especially, to lower in pitch by half a tone.
- 5
datedTo make flat; to flatten; to level.
And thus thoſe Forts vvhich vvere erected to defend the Crovvne, firſt offended the King, ſome fevv vvhereof as he recouered, he flatted to the ground, and vviſhed the other no higher vvalls; ſtill ſvvearing by Gods Birth (his vſuall Oath) hee vvould not ſlightly bee vnſeated of his Crovvne, and vvondring vvhat ſhould mooue them, vvho had ſo readilie aduanced him, ſo ſpeedily to vnſtate him.
The pods, which seldom contain less than thirty nuts of the size of a flatted olive, grow upon the stem and principal branches.
- 6
datedTo render dull, insipid, or spiritless; to depress.
Passions are allayed, appetites are flatted.
noun
- 1
A complete domicile occupying only part of a building, especially one for rent
The excellence of French flats is so well known in America, that the owner will often refer to his property as "first class French flats."
A kiss may be grand but it won’t pay the rental on your humble flat or help you at the automat.
[NICELY]When you meet a gent paying all kinds of rent for a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal. [BOTH]Call it sad, call it funny but it’s better than even money that the guy’s only doing it for some doll.
Fifteen percent of this group said that they were not satisfied with the public housing estates and their HDB^([Singapore Housing & Development Board]) flats (see Tables 11 and 12 respectively).
Etymology
From an alteration (due to Scots flatt (“a level part of a structure”)) of Scots flet, flett (“inner part of a house”), from Middle English flet (“dwelling”), from Old English flet, flett (“ground floor, dwelling”), from Proto-West Germanic *flati, from Proto-Germanic *flatją (“floor”), from Proto-Germanic *flataz (“flat”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- (“flat”). Akin to Old Frisian flet, flette (“dwelling, house”). More at flet, flat₁.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo beat or strike; pound
- 2
To dash or throw
- 3
To dash, rush
Etymology
From Middle English flatten, from Old French flatir (“to knock or strike down, dash”), from Frankish *flattjan (“to move the palm of the hand”), from Proto-Germanic *flatjaną (“to make flat, flatten”).
Forms
- plural
- flats
- comparative
- flatter, more flat
- superlative
- flattest, most flat
- past tense
- flatted
- past participle
- flatted
- present participle
- flatting
- third person singular
- flats