1 a a hard grey stone of nearly pure silica occurring naturally as nodules or bands in chalk. b a piece of this esp. as flaked or ground to form a primitive tool or weapon.
2 a piece of hard alloy of rare-earth metals used to give an igniting spark in a cigarette-lighter etc.
3 a piece of flint used with steel to produce fire, esp. in a flintlock gun.
4 anything hard and unyielding.
Phrases and idioms:
flint corn a variety of maize having hard translucent grains. flint glass a pure lustrous kind of glass orig. made with flint.
Derivatives:
flinty adj. (flintier, flintiest). flintily adv. flintiness n.
Etymology: OE
Useful english dictionary. 2012.