flake

n 1: a crystal of snow [syn: {snowflake}]

2: a small fragment of something broken off from the whole; "a

bit of rock caught him in the eye" [syn: {bit}, {chip}, {fleck},

{scrap}]

v 1: form into flakes

2: cover with flakes or as if with flakes

3: come off in flakes or thin small pieces; "The paint in my

house is peeling off" [syn: {peel off}, {peel}, {flake off}]

flaky

(Or "flakey") Subject to frequent {lossage}. This use is of

course related to the common slang use of the word to describe

a person as eccentric, crazy, or just unreliable. A system

that is flaky is working, sort of - enough that you are

tempted to try to use it - but fails frequently enough that

the odds in favour of finishing what you start are low.

Commonwealth hackish prefers {dodgy}.

[{Jargon File}]

(1996-01-05)