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The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary: Letters F, G & H
February, 1999 [Etext #663]
The Project Gutenberg Etext of The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary
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F.
F (&ebreve;f). 1. F is the sixth
letter of the English alphabet, and a nonvocal consonant. Its form
and sound are from the Latin. The Latin borrowed the form from the
Greek digamma &?;, which probably had the value of English w
consonant. The form and value of Greek letter came from the
Phœnician, the ultimate source being probably Egyptian.
Etymologically f is most closely related to p,
k, v, and b; as in E. five, Gr.
pe`nte; E. wolf, L. lupus, Gr.
ly`kos; E. fox, vixen ; fragile,
break; fruit, brook, v. t.; E.
bear, L. ferre. See Guide to Pronunciation,
§§ 178, 179, 188, 198, 230.
2. (Mus.) The name of the fourth tone
of the model scale, or scale of C. F sharp (F ♯) is a tone
intermediate between F and G.
F clef, the bass clef. See under
Clef.
Fa (fä), n. [It.] (Mus.)
(a) A syllable applied to the fourth tone of the
diatonic scale in solmization. (b) The
tone F.
Fa*ba"ceous (f&adot;*bā"shŭs),
a. [L. fabaceus, fr. faba bean.]
Having the nature of a bean; like a bean.
||Fa*bel"la (?), n.; pl.
Fabellae (-l&?;). [NL., dim. of L. faba a
bean.] (Anat.) One of the small sesamoid bones situated
behind the condyles of the femur, in some mammals.
Fa"bi*an (?), a. [L. Fabianus,
Fabius, belonging to Fabius.] Of, pertaining to, or in
the manner of, the Roman general, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus;
cautious; dilatory; avoiding a decisive contest.
Fabian policy, a policy like that of Fabius
Maximus, who, by carefully avoiding decisive contests, foiled
Hannibal, harassing his army by marches, countermarches, and
ambuscades; a policy of delays and cautions.
Fa"ble (fā"b'l), n. [F., fr. L.
fabula, fr. fari to speak, say. See Ban, and cf.
Fabulous, Fame.] 1. A Feigned
story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration
intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue. See
the Note under Apologue.
Jotham's fable of the trees is the oldest
extant.
Addison.
2. The plot, story, or connected series of
events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.
The moral is the first business of the poet; this
being formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be
most suitable to the moral.
Dryden.
3. Any story told to excite wonder; common
talk; the theme of talk. "Old wives' fables. " 1
Tim. iv. 7.
We grew
The fable of the city where we dwelt.
Tennyson.
4. Fiction; untruth; falsehood.
It would look like a fable to report that this
gentleman gives away a great fortune by secret methods.
Addison.
Fa"ble, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fabled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fabling (?).] To compose fables; hence, to write or speak
fiction ; to write or utter what is not true. "He Fables
not." Shak.
Vain now the tales which fabling poets
tell.
Prior.
He fables, yet speaks truth.
M.
Arnold.
Fa"ble, v. t. To feign; to invent;
to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of
falsely.
The hell thou fablest.
Milton.
Fa"bler (fā"bl&etilde;r), n.
A writer of fables; a fabulist; a dealer in untruths or
falsehoods. Bp. Hall.
||Fa`bli`au" (?), n.; pl.
Fabliaux (-&osl;"). [F., fr. OF. fablel,
dim. of fable a fable.] (Fr. Lit.) One of the
metrical tales of the Trouvères, or early poets of the north
of France.
Fab"ric (?), n. [L. fabrica
fabric, workshop: cf. F. fabrique fabric. See Forge.]
1. The structure of anything; the manner in
which the parts of a thing are united; workmanship; texture; make; as
cloth of a beautiful fabric.
2. That which is fabricated; as:
(a) Framework; structure; edifice;
building.
Anon out of the earth a fabric huge
Rose like an exhalation.
Milton.
(b) Cloth of any kind that is woven or knit
from fibers, either vegetable or animal; manufactured cloth; as,
silks or other fabrics.
3. The act of constructing;
construction. [R.]
Tithe was received by the bishop, . . . for the
fabric of the churches for the poor.
Milman.
4. Any system or structure consisting of
connected parts; as, the fabric of the universe.
The whole vast fabric of society.
Macaulay.
Fab"ric, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fabricked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fabricking.] To frame; to build; to construct.
[Obs.] "Fabric their mansions." J. Philips.
Fab"ri*cant (?), n. [F.] One who
fabricates; a manufacturer. Simmonds.
Fab"ri*cate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fabricated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fabricating (?).] [L. fabricatus, p. p. of
fabricari, fabricare, to frame, build, forge, fr.
fabrica. See Fabric, Farge.] 1.
To form into a whole by uniting its parts; to frame; to
construct; to build; as, to fabricate a bridge or
ship.
2. To form by art and labor; to manufacture;
to produce; as, to fabricate woolens.
3. To invent and form; to forge; to devise
falsely; as, to fabricate a lie or story.
Our books were not fabricated with an
accomodation to prevailing usages.
Paley.
Fab`ri*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
fabricatio; cf. F. fabrication.] 1.
The act of fabricating, framing, or constructing; construction;
manufacture; as, the fabrication of a bridge, a church, or a
government. Burke.
2. That which is fabricated; a falsehood; as,
the story is doubtless a fabrication.
Syn. -- See Fiction.
Fab"ri*ca`tor (?), n. [L.] One who
fabricates; one who constructs or makes.
The fabricator of the works of
Ossian.
Mason.
Fab"ri*ca`tress (?), n. A woman
who fabricates.
Fab"rile (?), a. [L. fabrilis,
fr. faber workman. See Forge.] Pertaining to a
workman, or to work in stone, metal, wood etc.; as, fabrile
skill.
Fab"u*list (?), n. [Cf. F.
fabuliste, fr. L. fabula. See Fable.] One
who invents or writes fables.
Fab"u*lize (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Fabulized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fabulizing (?).] [Cf. F. fabuliser. See
Fable.] To invent, compose, or relate fables or
fictions. G. S. Faber.
Fab`u*los"i*ty (?), n. [L.
fabulositas: cf. F. fabulosité.]
1. Fabulousness. [R.] Abp.
Abbot.
2. A fabulous or fictitious story. [R.]
Sir T. Browne.
Fab"u*lous (făb"&usl;*lŭs),
a. [L. fabulosus; cf. F. fabuleux.
See Fable.] 1. Feigned, as a story or
fable; related in fable; devised; invented; not real; fictitious; as,
a fabulous description; a fabulous hero.
The fabulous birth of Minerva.
Chesterfield.
2. Passing belief; exceedingly great; as, a
fabulous price. Macaulay.
Fabulous age, that period in the history of
a nation of which the only accounts are myths and unverified legends;
as, the fabulous age of Greece and Rome.
-- Fab"u*lous*ly (#), adv. --
Fab"u*lous*ness, n.
Fab"ur*den (făb"ŭr*den),
n. [F. faux bourdon. See False, and
Burden a verse.] 1. (Mus.)
(a) A species of counterpoint with a drone
bass. (b) A succession of chords of the
sixth. [Obs.]
2. A monotonous refrain. [Obs.]
Holland.
Fac (făk), n. [Abbrev. of
facsimile.] A large ornamental letter used, esp. by the
early printers, at the commencement of the chapters and other
divisions of a book. Brande & C.
||Fa`çade" (f&adot;`s&adot;d" or
f&adot;`sād"), n. [F., fr. It.
facciata, fr. faccia face, L. facies. See
Face.] (Arch.) The front of a building; esp., the
principal front, having some architectural pretensions. Thus a church
is said to have its façade unfinished, though the
interior may be in use.
