What is "flesh"

Flesh \Flesh\ (fl[e^]sh), n. [OE. flesch, flesc, AS. fl[=ae]sc; akin to OFries. fl[=a]sk, D. vleesch, OS. fl[=e]sk, OHG. fleisc, G. fleisch, Icel. & Dan. flesk lard, bacon, pork, Sw. fl["a]sk.]

1. The aggregate of the muscles, fat, and other tissues which cover the framework of bones in man and other animals; especially, the muscles.

   Note: In composition it is mainly proteinaceous, but contains in adition a large number of low-molecular-weight subtances, such as creatin, xanthin, hypoxanthin, carnin, etc. It is also rich in potassium phosphate.

2. Animal food, in distinction from vegetable; meat; especially, the body of beasts and birds used as food, as distinguished from fish.

   With roasted flesh, or milk, and wastel bread.
   --Chaucer.

3. The human body, as distinguished from the soul; the corporeal person.

   As if this flesh, which walls about our life, Were brass impregnable.
   --Shak.

4. The human eace; mankind; humanity.

   All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
   --Gen. vi. 12.

5. Human nature:

   1. In a good sense, tenderness of feeling; gentleness.

      There is no flesh in man's obdurate heart.
      --Cowper.

   2. In a bad sense, tendency to transient or physical pleasure; desire for sensual gratification; carnality.

   3. (Theol.) The character under the influence of animal propensities or selfish passions; the soul unmoved by spiritual influences.

6. Kindred; stock; race.

   He is our brother and our flesh.
   --Gen. xxxvii. 2

7. 7. The soft, pulpy substance of fruit; also, that part of a root, fruit, and the like, which is fit to be eaten.

   Note: Flesh is often used adjectively or self-explaining compounds; as, flesh broth or flesh-broth; flesh brush or fleshbrush; flesh tint or flesh-tint; flesh wound.

   After the flesh, after the manner of man; in a gross or earthly manner. ``Ye judge after the flesh.''
   --John viii. 15.

   An arm of flesh, human strength or aid.

   Flesh and blood. See under Blood.

   Flesh broth, broth made by boiling flesh in water.

   Flesh fly (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of flies whose larv[ae] or maggots feed upon flesh, as the bluebottle fly; -- called also meat fly, carrion fly, and blowfly. See Blowly.

   Flesh meat, animal food.
   --Swift.

   Flesh side, the side of a skin or hide which was next to the flesh; -- opposed to grain side.

   Flesh tint (Painting), a color used in painting to imitate the hue of the living body.

   Flesh worm (Zo["o]l.), any insect larva of a flesh fly. See Flesh fly (above).

   Proud flesh. See under Proud.

   To be one flesh, to be closely united as in marriage; to become as one person.
   --Gen. ii. 24.

Flesh \Flesh\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fleshed; p. pr. & vb. n. Fleshing.]

1. To feed with flesh, as an incitement to further exertion; to initiate; -- from the practice of training hawks and dogs by feeding them with the first game they take, or other flesh. Hence, to use upon flesh (as a murderous weapon) so as to draw blood, especially for the first time.

   Full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy maiden sword.
   --Shak.

   The wild dog Shall flesh his tooth on every innocent.
   --Shak.

2. To glut; to satiate; hence, to harden, to accustom. ``Fleshed in triumphs.''
   --Glanvill.

   Old soldiers Fleshed in the spoils of Germany and France.
   --Beau. & Fl.

3. (Leather Manufacture) To remove flesh, membrance, etc., from, as from hides.

1520s, "to render (a hunting animal) eager for prey by rewarding it with flesh from a kill," with figurative extensions, from flesh (n.). Meaning "to clothe or embody with flesh," with figurative extensions, is from 1660s. Related: Fleshed; fleshing.

