† flane Obs.
Forms: 1–4 flan, 3–4 flon, 4–5 flone, 5–9 Sc. flane, 5–6 flain(e, (6 flayn).
[OE. flán masc. and fem. = ON. fleinn masc., cognate with OE. flá: see flo. The word survived longest in Sc.; otherwise the normal form would have been flone.]
An arrow.
| Beowulf 2438 (Gr.) Syððan hyne Hæðcyn of hornboᵹan his freawine flane ᵹeswencte. a 1000 Byrhtnoth 71 (Gr.) Þurh flanes flyht. a 1225 Juliana 7 Þe flan þe of luue fleoð. c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1161 At vche [þat] wende vndir wande wapped a flone. c 1450 Henryson Mor. Fab. iv. 152 His bow he bent, ane flane with fedderis gray He haillit to the heid. 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. iii. 32 Ane flaine lat fle with bow in tyme of neid. 1724 Poems on Royal Company of Archers 34 Burnished swords and whizzing flanes. |