flex

English Online Dictionary. What means flex‎? What does flex mean?

English

Etymology

From Latin flexus, past participle of flecto (“to bend”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flɛks/
• Rhymes: -ɛks
• Homophone: flecks

Noun

flex (countable and uncountable, plural flexes)

1. (uncountable) Flexibility, pliancy.
2. (countable) An act of flexing.
3. (uncountable, chiefly UK, Ireland) Any flexible insulated electrical wiring.
4. (uncountable) Flexible ductwork, typically flexible plastic over a metal wire coil to shape a tube.
5. (countable, geometry) A point of inflection.
7. (countable, slang) The act or an instance of flaunting something; something one considers impressive.
   • 2017, "Mogul Bites", Black American Moguls, Fall 2017, page 6:

     Getting together with other power players at Masa is the ultimate flex of conspicuous consumption. […] A party of five or more requires a deposit of $200 per person at least one week prior to the reservation.

   • 2019, Seth Sommerfeld, "Worldwide Web", Inlander, 4 July 2019 - 10 July 2019, page 37:

     It's an achievement to stand out from other Marvel movies in terms of special effects, but this whole movie feels like a flex for those computer wizards.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:flex.

Related terms

• flex account
• flex job

Translations

Verb

flex (third-person singular simple present flexes, present participle flexing, simple past and past participle flexed)

1. (transitive, chiefly physics or biomechanics) To bend something.
2. (transitive) To repeatedly bend one of one's joints.
3. (transitive) To move part of the body using one's muscles.
4. (intransitive) To tighten the muscles for display of size or strength.
5. (intransitive, slang, by extension) To flaunt one's superiority.

Derived terms

Related terms

• flexibility
• flexible
• flexing
• flexion

Translations

Anagrams

• XFEL

Middle English

Noun

flex

1. Alternative form of flax

Old English

Noun

flex n

1. Alternative form of fleax