Old English flæsc "flesh, meat, muscular parts of animal bodies; body (as opposed to soul)," also "living creatures," also "near kindred" (a sense now obsolete except in phrase flesh and blood), common West and North Germanic (compare Old Frisian flesk, Middle Low German vlees, German Fleisch "flesh," Old Norse flesk "pork, bacon"), which is of uncertain origin; according to Watkins, perhaps from Proto-Germanic *flaiskjan "piece of meat torn off," from PIE *pleik- "to tear."\n

\nOf fruits from 1570s. Figurative use for "carnal nature, animal or physical nature of man" (Old English) is from the Bible, especially Paul's use of Greek sarx, and this led to sense of "sensual appetites" (c.1200).\n

\nFlesh-wound is from 1670s; flesh-color, the hue of "Caucasian" skin, is first recorded 1610s, described as a tint composed of "a light pink with a little yellow" [O'Neill, "Dyeing," 1862]. In the flesh "in a bodily form" (1650s) originally was of Jesus (Wyclif has up the flesh, Tindale after the flesh). An Old English poetry-word for "body" was flæsc-hama, literally "flesh-home." A religious tract from 1548 has fleshling "a sensual person." Flesh-company (1520s) was an old term for "sexual intercourse."

n. 1 The soft tissue of the body, especially muscle and fat. 2 The skin of a human or animal. 3 (context by extension English) Bare arms, bare legs, bare torso. 4 (context archaic English) animal tissue regarded as food; meat. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To bury (something, especially a weapon) in flesh. 2 (context obsolete English) To inure or habituate someone (term: in) or (term: to) a given practice. (16th-18th c.) 3 To put flesh on; to fatten. 4 To add details. 5 To remove the flesh from the skin during the making of leather.

1. n. the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

2. alternative names for the body of a human being; "Leonardo studied the human body"; "he has a strong physique"; "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" [syn: human body, physical body, material body, soma, build, figure, physique, anatomy, shape, bod, chassis, frame, form]

3. a soft moist part of a fruit [syn: pulp]

Flesh is the soft substance of the body of a living thing. In a human or other animal body, this consists of muscle and fat; for vertebrates, this especially includes muscle tissue ( skeletal muscle), as opposed to bones and viscera. Animal flesh, as food, is called meat. In plants, "flesh" is the tissue of the plant.

Flesh is a recurring story in the weekly anthology comic 2000AD created by writer Pat Mills.

Flesh is an American science fiction novel written by Philip José Farmer. Originally released in 1960, it was Farmer's second novel-length publication, after The Green Odyssey. Flesh features many sexual themes, as is typical of Farmer's earliest work.

Flesh (alternate title: Andy Warhol's Flesh) is a 1968 film directed by American filmmaker Paul Morrissey.

Flesh is the first film of the "Paul Morrissey Trilogy" produced by Andy Warhol. The other films in the trilogy include Trash and Heat. All three have gained a cult following and are noted examples of the ideals and ideology of the time period.

The film stars Joe Dallesandro as a hustler working on the streets of New York City. The movie highlights various Warhol superstars, in addition to being the film debuts of both Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling. Also appearing are Geraldine Smith as Joe's wife and Patti D'Arbanville as her lover.

Flesh is soft body tissue, especially muscle and fat.

Flesh may also refer to:

• The edible portion of a fruit or vegetable
• Flesh (mycology), the trama in mushrooms
• Flesh (theology), in Christianity, the word used as a metaphor to describe sinful tendencies

Flesh is the second studio album by David Gray, initially released in September 1994, and re-released along with Gray's debut album A Century Ends on July 2, 2001. In the United States, the album featured a photo of a storefront's window display as its album cover.

Flesh is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film starring Wallace Beery as a German wrestler. Some of the script was written by Moss Hart and an uncredited William Faulkner, and the film was co-produced and directed by John Ford, who removed his director's credit from the picture.

In the Bible, the word "flesh" is often used simply as a description of the fleshy parts of an animal, including that of human beings, and typically in reference to dietary laws and sacrifice. Less often it is used as a metaphor for familial or kinship relations, and (particularly in the Christian tradition) as a metaphor to describe sinful tendencies. A related turn of phrase identifies certain sins as "carnal" sins, from Latin caro, carnis, meaning "flesh."