fluted

IPA/ˈfluːtɪd/
IPA/ˈfluːtɪd/

fluted — adjective

  • flutedpositive
  • more flutedcomparative
  • most flutedsuperlative

1. decorated with a series of long, parallel curved cuts or grooves, typically runn

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

decorated with a series of long, parallel curved cuts or grooves, typically running up and down a rounded surface such as a column, a glass, or the edge of a pie dish

Example

The wedding cake had fluted edges that looked like delicate scalloped shells.

fluted edges — common in baking and tableware

Yuki admired the tall fluted columns at the front of the museum building.

fluted columns — standard term in architecture

Common collocations
  • fluted column
  • fluted pillar
  • fluted glass
  • fluted edge
  • fluted rim
  • fluted bowl
  • fluted sides
Synonyms
  • grooved

    more general — any type of channel, not necessarily decorative or parallel

  • ridged

    describes raised lines rather than the indented grooves of fluted

  • channeled

    suggests deeper, functional channels rather than decorative cuts

Antonyms
  • smooth

    having no grooves or cuts at all

  • plain

    without decorative patterns or ornamentation

Grammar Patterns

fluted + noun

be + fluted

Usage Note

Commonly placed before nouns for architectural elements (columns, pillars), glassware, and baking dishes. The grooves typically run vertically on columns and horizontally on pie rims or glass edges.

Common Mistakes

The column has fluted.
The column is fluted.
fluted is an adjective, not a verb; use it with be or before a noun.
a fluted voice' (meaning a high-pitched voice).
a fluted column.
fluted describes grooves in surfaces, not sounds, though 'fluty' can describe a voice.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a surface with linear features, but they differ in shape and purpose. 'Fluted' specifically refers to a series of parallel, rounded indentations (concave grooves), most often used decoratively on columns, glassware, and baking dishes. 'Grooved' is the broadest term — any cut channel, functional or decorative, counts as grooved. 'Ridged' describes raised lines (the opposite of grooves), like the ridges on a coin edge or a corrugated roof. 'Channeled' implies deeper, wider cuts that might direct water or cables, not just decoration. 'Ribbed' describes alternating raised and lowered bands, like the ribs on a celery stalk or a knitted sweater. A fluted column has concave grooves; a ridged coin edge has raised bumps; a channeled board has deep slots for wires.

grooved ↗ridged ↗channeled ↗ribbed ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • fluted decoration
  • fluted design
  • fluted pattern

Prepositions

  • fluted with
  • fluted in

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Fluted comes from the French 'flûté', meaning 'flute-shaped'. It entered English in the late 1500s. The word was first used for architecture: a column with vertical grooves reminded people of the parallel lines on a musical flute, so the grooves themselves came to be called 'flutes' and a column decorated with them 'fluted'. Later the term spread to glassware, silverware, and baking dishes.

First known use

1611

1611, in the meaning defined above