flake

n. [ Cf. Icel. flakna to flake off, split, flagna to flake off, Sw. flaga flaw, flake, flake plate, Dan. flage snowflake. Cf. Flag a flat stone. ] 1. A loose filmy mass or a thin chiplike layer of anything; a film; flock; lamina; layer; scale; as, a flake of snow, tallow, or fish. “Lottle flakes of scurf.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Great flakes of ice encompassing our boat. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A little particle of lighted or incandescent matter, darted from a fire; a flash. [ 1913 Webster ]

With flakes of ruddy fire. Somerville. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) A sort of carnation with only two colors in the flower, the petals having large stripes. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. a person who behaves strangely; a flaky{ 2 } person. [ Colloq. ] [ PJC ]

Flake knife (Archæol.), a cutting instrument used by savage tribes, made of a flake or chip of hard stone. Tylor. --
Flake stand, the cooling tub or vessel of a still worm. Knight. --
Flake white. (Paint.) (a) The purest white lead, in the form of flakes or scales. (b) The trisnitrate of bismuth. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Etym. uncertain; cf. 1st Fake. ] A flat layer, or fake, of a coiled cable.

Flake after flake ran out of the tubs, until we were compelled to hand the end of our line to the second mate. F. T. Bullen. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Flaked p. pr. & vb. n. Flaking. ] To form into flakes. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]