▪ I. flan, n.1 Sc.
(flæn)
Also 8–9 flann, 9 flam n.5
[cf. Icel. flan sudden rush, flana to rush.]
a. A sudden gust or puff of wind. b. A puff of smoke driven down the chimney by a gust of wind.
| c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 2 Thair fell ane ferlyfull flan within thay fellis wide. 1701 J. Brand Descr. Orkney, etc. 81 Tho' the wind be not so strong, there will come Flanns and Blasts off the Land. 1742 J. Mill Diary (1889) 13 The boat was laid under water by a sudden flan. 1866 T. Edmondston Shetland & Orkn. Gloss., Flan, Flann, a gust of wind. S. |
▪ II. flan, n.2 Coining.
(flæn)
[a. F. flan (OF. flan, flaon: see flawn) orig. a round cake, but transf. to this sense from the similarity in shape.]
A disc of metal before stamping; a blank.
| 1868 G. Stephens Runic Mon. II. 511 That round stampt flan or lamina which thus is mounted. 1880 B. V. Head Guide Coins B.M. 2 The form of the ingot (flan) of most of the early coins was bean-shaped or oval. |
▪ III. flan, n.3 dial.
(flæn)
Also flam.
[f. flan a.]
a. A shallow. b. A broad-brimmed hat (= flan-hat: see the adj.).
| a. 1790 Grose Prov. Gloss. (ed. 2), Flan, a shallow. North. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Flam, a shallow. |
| b. 1877 Holderness Gloss. s.v., ‘Sun's si parlus hot Ah'll put mi flam on’. |
▪ IV. flan, n.4 dial.
(flæn)
Also flam.
A net used in ferreting rabbits. Also attrib., as flam-net.
| 1801 W. B. Daniel Rural Sports I. 352 After the holes are..covered with Purse-Nets called Flans, the Ferret should be put in. 1876 Surrey Gloss., Flam or Flam-net, a small net used in ferreting rabbits. |
▪ V. flan, n.5
(flæn)
[Fr.: see flawn.]
An open tart containing fruit or other filling.
| 1846 A. Soyer Gastronomic Regenerator 502 A Flan of Puff Paste... Have a plain round or oval flan mould. 1858 Thackeray Virgin. ix, The sweets and flans, Madam Esmond prepared herself. 1906 Mrs. Beeton Househ. Managem. 897 A 6-inch diameter flan or paste⁓ring. Ibid. 899 There are two ways of making a flan without the aid of a ring. 1951 Good Housek. Home Encycl. 344/1 Line the flan ring..with the pastry. |
▪ VI. flan, a. dial.
(flæn)
Also 9 flam.
[Of unknown etymology. There is a remarkable coincidence of sense with F. flanier slightly concave (said of a grindstone), according to Hatzf.-Darm. f. flan tart, flawn; but it is difficult to assume a parallel derivation for the Eng. dialect word.]
Broad, flat, and shallow; also, ‘shallow with sloping sides’ (Lonsdale Gloss.).
| 1781 Hutton Tour to Caves Gloss., Flan, shallow. 1787 Grose Provinc. Gloss., Flan, broad. 1825–79 Jamieson, Flan, ‘flat, not very hollow’. 1876 Mid. Yorksh. Gloss., Flan-hat is a summer-hat with a flapping brim, worn by the farmer's wives. 1878 Cumbld. Gloss. s.v., They gave us fry't eggs and collops in a flan dish. |
▪ VII. flan, v. dial.
(flæn)
[Connected with flan a. Cf. flanch, flange vbs.]
intr. a. Of a vessel, etc.: To expand towards the top, to widen upwards. Also, to flan out. b. Of a window-jamb: To splay or bevel internally. Cf. flanning.
| 1788 W. Marshall E. Yorksh. Gloss., Flan, to spread wide as the sides of a bowl or scuttle. 1876 Mid-Yorksh. Gloss. s.v., ‘How she does flan with that gown of hers!’..A flower vase ‘flans out’ at the top. |
▪ VIII. flan
obs. form of flane, flay.