ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flesh

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˈfɫɛʃ// UK //flˈɛʃ// flesh Archaic

n. the soft part of a person's or animal's body between the skin and the bones. You can also use it to describe the soft part of a fruit or vegetable that you eat.

n. the soft substance of a human or animal body, consisting primarily of skeletal muscle and fat. In botanical contexts, it refers to the pulpy, edible part of a fruit or vegetable.


SIMPLE

The apple has sweet, white flesh under its red skin.

CONTEXTUAL

The surgeon carefully cut through the flesh to reach the damaged bone.

COMPLEX

The theological text contrasts the desires of the flesh with the aspirations of the spirit, reflecting a traditional dualistic view of human nature.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English flesh, flesch, flæsch, from Old English flǣsċ, from Proto-West Germanic flaiski, from Proto-Germanic flaiski, from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁ḱ- (“to tear, peel off”). Cognates Cognate with Yola vleash, vlesh (“flesh”), North Frisian flaasch, flaosk, Fleesk, fleäsk, floask, flääsk, flååsch (“flesh, meat”), Saterland Frisian Flaask (“flesh, meat”), West Frisian fleis (“flesh, meat”), Cimbrian blòas, vlaisch, vlòas (“flesh, meat”), Dutch vlees, vleesch (“flesh, meat”), German Fleisch (“flesh, meat”), German Low German and Luxembourgish Fleesch (“flesh, meat”), Vilamovian fłaś (“meat; muscle”), Yiddish פֿלייש (fleysh, “flesh, meat”), Danish flæsk (“pork; bacon”), Faroese, Icelandic, and Norwegian Nynorsk flesk (“pork; bacon”), Swedish fläsk (“pork”).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to tissue or substance; occasionally countable in botanical contexts when referring to specific types of fruit interiors.

Idioms9 entries

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