Flemish, a.
(ˈflɛmɪʃ)
Also 5 Flemis, 5–6 Flemys, 6–8 Flemmish(e.
[ad. MDu. Vlaemisch, (Du. Vlaamsch): see Fleming1 and -ish.]
1. Of or belonging to Flanders or its inhabitants. For Flemish ell, rider: see the ns.
| 1488 in Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl. I. 79 Item, fyftene Flemis ridaris. 1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII, c. 14 A piece of flemmishe mony called an Englyshe. 1614 Markham Cheap Husb. i. iii. (1668) 33 The best Stallion to beget horses for the Coach is the Flemish. 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 240 The best sort of these are brought from Holland..and are called Flemmish Pan-Tiles. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) II. 385 Alexander duke of Parma, who signalized himself in the Flemish wars. 1865 F. B. Palliser Lace vii. 99 The old Flemish laces are of great beauty. |
b. absol. The Flemish language.
| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Flemish, or the Flemish tongue, is that which we otherwise call Low-Dutch. 1881 Encycl. Brit. XII. 85 Flemish or South Dutch. |
2. Resembling a Fleming in habits and behaviour.
| 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. i. 23 This Flemish drunkard. |
3. Comb.,
Flemish account, an unsatisfactory account, one showing a deficit;
Flemish bond (see
bond n.1 13);
Flemish brick (see
quot. 1842);
Flemish coil (see
coil n.3 1); hence
Flemish-coil v., to lay up (a rope) in a Flemish coil;
Flemish eye,
Naut. (see
quot. 1867);
Flemish fake,
Naut. (see
quot.);
Flemish horse,
Naut. a foot-rope at the yard-arms of topsail yards;
Flemish point,
stitch (see
quots.).
| 1785 Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue, *Flemish account, a losing or bad account. 1790 Herbert Typogr. Antiq. III. 1773, I am very much afraid my kind friend received but a Flemish account of his Caxtons. |
| 1774 in Archæol. (1777) IV. 106 The *Flemish bond..is the strongest as well as the oldest regular bond used in building. 1890 Rimmer Summer Rambles Manch. 35 Red ‘Dutch’ bricks in ‘Flemish bond’. |
| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., *Flemish Bricks. 1842 Gwilt Encycl. Archit. Gloss., Flemish Bricks, a species of brick used for paving..they were originally imported from Flanders, are of a yellowish colour and harder than common brick. |
| 1841 R. H. Dana Seaman's Man. 106 This is called a *Flemish coil. |
| 1878 W. C. Russell Wreck Grosvenor ii. (1889) 11 Ordinary seamen, whom he had set to work to *flemish-coil the ropes along the deck. |
| 1840 R. H. Dana Bef. Mast xxxv. 134 The knots, *Flemish eyes, splices. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Flemish eye, a kind of eye-splice in which the ends are scraped down, tapered, passed oppositely, marled, and served over with spun yarn. |
| Ibid., *Flemish Fake, a method of coiling a rope that runs freely when let go..Each bend is slipped under the last, and the whole rendered flat and solid to walk on. |
| 1841 R. H. Dana Seaman's Man. 105 *Flemish-horse. |
| 1882 Caulfeild & Saward Dict. Needlework, *Flemish Point, a Guipure Lace, also known as Point de Brabant. |
| Ibid., *Flemish Stitch, one of the Fillings in Honiton Lace. |