flan

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /flæn/, X-SAMPA: /fl{n/
• Rhymes: -æn

Etymology 1

(1846) French flan (“cheesecake, custard tart, flan”), from Old French flaon, from Late Latin fladonem, accusative of flado (“flat cake”), from Frankish *flado (“flat cake”), from Proto-Germanic *flaþô (“flatcake”), from Proto-Indo-European *plat-, *pla- (“flat, broad”), from Proto-Indo-European *pele- (“to spread out, broad, flat”). Akin to Old High German flado (“flat cake, offering cake”). More at flathe.

Alternative forms

• flawn (obsolete)

Noun

flan (plural flans)

1. Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case (the only meaning in UK)
2. Type of custard dessert, popular in Spanish-speaking countries (both the pastry version and this one may be called flan in the USA). Called crème caramel in UK
3. (numismatics) A flat metal disk used to strike coins.

Related terms

• flathe
• flathon

Translations

baked tart

• Bulgarian: плодова пита (bg) (plodova pita) f
• Icelandic: bakaður búðingur (is) m

custard

• Japanese: フラン (ja) (furan)

• Spanish: flan (es) m

See also

• custard

Etymology 2

English, from a slip of the tongue by actor Nathan Fillion

Pronunciation

• IPA: /flæn/

Noun

flan (plural flans)

1. A fan of U.S. TV series Firefly; a Browncoat.

References

• Nathan Fillion interview at an In Good Company premiere, 28 December 2004 (IESB.net video) (Wikiquote transcription)

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French

Etymology

From Old French flaon, from Late Latin fladonem, accusative of flado (“flat cake”), from Frankish *flado (“flat cake”), from Proto-Germanic *fladu- (“flat, broad”), from Proto-Indo-European *plat-, *pla- (“flat, broad”), from Proto-Indo-European *pele- (“to spread out, broad, flat”). Akin to Old High German flado (“flat cake, offering cake”) (German Fladen), Dutch vla (“baked custard”).

Noun

flan m (plural flans)

1. baked custard tart

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Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *flainaz (“hook, speak with a tip”), from Proto-Indo-European *plein- (“metal arrow, hook, spear-head”). Akin to Old Norse fleinn (“hook, barbed weapon, javelin, arrow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /flɑːn/

Noun

flān m and f

1. a barb
2. a javelin
3. an arrow; dart

   Hie ða fromlice leton forð fleogan flana scuras. Then they promptly let fly showers of arrows. (Judith)

Declension

(when masculine)

    Declension of flan (strong a-stem)

	Singular	Plural
nominative	flān	flānas
accusative	flān	flānas
genitive	flānes	flāna
dative	flāne	flānum

(when feminine)

    Declension of flan (strong ō-stem)

	Singular	Plural
nominative	flān	flāna, flāne
accusative	flāne	flāna, flāne
genitive	flāne	flāna
dative	flāne	flānum

Synonyms

• flā

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Spanish

Etymology

From French flan, from Frankish *flado.

Noun

flan m (plural flanes)

1. flan, sweet pudding