Flax
//flæks// name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A plant of the genus Linum, especially Linum usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers. Also known as linseed, especially when referring to the seeds. countable, uncountable
- 2 plant of the genus Linum that is cultivated for its seeds and for the fibers of its stem wordnet
- 3 The fibers of Linum usitatissimum, grown to make linen and related textiles. countable, uncountable
- 4 fiber of the flax plant that is made into thread and woven into linen fabric wordnet
- 5 A flax bush, a plant of the genus Phormium, native to New Zealand, with strap-like leaves up to 3 metres long that grow in clumps. countable, uncountable
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
More examples"It is dull for me, grandmother, to sit idly hour by hour. My hands want work to do. Go, therefore, and buy me some flax, the best and finest to be found anywhere, and at least I can spin."
Etymology
From Middle English flax, from Old English fleax, from Proto-Germanic *flahsą, from Proto-Indo-European *pleḱ- (“to plait”). Cognate with Old Frisian flax, Dutch vlas, Old High German flahs (German Flachs); the Northern Germanic (and most likely the Gothic too) stem is different.
Related phrases
More for "flax"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.