Face (?), n. [F., from L. facies
form, shape, face, perh. from facere to make (see
Fact); or perh. orig. meaning appearance, and from a
root meaning to shine, and akin to E. fancy. Cf.
Facetious.] 1. The exterior form or
appearance of anything; that part which presents itself to the view;
especially, the front or upper part or surface; that which
particularly offers itself to the view of a spectator.
A mist . . . watered the whole face of the
ground.
Gen. ii. 6.
Lake Leman wooes me with its crystal
face.
Byron.
2. That part of a body, having several sides,
which may be seen from one point, or which is presented toward a
certain direction; one of the bounding planes of a solid; as, a cube
has six faces.
3. (Mach.) (a) The
principal dressed surface of a plate, disk, or pulley; the principal
flat surface of a part or object. (b) That
part of the acting surface of a cog in a cog wheel, which projects
beyond the pitch line. (c) The width of a
pulley, or the length of a cog from end to end; as, a pulley or cog
wheel of ten inches face.
4. (Print.) (a) The
upper surface, or the character upon the surface, of a type, plate,
etc. (b) The style or cut of a type or
font of type.
5. Outside appearance; surface show; look;
external aspect, whether natural, assumed, or acquired.
To set a face upon their own malignant
design.
Milton.
This would produce a new face of things in
Europe.
Addison.
We wear a face of joy, because
We have been glad of yore.
Wordsworth.
6. That part of the head, esp. of man, in
which the eyes, cheeks, nose, and mouth are situated; visage;
countenance.
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread.
Gen. iii. 19.
7. Cast of features; expression of
countenance; look; air; appearance.
We set the best faceon it we
could.
Dryden.
8. (Astrol.) Ten degrees in extent of
a sign of the zodiac. Chaucer.
9. Maintenance of the countenance free from
abashment or confusion; confidence; boldness; shamelessness;
effrontery.
This is the man that has the face to charge
others with false citations.
Tillotson.
10. Presence; sight; front; as in the
phrases, before the face of, in the immediate presence of;
in the face of, before, in, or against the front of; as, to
fly in the face of danger; to the face of, directly to;
from the face of, from the presence of.
11. Mode of regard, whether favorable or
unfavorable; favor or anger; mostly in Scriptural phrases.
The Lord make his face to shine upon
thee.
Num. vi. 25.
My face [favor] will I turn also from
them.
Ezek. vii. 22.
12. (Mining) The end or wall of the
tunnel, drift, or excavation, at which work is progressing or was
last done.
13. (Com.) The exact amount expressed
on a bill, note, bond, or other mercantile paper, without any
addition for interest or reduction for discount.
McElrath.
&fist; Face is used either adjectively or as part of a
compound; as, face guard or face-guard; face
cloth; face plan or face-plan; face hammer.
Face ague (Med.), a form of
neuralgia, characterized by acute lancinating pains returning at
intervals, and by twinges in certain parts of the face, producing
convulsive twitches in the corresponding muscles; -- called also
tic douloureux. -- Face card, one
of a pack of playing cards on which a human face is represented; the
king, queen, or jack. -- Face cloth, a
cloth laid over the face of a corpse. -- Face
guard, a mask with windows for the eyes, worn by
workman exposed to great heat, or to flying particles of metal,
stone, etc., as in glass works, foundries, etc. -- Face
hammer, a hammer having a flat face. --
Face joint (Arch.), a joint in the face
of a wall or other structure. -- Face mite
(Zoöll.), a small, elongated mite (Demdex
folliculorum), parasitic in the hair follicles of the face.
-- Face mold, the templet or pattern by which
carpenters, ect., outline the forms which are to be cut out from
boards, sheet metal, ect. -- Face plate.
(a) (Turning) A plate attached to the
spindle of a lathe, to which the work to be turned may be
attached. (b) A covering plate for an
object, to receive wear or shock. (c) A true
plane for testing a dressed surface. Knight. --
Face wheel. (Mach.) (a)
A crown wheel. (b) A Wheel whose disk
face is adapted for grinding and polishing; a lap.
Cylinder face (Steam Engine), the
flat part of a steam cylinder on which a slide valve moves. --
Face of an anvil, its flat upper surface.
-- Face of a bastion (Fort.), the part
between the salient and the shoulder angle. -- Face of
coal (Mining), the principal cleavage plane, at
right angles to the stratification. -- Face of a
gun, the surface of metal at the muzzle. --
Face of a place (Fort.), the front
comprehended between the flanked angles of two neighboring
bastions. Wilhelm. -- Face of a square
(Mil.), one of the sides of a battalion when formed in a
square. -- Face of a watch, clock,
compass, card etc., the dial or graduated surface on
which a pointer indicates the time of day, point of the compass,
etc. -- Face to face. (a)
In the presence of each other; as, to bring the accuser and the
accused face to face. (b) Without the
interposition of any body or substance. "Now we see through a
glass darkly; but then face to face." 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
(c) With the faces or finished surfaces turned
inward or toward one another; vis à vis; -- opposed to
back to back. -- To fly in the face of,
to defy; to brave; to withstand. -- To make a
face, to distort the countenance; to make a
grimace. Shak.
Face (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Faced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Facing (?).] 1. To meet in front; to
oppose with firmness; to resist, or to meet for the purpose of
stopping or opposing; to confront; to encounter; as, to face
an enemy in the field of battle.
I'll face
This tempest, and deserve the name of king.
Dryden.
2. To Confront impudently; to
bully.
I will neither be facednor braved.
Shak.
3. To stand opposite to; to stand with the
face or front toward; to front upon; as, the apartments of the
general faced the park.
He gained also with his forces that part of Britain
which faces Ireland.
Milton.
4. To cover in front, for ornament,
protection, etc.; to put a facing upon; as, a building faced
with marble.
5. To line near the edge, esp. with a
different material; as, to face the front of a coat, or the
bottom of a dress.
6. To cover with better, or better appearing,
material than the mass consists of, for purpose of deception, as the
surface of a box of tea, a barrel of sugar, etc.
7. (Mach.) To make the surface of
(anything) flat or smooth; to dress the face of (a stone, a casting,
etc.); esp., in turning, to shape or smooth the flat surface of, as
distinguished from the cylindrical surface.
8. To cause to turn or present a face or
front, as in a particular direction.
To face down, to put down by bold or
impudent opposition. "He faced men down."
Prior. -- To face (a thing) out, to
persist boldly or impudently in an assertion or in a line of
conduct. "That thinks with oaths to face the matter
out." Shak.
Face, v. i. 1. To
carry a false appearance; to play the hypocrite. "To lie, to
face, to forge." Spenser.
2. To turn the face; as, to face to
the right or left.
Face about, man; a soldier, and
afraid!
Dryden.
3. To present a face or front.
Faced (fāst), a. Having
(such) a face, or (so many) faces; as, smooth-faced, two-
faced.
Fa"cer (fā"s&etilde;r), n.
1. One who faces; one who puts on a false show;
a bold-faced person. [Obs.]
There be no greater talkers, nor boasters, nor
fasers.
Latimer.
2. A blow in the face, as in boxing; hence,
any severe or stunning check or defeat, as in controversy.
[Collog.]
I should have been a stercoraceous mendicant if I had
hollowed when I got a facer.
C.
Kingsley.
Fac"et (?), n. [F. facette, dim.
of face face. See Face.] 1. A
little face; a small, plane surface; as, the facets of a
diamond. [Written also facette.]
2. (Anat.) A smooth circumscribed
surface; as, the articular facet of a bone.
3. (Arch.) The narrow plane surface
between flutings of a column.
4. (Zoöl.) One of the numerous
small eyes which make up the compound eyes of insects and
crustaceans.
Fac"et, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Faceted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Faceting.] To cut facets or small faces upon; as, to
facet a diamond.
