flake
A flake is a light and flattened thing that is produced naturally or artificially. Flakes come in different forms.
A cornflake is made from corn and is usually eaten for breakfast.
corn flake
I had a bowl of cornflakes for breakfast this morning.
a bowl of corn flakes
When snow falls during cold weather, the snow is in the form of a snowflake.
snowflakes
When old paint peels off of the side of a building, it’s in in the form of a flake. The paint on this building is flaking off.
flaking paint
When the word “flaky” is used as an adjective, this description can be good or bad.
A cake can be flaky. A flaky cake is not too dense or hard. Instead, it’s light and airy. This is a good thing.
light and flaky cake
A person can be flaky, but this is not a compliment. A flaky person is someone whose behavior is unusual, and that person might also be likely to lack commitment to certain goals or be forgetful of commitments.
He’s kind of a flake.