Flax

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

Flax, n. [AS. fleax; akin to D. vlas, OHG. flahs, G. flachs, and prob. to flechten to braid, plait,m twist, L. plectere to weave, plicare to fold, Gr. to weave, plait. See Ply.].

•  A plant of the genus Linum, esp. the L. usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers. The fiber of the bark is used for making thread and cloth, called linen, cambric, lawn, lace, etc. Linseed oil is expressed from the seed.  [1913 Webster]
•  The skin or fibrous part of the flax plant, when broken and cleaned by hatcheling or combing.  [1913 Webster]

Earth flax (Min.), amianthus. -- Flax brake, a machine for removing the woody portion of flax from the fibrous. -- Flax comb, a hatchel, hackle, or heckle. -- Flax cotton, the fiber of flax, reduced by steeping in bicarbonate of soda and acidulated liquids, and prepared for bleaching and spinning like cotton. Knight. -- Flax dresser, one who breaks and swingles flax, or prepares it for the spinner. -- Flax mill, a mill or factory where flax is spun or linen manufactured. -- Flax puller, a machine for pulling flax plants in the field. -- Flax wench. (a) A woman who spins flax. [Obs.] (b) A prostitute. [Obs.] Shak. -- Mountain flax (Min.), amianthus. -- New Zealand flax (Bot.) See Flax-plant.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Flax, n.
1 a a blue-flowered plant, Linum usitatissimum, cultivated for its textile fibre and its seeds (see LINSEED). b a plant resembling this.
2 a dressed or undressed flax fibres. b archaic linen, cloth of flax.

Idiom

flax-lily (pl. -ies) NZ any plant of the genus Phormium, yielding valuable fibre. flax-seed linseed.

Etymology

OE fl{aelig}x f. WG