What does "flirt" mean?
Flirt: To toss or throw about; to move playfully to and fro; as, to flirt a fan.
Additional senses
- 2.To jeer at; to treat with contempt; to mock. [Obs.] I am ashamed; I am scorned; I am flirted. Beau. & Fl.
- 3.To run and dart about; to act with giddiness, or from a desire to attract notice; especially, to play the coquette; to play at courtship; to coquet; as, they flirt with the young men.
- 4.To utter contemptious language, with an air of disdain; to jeer or gibe. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
- 5.A sudden jerk; a quick throw or cast; a darting motion; hence, a jeer. Several little flirts and vibrations. Addison. With many a flirt and flutter. E. A. Poe.
- 6.Etym: [Cf. LG. flirtje, G. flirtchen. See Flirt, v. t.] One who flirts; esp., a woman who acts with giddiness, or plays at courtship; a coquette; a pert girl. Several young flirts about town had a design to cast us out of the fashionable world. Addison.
- 7.Pert; wanton. [Obs.]
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00