A living creature with flesh; a person or mortal being, sometimes used dismissively or ironically to emphasize fragile physical existence.
From 'flesh' plus '-ling,' a diminutive suffix from Old English meaning 'one who is' or 'small one.' The '-ling' suffix appears in 'duckling,' 'sapling,' and 'underling.'
Fantasy and sci-fi authors love 'fleshling' because it's how immortal beings, aliens, or magical creatures dismiss ordinary humans—it reduces a person to just their squishy, vulnerable flesh!
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