Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense fleshes, present participle fleshing, past tense, past participle fleshed
1. uncountable noun
Flesh is the soft part of a person's or animal's body between the bones and the skin.
...maggots which eat away dead flesh.
...the pale pink flesh of trout and salmon.
Synonyms: meat, food More Synonyms of flesh
2. uncountable noun
You can use flesh to refer to human skin and the human body, especially when you are considering it in a sexual way.
...the warmth of her flesh.
...the sins of the flesh.
Synonyms: physical nature, sensuality, physicality, carnality More Synonyms of flesh
3. uncountable noun
The flesh of a fruit or vegetable is the soft inside part of it.
Cut the flesh from the olives and discard the stones.
Synonyms: pulp, soft part, fleshy part More Synonyms of flesh
4.
See flesh and blood
5.
See own flesh and blood
6.
See to make someone's flesh creep
7.
See in the flesh
8.
See put flesh on
9. pound of flesh
Phrasal verbs:
See flesh out
More Synonyms of flesh
flesh in British English
(flɛʃ)
noun
1.
the soft part of the body of an animal or human, esp muscular tissue, as distinct from bone and viscera
▶ Related adjective: sarcoid
2. informal
excess weight; fat
3. archaic
the edible tissue of animals as opposed to that of fish or, sometimes, fowl; meat
4.
the thick usually soft part of a fruit or vegetable, as distinct from the skin, core, stone, etc
5.
the human body and its physical or sensual nature as opposed to the soul or spirit
▶ Related adjective: carnal
6.
humankind in general
7.
animate creatures in general
8.
one's own family; kin (esp in the phrase one's own flesh and blood)
9.
a yellowish-pink to greyish-yellow colour
10. Christian Science
belief on the physical plane which is considered erroneous, esp the belief that matter has sensation
11. (modifier) tanning
of or relating to the inner or under layer of a skin or hide
a flesh split
12. in the flesh
13. make one's flesh creep
14. press the flesh
verb
15. (transitive) hunting
to stimulate the hunting instinct of (hounds or falcons) by giving them small quantities of raw flesh
16.
to wound the flesh of with a weapon
17. archaic or poetic
to accustom or incite to bloodshed or battle by initial experience
18. tanning
to remove the flesh layer of (a hide or skin)
19.
to fatten; fill out
Word origin
Old English flǣsc; related to Old Norse flesk ham, Old High German fleisk meat, flesh
flesh in American English
(flɛʃ)
noun
1.
a.
the soft substance of the body (of a person or animal) between the skin and the bones;esp., the muscular tissue
b.
the surface or skin of the body
to feel one's flesh crawl
2.
the flesh of any animal as food; meat; esp., meat other than fish or fowl
3.
the pulpy or edible part of fruits and vegetables
4.
the human body, as distinguished from the soul
more than flesh can bear
5.
human nature, esp. in its sensual aspect
6.
all living beings, esp. all humankind
7.
kindred or relatives
now mainly in one's (own) flesh and blood: see phrase at flesh and blood
8.
the typical color of a white person's skin; yellowish pink
9. Informal
plumpness; fat
you've been putting on flesh
verb transitive
10.
to feed (animals) with flesh so as to incite them to hunt or kill
11.
to prepare for or incite to bloodshed, etc. by a foretaste
12.
to harden; inure
13.
to plunge (a weapon) into flesh
14.
to put flesh on; fatten
15.
to fill out as if with flesh; realize or make full, as by the addition of details
usually with out
16.
to remove flesh from (a hide)
verb intransitive
17.
to grow fleshy or fat
usually with out or up
Idioms:
in the flesh
press the flesh
Word origin
ME < OE flæsc, akin to Ger fleisch < ? IE base *plēk-, to tear off > flay
More idioms containing
flesh
someone is your own flesh and blood
someone is flesh and blood
put flesh on something
press the flesh
meet someone in the flesh
make your flesh creep
flesh and blood
your pound of flesh
Examples of 'flesh' in a sentence
flesh
Wilshere consoled her, rubbing her arm, feeling the goose flesh.
Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)
Quotations
Bone of my bones, and flesh of my fleshBible: Genesis
I saw him now going the way of all fleshJohn WebsterWestward Hoe
The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weakBible: St. Matthew
In other languages
flesh
British English: flesh NOUN
Flesh is the soft part of a person's or animal's body between the bones and the skin.
...the pale pink flesh of trout and salmon.
American English: flesh
Brazilian Portuguese: carne
Chinese: 肉
European Spanish: carne
French: chair
German: Fleisch
Italian: carne
Japanese: 肉
Korean: 살
European Portuguese: carne
Latin American Spanish: carne
All related terms of 'flesh'
flesh fly
any dipterous fly of the genus Sarcophaga , esp S. carnaria , whose larvae feed on carrion or the tissues of living animals: family Calliphoridae
flesh out
If you flesh out something such as a story or plan , you add details and more information to it.
flesh color
the color of a white person's skin; yellowish pink ; pinkish cream
flesh meat
the meat of birds or of animals other than fish, clams , etc., used as food
flesh tints
the colours used to represent (white) skin in painting
flesh wound
A flesh wound is a wound that breaks the skin but does not damage the bones or any of the body's important internal organs .
goose flesh
→ goose bumps
proud flesh
an abnormal growth of flesh around a healing wound , caused by excessive granulation
carrion flesh
dead and rotting flesh
flesh-colored
having the typical color of a person's skin , esp. a white person's skin
flesh colour
of a yellowish-pink to yellowish-grey colour roughly that of the skin of a white person
flesh-eating
habitually eating flesh ; carnivorous
flesh-coloured
Something that is flesh-coloured is yellowish pink in colour.
in the flesh
If you meet or see someone in the flesh , you actually meet or see them, rather than, for example , seeing them in a film or on television .
put flesh on
If you put flesh on something, you add details and more information to it.
pound of flesh
If you say that someone demands their pound of flesh , you mean that they insist on getting something they are entitled to, even though it may cause distress to the person it is demanded from.
flesh and blood
You use flesh and blood to emphasize that someone has human feelings or weaknesses , often when contrasting them with machines .
press the flesh
to talk to people in a crowd and shake their hands. This expression is often used about politicians, who do this when they are trying to get elected .
make your flesh creep
to make you frightened , distressed , or uncomfortable
own flesh and blood
If you say that someone is your own flesh and blood , you are emphasizing that they are a member of your family.
your pound of flesh
something you are entitled to, even though you might not need it and it will cause problems for the people you are getting it from
make one's flesh creep
(esp of something ghostly ) to frighten and horrify one
put flesh on something
to add more detailed information or more substance to something
make someone's flesh crawl
to give someone a feeling of fear or repugnance, as if insects were crawling on his or her skin
meet someone in the flesh
to actually meet or see someone, rather than, for example , seeing them in a film or on television
neither fish, flesh, nor fowl
neither this nor that
one's (own) flesh and blood
one's close relatives
someone is flesh and blood
said to mean that someone has human feelings or weaknesses , and that they are not perfect
thorn in your side/flesh
If you describe someone or something as a thorn in your side or a thorn in your flesh , you mean that they are a continuous problem to you or annoy you.
someone is your own flesh and blood
said to mean that someone is a member of your family, and so you must help them when they are in trouble
to make someone's flesh creep make sb's flesh crawl
If something makes your flesh creep or makes your flesh crawl , it makes you feel disgusted , shocked or frightened .
make fish of one and flesh of another
to discriminate unfairly between people
to make your skin crawl make sb's flesh crawl
If something makes your skin crawl or makes your flesh crawl , it makes you feel shocked or disgusted .
thorn
Thorns are the sharp points on some plants and trees, for example on a rose bush .
