flirtation

Etymology

flirt + -ation

noun

  1. Playing at courtship; coquetry.
    The inquest on keeper Davidson was duly held, and at the commencement seemed likely to cause Tony Palliser less anxiety than he had expected. Northrop knew all about Tony's flirtation with Lucy Davidson, but it also knew a good deal more about that lady than Tony did, and exculpated him. 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 4, in The Dust of Conflict
  2. An instance of flirting.
  3. A period of experimentation with or interest in a particular idea or activity.
    The elimination of vacuum-braked wagons would be slowed down, and the Western Region's flirtation with diesel-hydraulic locomotives was questioned. March 8 2023, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 52

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