flatly 
Plants, fruits, and flowers are freely introduced, but 
these are treated flatly, anil not in the round, on the 
principle of absolute imitation. 
C. C. Perkins, Italian Sculpture, p. lie. 
('<) Without spirit; dully. 
He that does the work of religion, slowly, flatty, and 
without appetite. Jer. Taylor. 
(c) Without hesitation or disguise ; plainly ; peremptori- 
ly ; positively. 
(To term it aright), I flatly ran away from him toward 
my horse. Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, ii. 
Sir Gregory says flatly she makes a fool of him. 
Beau, and Fl., Wit at Several Weapons, v. 1. 
flatness (ftat'nes), n. The state or quality of 
being flat, (a) Planeness of surface ; absence of curva- 
ture ; also, loosely, smoothness, (b) Deadness ; vapidness ; 
insipidity ; want of life or energy, (c) Dullness ; nninter- 
estingness. 
Some of Homer's translators have swelled into fustian, 
and others sunk into flatness. Pope, Pref. to Iliad. 
(d) Oraveness of sound, as opposed to sharpness, acute- 
ness, or shrillness. 
Flatness of sound . . . joined with a harshness. 
Bacon, Nat. Hist. 
() Absoluteness; completeness. 
The emperor of Russia was my father : 
O, that he were alive, . . . that he did but see 
the flatness of my misery. Shak., W. T., ill. 2. 
(/) In music, the quality or state of being below a true or 
given pitch. Elementary flatness, in math., absence 
of curvature in the elements or infinitesimal parts. 
Any curved surface which is such that the more you 
magnify it the flatter it gets Is said to possess the proper- 
ty of elementary flatness. But if every succeeding power 
of our imaginary microscope disclosed new wrinkles, and 
inequalities without end, then we should say that the sur- 
face did not possess the property of elementary flatness. 
W. K. Cii/ord, Lectures, I. 309. 
Flatness Of the field, in microscojty, the property of an 
objective in virtue of which all the parts of an object lying 
in the same plane, even if near the margin of the field, are 
seen simultaneously with equal distinctness. 
The flatness of the field afforded by the objective Is a 
condition of great importance to the advantageous use of 
the microscope. W. R. Carpenter, Encyc. Brit., XVI. 269. 
flat-nosed (flat'nozd), a. Having a flat nose ; 
in zool., same as platyrrhine: as, the flat-nosed 
or platyrrhine monkeys. 
Flatoides (fla-toi'dez), n. [NL., < Plata + 
-aides.] A remarkable genus of Flatidce, con- 
taining species inhabiting the warmer parts of 
America and also Madagascar. F. tortrix is a 
West Indian example. 
flat-orchil (flat'or^kil), n. A lichen, Moccella 
ftisiformis, used as a dye. 
fl'ato'urt, n. [ME., < OF.flateor,flateitr, F. flat- 
teur = Vr.flataire, a flatterer: see flatter 2 .'] A 
flatterer. 
Alas ! ye lordes, many a fals flatour 
Is in yotire courtes. 
Chaucer, Nun's Priest's Tale, 1. 60S. 
flat-rod (flat'rod), ii. In mining, a rod for com- 
municating motion from the engine horizon- 
tally to the pump or other machinery in a shaft 
at a distance. 
flatten (flat'n), r. [<flafl- + -en 1 (c).] I. trans. 
1. To make flat; reduce to an equal or even 
surface; level. 
They throng, and cleave tip, and a passage cleare, 
As if for that time their round bodies fltitned were. 
Donne, Progress of the Soul, i. 14. 
Others say that this event happened in the palace of the 
Cardinal de Medici, Torreggiano being jealous of the su- 
perior honours paid to Michael Angelo, whose nose was 
flattened by the blow. 
Walpole, Anecdotes of Painting, I. iv. 
2. To lay flat; bring to the ground ; prostrate. 
3. To make vapid or insipid ; render stale. 
I humbly presume that it flattens the narration to say 
his Excellency in a case which is common to all men. 
Steele, Tatler, No. 204. 
4. In music, same as flat 1 , 4. 5. To deaden 
or deprive of luster, as a pigment ; bring to a 
smooth surface or even tint, without relief or 
gradation. 
The colouring matter may also be flattened or deprived 
of its lustre by an ill-compounded mordant. 
W. Creates, Dyeing and Calico-printing, p. 517. 
6. In optics, to free from curvature or distor- 
tion, as the lines of an image projected by a lens. 
To flatten a sail, to make a sail set as flatly as possi- 
ble by hauling aft the sheet. 
II. intrans. 1. To become flat; grow or be- 
come even on the surface. 
The country, which is exceedingly pretty, bristles with 
copses, orchards, hedges, and with trees. ... It is true 
that as I proceeded it flattened out a good deal, so that 
for an hour there was a vast featureless plain. 
U. James, Jr., Little Tour. p. 109. 
2. To become stale, vapid, or tasteless. 
Here joys that endure for ever, fresh and in vigour, are 
opposed to satisfactions that are attended with satiety and 
surfeit, and flatten in the very tasting. Sir R. L' Estrange. 
