flay
flay
Definition
flay (flā)
transitive verb
- to strip off the skin or hide of, as by whipping
- to criticize or scold mercilessly
- to rob; pillage
Etymology: ME flan < OE flean, akin to MDu vlaen, ON fla < IE base *plē-, to tear off > flitch
flay
Synonyms
flay
v.
flay
Usage Examples
Object
- skin: Included in the show are sacrificial knives and a pot used for storing flayed human skins.
- carcass: They flayed the carcasses, dressed them, and prepared a tempting feast.
- body: Flayed bodies are turning up at the local morgue.
- man: The necessity for the flaying these men have rec d is shown by their diabolical private conduct.
- offering: And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
- ball: As the game progressed, the Dragons built up play after play flaying the ball around the hapless Unicorns like an unwanted child.
Adjective complement
- alive: She was like the others, flayed alive, blood everywhere.
Modifying Another Word
- alive: This gruesome little carving shows the saint being flayed alive.
Followed by an intransitive particle
- off: Which they do, except that when they find him he's hanging upside down from a tree with his skin flayed off.
Browse dictionary entries near flay
- fldxt
- flea
- flea beetle
- flea-bitten
- flea circus
- flea-flicker
- flea market
- fleabag
- fleabane
- fleabite
