FLAT, a. [L. latus, broad; Gr.; Eng. blade.] 1. Having an even surface, without risings or indentures, hills or valleys; as flat land.2. Horizontal; level; without inclination; as a flat roof; or with a moderate inclination or slope; for we often apply the word to the roof of a house that is not steep, though inclined.3. Prostrate; lying the whole length on the ground. He fell or lay flat on the ground.4. Not elevated or erect; fallen.Cease t'admire, and beauty's plumes fall flat.5. Level with the ground; totally fallen.What ruins kingdoms, and lays cities flat.6. In painting, wanting relief or prominence of the figures.7. Tasteless; stale; vapid; insipid; dead; as fruit flat to the taste.8. Dull; unanimated; frigid; without point or spirit; applied to discourses and compositions. The sermon was very flat.9. Depressed; spiritless; dejected.I feel - my hopes all flat.10. Unpleasing; not affording gratification.How flat and insipid are all the pleasures of this life!11. Peremptory; absolute; positive; downright. He gave the petitioner a flat denial.Thus repulsed, our final hope is flat despair.12. Not sharp or shrill; not acute; as a flat sound.13. Low, as the prices of goods; or dull, as sales.FLAT, n. 1. A level or extended plain. In America, it is applied particularly to low ground or meadow that is level, but it denotes any land of even surface and of some extent.2. A level ground lying at a small depth under the surface of water; a shoal; a shallow; a strand; a sand bank under water.3. The broad side of a blade.4. Depression of thought or language.5. A surface without relief or prominences.6. In music, a mark of depression in sound. A flat denotes a fall or depression of half a tone.7. A boat, broad and flat-bottomed. A flat-bottomed boat is constructed for conveying passengers or troops, horses, carriages and baggage.FLAT, v.t. 1. To level; to depress; to lay smooth or even; to make broad and smooth; to flatten.2. To make vapid or tasteless.3. To make dull or unanimated.FLAT, v.i. 1. To grow flat; to fall to an even surface.2. To become insipid, or dull and unanimated.
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