Fa*cete" (?), a. [L. facetus
elegant, fine, facetious; akin to facies. See Face, and
cf. Facetious.] Facetious; witty; humorous.
[Archaic] "A facete discourse." Jer. Taylor.
"How to interpose" with a small, smart remark,
sentiment facete, or unctuous anecdote.
Prof.
Wilson.
-- Fa*cete"ly, adv. --
Fa*cete"ness, n.
Fac"et*ed (?), a. Having
facets.
||Fa*ce"ti*æ (&?;), n. pl. [L.,
fr. facetus. See Facete.] Witty or humorous
writings or saying; witticisms; merry conceits.
Fa*ce"tious (?), a. [Cf. F.
facétieux. See Facetiæ.]
1. Given to wit and good humor; merry; sportive;
jocular; as, a facetious companion.
2. Characterized by wit and pleasantry;
exciting laughter; as, a facetious story or reply.
-- Fa*ce"tious*ly, adv. --
Fa*ce"tious*ness, n.
Fa*cette" (?), n. [F.] See
Facet, n.
Face"work` (?), n. The material of
the outside or front side, as of a wall or building;
facing.
Fa"ci*a (?), n. (Arch.) See
Fascia.
Fa"cial (?), a. [LL. facialis,
fr. L. facies face : cf. F. facial.] Of or
pertaining to the face; as, the facial artery, vein, or
nerve. -- Fa"cial*ly, adv.
Facial angle (Anat.), the angle, in a
skull, included between a straight line (ab, in the
illustrations), from the most prominent part of the forehead to the
front efge of the upper jaw bone, and another (cd) from this
point to the center of the external auditory opening. See Gnathic
index, under Gnathic.
Fa"ci*end (?), n. [From neut. of L.
faciendus, gerundive of facere to do.] (Mach.)
The multiplicand. See Facient, 2.
Fa"cient (?), n. [L. faciens, --
entis, p. pr. of facere to make, do. See Fact.]
1. One who does anything, good or bad; a doer;
an agent. [Obs.] Bp. Hacket.
2. (Mach.) (a) One of
the variables of a quantic as distinguished from a coefficient.
(b) The multiplier.
&fist; The terms facient, faciend, and
factum, may imply that the multiplication involved is not
ordinary multiplication, but is either some specified operation, or,
in general, any mathematical operation. See
Multiplication.
||Fa"ci*es (?), n. [L., from, face. See
Face.]
1. The anterior part of the head; the
face.
2. (Biol.) The general aspect or habit
of a species, or group of species, esp. with reference to its
adaptation to its environment.
3. (Zoöl.) The face of a bird, or
the front of the head, excluding the bill.
Facies Hippocratica. (Med.) See
Hippocratic.
Fac"ile (?) a. [L. facilis,
prop., capable of being done or made, hence, facile, easy, fr.
facere to make, do: cf. F. facile. Srr Fact, and
cf. Faculty.] 1. Easy to be done or
performed: not difficult; performable or attainable with little
labor.
Order . . . will render the work facile and
delightful.
Evelyn.
2. Easy to be surmounted or removed; easily
conquerable; readily mastered.
The facile gates of hell too slightly
barred.
Milton.
3. Easy of access or converse; mild;
courteous; not haughty, austere, or distant; affable;
complaisant.
I meant she should be courteous, facile,
sweet.
B. Jonson.
4. Easily persuaded to good or bad; yielding;
ductile to a fault; pliant; flexible.
Since Adam, and his facile consort Eve,
Lost Paradise, deceived by me.
Milton.
This is treating Burns like a child, a person of so
facile a disposition as not to be trusted without a keeper on
the king's highway.
Prof. Wilson.
5. Ready; quick; expert; as, he is
facile in expedients; he wields a facile pen.
-- Fac"ile*ly, adv. --
Fac"ile*ness, n.
Fa*cil"i*tate (f&adot;*s&ibreve;l"&ibreve;*tāt),
v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Facilitated (-tā`t&ebreve;d); p. pr. & vb.
n. Facilitating (-tā`t&ibreve;ng).] [Cf. F.
faciliter. See Facility.] To make easy or less
difficult; to free from difficulty or impediment; to lessen the labor
of; as, to facilitate the execution of a task.
To invite and facilitate that line of
proceeding which the times call for.
I.
Taylor.
Fa*cil`i*ta"tion (?), n. The act
of facilitating or making easy.
Fa*cil"i*ty (f&adot;*s&ibreve;l"&ibreve;*t&ybreve;),
n.; pl. Facilities (-
t&ibreve;z). [L. facilitas, fr. facilis easy: cf. F.
facilité. See Facile.] 1.
The quality of being easily performed; freedom from difficulty;
ease; as, the facility of an operation.
The facility with which government has been
overturned in France.
Burke.
2. Ease in performance; readiness proceeding
from skill or use; dexterity; as, practice gives a wonderful
facility in executing works of art.
3. Easiness to be persuaded; readiness or
compliance; -- usually in a bad sense; pliancy.
It is a great error to take facility for good
nature.
L'Estrange.
4. Easiness of access; complaisance;
affability.
Offers himself to the visits of a friend with
facility.
South.
5. That which promotes the ease of any action
or course of conduct; advantage; aid; assistance; -- usually in the
plural; as, special facilities for study.
Syn. -- Ease; expertness; readiness; dexterity;
complaisance; condescension; affability. -- Facility,
Expertness, Readiness. These words have in common the
idea of performing any act with ease and promptitude. Facility
supposes a natural or acquired power of dispatching a task with
lightness and ease. Expertness is the kind of facility
acquired by long practice. Readiness marks the promptitude
with which anything is done. A merchant needs great facility
in dispatching business; a banker, great expertness in casting
accounts; both need great readiness in passing from one
employment to another. "The facility which we get of doing
things by a custom of doing, makes them often pass in us without our
notice." Locke. "The army was celebrated for the
expertness and valor of the soldiers." "A readiness to
obey the known will of God is the surest means to enlighten the mind
in respect to duty."
Fa"cing (?), n. 1.
A covering in front, for ornament or other purpose; an exterior
covering or sheathing; as, the facing of an earthen slope, sea
wall, etc. , to strengthen it or to protect or adorn the exposed
surface.
2. A lining placed near the edge of a garment
for ornament or protection.
3. (Arch.) The finishing of any face
of a wall with material different from that of which it is chiefly
composed, or the coating or material so used.
4. (Founding) A powdered substance, as
charcoal, bituminous coal, ect., applied to the face of a mold, or
mixed with the sand that forms it, to give a fine smooth surface to
the casting.
5. (Mil.) (a) pl.
The collar and cuffs of a military coat; -- commonly of a color
different from that of the coat. (b) The
movement of soldiers by turning on their heels to the right, left, or
about; -- chiefly in the pl.
Facing brick, front or pressed
brick.
Fa"cing*ly, adv. In a facing
manner or position.
Fa*cin"o*rous (?), a. [L.
facinorous, from facinus deed, bad deed, from
facere to make, do.] Atrociously wicked. [Obs.]
Jer. Taylor.
-- Fa*cin"o*rous*ness, n. [Obs.]
Fac"ound (?), n. [F. faconde, L.
facundia. See Facund.] Speech; eloquence.
[Obs.]
Her facound eke full womanly and
plain.
Chaucer.
Fac*sim"i*le (?), n.; pl.
Facsimiles (-l&?;z). [L. fac simile make
like; or an abbreviation of factum simile made like;
facere to make + similes like. See Fact, and
Simile.] A copy of anything made, either so as to be
deceptive or so as to give every part and detail of the original; an
exact copy or likeness.
Facsimile telegraph, a telegraphic apparatus
reproducing messages in autograph.
Fac*sim"i*le, (&?;), v. t. To make
a facsimile of.
