a. The soft substance, esp. the muscular parts, of an animal body; that which covers the framework of bones and is enclosed by the skin. raw flesh n. that exposed by removal or fissure of the skin.

b. Often in connection with or contrast to bone, fell, or skin.

c. flesh and fell: the whole substance of the body; hence as quasi-adv. phrase: entirely. (to raise or rise) in flesh and fell, rarely in flesh and bone: in bodily form. Cf. French en chair et en os. (fair) of flesh and fell: in form and complexion. Obsolete exc. archaic.

d. proud flesh n. the overgrowth of the granulations which spring upon a wound; also figurative.

e. to make one's flesh creep, etc. Also with crawl (cf. crawl v.¹ 6).

f. In, or with reference to, the Biblical phrase ‘a heart of flesh’, i.e. a heart capable of feeling, opposed to ‘a heart of stone’.

g. In euphemistic phrases with reference to sexual intercourse.

h. to go after or follow strange flesh: a Biblical expression referring to sexual behaviour regarded as unnatural.

a. The muscular tissue, or the tissues generally, of animals, regarded as an article of food. Except when otherwise defined by the context, always understood as excluding fish (see fish n.¹), and in recent use primarily suggesting ‘butchers' meat’, not poultry, etc. (cf. ‘fish, flesh, and fowl’). Somewhat archaic, the current word being meat (it survives however in some northern dialects).

b. With the name of the animal or other defining word attached; also †in plural to signify what is derived from various animals.

†c. neither flesh nor fish: neither one thing nor the other. Cf. fish n.¹ Phrases 2. Obsolete.

d. strange flesh n. [perhaps an echo of the Biblical use Jude 7, though the meaning is different (see sense 1h)] rare unusual or loathsome food.

†e. collective. Cattle intended for food. Obsolete.

†f. (See quot.) Obsolete.

a. The visible surface of the body, with reference to its colour or appearance. Cf. flesh-colour n.

b. elliptical for flesh-colour.

a. The physical or material frame of man; the body. Obsolete except in Biblical allusions. †to be free of one's flesh: to expose oneself boldly in battle.In the 16th cent. versions of the Apostles' Creed the earlier expression ‘the resurrection of the flesh’ (= resurrectio carnis) was changed to ‘the resurrection of the body’.

b. in (the) flesh: in a bodily form, in a corporeal nature or state; also, in life, living. after the flesh: in bodily appearance or likeness.

c. The body (of Christ) regarded as spiritually ‘eaten’ by believers; also applied mystically to the bread in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

†d. As a profane oath, God's flesh! Hence in 17–18th centuries in ejaculations, as flesh! flesh and fire! Cf. od's flesh int. at od n.¹ and int. Compounds 1. Obsolete.

a. The animal or physical nature of man; human nature as subject to corporeal necessities and limitations.

b. In expressions relating to the Incarnation. the days of his flesh: the period of his earthly life.