English

Alternative forms

• flannen (dialectal)
• flanan, flanning, flanen (Scotland)

Noun

flannel ‎(countable and uncountable, plural flannels)

1. (uncountable) A soft cloth material woven from wool, possibly combined with cotton or synthetic fibers.

   With the weather turning colder, it was time to dig out our flannel sheets and nightclothes.

   • 2012, Tom Lamont, How Mumford & Sons became the biggest band in the world (in The Daily Telegraph, 15 November 2012)

     First singer and guitarist Marcus Mumford, wearing a black suit, then bassist Ted Dwane, in leather bomber and T-shirt. Next bearded banjo player Winston Marshall, his blue flannel shirt hanging loose, and pianist Ben Lovett, wrapped in a woollen coat.

2. (New Zealand, Britain) A washcloth.
3. (slang) Soothing plausible untruth and half truth, claptrap - "Don't talk flannel"

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

flannel ‎(not comparable)

1. made of flannel

Translations

Verb

flannel ‎(third-person singular simple present flannels, present participle flanneling or flannelling, simple past and past participle flanneled or flannelled)

1. (transitive) To rub with a flannel.
2. (transitive) To flatter; to suck up to.