flusk

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*flugisōną“to flutter”
2. Old Norse · derived from*flugsa“to flap, flutter”
3. Middle English · inherited from*flusken
4. English todayflusk

Uncertain. Likely from Middle English *flusken, a variant of flusshen (“to move rapidly, dart”), the same origin as flush. Perhaps from Old Norse *flugsa (“to flap, flutter”), from Proto-Germanic *flugisōną (“to flutter”); compare Norwegian Nynorsk flugsa (“to flutter”), Norwegian Bokmål flugse (“to flutter”). Compare also Norwegian flogsa, flogse (“to run around, frolic, flirt”), Faroese flogsa (“to gad about, solicit”).