flesh

1. the soft substance of a human or other animal body, consisting of muscle and fat.
2. muscular and fatty tissue.
3. the muscular and fatty substance or tissue in animals that is consumed as food: often regarded specifically as meat while excluding seafood.
4. fatness; weight:

   Even after giving birth to her third child, she had very little excess flesh to lose.

5. the body, especially as distinguished from the spirit or soul:

   The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

6. the physical or animal nature of humankind as distinguished from its moral or spiritual nature:

   the needs of the flesh.

7. Archaic. humankind:

   It is a higher plane of existence, a domain of mystery, where flesh has never walked.

8. Archaic. living creatures generally:

   Are we not the guardians of all flesh, from the tiniest burrowers of earth to the grandest dwellers of ocean?

9. a person's family or relatives; flesh and blood:

   With the death of his sister, he is now the last of his lineal flesh.

10. Botany. the soft, pulpy portion of a fruit, vegetable, etc., as distinguished from the core, skin, shell, etc.:

    After roasting the squash halves, scrape the flesh from the skin and mash with some cream and butter.

11. the surface of the human body; skin:

    A person with tender flesh should not expose it to direct sunlight.

12. (no longer in common use; now considered offensive) flesh color:

    The crayons they once called “flesh” have been labeled “peach” since 1962.

1. Archaic. to plunge (a weapon) into the flesh:

   With brazen might, she fleshed her sword into the dragon’s throat.

2. Hunting Obsolete. to feed (a hound or hawk) with flesh in order to make it more eager for the chase: Compare blood ( def 16 ).

   It was hardly necessary to flesh those foxhounds—they were excited enough by their master’s call to the hunt.

3. Archaic. to incite and accustom (persons) to bloodshed or battle by an initial experience:

   Under his regime, it was not uncommon for very young boys to be fleshed as indoctrination into a culture of brutality.

4. Obsolete. to inflame the ardor or passions of by a foretaste:

   I shall not be easily fleshed—especially by those of questionable intent.

5. to overlay or cover (a skeleton or skeletal frame) with flesh or with a fleshlike substance:

   The bones appeared to have been fleshed, as if to simulate some sort of reconstruction.

6. to give dimension, substance, or reality to (often followed by out ):

   When Evan tells the story, it’s more fleshed, more compelling and believable.

   The playwright wrote pretty good characters, but the actors really fleshed them out.

7. to remove adhering flesh from (hides), in leather manufacture:

   The hides we work with have been thoroughly fleshed before we receive them.

8. Archaic. to satiate with flesh or fleshly enjoyments; surfeit; glut:

   Are you gentlemen quite fleshed?

verb phrase

1. 1. to add details to or make more complete:

      She fleshed out her proposal considerably before presenting it to the committee for action.

   2. to gain weight:

      He realized to his dismay that he had fleshed out during the months of forced inactivity.