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English word origin

Etymology of flex

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

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To bend something. · To repeatedly bend one of one's joints. · To move part of the body using one's muscles. · To tighten the muscles for display of size or strength.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "flexus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin flexus"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "flexus",
      "flexus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "flecto",
      "flecto#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "word": "flexit",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "word": "flexata",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Greek",
      "lang_code": "el",
      "word": "φλεξάρω",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "flexáro"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "word": "flexel",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "word": "фле́ксить",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "fléksitʹ"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To bend something.",
        "To repeatedly bend one of one's joints.",
        "To move part of the body using one's muscles.",
        "To tighten the muscles for display of size or strength."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "aeb7c02ab73ebd43ae745c165c44b021648581ba8761c56b719e90d69f78df0b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "15fd66114de2904ea075a269820386384e74e9cf0e5d941e7d2cfe80b47cc73b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 354495
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 2,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

Flexibility, pliancy. · An act of flexing. · Any flexible insulated electrical wiring. · A flexible insulated electrical cord.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 3 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "flexus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin flexus"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "flexus",
      "flexus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "flecto",
      "flecto#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Flexibility, pliancy.",
        "An act of flexing.",
        "Any flexible insulated electrical wiring.",
        "A flexible insulated electrical cord."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable",
        "countable",
        "Ireland",
        "UK"
      ],
      "recordId": "3a02f10fe48fb4bee714493f4a12eecd781eaff635ff53c996be4c80cba4052e",
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 354494
    }
  ],
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    "lexicalSenses": 3,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for flex →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZmxleA