flak \ flak \, noun;
1.criticism; hostile reaction; abuse: Such an unpopular decision is bound to draw a lot of flak from the press.
2.antiaircraft fire, especially as experienced by the crews of combat airplanes at which the fire is directed.
Quotes:
…even on days when he was hit by flak , he would wind up his journal entries with a note about how well (or how poorly) he drove his F-4 back down onto the carrier, and often with a playful tone...
-- Tom Wolfe, Mauve Gloves & Madmen, Clutter & Vine , 1976
A few miles ahead, John spotted several cushiony puffs of flak below the formation. He didn't worry about the flak he could see, though. It was the flak he couldn't see that was the killer.
-- Fran Baker, "Once a Warrior," 1998
Origin:
This term dates from the 1930s and comes from the German Fl(ieger) a(bwehr) k(anone) . This translates to "aircraft defense gun."
Dictionary.com