Fact (făkt), n. [L.
factum, fr. facere to make or do. Cf. Feat,
Affair, Benefit, Defect, Fashion, and
-fy.] 1. A doing, making, or
preparing. [Obs.]
A project for the fact and vending
Of a new kind of fucus, paint for ladies.
B.
Jonson.
2. An effect produced or achieved; anything
done or that comes to pass; an act; an event; a
circumstance.
What might instigate him to this devilish fact,
I am not able to conjecture.
Evelyn.
He who most excels in fact of
arms.
Milton.
3. Reality; actuality; truth; as, he, in
fact, excelled all the rest; the fact is, he was
beaten.
4. The assertion or statement of a thing done
or existing; sometimes, even when false, improperly put, by a
transfer of meaning, for the thing done, or supposed to be done; a
thing supposed or asserted to be done; as, history abounds with false
facts.
I do not grant the fact.
De
Foe.
This reasoning is founded upon a fact which is
not true.
Roger Long.
&fist; The term fact has in jurisprudence peculiar uses in
contrast with law; as, attorney at law, and attorney in
fact; issue in law, and issue in fact. There is
also a grand distinction between law and fact with
reference to the province of the judge and that of the jury, the
latter generally determining the fact, the former the
law. Burrill Bouvier.
[1913 Webster]
Accessary before, or after,
the fact. See under Accessary. --
Matter of fact, an actual occurrence; a verity;
used adjectively: of or pertaining to facts; prosaic; unimaginative;
as, a matter-of-fact narration.
Syn. -- Act; deed; performance; event; incident;
occurrence; circumstance.
Fac"tion (făk"shŭn), n.
[L. factio a doing, a company of persons acting together, a
faction: cf. F. faction See Fashion.]
1. (Anc. Hist.) One of the divisions or
parties of charioteers (distinguished by their colors) in the games
of the circus.
2. A party, in political society, combined or
acting in union, in opposition to the government, or state; --
usually applied to a minority, but it may be applied to a majority; a
combination or clique of partisans of any kind, acting for their own
interests, especially if greedy, clamorous, and reckless of the
common good.
3. Tumult; discord; dissension.
They remained at Newbury in great faction among
themselves.
Clarendon.
Syn. -- Combination; clique; junto. See Cabal.
Fac"tion*a*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
factionnaire, L. factionarius the head of a company of
charioteers.] Belonging to a faction; being a partisan; taking
sides. [Obs.]
Always factionary on the party of your
general.
Shak.
Fac"tion*er (-?r), n. One of a
faction. Abp. Bancroft.
Fac"tion*ist, n. One who promotes
faction.
Fac"tious (?). a. [L. factiosus:
cf. F. factieux.] 1. Given to faction;
addicted to form parties and raise dissensions, in opposition to
government or the common good; turbulent; seditious; prone to clamor
against public measures or men; -- said of persons.
Factious for the house of
Lancaster.
Shak.
2. Pertaining to faction; proceeding from
faction; indicating, or characterized by, faction; -- said of acts or
expressions; as, factious quarrels.
Headlong zeal or factious fury.
Burke.
-- Fac"tious*ly, adv. -- Fac"tious-
ness, n.
Fac*ti"tious (?), a. [L.
factitius, fr. facere to make. See Fact, and cf.
Fetich.] Made by art, in distinction from what is
produced by nature; artificial; sham; formed by, or adapted to, an
artificial or conventional, in distinction from a natural, standard
or rule; not natural; as, factitious cinnabar or jewels; a
factitious taste. -- Fac-ti"tious*ly,
adv. -- Fac*ti"tious-ness,
n.
He acquires a factitious propensity, he forms
an incorrigible habit, of desultory reading.
De
Quincey.
Syn. -- Unnatural. -- Factitious, Unnatural.
Anything is unnatural when it departs in any way from its
simple or normal state; it is factitious when it is wrought
out or wrought up by labor and effort, as, a factitious
excitement. An unnatural demand for any article of merchandise
is one which exceeds the ordinary rate of consumption; a factitious
demand is one created by active exertions for the purpose. An
unnatural alarm is one greater than the occasion requires; a
factitious alarm is one wrought up with care and effort.
Fac"ti*tive (?). a. [See Fact.]
1. Causing; causative.
2. (Gram.) Pertaining to that relation
which is proper when the act, as of a transitive verb, is not merely
received by an object, but produces some change in the object, as
when we say, He made the water wine.
Sometimes the idea of activity in a verb or adjective
involves in it a reference to an effect, in the way of causality, in
the active voice on the immediate objects, and in the passive voice
on the subject of such activity. This second object is called the
factitive object.
J. W. Gibbs.
Fac"tive (?), a. Making; having
power to make. [Obs.] "You are . . . factive, not
destructive." Bacon.
||Fac"to (?), adv. [L., ablative of
factum deed, fact.] (Law) In fact; by the act or
fact.
De facto. (Law) See De
facto.
Fac"tor (?), n. [L. factor a
doer: cf. F. facteur a factor. See Fact.]
1. (Law) One who transacts business for
another; an agent; a substitute; especially, a mercantile agent who
buys and sells goods and transacts business for others in commission;
a commission merchant or consignee. He may be a home factor or a
foreign factor. He may buy and sell in his own name, and he is
intrusted with the possession and control of the goods; and in these
respects he differs from a broker. Story.
Wharton.
My factor sends me word, a merchant's fled
That owes me for a hundred tun of wine.
Marlowe.
2. A steward or bailiff of an estate.
[Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
3. (Math.) One of the elements or
quantities which, when multiplied together, form a product.
4. One of the elements, circumstances, or
influences which contribute to produce a result; a
constituent.
The materal and dynamical factors of
nutrition.
H. Spencer.
Fac"tor, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Factored (-t?rd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Factoring.] (Mach.) To resolve (a
quantity) into its factors.
Fac"tor*age (?), n. [Cf. F.
factorage.] The allowance given to a factor, as a
compensation for his services; -- called also a
commission.
Fac"tor*ess (?), n. A factor who
is a woman. [R.]
Fac*to"ri*al (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to a factory. Buchanan.
2. (Math.) Related to
factorials.
Fac*to"ri*al, n. (Math.)
(a) pl. A name given to the factors of a
continued product when the former are derivable from one and the same
function F(x) by successively imparting a constant increment or
decrement h to the independent variable. Thus the product
F(x).F(x + h).F(x + 2h) . . . F[x + (n-1)h] is called a
factorial term, and its several factors take the name of
factorials. Brande & C.
(b) The product of the consecutive numbers
from unity up to any given number.
Fac"tor*ing (?), n. (Math.)
The act of resolving into factors.
Fac"tor*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Factorized (-?zd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Factorizing (-?"z?ng).] (Law)
(a) To give warning to; -- said of a person in
whose hands the effects of another are attached, the warning being to
the effect that he shall not pay the money or deliver the property of
the defendant in his hands to him, but appear and answer the suit of
the plaintiff. (b) To attach (the effects
of a debtor) in the hands of a third person ; to garnish. See
Garnish. [Vt. & Conn.]
Fac"tor*ship, n. The business of a
factor.
Fac"to*ry (?), n.; pl.
Factories (-r&?;z). [Cf. F. factorerie.]
1. A house or place where factors, or commercial
agents, reside, to transact business for their employers. "The
Company's factory at Madras." Burke.
2. The body of factors in any place; as, a
chaplain to a British factory. W. Guthrie.
3. A building, or collection of buildings,
appropriated to the manufacture of goods; the place where workmen are
employed in fabricating goods, wares, or utensils; a manufactory; as,
a cotton factory.
Factory leg (Med.), a variety of
bandy leg, associated with partial dislocation of the tibia, produced
in young children by working in factories.