The writings of mere men, though never so excellent 
in their kind, yet strike and surprise us most upon our 
2258 
first perusal nt them, and then flatten upon our taste by 
degrees, as our familiarity uitli them in>Te;iM s. 
Bp. Attrrinii-ii. Sermons. II. ii. 
3. In music, same as flat 1 , 3. 
flattent (ttat'n), n. [Irreg. <flut 1 + -en'*.] Flat; 
foolish. 
The prince has been upon him : 
What u lliitti'n faec he has nnw I it takes, believe it: 
How like an ass he looks I 
Fletcher, Humorous Lieutenant, iii. y. 
flattened (flat'nd), p. a. Made flat. Specifically 
(a) In entoiii., perpendicularly depressed; thinner and 
broader than usual: as, flattened tibia?. (6) In hot., de- 
pressed, as a sphere or cylinder having its opposite sur- 
faces brought more closely together. 
flattener (flat'ner), n. 1. Same as flatter 1 . 
Specifically 2. A workman in a glass-works 
who flattens the softened and split cylinders to 
form them into sheets, after they are laid upon 
the flattening-stone of the flattening-furnace. 
The cylinder is now ready for the flattener, who. having 
prepared it by a preliminary warming in the flue by which 
it is introduced into his furnace, passes it by means of 
a croppie, or iron instrument, on to the flatteuing-stone. 
Glass-making, p. 128. 
flattening-furnace (flat'ning-fer"nas), n. A 
furnace for the flattening out of cylinder-glass 
which has been split longitudinally ; a spread- 
ing-oven. Also flatting-furnace. 
flattening-heartn (flat'ning-harth), n. The 
hearth of a flattening-furuace. Also flatting- 
hearth. 
flattening-mill (flat'ning-mil), n. A mill in 
which metal is flattened out into plates or 
sheets by passing it between rollers. Also 
flatting-mill. 
flattening-plate (flat'ning-plat), . Same as 
flattening-stone. 
flattening-Stone (flat'ning-ston), n. In glass- 
making, a stone or a slab of devitrifled glass, 
fire-brick, etc., with smooth surface, on which 
the split cylinders of glass are heated in the 
flattening-furnace, and then spread out and 
made flat by the aid of the flattening-tool. Also 
called flatting-stone, flattening-plate, flatting- 
plate. 
flattening-tool (flat'ning-tol), n. In sheet-glass 
manuf., a tool consisting of an iron handle with 
a wooden cross-piece at the end, with which the 
split and softened cylinder of glass is smoothed 
out on the flattening-stone. Also flatting-tool. 
flatter 1 (flat'er), w. [< flat 1 , r. t., + -er 1 .] 1. 
One who or that which flattens or makes flat. 
The sides next go to & flatter, who levels off the shanks 
and bellies with a currier's knife. 
C. T. Darts, -Leather, p. 497. 
Specifically 2. A hammer with a broad face, 
used by smiths in working flat faces. 3. In 
wire-drawing, a draw-plate with a flat orifice for 
drawing flat strips, as for watch-springs, skirt- 
wire, etc. E, H. Knight. 
Also flattener. 
flatter 2 (flat'er), c. [< ME. flatteren, flateren, 
flatren, flatter; cf. MD. fl/ttteren, fletteren, flat- 
ter, appar. a freq. form (with freq. suffix -er 4 ), 
but Kilian marks MD. flatteren (not, however, 
"fletteren) as if (like G. flattireii, Dan. flat- 
tere, Sw.flattera, natter) of F. origin (with F. 
inf. suffix -er), < OF. flater, flatter, soothe, 
smooth, stroke gently, etc., F. flatter, flatter. 
If taken directly into ME., the OF. flater 
would give "flaten, "flatten, mod. (Sc.) flat, 
flatter; cf. flattery, flatour, from the F. Cf. Icel. 
fladhra, fawn upon, fladhr, low flattery, fawn- 
ing. G. flattern, flit, flutter, rove, ramble, is 
an accom. form of fladern, < MHG. rladern, 
rtledern, OHG. fledaron = OD. vlcderen, vledderen, 
flit, flutter (hence G. fledermaus, D. vledermuis, 
E. flittermouse, q. v.). The F. word is prob. of 
Teut. origin ; the sense ' stroke ' is prob. the 
earlier, and points, as some think, to E. flat 1 , 
Icel. flatr, etc., as if ' smooth flat,' hence 
' stroke,' etc. Cf. OD. rlaeden, vleijden, D. rlei- 
jen, flatter.] I. trans. 1. To please or gratify, 
or seek to please or gratify, by praise, especial- 
ly undue praise, or by obsequious attentions, 
submission, imitation, etc. ; play upon the van- 
ity or self-love of (a person) with a view to gain 
some advantage. 
A man thatflattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for 
his feet. Prov. xxix. 5. 
To seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the peo- 
ple is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for 
their love. Shak., Cor., ii. 2. 
Seneca the philosopher . . . condescends to flatter the 
imbecile Claudius. Sumner, Fame and Glory. 
2. To produce self-complacency or a feeling 
of personal gratification in ; please; charm: as, 
to feel flattered by approval. 
flattery 
Music's golden tongue 
Flattered to teal's this aged man ami puor. 
