Flab
/flæb/noun
Soft, loose, or jiggly flesh; by extension, something weak or flaccid.
Did you know?Flab is a clipped form of flabby, and the word ultimately traces back to a Germanic root meaning “to hang limp,” the same ancestral idea behind words for slackness and drooping.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*flab- / *flabb-
“A root associated with flapping, hanging loose, or being limp.”
Old English
OE
flabbian
“To hang loose or flap weakly; later associated with loose flesh.”
Middle English
ME
flabby
“Soft, loose, or drooping in texture or flesh.”
19th Century
English
flab
“A clipped colloquial form referring to soft flesh or excess body fat.”
Modern English
English
flab
“Soft, loose flesh; also used figuratively for weakness or lack of firmness.”