flange
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.a flat, sticking-out edge on a pipe or wheel used for strength or to join it to something else.
n.a projecting flat rim, collar, or rib on an object, serving to strengthen it, keep it in place, or facilitate attachment to another object.
Simple“The plumber tightened the bolts on the pipe flange to stop the leak.”
In context“Engineers specified a reinforced steel flange to ensure the high-pressure steam pipes remained securely coupled during thermal expansion.”
UsageCommonly used in mechanical engineering and plumbing contexts.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a special sound effect in music that creates a sweeping, metallic noise.
n.an audio effect produced by mixing two identical signals together, with one signal delayed by a small and gradually changing period.
Simple“The guitarist used a heavy flange effect to give the song a spacey sound.”
In context“The producer applied a subtle flange to the vocal track to create a shimmering, psychedelic texture reminiscent of 1960s recordings.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a funny, made-up name for a group of baboons.
n.a collective noun for baboons, originally coined for a comedy sketch and now occasionally used in a lighthearted way.
Simple“Look at that flange of baboons grooming each other by the tree.”
In context“While not a scientific term, the guide jokingly referred to the troop as a flange of baboons, much to the tourists' amusement.”
Teacher's tipThis is a 'fanciful' collective noun; in serious scientific contexts, 'troop' is the standard term.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang word for a woman's outer sex organs.
n.a slang term for the vulva.
Simple“He made a crude joke using the word flange and everyone felt uncomfortable.”
In context“The script was edited to remove the word flange, as the producers felt it was too vulgar for a daytime broadcast.”
Teacher's tipThis term is considered offensive or highly inappropriate in most social and professional settings.
- 05 C2 Proficiency
v.to shape the edge of something into a flat rim.
v.to provide an object with a flange or to bend a material into the shape of a flange.
Simple“The machine will flange the edges of the metal sheets automatically.”
In context“The technician had to flange the copper tubing manually to ensure a flush fit against the manifold.”
From dialectal English flange (“to project”), flanch (“a projection”), from Middle French flanche, from Old French flanche (“flank, side”), from Frankish hlanka, from Proto-Germanic hlankō (“bend, curve; side, flank”). See flank. As a term for a group of baboons, it was popularized in the comedy TV series Not the Nine O'Clock News.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.