flesh

noun, verb

1 [U] the soft substance between the skin and bones of animal or human bodies: The trap had cut deeply into the rabbit's flesh. * Tigers are flesh-eating animals. * the smell of rotting flesh 2 [U] the skin of the human body: His fingers closed around the soft flesh of her arm. * flesh-coloured (= the colour of white people's skin) 3 [U] the soft part of fruit and vegetables, especially when it is eaten: the sweet flesh of a mango 4 (the flesh) [sing.] (literary) the human body when considering its physical and sexual needs, rather than the mind or soul: the pleasures / sins of the flesh IDIOMS flesh and blood when you say that sb is flesh and blood, you mean that they are a normal human being with needs, emotions and weaknesses: Listening to the cries was more than flesh and blood could stand. your (own) flesh and blood a person that you are related to: You can't do that to your own flesh and blood! in the flesh if you see sb in the flesh, you are in the same place as them and actually see them rather than just seeing a picture of them make your flesh creep to make you feel afraid or full of disgust: Just the sight of him makes my flesh creep. put flesh on (the bones of) sth to develop a basic idea, etc. by giving more details to make it more complete: The strength of the book is that it puts flesh on the bare bones of this argument. moreatPOUNDn., PRESSv., SPIRITn., THORN, WAYn.

PHRASALVERBS flesh sth<->out to add more information or details to a plan, argument, etc: These points were fleshed out in the later parts of the speech. * None of his characters is fully fleshed out.