Definition of flesh noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary



    BrE BrE//fleʃ//
    ; NAmE NAmE//fleʃ//
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  1. 1   [uncountable] the soft substance between the skin and bones of animal or human bodies The trap had cut deeply into the rabbit's flesh. Tigers are flesh-eating animals. the smell of rotting flesh See related entries: Skin
  2. 2 [uncountable] the skin of the human body His fingers closed around the soft flesh of her arm. flesh-coloured (= a light brownish pink colour)
  3. 3  [uncountable] the soft part of fruit and vegetables, especially when it is eaten the sweet flesh of a mango
  4. 4the flesh [singular] (literary) the human body when considering its physical and sexual needs, rather than the mind or soul the pleasures/sins of the flesh
  5. Word Origin Old English flǣsc, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vlees and German Fleisch.Extra examples African hunting dogs will tear at the flesh of their victim until it is weak. Babies are born not just as bundles of flesh and bone but with already distinctive personalities. Cook the duck until the juices run pale yellow when the flesh is pierced. Cut the melon in half and scoop out the flesh. Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh. Falcons usually strip the flesh off their prey. His moral sermons always denounced the lusts of the flesh. His shirt was too small for him and cut into the tender flesh at his armpit. In the Christian tradition, God is made flesh. In the centre of the painting there is a woman painted in blues, reds and flesh tones. My flesh tingled as I got out of the ice cold pool. Pare the mangoes and cut the flesh away from the stone. Peregrine falcons usually pluck the feathers and strip the flesh off their bird prey. She wasn’t a ghost. She was flesh and blood. The chain cut into his tender flesh. The injury was only a flesh wound and would heal in ten days or so. The knife cut through flesh and bone. The scary story made his flesh creep. The story made his flesh creep= made him feel afraid. The tights come in various flesh tones. The weapon tore into his flesh. Thousands of fans gathered to see the band in the flesh. a man of flesh and blood= not a ghostIdioms when you say that somebody is flesh and blood, you mean that they are a normal human with needs, emotions and weaknesses Listening to the cries was more than flesh and blood could stand.
    your (own) flesh and blood
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    a person that you are related to You can’t do that to your own flesh and blood!
    go the way of all flesh
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    (saying) to die
    if you see somebody in the flesh, you are in the same place as them and actually see them rather than just seeing a picture of them to make you feel afraid or full of disgust Just the sight of him makes my flesh creep. See related entries: Disgust
    (have, get, want, etc.) your pound of flesh
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    the full amount that somebody owes you, even if this will cause them trouble or suffering You’re determined to have your pound of flesh, aren’t you? From Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, in which the moneylender Shylock demanded a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body if he could not pay back the money he borrowed.
    (informal) (of a famous person or politician) to say hello to people by shaking hands
    put flesh on (the bones of) something
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    to develop a basic idea, etc. by giving more details to make it more complete The strength of the book is that it puts flesh on the bare bones of this argument.
    the spirit is willing (but the flesh is weak)
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    (humorous, saying) you intend to do good things but you are too lazy, weak or busy to actually do them
    a thorn in somebody’s flesh/side
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    a person or thing that repeatedly annoys somebody or stops them from doing something
See the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary entry: flesh