Chinese translation of 'flesh'
flesh
(flɛʃ)
n(u)
(Anat) 肉 (ròu)
(= skin) 肉体(體) (ròutǐ)
[of fruit, vegetable]果肉 (guǒròu)
in the flesh亲(親)自 (qīnzì)
she's my own flesh and blood她是我的亲(親)骨肉 (tā shì wǒ de qīngǔròu)
1 (noun)
Definition
the soft part of the body of an animal or human, esp. muscular tissue
Illness had wasted the flesh from her body.
Synonyms
fat
muscle
The team showed more muscle than mental application.
beef (informal)
tissue
body
brawn
He's got plenty of brains as well as brawn.
2 (noun)
Definition
excess weight
(informal)
porcine wrinkles of flesh
Synonyms
fatness
Body weight alone says little about body fatness.
fat
ways of reducing body fat
adipose tissue
corpulence
weight
3 (noun)
Definition
the meat of animals as opposed to that of fish or, sometimes, fowl
the pale pink flesh of trout and salmon
Synonyms
meat
They gave meat and drink to the poor.
food
Enjoy your food!
4 (noun)
the sins of the flesh
Synonyms
physical nature
sensuality
The actor brings a warm sensuality to the role.
physicality
carnality
body
human nature
flesh and blood
animality
sinful nature
5 (noun)
Definition
the thick soft part of a fruit or vegetable
Cut the flesh from the olives and discard the stone.
Synonyms
pulp
Use the whole fruit, including the pulp, which is high in fibre.
soft part
fleshy part
6 (noun)
Synonyms
humankind
one of the age-old practices of humankind
people
man
Anxiety is modern man's natural state.
mankind
world
The world was shocked by this heinous crime.
race
We welcome students of all races, faiths and nationalities.
stock
mortality
human race
homo sapiens
living creatures
phrasal verb
See flesh something out
idioms
See in the flesh
See put flesh on something
See your own flesh and blood
related words
related adjectivescarnalsarcoid
related phobiaselaphobia
Quotations
Bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh [Bible: Genesis]I saw him now going the way of all flesh [John Webster – Westward Hoe]The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak [Bible: St. Matthew]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of beef
Synonyms
flesh,
strength,
muscle,
physique,
brawn,
sinew,
robustness,
heftiness
in the sense of brawn
Definition
physical strength
He's got plenty of brains as well as brawn.
Synonyms
muscle,
might,
power,
strength,
muscles,
beef (informal),
flesh,
vigour,
robustness,
muscularity,
beefiness (informal),
brawniness
in the sense of food
Definition
any substance that can be taken into the body by a living organism and changed into energy and body tissue
Enjoy your food!
Synonyms
nourishment,
cooking,
provisions,
fare,
board,
commons,
table (formal),
eats (slang),
stores,
feed,
diet,
meat,
bread,
menu,
tuck (informal),
tucker (Australian, New Zealand, informal),
rations,
nutrition,
cuisine,
tack (informal),
refreshment,
scoff (slang),
nibbles,
grub (slang),
foodstuffs,
subsistence,
kai (New Zealand, informal),
larder,
chow (informal),
sustenance,
nosh (slang),
daily bread,
victuals,
edibles,
comestibles,
provender,
nosebag (slang),
pabulum (rare),
nutriment,
vittles (obsolete, dialect),
viands,
aliment,
eatables (slang),
survival rations,
F%D
Synonyms of 'flesh'
flesh
Explore 'flesh' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of man
Definition
human beings collectively
Anxiety is modern man's natural state.
Synonyms
humankind,
humanity,
mankind,
people,
mortals,
human race,
Homo sapiens
in the sense of muscle
Definition
strength or force
The team showed more muscle than mental application.
Synonyms
strength,
might,
force,
power,
weight,
stamina,
potency,
brawn,
sturdiness
in the sense of race
Definition
a group of people of common ancestry with distinguishing physical features, such as skin colour or build
We welcome students of all races, faiths and nationalities.