Flat

Flat, flat, adj. smooth: level: wanting points of prominence and interest: monotonous: vapid, insipid: dejected: unqualified, positive: (mus.) opposite of sharp.—n. a level plain: a tract covered by shallow water: something broad: a story or floor of a house, esp. when fitted up as a separate residence for a family: a simpleton, a gull: (mus.) a character (♭) which lowers a note a semitone.—ns. Flat′boat, a large flat-bottomed boat for floating goods down the Mississippi, &c.; Flat′-fish, a name applied to marine bony fishes that have a flat body, such as the flounder, turbot, &c.—adj. Flat′-foot′ed, having flat feet: resolute.—adj. and n. Flat′-head, having an artificially flattened head, as some American Indians of the Chinooks—the name is officially but incorrectly applied to the Selish Indians in particular.—n. Flat′-ī′ron, an iron for smoothing cloth.—advs. Flat′ling, Flat′long (Spens., Shak.), with the flat side down: not edgewise; Flat′ly.—ns. Flat′ness; Flat′-race, a race over open or clear ground.—v.t. Flat′ten, to make flat.—v.i. to become flat.—n. Flat′ting, a mode of house-painting in which the paint is left without gloss.—adj. Flat′tish, somewhat flat.—adj. or adv. Flat′wise, flatways, or with the flat side downward.—n. Flat′-worm, a tapeworm. [From a Teut. root found in Ice. flatr, flat, Sw. flat, Dan. flad, Old High Ger. flaz.]