Green’s Dictionary of Slang

flat n.1

1. (UK Und.) a type of false die, in which one side is fractionally shorter than the others.

[UK]R. Ascham Toxophilus (1761) I 85: What false dyse use they? As dyse stopped with quick silver and heares, dyse of vauntage, flattes, gourdes to chop and change when they liste, to let the true dyse fall under the table, and so take up the false.
[UK]G. Walker Detection of Vyle and Detestable Use of Dice Play 24: Therefore (saith the master) marke well your flat, and learn to know him surely when he runeth on the board.
[UK]Dekker Belman of London E3: The Names of false Dyce [...] A Bale of Flat sincke Dewces. A Bale of Flat sice Aces.
[UK]The Tricks of the Town Laid Open (4 edn) 51: I have seen their Mathematical Flats and Bars; nay [...] Mathematical Fullams too.
[UK]Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
[UK]Lex. Balatronicum.
[US] ‘Scene in a London Flash-Panny’ Matsell Vocabulum 100: Come, Bell, let us track the dancers and rumble the flats.
F. Wrentmore in Flynn’s mag. 21 Mar. n.p.: ‘Flats’ are dice which measure less on certain sides . . . This slight dimensional difference is sufficient to produce certain favored combinations [DU].

2. in pl., counterfeit coinage.

[UK]P. Colquhoun Police of the Metropolis 114: The counterfeit money now in circulation, not above one third part is of the species of Flats or composition money.
[UK]A. Griffiths Chronicles of Newgate 318: Of base silver money there were five kinds; viz. flats, plated goods, plain goods, castings and fig things. The flats were cut out of prepared flattened plates composed of silver and blanched copper.
[UK]Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

3. in pl., playing cards.

[US] ‘Flash Lang.’ in Confessions of Thomas Mount 19: Cards [...] flats.
[UK]Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
[Scot]D. Haggart Autobiog. 115: Robert Kain, and I, used to make very well out at the flats.
[UK]Hotten Sl. Dict.
[UK]W. Hooe Sharping London 35: Flats, cards.
[Aus]Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 4: Flats - Playing cards.
[UK]Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
[Aus]Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 29: Flts, playing cards.
[US]A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks.
[US]A.S. Fleischman Venetian Blonde (2006) 165: Pasteboards. Flats, Cards.
[UK]D. Powis Signs of Crime 184: Flats. Playing cards.
[Ire]Share Slanguage.

4. (Aus.) a third-rate painting.

[Aus]Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Aug. 14/3: We have discovered that all the Art ‘flats’ in the Southern Hemisphere are not stationed in Sydney, and we are glad. [...] One or two of the highest-priced specimens in the [Victorian National Gallery’s] collection are vile daubs, and others are ‘going bung’ through crude workmanship.

5. (US black) five cents, a nickel; five cents’ worth.

[US]H. Green Maison De Shine 208: Hully chee! Can’t a man take a flat o’ beer wit’out gittin’ the razoo?
[US]D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 13: The stud cuts out to drop a flat in the piccolo.

6. a flat tyre.

[UK]D. Ahearn How to Commit a Murder 105: If they have soft tires, I would like to give them a slow puncture. [...] That’s a good idea, in giving them a flat, maybe they might get out and fix it.
[UK]H. Brown Walk in Sun 84: He might have gotten a flat.
[US]J.D. Horan Blue Messiah 184: A passenger pointed to my wheels and shouted: ‘Ya got a flat, buddy!’.
[UK]B. Chatwin Songlines 114: We had three flats, and Marian had two in the Land-Rover.
[UK]D. Jarman diary 14 June Smiling in Slow Motion (2000) 147: The car has a flat.
J. Perkins et al. Attack Proof: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Protection 10: If while you’re driving, someone points to your wheel and says you’ve got a flat, say ‘thank you’ and keep driving to the nearest safe area.

7. (US drugs) a thin packet of heroin.

L. O’Connor They Talked To A Stranger 71: The addict...wants only to retain contact with his source and buy what white powder he needs in what he calls ‘flats’ [HDAS].

8. a plastic credit card.

[UK]D. Powis Signs of Crime 184: Flats [...] credit cards.

9. (US drugs) a pill of MDMA.

Chief Keef ‘Macaroni Time’ 🎵 Dumb fuck just popped a flat, I’m beamin’ right now.