English word origin

Etymology of flick

From Middle English flykke (“light blow or stroke”). Later uses apparently interpreted as a back-formation from flicker. The use of flick to mean a film or movie derives from the fact that early films had a low frame rat

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary 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 move or hit (something) with a short, quick motion. · To pass by rapidly, so as not to be perceived clearly.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionflykkeenm · light blow or stroke

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "flykke",
        "t": "light blow or stroke"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English flykke (“light blow or stroke”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "back-formation",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "flicker",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from flicker"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "flykke",
      "flykke#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "flicker",
      "flicker#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To move or hit (something) with a short, quick motion.",
        "To pass by rapidly, so as not to be perceived clearly."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

A short, quick movement, especially a brush, sweep, or flip. · A motion picture, movie, film; (in plural, usually preceded by "the") movie theater, cinema. · A cut that lands with the point, often involving a whip of the foible of the blade to strike at a concealed target. · A powerful underarm volley shot.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionflykkeenm · light blow or stroke

This page abbreviates 5 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.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "flykke",
        "t": "light blow or stroke"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English flykke (“light blow or stroke”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "back-formation",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "flicker",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from flicker"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "flykke",
      "flykke#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "flicker",
      "flicker#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Afrikaans",
      "lang_code": "af",
      "word": "fliek",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A short, quick movement, especially a brush, sweep, or flip.",
        "A motion picture, movie, film; (in plural, usually preceded by \"the\") movie theater, cinema.",
        "A cut that lands with the point, often involving a whip of the foible of the blade to strike at a concealed target.",
        "A powerful underarm volley shot."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
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  ],
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    "lexicalSenses": 5,
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  }
}

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 flick →

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-ZmxpY2s