The AI-powered English dictionary
plural flurries
A light, brief snowfall. examples
A sudden and brief blast or gust; a light, temporary breeze. quotations examples
When the right-away was given, Driver Gibson would give a sonorous blast on Cardean's deep-toned hooter, and amid a flurry of swirling steam the train would move majestically out, with nearly half the city of Carlisle—or so it would appear—as onlookers on the platform.
1945 May and June, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 152
A shower of dust, leaves etc. brought on by a sudden gust of wind. examples
(figurative) Any sudden activity; a stir. quotations examples
"I missed the beast in my flurry, but he dropped you all right and was off like a streak."
1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London, New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton
With a little manœuvring they contrived to meet on the doorstep which was […] in a boiling stream of passers-by, hurrying business people speeding past in a flurry of fumes and dust in the bright haze.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 10, in The China Governess
These [argument structure] modifications are important because they have provoked a flurry of investigation into argument structure operations of merger, demotion etc.
1998, Gillian Catriona Ramchand, Deconstructing the Lexicon, in Miriam Butt and Wilhelm Geuder, eds. “The Projection of Arguments”
Higglety, pigglety, pop!The dog has eaten the mop;The pig's in a hurry,The cat's in a flurry,Higglety, pigglety, pop!
1998, Jonathan Langley, Collins Bedtime Treasury of Nursery Rhymes and Tales, Pigs to Market, page 53
The Championship highflyers almost got their reward for a resilient performance on their first visit to the Emirates, surviving a flurry of first-half Arsenal chances before hitting back with a classic sucker punch.
2011 January 8, Chris Bevan, “Arsenal 1 - 1 Leeds”, in BBC
A snack consisting of soft ice cream mixed with small pieces of fruit, cookie crumbs, etc. quotations examples
Does your "Forbidden Foods" list include banana splits, ice cream sundaes, slurpies, popsicles, frozen yogurts, milk shakes, and ice cream flurries? These foods taste great but have a reputation for being bad for your health.
1988 October, K. Wayne Wride, “Fruit Treats”, in Vegetarian Times, number 134, page 27
They will make your tongue smile with their homemade ice cream, which was voted "Best Taste in the USA Today." Enjoy exciting toppings to personalize your treat or a yummy sundae, flurry, smoothie, banana split or shake...
2002, Tampa Bay Magazine (volume 17, number 3, May-June 2002, page 235)
The violent spasms of a dying whale. quotations examples
Again and again to such gamesome talk, the dexterous dart is repeated, the spear returning to its master like a greyhound held in skilful leash. The agonized whale goes into his flurry; the tow-line is slackened, and the pitchpoler dropping astern, folds his hands, and mutely watches the monster die.
1851, Herman Melville, chapter 84, in Moby Dick, Pitchpoling
An occurrence of something (countable instances) in large numbers, happening suddenly or in a short period of time. examples
third-person singular simple present flurries, present participle flurrying, simple past and past participle flurried
(transitive) To agitate, bewilder, fluster. quotations examples
And so venturing not to say another word, poor Jemima trotted off, exceedingly flurried and nervous.
1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 1, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848
She was flurried by the term with which he had qualified her gentle friend, but she took the occasion for one to which she must in every manner lend herself.
1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew
(intransitive) To move or fall in a flurry. examples