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Flay vs Flaunt - What's the difference?

flay | flaunt |

As verbs the difference between flay and flaunt

is that flay is to cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening) or flay can be to strip skin off while flaunt is (obsolete) to wave or flutter smartly in the wind.

As a noun flay

is a fright; a scare.

flay

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) flayen, flaien, fleien, from (etyl) .

Alternative forms

* (l) (Yorkshire) * (l), (l), (l), (l), (l), (l) (Scotland)

Verb

(en verb)
  • To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening).
  • To frighten; scare; terrify.
  • To be fear-stricken.
    • Derived terms
    * (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A fright; a scare.
  • Fear; a source of fear; a formidable matter; a fearsome or repellent-looking individual.
    • Derived terms
    * (l)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) flean from (etyl) .

    Verb

  • to strip skin off
  • to lash
    • Synonyms
    * (remove the skin of) fleece, flense, skin

    Anagrams

    *

    flaunt

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To wave or flutter smartly in the wind.
  • To parade, display with ostentation.
    • She's always flaunting her designer clothes.
  • (intransitive, archaic, or, literary) To show off, as with flashy clothing.
  • * Arbuthnot
    • You flaunt about the streets in your new gilt chariot.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade.
  • * 1856 , ,
    • [T]he younger belles had begun to flaunt in the French fashions of flimsy muslins, shortwaisted— narrow-skirted.
  • * 1897 , ,
    • … and Mrs. Wix seemed to flaunt there in her finery.

    Usage notes

    * Do not confuse with flout.