flews

A bloodhound's long, drooping flews hang down as it sniffs the ground.

Definition

1. Noun (plural):
   • The pendulous upper lips of certain dogs: "flews" refers to the thick, hanging, and often loose lips characteristic of some dog breeds, particularly hounds and other breeds with drooping jowls. These lips hang down from the mouth, often covering the lower jaw.

Usage Examples

• (The hanging upper lips of the bloodhound are very elongated and sagging.)
• (The loose lips move outward and inward as the dog breathes heavily.)

Advanced Usage

• "to have heavy flews": a description of a dog whose hanging lips are particularly thick or pronounced.
  • The English bulldog has heavy flews that give it a distinctive, grumpy expression. (Its hanging lips are very thick, contributing to its characteristic appearance.)

Variants and Related Words

• Flews is a plural noun; it is not commonly used in singular form, though "flew" (rare) might appear in specialized contexts.
• Jowls (n): a more general term for loose, hanging flesh on the lower cheeks or throat, often applied to dogs or humans.
  • The dog's jowls are distinct from its flews, as jowls include the skin below the jaw. (Jowls refer to the broader area of hanging flesh, while flews are specifically the upper lips.)

Synonyms

• Hanging lips: a descriptive phrase for the characteristic of flews.
• Drooping lips: another descriptive synonym emphasizing the downward sag.

Related Idioms

• No common idioms directly use "flews," as the term is highly technical and specific to canine anatomy. However, in dog breeding or veterinary contexts, it may appear in phrases like:
  • "Well-developed flews": refers to dogs bred to have prominent, pendulous lips as a breed standard.

    • The show judge praised the bloodhound's well-developed flews. (The judge noted the ideal hanging lips for the breed.)