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flirt

(flûrt)

v. flirt·ed, flirt·ing, flirts

v.intr.

1. To act as if one is sexually attracted to another person, usually in a playful manner.

a. To treat something playfully or superficially: flirt with danger.

b. To consider something playfully or superficially: flirted with the idea of opening a restaurant.

3. To move abruptly or jerkily: The cat's tail flirted as the cat eyed the bird.

v.tr.

1. To toss, flip, or jerk suddenly: flirted the lit match to put it out.

2. To cause to move quickly: "He flirted the dinghy round the big ship" (Rudyard Kipling).

1. One who flirts romantically.

2. An abrupt jerking movement.

[Origin unknown.]

flirty adj.

Synonyms: flirt , dally , toy , trifle
These verbs mean to deal lightly, casually, or flippantly with someone or something: flirted with the idea of getting a job; dallied with playing in a band; toyed with the problem; a person not to be trifled with.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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