Kent*, Eve of St. Agnes. 
A man is flattered by your talking your best to him 
alone. Macaulay, Life and Letters, I. 21(i. 
I marvel if my still delight 
In this great house so royal-rich, and wide, 
Keflatter'd to the height. 
Tennyson, Palace of Art. 
3. To persuade of something which gives plea- 
sure or satisfaction ; give encouragement to ; 
especially, to give pleasing but false impres- 
sions or encouragement to. 
For now reviving joy bids her rejoice, 
And flatters her it is Adonis' voiee. 
Shak., Venus and Adonis, 1. 978. 
I dare not swear thou lovest me ; yet my blood begins 
to flatter me that thou dost. Shak., Hen. V., v. 2. 
None can flatter himself his life will be always fortu- 
nate. Steele, Spectator, No. 290. 
4. To make appear better than the reality war- 
rants : as, the portrait flatters its subject. =Syn. 
1. To compliment ; cajole, court, coddle, fawn upon, cur- 
ry favor with. See comparison under adulation. 
U. intrans. To use language intended to 
gratify the vanity or self-love of a person ; use 
undue praise. 
O sodeyn hap, O thou fortune instable, 
Lyke to the scorpion so deceyvable, 
'fimtflatrest with thyn heed whan thou wolt stynge. 
Chaucer, Merchant's Tale, 1. 815. 
He cannot flatter, he ! 
An honest mind and plain he must speak truth. 
Shak., Lear, ii. i 
And, of all lies (be that one poet's boast), 
The lie that flatten I abhor the most. 
Cowper, Table-Talk, 1. 88. 
flatter 3 !, '. i. [A var. of flatter, flutter, q. v.] 
To flutter; float. 
And mony was the feather-bed 
That flatter'd on the faera. 
Sir Patrick Spens (Child's Ballads, III. 15). 
flatterable (flat'er-a-bl), . [< flatter? + -able.] 
Capable of being flattered ; open to flattery. 
He was the most flatterable creature that ever was 
known. Roger North, Lord Guilford, I. 118. 
flatter-blind (flat'er-blind), v. t. [< flatter? + 
blind.] To blind with flattery. [Bare.] 
If I do not grossly flatter-blind myself. Coleridge. 
flatterer (flat'er-er), n. [< W&.flaterere; < flat- 
ter + -er 1 .] One who flatters ; one who praises 
another with a view to please him, to gain his 
favor, or to accomplish some purpose. 
When I tell him he hates flattereri, 
He says he does ; being then most flattered. 
Shak.,.1. C.,ii. 1. 
Nine tithes of times 
face-flatterer and backbiter are the same. 
Tennyson, Merlin and Vivien. 
flatteresst (flat'er-es), n. [< OF. flateresse, fern, 
of flateur, flatterer: see flatour, flatter*, and 
-ess.] A female who flatters. 
Those women that in times past were called in Cypres 
Colacides, i. e.,fla,tterexees. Holland, tr. of Plutarch, p. 71. 
flattering! (flat'er-ing), n. [Verbal n. of flatter?, 
i?.] Flattery ; a flattering speech or action. 
That is to saye, peruerse and cursed folkes to whom 
euery thynge well done is odyous and hatefull : namely, 
whan they see any person that hath dispyed wycked con- 
uersacion, worldly gloses or flatterynges, and by holy pen- 
auuce is become a newe man. 
Bp. Fisher, Seven Penitential Psalms, Ps. xxxviii. 
flattering (flat'er-ing), p. a. [Ppr. of flatter 2 , 
v.] Adapted to excite complacency or hope; 
gratifying; pleasurable; encouraging: as, flat- 
tering words or commendations ; flattering pros- 
pects; a flattering reception. 
The flattering prospect which seemed to be opened to 
pur view in the Month of May is vanishing like the morn- 
ing dew. George Washington, to Col. Sam'l Washington, 
[N. A. Rev., CXLIII. 483. 
A conceited person is specially interested in any talk, 
flattering or otherwise, about himself. 
J. Sully, Outlines of Psychol., p. 83. 
flatteringly (flat'er-ing-li), adv. In a flattering 
manner; in a manner to gratify or soothe ; with 
partiality. 
He flatteringly encouraged him in the opinion of his own 
merits. Sir T. Browne, Misc., p. 169. 
When used as material of landscape by the modern ar- 
tist, they [feudal and monastic buildings] are nearly al- 
ways superficially or flatteringly represented. 
A'"-/,;//. Lectures on Art, 114. 
flatterouslyt (flat'er-us-li), adr. [< *flatterom 
(< flatter* + -ous) + -ly?.] Flatteringly. 
The person that hath the sheep's blood in his veins is 
still very well, and like to continue so. If we durst be- 
lieve himself, who is flatterously given, he is much better 
than he was before, as he tells us in a later account he 
brought into the society. Boyle, Works, VI. 253. 
flattery (flat'er-i), n. ; pi. flatteries (-iz). [< ME. 
flaterie, flaterye, < OF.fla'terie, F.flatterie(= Pr. 
