flirt
noun/flɜːt/
/flɜːrt/
[usually singular]- a person who flirts with a lot of people
- I'm a bit of a flirt.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: apparently symbolic, the elements fl- and -irt both suggesting sudden movement; compare with flick and spurt. The original verb senses were ‘give someone a sharp blow’ and ‘sneer at’; the earliest noun senses were ‘joke, jibe’ and ‘flighty girl’ (defined by Dr Johnson as ‘a pert young hussey’), with a notion originally of cheeky behaviour, later of playfully amorous behaviour.Definitions on the go
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flirt