Flounce definition | Dictionary.com

flounce

1 [flouns]

verb, flounced, flounc⋅ing, noun

–verb (used without object)

1.	to go with impatient or impetuous, exaggerated movements: The star flounced out of the studio in a rage.

2.	to throw the body about spasmodically; flounder.

–noun

3.	an act or instance of flouncing; a flouncing movement.

Origin:
1535–45; of obscure orig.; perh. akin to Norw flunsa to hurry

Synonyms:
1. storm, bound, prance, bounce.

flounce

2 [flouns]

noun, verb, flounced, flounc⋅ing.

–noun

1.	a strip of material gathered or pleated and attached at one edge, with the other edge left loose or hanging: used for trimming, as on the edge of a skirt or sleeve or on a curtain, slipcover, etc.

–verb (used with object)

2.	to trim with flounces.

Origin:
1665–75; alter. of frounce

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To Flounce

flounce¹ (flouns)

n. A strip of decorative, usually gathered or pleated material attached by one edge, as on a garment or curtain.
tr.v. flounced, flounc·ing, flounc·es
To trim with a strip or strips of gathered or pleated material.

[Alteration of frounce, from Middle English, pleat, from Old French fronce, of Germanic origin; see sker-² in Indo-European roots.]

flounce² (flouns)

intr.v. flounced, flounc·ing, flounc·es

1. To move in a lively or bouncy manner: The children flounced around the room in their costumes.
2. To move with exaggerated or affected motions: flounced petulantly out of the house.
To move clumsily; flounder.

n. The act or motion of flouncing.

[Possibly of Scandinavian origin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Flounce

Flounce\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flounced (flounst); p. pr. & vb. n. Flouncing.] [Cf. OSw. flunsa to immerge.] To throw the limbs and body one way and the other; to spring, turn, or twist with sudden effort or violence; to struggle, as a horse in mire; to flounder; to throw one's self with a jerk or spasm, often as in displeasure.

To flutter and flounce will do nothing but batter and bruise us. --Barrow.

With his broad fins and forky tail he laves The rising sirge, and flounces in the waves. --Addison.

Flounce

Flounce\, n. The act of floucing; a sudden, jerking motion of the body.

Flounce

Flounce\, n. [Cf. G. flaus, flausch, a tuft of wool or hair; akin to vliess, E. fleece; or perh. corrupted fr. rounce.] An ornamental appendage to the skirt of a woman's dress, consisting of a strip gathered and sewed on by its upper edge around the skirt, and left hanging.

Flounce

Flounce\, v. t. To deck with a flounce or flounces; as, to flounce a petticoat or a frock.

Language Translation for : Flounce

Spanish: salir, *entrar airadamente,

German: erregt stürmen,

Japanese: ぷいと飛び出す

More Translations »

flounce (v.)

1542, "to dash, plunge, flop," perhaps from Scand. (cf. dial. Sw. flunsa "to plunge," Norw. flunsa "to hurry," but first record of these is 200 years later than the Eng. word), said to be of imitative origin. Spelling likely influenced by bounce. Sense of "anger, impatience" began to adhere to the word 18c.

flounce (n.)

"wide ruffle," 1713, from M.E. frounce "pleat, wrinkle, fold" (1378), from O.Fr. fronce "fold, gather, wrinkle," from Frank. *hrunkja "wrinkle," of unknown origin. Influenced in form by flounce (v.).

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