flex

English

Etymology

(deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin flexus, past participle of flecto (“to bend”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flɛks/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛks
• Homophone: flecks

Noun

flex (countable and uncountable, plural flexes)

1. (uncountable) Flexibility, pliancy.
2. (countable) The act of flexing.
3. (uncountable, chiefly British) Any flexible insulated electrical wiring.
4. (countable, geometry) A point of inflection.

Translations

flexibility

• Bulgarian: гъвкавост (bg) f (gǎvkavost)
• Dutch: flexibiliteit (nl), plooibaarheid, buigbaarheid
• Finnish: jousto (fi), joustavuus (fi)
• German: Biegsamkeit f, Flexibilität (de) f, Elastizität (de) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: flessibilità (it)
• Portuguese: flexibilidade (pt) f
• Russian: ги́бкость (ru) f (gíbkostʹ)
• Turkish: esneklik (tr)

the act of flexing

• Dutch: buigen (nl) n, plooien (nl) n
• Finnish: venyttely, verryttely (fi), pullistelu (fi)
• German: Anpassungsfähigkeit (de) f Beweglichkeit f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: flessione (it)
• Portuguese: flexão (pt) f

insulated electrical wiring

• Bulgarian: шнур (bg) m (šnur)
• Danish: ledning (da) c
• Estonian: ühendusjuhe
• Finnish: liitäntäjohto
• German: Anschlusskabel n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: καλώδιο (el) n (kalódio)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: ledning m or f

• Scottish Gaelic: fleisg f, teud-dealain m

Verb

1. To bend something.
2. To repeatedly bend one of one's joints.
3. To move part of the body using one's muscles.
4. To tighten the muscles for display of size or strength.
   • 1994, Elise Title, Body Heat‎, page 189:

     He rubbed his hands together. "Believe it or not, there was a time when I considered giving acting a go. What do you think, Miss Fox?" He flexed impressive biceps. "Would I have had a chance against the Schwarzeneggers and the Chuck Norris types?"

5. (slang, by extension) To flaunt one's superiority.

Translations

to bend something

• Bulgarian: огъвам (bg) (ogǎvam)
• Danish: bøje (da), strække, bevæge
• Dutch: plooien (nl), buigen (nl)
• Finnish: taivuttaa (fi)
• German: knicken (de), biegen (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: piegare (it), flettere (it)
• Maori: whanawhana
• Portuguese: flexionar (pt)
• Russian: гнуть (ru) (gnutʹ), изгиба́ть (ru) (izgibátʹ)

to repeatedly bend one's joints

• Danish: bøje (da)
• Dutch: plooien (nl)
• Finnish: venytellä (fi)
• German: sich biegen (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: flettere (it)
• Portuguese: flexionar (pt)

to move part of the body using one's muscles

• Bulgarian: прегъвам (bg) (pregǎvam)
• Danish: bøje (da)
• Dutch: plooien (nl)
• Finnish: verrytellä (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: beugen (de)
• Italian: flettere (it)
• Portuguese: flexionar (pt)

to tighten one's muscles

• Danish: bøje (da)
• Dutch: samentrekken (nl)
• Finnish: jännittää (lihaksiaan), pullistella (fi)
• French: bander (fr)
• German: Muskeln (de) f spielen (de) lassen (de)
• Italian: contrarre (it)
• Maori: whakawhena
• Polish: napinać (pl), prężyć
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: tensionar (pt)
• Romanian: a contracta
• Russian: напряга́ть (ru) (naprjagátʹ) (му́скулы) OR (мы́шцы)
• Serbo-Croatian: napeti (sh)
• Slovak: napnúť
• Spanish: tensar (es)

Related terms

Terms etymologically related to the noun or verb flex

• flexibility
• flexible

• flexing
• flexion

Anagrams

• XFEL