flint
flint Lexical Profile
flint Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A very hard, fine-grained sedimentary form of the mineral quartz, typically gray or black in color, that fractures with sharp edges and produces sparks when struck against steel.
"Early humans shaped pieces of flint into sharp arrowheads, scrapers, and hand axes."
American A city in eastern Michigan along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, historically prominent as a major center of American carriage and automobile manufacturing.
A small piece of hard alloy or stone used in a cigarette lighter, survival kit, or historic firearm mechanism to produce a spark for ignition.
"The antique brass lighter stopped working because its tiny flint had worn down completely."
Something extremely hard, unyielding, or stern, especially in reference to a person's expression, heart, or temperament.
"There was a glint of cold flint in the magistrate's eyes as he delivered the verdict."
British A historic market town in Flintshire, northeastern Wales, situated on the estuary of the River Dee and noted for its thirteenth-century castle.
• verb
To fit, face, or pave a surface, wall, or ignition mechanism with flint.
"The masons flinted the exterior walls of the rural parish church to protect it against the coastal weather."
• Rhymes for flint
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English flint, denoting a hard rock used for striking fire, ultimately of Proto-Germanic origin and distantly related to the Ancient Greek plinthos ('brick' or 'tile').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.