flange

/flændʒ/
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A projecting rim or the action of forming one for strength, guidance, or attachment.

Examples

  • Calling a stranger a flange could easily start a fight.
  • If the metal does not flange cleanly, check the forming die.
  • He called his friend a flange, but the joke did not land well.
  • The comedian used flange as a crude word for female genitalia.
  • “Fuck off, you fucking flange,” he shouted across the street.

Similar words

widen
cunt
project
rim
vagina
spread
gobshite
collar
rim
edge

Meanings

Projecting rim or edge

noun
engineering
technical
A part that sticks out from an object to strengthen it, guide it, hold it in place, or connect it to something else.

Examples

  • The pipe flange was bolted to the valve.
  • A damaged flange allowed the joint to leak.
  • The train wheel has a flange that helps keep it on the rail.
  • Each flange of the steel beam helps it resist bending.
  • Did you inspect the gasket face of the flange?

Similar words

Add or form a rim

verb
manufacturing
technical
To give a component a projecting rim or edge, usually by bending, pressing, or attaching material.

Examples

  • The machine flanges both ends of the tube.
  • We flanged the sheet before welding it to the frame.
  • Do not flange the edge until its dimensions have been checked.
  • The operator is flanging the opening for extra stiffness.
  • Each panel was flanged to make assembly easier.

Similar words

Spread into a rim

verb
engineering
technical
To spread or bend outward until a projecting rim or edge is formed.

Examples

  • The duct flanges outward where it meets the wall.
  • As the tube was pressed, its end flanged into a flat rim.
  • The rim should flange evenly around the opening.
  • Heat caused the soft plastic to flange outward.
  • If the metal does not flange cleanly, check the forming die.

Similar words

Vulgar term for female genitalia

noun
sexuality
slang
A crude and often objectifying term for the vulva or vagina, found mainly in British, Irish, Scottish, and Australian slang.

Examples

  • The comedian used flange as a crude word for female genitalia.
  • That magazine treated flange as coarse sexual slang.
  • She objected to the word flange because it sounded degrading.
  • The editor removed flange from the article as needlessly vulgar.
  • Do not use flange for someone’s body in respectful conversation.

Similar words

Vulgar insult for a person

noun
social
slang
A harsh insult for someone regarded as stupid, obnoxious, or contemptible, especially in British and Irish speech.

Examples

  • “Fuck off, you fucking flange,” he shouted across the street.
  • He called his friend a flange, but the joke did not land well.
  • Don’t be such a flange and listen for once.
  • She heard flange used as a harsh insult in an Irish argument.
  • Calling a stranger a flange could easily start a fight.

Similar words

Etymology

Probably an alteration of flanch, an older word linked to the curved side of a heraldic shield. The noun is recorded with its projecting-rim sense by 1735, while the verb developed later.

FAQ

What does flange mean?

A flange is a projecting rim or edge used to strengthen, guide, hold, or connect an object.

What is a pipe flange?

A pipe flange is a rim or plate that lets a pipe connect to another pipe, valve, or piece of equipment, often with bolts and a gasket.

What is a wheel flange?

A wheel flange is the projecting rim that helps guide a railway wheel and keep it on the track.

How is flange used as a verb?

To flange a part is to give it a projecting rim, while a part can also flange outward as that rim forms.

How do you pronounce flange?

Flange is pronounced /flændʒ/, with the same final sound as change.

What is the -ing form of flange?

The -ing form is flanging, with the final e removed.

Where does flange come from?

Flange is probably an alteration of flanch, an older word connected with the curved side of a heraldic shield.

What does flange mean as an Irish insult?

As an Irish or British insult, flange is a very vulgar word for someone seen as an idiot, a prick, or a contemptible person. It comes from a crude slang term for female genitalia.

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