ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flew

n. · adj.
US //ˈfɫu// UK //flˈuː// flew
  1. 1 a dog's lip (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    the thick, hanging upper lips of certain types of dogs, like a bloodhound.

    the pendulous or hanging upper lips of certain breeds of dog, such as hounds or mastiffs.

    Example

    The old dog had long, wet flews that shook when he barked.

    Example

    The breed standard requires the flews to be well-developed and hanging slightly below the lower jaw line.
    • jowls
  2. 2 shallow (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Dialect

    a word used in some parts of the UK to describe something that is not deep.

    describing an object or container that is shallow or flat in depth.

    Example

    The farmer used a flew dish to feed the birds.

    Example

    In certain regional dialects, a flew pan refers to a vessel specifically designed with a low rim for cooling liquids quickly.
Etymology 1

From Middle English flew, flow, from Old English flēag, flug-, from Proto-Germanic flaug, flug-, past tense forms of Proto-Germanic *fleuganą (“to fly”). Compare Saterland Frisian flooch (“flew”), West Frisian fleach (“flew”), Dutch vloog (“flew”), German flog (“flew”), Danish fløj (“flew”), Swedish flög (“flew”), Icelandic flaug (“flew”).

Etymology 2

Unknown.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 19, 2026