flay

Meanings

Verb

• To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening).
• To frighten; scare; terrify.
• To be fear-stricken.
• To strip skin off; to skin.
• To lash or whip.

Noun

• A fright; a scare.
• Fear; a source of fear; a formidable matter; a fearsome or repellent-looking individual.

Related

Similar words

• fleece, flense, skin

Origin

• , from Proto-Germanic *flaugijaną ("to let fly, cause to fly"), causative of Proto-Germanic *fleuganą ("to fly").
• From Middle English flen, from Old English flēan, from Proto-West Germanic *flahan, from Proto-Germanic *flahaną.