FLATTEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does flatten mean? 

• FLATTEN (verb)
  The verb FLATTEN has 3 senses:

1. make flat or flatter

2. become flat or flatter

3. lower the pitch of (musical notes)

  Familiarity information: FLATTEN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FLATTEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they flatten    ... he / she / it flattens   
Past simple: flattened   
Past participle: flattened   
-ing form: flattening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make flat or flatter

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

flatten your stomach with these exercises

Hypernyms (to "flatten" is one way to...):

form; shape (give shape or form to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flatten"):

steamroll; steamroller (make level or flat with a steamroller)

splat (split open and flatten for cooking)

roll; roll out (flatten or spread with a roller)

laminate (press or beat (metals) into thin sheets)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Become flat or flatter

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

flatten; flatten out

Context example:

The landscape flattened

Hypernyms (to "flatten" is one way to...):

change form; change shape; deform (assume a different shape or form)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "flatten"):

splat (flatten on impact)

press (place between two surfaces and apply weight or pressure)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lower the pitch of (musical notes)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

drop; flatten

Hypernyms (to "flatten" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

sharpen (raise the pitch of (musical notes))

 Context examples 

I’m afraid it has spoilt your beautiful bust, for it passed right through the head and flattened itself on the wall.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A syndrome characterized by flattening or regression of the pituitary gland within the sella turcica cavity, resulting in an MRI image of an empty sella turcica.

(Empty Sella Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

He flattened it out upon the table, and a cry of triumph burst from his lips.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Here he is,” said he, sitting down and flattening it out upon his knee.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is formed by flattened cells that have a basement membrane on each side.

(Perineurium, NCI Thesaurus)

They appear as large, flattened cells with increased endoplasmic reticulum.

(Epithelioid Cell, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

An epithelium in which the cells are flattened.

(Murine Squamous Epithelium, NCI Thesaurus)

Depudecin is a fungal metabolite that reverts the rounded phenotype of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts transformed with v-ras and v-src oncogenes to the flattened phenotype of the non-transformed parental cells.

(Depudecin, NCI Thesaurus)

This type of flattening of mountains and valleys requires a high-strength crust resting on a more deformable layer, which contain a little bit of liquid.

(Dawn Finds Possible Ancient Ocean Remnants at Ceres, NASA)

They enclose a flattened sac and are connected at the nuclear pore sites.

(Nuclear Inner Membrane, NCI Thesaurus)