flannel

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noun flan·nel \ ˈfla-nᵊl \

Definition of flannel

1 a :a soft twilled wool or worsted fabric with a loose texture and a slightly napped surface

b :a napped cotton fabric of soft yarns simulating the texture of wool flannel

c :a stout cotton fabric usually napped on one side

2 flannels plural

a :flannel underwear

b :outer garments of flannel; especially :men's trousers

3 British :washcloth

4 British :flattering or evasive talk; also :nonsense, rubbish

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flannel

adjective

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flannelly

play \ˈfla-nᵊl-ē\ adjective

See flannel defined for English-language learners

See flannel defined for kids

Examples of flannel in a Sentence

shirts made of bright-colored flannel
He wore a dark blazer and gray flannels.

Recent Examples of flannel from the Web

The combat boots, the open flannel shirt, the floppy hair, and the army surplus backpack are all markers of the decade.

— liza corsillo, GQ, "Brooklyn Beckham Goes to College, David Beckham Dresses Like a Frosh," 24 Aug. 2017
The bed Our one-bedroom cottage featured a bed outfitted with soft flannel sheets and puffy duvets, a well-equipped kitchenette with a gas stove, plus a dining table and two comfy armchairs facing a picture window that offered an ocean view.

— sharon boorstin, latimes.com, "Pick veggies, collect eggs, make your own breakfast at Mendocino area cottages. And don't forget to pet the goats.," 24 Aug. 2017
The man is described to be between 20 and 25 years old, six feet tall and 180 pounds, wearing diamond earrings in both ears, a blue flannel shirt with white T-shirt underneath, clean, acid washed jeans, and white Adidas gym shoes.

— elizabeth owens-schiele, chicagotribune.com, "Arlington Heights police: Man asks to test drive John Deere Gator and never returns," 24 July 2017
He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a long sleeve flannel shirt.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "44 friends, family search for missing Gulf War veteran with dementia," 13 July 2017
The 26-year-old University of Illinois student was wearing a gray and pink flannel shirt and carrying a blue backpack.

— CBS News, "Man accused of kidnapping Chinese student researched abduction techniques, FBI says," 3 July 2017
The men have hip beards and the women wear flannel and beanies—

— kevin dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "Welcome to Jack White's Temple to Vinyl," 20 June 2017
That was a year after Lily Tomlin clomped around the stage in a plaid flannel shirt and lumberjack boots.

— NOLA.com, "Remembering when New Orleans' Blue Room was red hot," 11 June 2017
The 72-year-old fisherman wears glasses, a blue flannel shirt, jeans, duck boots, and a brown L.L. Bean baseball cap.

— National Geographic, "Inside the Multimillion-Dollar World of Eel Trafficking," 7 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flannel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of flannel

Middle English flaunneol woolen cloth or garment

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1503

See Words from the same year

flannel Synonyms

Synonyms

adulation, blarney, butter, flattery [British], incense, overpraise, soft soap, sweet talk, taffy

Related Words

allurements, blandishments, endearments; caresses, compliments, congratulations, felicitations, greetings, regards, respects; adoration, idolatry, worship; fawning, sycophancy, toadying; cajolement, cajolery, ingratiation, smarm; acclaim, applause, commendation, praise

Near Antonyms

bad-mouthing, belittlement, depreciation, detraction, disparagement, put-down

FLANNEL Defined for English Language Learners

flannel

play

noun

Definition of flannel for English Language Learners

: a soft cloth made of wool or cotton
flannels : pants made of flannel
: foolish or meaningless words

FLANNEL Defined for Kids

flannel

play

noun flan·nel \ ˈfla-nᵊl \

Definition of flannel for Students

:a soft cloth made of wool or cotton

Learn More about flannel

See words that rhyme with flannel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for flannel Spanish Central: Translation of flannel Nglish: Translation of flannel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of flannel for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flannel

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FLANNEL Defined for English Language Learners

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