Fac*to"tum (făk*tō"tŭm),
n.; pl. Factotums (-
tŭmz). [L., do everything; facere to do + totus
all : cf. F. factotum. See Fact, and Total.]
A person employed to do all kinds of work or business.
B. Jonson.
Fac"tu*al (făk*t&usl;"al),
a. Relating to, or containing, facts.
[R.]
||Fac"tum (făk"tŭm), n.;
pl. Facta (#). [L. See Fact.]
1. (Law) A man's own act and deed;
particularly: (a) (Civil Law) Anything
stated and made certain. (b) (Testamentary
Law) The due execution of a will, including everything
necessary to its validity.
2. (Mach.) The product. See
Facient, 2.
Fac"ture (?), n. [F. facture a
making, invoice, L. factura a making. See Fact.]
1. The act or manner of making or doing
anything; -- now used of a literary, musical, or pictorial
production. Bacon.
2. (Com.) An invoice or bill of
parcels.
||Fac"u*læ (?), n. pl. [L., pl.
of facula a little torch.] (Astron.) Groups of
small shining spots on the surface of the sun which are brighter than
the other parts of the photosphere. They are generally seen in the
neighborhood of the dark spots, and are supposed to be elevated
portions of the photosphere. Newcomb.
Fac"u*lar (?) a. (Astron.)
Of or pertaining to the faculæ. R. A.
Proctor.
Fac"ul*ty (?), n.; pl.
Faculties (#). [F. facult&?;, L.
facultas, fr. facilis easy (cf. facul easily),
fr. fecere to make. See Fact, and cf. Facility.]
1. Ability to act or perform, whether inborn or
cultivated; capacity for any natural function; especially, an
original mental power or capacity for any of the well-known classes
of mental activity; psychical or soul capacity; capacity for any of
the leading kinds of soul activity, as knowledge, feeling, volition;
intellectual endowment or gift; power; as, faculties of the
mind or the soul.
But know that in the soul
Are many lesser faculties that serve
Reason as chief.
Milton.
What a piece of work is a man ! how noble in reason !
how infinite in faculty !
Shak.
2. Special mental endowment; characteristic
knack.
He had a ready faculty, indeed, of escaping
from any topic that agitated his too sensitive and nervous
temperament.
Hawthorne.
3. Power; prerogative or attribute of
office. [R.]
This Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek.
Shak.
4. Privilege or permission, granted by favor
or indulgence, to do a particular thing; authority; license;
dispensation.
The pope . . . granted him a faculty to set him
free from his promise.
Fuller.
It had not only faculty to inspect all bishops'
dioceses, but to change what laws and statutes they should think fit
to alter among the colleges.
Evelyn.
5. A body of a men to whom any specific right
or privilege is granted; formerly, the graduates in any of the four
departments of a university or college (Philosophy, Law, Medicine, or
Theology), to whom was granted the right of teaching
(profitendi or docendi) in the department in which they
had studied; at present, the members of a profession itself; as, the
medical faculty; the legal faculty, ect.
6. (Amer. Colleges) The body of person
to whom are intrusted the government and instruction of a college or
university, or of one of its departments; the president, professors,
and tutors in a college.
Dean of faculty. See under Dean.
-- Faculty of advocates. (Scot.) See
under Advocate.
Syn. -- Talent; gift; endowment; dexterity; expertness;
cleverness; readiness; ability; knack.
Fac"und (?), a. [L. facundus,
fr. fari to speak.] Eloquent. [Archaic]
Fa*cun"di*ous (?), a. [L.
facundiosus.] Eloquement; full of words.
[Archaic]
Fa*cun"di*ty (?), n. [L.
facunditas.] Eloquence; readiness of speech.
[Archaic]
Fad (?), n. [Cf. Faddle.] A
hobby ; freak; whim. -- Fad"dist,
n.
It is your favorite fad to draw
plans.
G. Eliot.
Fad"dle (?), v. i. [Cf. Fiddle,
Fiddle-faddle.] To trifle; to toy. -- v.
t. To fondle; to dandle. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Fade (?) a. [F., prob. fr. L.
vapidus vapid, or possibly fr,fatuus foolish, insipid.]
Weak; insipid; tasteless; commonplace. [R.] "Passages that
are somewhat fade." Jeffrey.
His masculine taste gave him a sense of something
fade and ludicrous.
De Quincey.
Fade (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Faded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fading.] [OE. faden, vaden, prob. fr.
fade, a.; cf. Prov. D. vadden to
fade, wither, vaddigh languid, torpid. Cf.
Fade, a., Vade.] 1.
To become fade; to grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to
perish gradually; to wither, as a plant.
The earth mourneth and fadeth
away.
Is. xxiv. 4.
2. To lose freshness, color, or brightness;
to become faint in hue or tint; hence, to be wanting in color.
"Flowers that never fade." Milton.
3. To sink away; to disappear gradually; to
grow dim; to vanish.
The stars shall fade away.
Addison
He makes a swanlike end,
Fading in music.
Shak.
Fade, v. t. To cause to wither; to
deprive of freshness or vigor; to wear away.
No winter could his laurels fade.
Dryden.
Fad"ed (?), a. That has lost
freshness, color, or brightness; grown dim. "His faded
cheek." Milton.
Where the faded moon
Made a dim silver twilight.
Keats.
Fad"ed*ly, adv. In a faded
manner.
A dull room fadedly furnished.
Dickens.
Fade"less, a. Not liable to fade;
unfading.
Fa"der (?), n. Father.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fadge (?), v. i. [Cf. OE. faden
to flatter, and AS. f&?;gan to join, unit, G.
fügen, or AS. āfægian to depict; all
perh. form the same root as E. fair. Cf. Fair,
a., Fay to fit.] To fit; to suit; to
agree.
They shall be made, spite of antipathy, to
fadge together.
Milton.
Well, Sir, how fadges the new design
?
Wycherley.
Fadge (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
A small flat loaf or thick cake; also, a fagot. [Prov.
Eng.] Halliwell.
Fad"ing (?), a. Losing freshness,
color, brightness, or vigor. -- n. Loss
of color, freshness, or vigor. -- Fad"ing*ly,
adv. -- Fad"ing*ness,
n.
Fad"ing, n. An Irish dance; also,
the burden of a song. "Fading is a fine jig." [Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
Fad"me (?), n. A fathom.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fad"y (?), a. Faded. [R.]
Shenstone.
Fæ"cal (?), a. See
Fecal.
||Fæ"ces (?), n. pl. [L.
faex, pl. faeces, dregs.] Excrement; ordure; also,
settlings; sediment after infusion or distillation. [Written
also feces.]
||Fæc"u*la (?), n. [L.] See
Fecula.
Fa"ër*y (?), n. & a.
Fairy. [Archaic] Spenser.
Faf"fle (?), v. i. [Cf. Famble,
Maffle.] To stammer. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Fag (făg) n. A knot or
coarse part in cloth. [Obs.]
Fag, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fagged (făgd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fagging (făg"g&ibreve;ng).] [Cf. LG.
fakk wearied, weary, vaak slumber, drowsiness, OFries.
fai, equiv. to fāch devoted to death, OS.
fēgi, OHG. feigi, G. feig, feige,
cowardly, Icel. feigr fated to die, AS. f&aemacr;ge,
Scot. faik, to fail, stop, lower the price; or perh. the same
word as E. flag to droop.] 1. To become
weary; to tire.
[1913 Webster]
Creighton withheld his force till the Italian began to
fag.
G. Mackenzie.
2. To labor to wearness; to work hard; to
drudge.
Read, fag, and subdue this
chapter.
Coleridge.
3. To act as a fag, or perform menial
services or drudgery, for another, as in some English
schools.
To fag out, to become untwisted or frayed,
as the end of a rope, or the edge of canvas.
