Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To act as if one is sexually attracted to another person, usually in a playful manner.
  • intransitive verb To deal playfully, triflingly, or superficially with.
  • intransitive verb To move abruptly or jerkily.
  • intransitive verb To toss, flip, or jerk suddenly.
  • intransitive verb To cause to move quickly.
  • noun One given to flirting.
  • noun An abrupt jerking movement.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To throw with a quick toss or jerk; fling suddenly or smartly, and carelessly or without aim; toss off or about.
  • To handle with short, quick movements; make waving motions with.
  • To gibe, jeer, or scoff at; flout.
  • To snap the fingers at derisively.
  • To scold; chide.
  • To move nimbly; run or dart about; flutter restlessly; act with levity or giddiness.
  • To play at courtship; practise coquettish diversions; engage in amatory pastime; in general, to make insincere advances of any kind.
  • To practise gibing or jeering; scoff.
  • noun A smart toss or cast; a darting or sprightly motion.
  • noun A contemptuous remark; a gibe; a jeer.
  • noun One who flirts; one who plays at courtship; one who coquets for pastime or adventure: said of either sex, but most commonly of a woman.
  • noun A shrewish woman.
  • To throw over; discard; jilt.
  • In archery, to fly unsteadily: said of an arrow.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To throw with a jerk or quick effort; to fling suddenly
  • transitive verb To toss or throw about; to move playfully to and fro.
  • transitive verb obsolete To jeer at; to treat with contempt; to mock.
  • intransitive verb To run and dart about; to act with giddiness, or from a desire to attract notice; especially, to play the coquette; to play at courtship; to coquet.
  • intransitive verb obsolete To utter contemptuous language, with an air of disdain; to jeer or gibe.
  • noun A sudden jerk; a quick throw or cast; a darting motion; hence, a jeer.
  • noun One who flirts; esp., a woman who acts with giddiness, or plays at courtship; a coquette; a pert girl.
  • adjective obsolete Pert; wanton.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A sudden jerk; a quick throw or cast; a darting motion; hence, a jeer.
  • noun One who flirts; especially a woman who acts with giddiness, or plays at courtship; a coquette; a pert girl.
  • noun An episode of flirting.
  • adjective pert; wanton

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest
  • verb talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions
  • verb behave carelessly or indifferently
  • noun a seductive woman who uses her sex appeal to exploit men

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

1553, from the merger of Early Modern English flirt ("to flick"), flurt ("to mock, jibe, scorn"), and flirt, flurt ("a giddy girl"). Of obscure origin and relation. Apparently related to similar words in Germanic, compare Eastern Frisian flirt ("a flick of the fingers, a light blow"), Eastern Frisian flirtje ("a giddy girl"), Low German flirtje ("a flirt"), German Flirtchen ("a flirt"), Norwegian flira ("to giggle, titter"). Perhaps from Middle English gill-flurt ("a flirt"), or an alteration of flird ("a trifling", also, "to jibe, jeer at"), from Middle English flerd ("mockery, fraud, deception"), from Old English fleard ("nonsense, vanity, folly, deception"). Compare Scots flird ("to talk idly, flirt, flaunt"). See flird.

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Examples

  • I will venture that sometimes writers write the apocalyptically good sex scene because of what Russell identifies: the lazy presumption (unless it is written by Anais Nin) that the character is a thin flirt of a disguise for the writer.

    Discussion: On Sex in Fiction 2009

  • I think being a good flirt is something that kind of happens naturally when you feel comfortable and confident in yourself.

    Ask Professor Foxy: Does My Size and Not Flirting Keep Me Alone? - Feministing 2009

  • She was called a flirt and had elegant tattoos on her legs, left palm, and even one on her tongue.

    Under a Maui Moon Robin Jones Gunn 2010

  • She was called a flirt and had elegant tattoos on her legs, left palm, and even one on her tongue.

    Under a Maui Moon Robin Jones Gunn 2010

  • She was called a flirt and had elegant tattoos on her legs, left palm, and even one on her tongue.

    Under a Maui Moon Robin Jones Gunn 2010

  • She was called a flirt and had elegant tattoos on her legs, left palm, and even one on her tongue.

    Under a Maui Moon Robin Jones Gunn 2010

  • She was called a flirt and had elegant tattoos on her legs, left palm, and even one on her tongue.

    Under a Maui Moon Robin Jones Gunn 2010

  • She was called a flirt and had elegant tattoos on her legs, left palm, and even one on her tongue.

    Under a Maui Moon Robin Jones Gunn 2010

  • She was called a flirt and had elegant tattoos on her legs, left palm, and even one on her tongue.

    Under a Maui Moon Robin Jones Gunn 2010

  • She was called a flirt and had elegant tattoos on her legs, left palm, and even one on her tongue.

    Under a Maui Moon Robin Jones Gunn 2010

Comments

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  • WordNet is RIGHT - you WOMEN are trying tO EXPLOIT MEN with your FLIRT - by DEFINITION!!

    July 28, 2008

  • Huh. Wonder what it is I've been doing all these years.

    July 28, 2008

  • Open here I flung a shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

    In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.

    Not the least obeisance made he; not an minute stopped or stayed he;

    But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -

    Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -

    Perched and sat and nothing more.

    - Edgar Allan Poe, 'The Raven'.

    April 27, 2009

  • what's about a possible french origine: fleureter - to say things with fleurs/flowers

    October 12, 2009