flo·res·cence noun : a state or period of being in bloom or flourishing
— flo·res·cent adjective
flor·id adjective 1 : very flowery in style <~ prose>
2 : tinged with red : RUDDY
3 : marked by emotional or sexual fervor
Synonyms
[1] flowery, grandiloquent, high-flown, highfalutin—more at FLOWERY
[2] flush, glowing, rosy, ruddy, sanguine—more at RUDDY
flo·rin noun 1 : an old gold coin first struck at Florence, Italy, in 1252
2 : a gold coin of a European country patterned after the florin of Florence
3 : any of several modern silver coins issued in Commonwealth countries
flo·rist noun : a person who sells flowers or ornamental plants
1floss noun 1 : soft thread of silk or mercerized cotton for embroidery
2 : DENTAL FLOSS
3 : fluffy fibrous material
Synonyms
down, fluff, fur, fuzz, lint, nap, pile—more at FUZZ
2floss verb : to use dental floss on (one's teeth)
flossy adjective floss·i·er; -est 1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of floss
2 : STYLISH, GLAMOROUS
— floss·i·ly adverb
flo·ta·tion noun : the process or an instance of floating
flo·til·la noun [ORIGIN: Sp, dim. of flota fleet]
: a fleet esp. of small ships
flot·sam noun : floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo
1flounce verb flounced; flounc·ing 1 : to move with exaggerated jerky or bouncy motions
2 : to go with sudden determination
2flounce noun : an act or instance of flouncing
— flouncy adjective
3flounce noun : a strip of fabric attached by one edge; also : a wide ruffle
Synonyms
frill, furbelow, ruffle—more at RUFFLE
1flounder noun, plural flounder or flounders : FLATFISH; especially : any of various important marine food fishes
2flounder verb 1 : to struggle to move or obtain footing
2 : to proceed clumsily <~ed through the speech>
Synonyms
limp, lumber, plod, stumble; also shamble, shuffle; wallow, welter; falter, lurch, reel, stagger, sway, teeter, totter; blunder, fumble, muddle
1flour noun [ORIGIN: ME, flower, best of anything, flour, fr. AF flur flower]
: finely ground and sifted meal of a grain (as wheat); also : a fine soft powder
floury adjective : of or resembling flour esp. in fine powdery texture
Synonyms
dusty, fine, powdery—more at FINE
2flour verb : to coat with or as if with flour
1flourish verb 1 : to grow luxuriantly : THRIVE, PROSPER
2 : to be in a state of activity or production <~ed about 1850>
3 : to reach a height of development or influence
4 : to make bold and sweeping gestures
5 : BRANDISH
Synonyms
[1] burgeon, prosper, thrive—more at THRIVE
[3] prosper, succeed, thrive—more at SUCCEED
2flourish noun 1 : a florid bit of speech or writing; also : an ornamental touch or decorative detail
2 : FANFARE
3 : WAVE 4 : showiness in doing something
1flout verb : to treat with contemptuous disregard <~ the law>
— flout·er noun
Synonyms
despise, disregard, scorn—more at SCORN
2flout noun : TAUNT
1flow verb 1 : to issue or move in a stream
2 : RISE 3 : ABOUND
4 : to proceed smoothly and readily
5 : to have a smooth continuity
6 : to hang loose and billowing
7 : COME, ARISE
8 : MENSTRUATE
Synonyms
[1] pour, roll, run, stream; also arise, emanate, issue, spring; course, race, rush; gush, spout, spurt; deluge, engulf, flood, inundate, overflow, swamp; cascade, dribble, drip, gutter, ripple, trickle; flush
Antonyms
back up
[4] breeze, coast, glide, roll, sail, slide, slip, stream, sweep
Antonyms
flounder, struggle
2flow noun 1 : an act of flowing
2 : FLOOD 1, 2
3 : a smooth uninterrupted movement
4 : STREAM; also : a mass of material