Fag, v. t. 1. To
tire by labor; to exhaust; as, he was almost fagged
out.
2. Anything that fatigues. [R.]
It is such a fag, I came back tired to
death.
Miss Austen.
Brain fag. (Med.) See
Cerebropathy.
Fag"-end" (?), n. 1.
An end of poorer quality, or in a spoiled condition, as the
coarser end of a web of cloth, the untwisted end of a rope,
ect.
2. The refuse or meaner part of
anything.
The fag-end of business.
Collier.
Fag"ging (făg"g&ibreve;ng), n.
Laborious drudgery; esp., the acting as a drudge for another at
an English school.
Fag"ot (făg"ŭt) n. [F.,
prob. aug. of L. fax, facis, torch, perh. orig., a
bundle of sticks; cf. Gr. fa`kelos bundle, fagot. Cf.
Fagotto.] 1. A bundle of sticks, twigs,
or small branches of trees, used for fuel, for raising batteries,
filling ditches, or other purposes in fortification; a fascine.
Shak.
2. A bundle of pieces of wrought iron to be
worked over into bars or other shapes by rolling or hammering at a
welding heat; a pile.
3. (Mus.) A bassoon. See
Fagotto.
4. A person hired to take the place of
another at the muster of a company. [Eng.] Addison.
5. An old shriveled woman. [Slang,
Eng.]
Fagot iron, iron, in bars or masses,
manufactured from fagots. -- Fagot vote,
the vote of a person who has been constituted a voter by being
made a landholder, for party purposes. [Political cant,
Eng.]
Fag"ot (?) v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fagoted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fagoting.] To make a fagot of; to bind together in a
fagot or bundle; also, to collect promiscuously.
Dryden.
||Fa*got"to (?), n. [It. See
Fagot.] (Mus.) The bassoon; -- so called from
being divided into parts for ease of carriage, making, as it were, a
small fagot.
||Fa"ham (?), n. The leaves of an
orchid (Angraecum fragrans), of the islands of Bourbon and
Mauritius, used (in France) as a substitute for Chinese
tea.
||Fahl"band` (?), n. [G., fr.
fahl dun-colored + band a band.] (Mining) A
stratum in crystalline rock, containing metallic sulphides.
Raymond.
{ Fahl"erz (?), Fahl"band (?), }
n. [G. fahlerz; fahl dun-colored,
fallow + erz ore.] (Min.) Same as
Tetrahedrite.
Fah"lun*ite (fä"lŭn*īt),
n. [From Fahlun, a place in Sweden.]
(Min.) A hydrated silica of alumina, resulting from the
alteration of iolite.
[1913 Webster]
Fah"ren*heit (?) a. [G.]
Conforming to the scale used by Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit
in the graduation of his thermometer; of or relating to Fahrenheit's
thermometric scale. -- n. The Fahrenheit
thermometer or scale.
&fist; The Fahrenheit thermometer is so graduated that the
freezing point of water is at 32 degrees above the zero of its scale,
and the boiling point at 212 degrees above. It is commonly used in
the United States and in England.
||Fa`ï*ence" (?), n. [F., fr.
Faenza, a town in Italy, the original place of manufacture.]
Glazed earthenware; esp., that which is decorated in
color.
Fail (fāl) v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Failed (fāld); p. pr. & vb.
n. Failing.] [F. failir, fr. L.
fallere, falsum, to deceive, akin to E. fall.
See Fail, and cf. Fallacy, False, Fault.]
1. To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become
deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence; to cease to
be furnished in the usual or expected manner, or to be altogether cut
off from supply; to be lacking; as, streams fail; crops
fail.
As the waters fail from the sea.
Job xiv. 11.
Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not
reign.
Shak.
2. To be affected with want; to come short;
to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; -- used with
of.
If ever they fail of beauty, this failure is
not be attributed to their size.
Berke.
3. To fall away; to become diminished; to
decline; to decay; to sink.
When earnestly they seek
Such proof, conclude they then begin to fail.
Milton.
4. To deteriorate in respect to vigor,
activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man
fails.
5. To perish; to die; -- used of a
person. [Obs.]
Had the king in his last sickness
failed.
Shak.
6. To be found wanting with respect to an
action or a duty to be performed, a result to be secured, etc.; to
miss; not to fulfill expectation.
Take heed now that ye fail not to do
this.
Ezra iv. 22.
Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st
pale.
Shak.
7. To come short of a result or object aimed
at or desired ; to be baffled or frusrated.
Our envious foe hath failed.
Milton.
8. To err in judgment; to be
mistaken.
Which ofttimes may succeed, so as perhaps
Shall grieve him, if I fail not.
Milton.
9. To become unable to meet one's
engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge
one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.
Fail (?), v. t. 1.
To be wanting to ; to be insufficient for; to disappoint; to
desert.
There shall not fail thee a man on the
throne.
1 Kings ii. 4.
2. To miss of attaining; to lose.
[R.]
Though that seat of earthly bliss be
failed.
Milton.
Fail, n. [OF. faille, from
failir. See Fail, v. i.]
1. Miscarriage; failure; deficiency; fault; --
mostly superseded by failure or failing, except in the
phrase without fail. "His highness' fail of
issue." Shak.
2. Death; decease. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fail"ance (?), n. [Of.
faillance, fr. faillir.] Fault; failure;
omission. [Obs.] Bp. Fell.
Fail"ing, n. 1. A
failing short; a becoming deficient; failure; deficiency;
imperfection; weakness; lapse; fault; infirmity; as, a mental
failing.
And ever in her mind she cast about
For that unnoticed failing in herself.
Tennyson.
2. The act of becoming insolvent of
bankrupt.
Syn. -- See Fault.
||Faille (?), n. [F.] A soft silk,
heavier than a foulard and not glossy.
Fail"ure (?), n. [From Fail.]
1. Cessation of supply, or total defect; a
failing; deficiency; as, failure of rain; failure of
crops.
2. Omission; nonperformance; as, the
failure to keep a promise.
3. Want of success; the state of having
failed.
4. Decay, or defect from decay;
deterioration; as, the failure of memory or of
sight.
5. A becoming insolvent; bankruptcy;
suspension of payment; as, failure in business.
6. A failing; a slight fault. [Obs.]
Johnson.
Fain (?), a. [OE. fain,
fagen, AS. fægen; akin to OS. fagan, Icel.
faginn glad; AS. fægnian to rejoice, OS.
faganōn, Icel. fagna, Goth. faginōn,
cf. Goth. fahēds joy; and fr. the same root as E.
fair. Srr Fair, a., and cf.
Fawn to court favor.] 1. Well-pleased;
glad; apt; wont; fond; inclined.
Men and birds are fain of climbing
high.
Shak.
To a busy man, temptation is fainto climb up
together with his business.
Jer. Taylor.
2. Satisfied; contented; also,
constrained. Shak.
The learned Castalio was fain to make trechers
at Basle to keep himself from starving.
Locke.
Fain, adv. With joy; gladly; --
with wold.
He would fain have filled his belly with the
husks that the swine did eat.
Luke xv. 16.
Fain Would I woo her, yet I dare
not.
Shak.
Fain, v. t. & i. To be glad ; to
wish or desire. [Obs.]
Whoso fair thing does fain to see.
Spencer.
||Fai`né`ant" (f&asl;`n&asl;`äN"),
a. [F.; fait he does + néant
nothing.] Doing nothing; shiftless. --
n. A do-nothing; an idle fellow; a
sluggard. Sir W. Scott.
Faint (fānt), a.
[Compar. Fainter (-&etilde;r);
superl. Faintest.] [OE. feint,
faint, false, faint, F. feint, p. p. of feindre
to feign, suppose, hesitate. See Feign, and cf. Feint.]
1. Lacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to
swoon; as, faint with fatigue, hunger, or thirst.
2. Wanting in courage, spirit, or energy;
timorous; cowardly; dejected; depressed; as, "Faint heart
ne'er won fair lady." Old Proverb.
3. Lacking distinctness; hardly perceptible;
striking the senses feebly; not bright, or loud, or sharp, or
forcible; weak; as, a faint color, or sound.
4. Performed, done, or acted, in a weak or
feeble manner; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy; slight; as,
faint efforts; faint resistance.
The faint prosecution of the war.
Sir J. Davies.
Faint, n. The act of fainting, or
the state of one who has fainted; a swoon. [R.] See Fainting,
n.
The saint,
Who propped the Virgin in her faint.
Sir W.
Scott.
Faint, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fainted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fainting.] 1. To become weak or wanting
in vigor; to grow feeble; to lose strength and color, and the control
of the bodily or mental functions; to swoon; -- sometimes with
away. See Fainting, n.
Hearing the honor intended her, she fainted
away.
Guardian.
If I send them away fasting . . . they will
faint by the way.
Mark viii. 8.
2. To sink into dejection; to lose courage or
spirit; to become depressed or despondent.
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy
strength is small.
Prov. xxiv. 10.
3. To decay; to disappear; to
vanish.
Gilded clouds, while we gaze upon them, faint
before the eye.
Pope.
Faint (?), v. t. To cause to faint
or become dispirited; to depress; to weaken. [Obs.]
It faints me to think what
follows.
Shak.
Faint"-heart`ed (?), a. Wanting in
courage; depressed by fear; easily discouraged or frightened;
cowardly; timorous; dejected.
Fear not, neither be faint-
hearted.
Is. vii. 4.
-- Faint"-heart`ed*ly, adv. --
Faint"-heart`ed*ness, n.
Faint"ing (?), n. Syncope, or loss
of consciousness owing to a sudden arrest of the blood supply to the
brain, the face becoming pallid, the respiration feeble, and the
heat's beat weak.
Fainting fit, a fainting or swoon;
syncope. [Colloq.]
Faint"ish, a. Slightly faint;
somewhat faint. -- Faint"ish*ness,
n.
Faint"ling (?), a. Timorous;
feeble-minded. [Obs.] "A fainting, silly creature."
Arbuthnot.
Faint"ly, adv. In a faint, weak,
or timidmanner.
Faint"ness, n. 1.
The state of being faint; loss of strength, or of consciousness,
and self-control.
2. Want of vigor or energy.
Spenser.
3. Feebleness, as of color or light; lack of
distinctness; as, faintness of description.
4. Faint-heartedness; timorousness;
dejection.
I will send a faintness into their
hearts.
Lev. xxvi. 36.
Faints (?), n. pl. The impure
spirit which comes over first and last in the distillation of whisky;
-- the former being called the strong faints, and the latter,
which is much more abundant, the weak faints. This crude
spirit is much impregnated with fusel oil. Ure.
Faint"y (?), a. Feeble;
languid. [R.] Dryden.
Fair (fâr), a.
[Compar. Fairer (?);
superl. Fairest.] [OE. fair,
fayer, fager, AS. fæger; akin to OS. &
OHG. fagar, Icel. fagr, Sw. fager, Dan.
faver, Goth. fagrs fit, also to E. fay, G.
fügen, to fit. fegen to sweep, cleanse, and prob.
also to E. fang, peace, pact, Cf. Fang,
Fain, Fay to fit.] 1. Free from
spots, specks, dirt, or imperfection; unblemished; clean;
pure.
A fair white linen cloth.
Book
of Common Prayer.
2. Pleasing to the eye; handsome;
beautiful.
Who can not see many a fair French city, for
one fair French made.
Shak.
3. Without a dark hue; light; clear; as, a
fair skin.
The northern people large and fair-
complexioned.
Sir M. Hale.
4. Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant;
propitious; favorable; -- said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.;
as, a fair sky; a fair day.
You wish fair winds may waft him
over.
Prior.
5. Free from obstacles or hindrances;
unobstructed; unincumbered; open; direct; -- said of a road, passage,
etc.; as, a fair mark; in fair sight; a fair
view.
The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a
fair way to have enlarged.
Sir W.
Raleigh.
6. (Shipbuilding) Without sudden
change of direction or curvature; smooth; flowing; -- said of the
figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other
lines.
7. Characterized by frankness, honesty,
impartiality, or candor; open; upright; free from suspicion or bias;
equitable; just; -- said of persons, character, or conduct; as, a
fair man; fair dealing; a fair statement.
"I would call it fair play." Shak.
8. Pleasing; favorable; inspiring hope and
confidence; -- said of words, promises, etc.
When fair words and good counsel will not
prevail on us, we must be frighted into our duty.
L'
Estrange.
9. Distinct; legible; as, fair
handwriting.
10. Free from any marked characteristic;
average; middling; so-so; as, a fair specimen.
The news is very fair and good, my
lord.
Shak.
Fair ball. (Baseball) (a)
A ball passing over the home base at the height called for by the
batsman, and delivered by the pitcher while wholly within the lines
of his position and facing the batsman. (b)
A batted ball that falls inside the foul lines; -- called also a
fair hit. -- Fair maid.
(Zoöl.) (a) The European pilchard
(Clupea pilchardus) when dried. (b)
The southern scup (Stenotomus Gardeni). [Virginia] --
Fair one, a handsome woman; a beauty, --
Fair play, equitable or impartial treatment; a
fair or equal chance; justice. -- From fair to
middling, passable; tolerable. [Colloq.] --
The fair sex, the female sex.
Syn. -- Candid; open; frank; ingenuous; clear; honest;
equitable; impartial; reasonable. See Candid.
Fair, adv. Clearly; openly;
frankly; civilly; honestly; favorably; auspiciously;
agreeably.
Fair and square, justly; honestly;
equitably; impartially. [Colloq.] -- To bid
fair. See under Bid. -- To speak
fair, to address with courtesy and frankness.
[Archaic]
Fair, n. 1.
Fairness, beauty. [Obs.] Shak.
2. A fair woman; a sweetheart.
I have found out a gift for my
fair.
Shenstone.
3. Good fortune; good luck.
Now fair befall thee !
Shak.
The fair, anything beautiful; women,
collectively. "For slander's mark was ever yet the fair."
Shak.
Fair, v. t. 1. To
make fair or beautiful. [Obs.]
Fairing the foul.
Shak.
2. (Shipbuilding) To make smooth and
flowing, as a vessel's lines.
Fair, n. [OE. feire, OF.
feire, F. foire, fr. L. fariae, pl., days of
rest, holidays, festivals, akin to festus festal. See
Feast.] 1. A gathering of buyers and
sellers, assembled at a particular place with their merchandise at a
stated or regular season, or by special appointment, for
trade.
2. A festival, and sale of fancy articles.
erc., usually for some charitable object; as, a Grand Army
fair.
3. A competitive exhibition of wares, farm
products, etc., not primarily for purposes of sale; as, the
Mechanics' fair; an agricultural fair.
After the fair, Too late. [Colloq.]
Fair"-haired` (?), a. Having fair
or light-colored hair.
Fair"hood (?), n. Fairness;
beauty. [Obs.] Foxe.
Fair"i*ly (?), adv. In the manner
of a fairy.
Numerous as shadows haunting fairily
The brain.
Keats.
Fair"ing, n. A present;
originally, one given or purchased at a fair. Gay.
Fairing box, a box receiving savings or
small sums of money. Hannah More.
Fair"ish, a. Tolerably fair.
[Colloq.] W. D. Howells.
Fair"-lead`er (?), n. (Naut.)
A block, or ring, serving as a guide for the running rigging or
for any rope.
Fair"ly, adv. 1.
In a fair manner; clearly; openly; plainly; fully; distinctly;
frankly.
Even the nature of Mr. Dimmesdale's disease had never
fairly been revealed to him.
Hawthorne.
2. Favorably; auspiciously; commodiously; as,
a town fairly situated for foreign trade.
3. Honestly; properly.
Such means of comfort or even luxury, as lay
fairly within their grasp.
Hawthorne.
4. Softly; quietly; gently. [Obs.]
Milton.
Fair"-mind`ed (?), a.
Unprejudiced; just; judicial; honest. -- Fair"-
mind`ed*ness, n.
Fair"-na`tured (?), a. Well-
disposed. "A fair-natured prince." Ford.
Fair"ness, n. The state of being
fair, or free form spots or stains, as of the skin; honesty, as of
dealing; candor, as of an argument, etc.
Fair"-spo`ken (?), a. Using fair
speech, or uttered with fairness; bland; civil; courteous;
plausible. "A marvelous fair-spoken man."
Hooker.
Fair"way` (?), n. The navigable
part of a river, bay, etc., through which vessels enter or depart;
the part of a harbor or channel ehich is kept open and unobstructed
for the passage of vessels. Totten.
Fair"-weath`er (?), a.
1. Made or done in pleasant weather, or in
circumstances involving but little exposure or sacrifice; as, a
fair-weather voyage. Pope.
2. Appearing only when times or circumstances
are prosperous; as, a fair-weather friend.
Fair-weather sailor, a make-believe or
inexperienced sailor; -- the nautical equivalent of carpet
knight.
Fair"-world` (?) n. State of
prosperity. [Obs.]
They think it was never fair-world with them
since.
Milton.
Fair"y (?), n.; pl.
Fairies (#). [OE. fairie, faierie,
enchantment, fairy folk, fairy, OF. faerie enchantment, F.
féer, fr. LL. Fata one of the goddesses of fate.
See Fate, and cf. Fay a fairy.] [Written also
faëry.] 1. Enchantment;
illusion. [Obs.] Chaucer.
The God of her has made an end,
And fro this worlde's fairy
Hath taken her into company.
Gower.
2. The country of the fays; land of
illusions. [Obs.]
He [Arthur] is a king y-crowned in
Fairy.
Lydgate.
3. An imaginary supernatural being or spirit,
supposed to assume a human form (usually diminutive), either male or
female, and to meddle for good or evil in the affairs of mankind; a
fay. See Elf, and Demon.
The fourth kind of spirit [is] called the
Fairy.
K. James.
And now about the caldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring.
Shak.
5. An enchantress. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fairy of the mine, an imaginary being
supposed to inhabit mines, etc. German folklore tells of two species;
one fierce and malevolent, the other gentle, See
Kobold.
No goblin or swart fairy of the mine
Hath hurtful power over true virginity.
Milton.
Fair"y, a. 1. Of
or pertaining to fairies.
2. Given by fairies; as, fairy
money. Dryden.
Fairy bird (Zoöl.), the
Euoropean little tern (Sterna minuta); -- called also sea
swallow, and hooded tern. -- Fairy
bluebird. (Zoöl.) See under
Bluebird. -- Fairy martin
(Zoöl.), a European swallow (Hirrundo ariel)
that builds flask-shaped nests of mud on overhanging cliffs. --
Fairy rings or circles, the
circles formed in grassy lawns by certain fungi (as Marasmius
Oreades), formerly supposed to be caused by fairies in their
midnight dances. -- Fairy shrimp
(Zoöl.), a European fresh-water phyllopod crustacean
(Chirocephalus diaphanus); -- so called from its delicate
colors, transparency, and graceful motions. The name is sometimes
applied to similar American species. -- Fairy
stone (Paleon.), an echinite.
Fair"y*land` (?) n. The imaginary
land or abode of fairies.
Fair"y*like` (?), a. Resembling a
fairy, or what is made or done be fairies; as, fairylike
music.
Faith (fāth), n. [OE.
feith, fayth, fay, OF. feid, feit,
fei, F. foi, fr. L. fides; akin to fidere
to trust, Gr. pei`qein to persuade. The ending th
is perhaps due to the influence of such words as truth,
health, wealth. See Bid, Bide, and cf.
Confide, Defy, Fealty.] 1.
Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared
by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and
veracity; reliance on testimony.
2. The assent of the mind to the statement or
proposition of another, on the ground of the manifest truth of what
he utters; firm and earnest belief, on probable evidence of any kind,
especially in regard to important moral truth.
Faith, that is, fidelity, -- the fealty of the
finite will and understanding to the reason.
Coleridge.
3. (Theol.) (a) The
belief in the historic truthfulness of the Scripture narrative, and
the supernatural origin of its teachings, sometimes called
historical and speculative faith.
(b) The belief in the facts and truth of the
Scriptures, with a practical love of them; especially, that confiding
and affectionate belief in the person and work of Christ, which
affects the character and life, and makes a man a true Christian, --
called a practical, evangelical, or saving
faith.
Without faith it is impossible to please him
[God].
Heb. xi. 6.
The faith of the gospel is that emotion of the
mind which is called "trust" or "confidence" exercised toward the
moral character of God, and particularly of the Savior.
Dr. T. Dwight.
Faith is an affectionate, practical confidence
in the testimony of God.
J. Hawes.
4. That which is believed on any subject,
whether in science, politics, or religion; especially
(Theol.), a system of religious belief of any kind; as, the
Jewish or Mohammedan faith; and especially, the system of
truth taught by Christ; as, the Christian faith; also, the
creed or belief of a Christian society or church.
Which to believe of her,
Must be a faith that reason without miracle
Could never plant in me.
Shak.
Now preacheth the faith which once he
destroyed.
Gal. i. 23.
5. Fidelity to one's promises, or allegiance
to duty, or to a person honored and beloved; loyalty.
Children in whom is no faith.
Deut. xxvii. 20.
Whose failing, while her faith to me
remains,
I should conceal.
Milton.
6. Word or honor pledged; promise given;
fidelity; as, he violated his faith.
For you alone
I broke me faith with injured Palamon.
Dryden.
7. Credibility or truth. [R.]
The faith of the foregoing
narrative.
Mitford.
Act of faith. See Auto-da-
fé. -- Breach of faith,
Confession of faith, etc. See under
Breach, Confession, etc. -- Faith
cure, a method or practice of treating diseases by
prayer and the exercise of faith in God. -- In good
faith, with perfect sincerity.
Faith (?), interj. By my faith; in
truth; verily.
Faithed (?), a. Having faith or a
faith; honest; sincere. [Obs.] "Make thy words faithed."
Shak.
Faith"ful (?), a. 1.
Full of faith, or having faith; disposed to believe, especially
in the declarations and promises of God.
You are not faithful, sir.
B.
Jonson.
2. Firm in adherence to promises, oaths,
contracts, treaties, or other engagements.
The faithful God, which keepeth covenant and
mercy with them that love him.
Deut. vii. 9.
3. True and constant in affection or
allegiance to a person to whom one is bound by a vow, by ties of
love, gratitude, or honor, as to a husband, a prince, a friend; firm
in the observance of duty; loyal; of true fidelity; as, a
faithful husband or servant.
So spake the seraph Abdiel, faithful found,
Among the faithless, faithful only he.
Milton.
4. Worthy of confidence and belief;
conformable to truth ot fact; exact; accurate; as, a faithful
narrative or representation.
It is a faithful saying.
2 Tim.
ii. 11.
The Faithful, the adherents of any system of
religious belief; esp. used as an epithet of the followers of
Mohammed.
Syn. -- Trusty; honest; upright; sincere; veracious;
trustworthy.
-- Faith"ful*ly, adv. -
Faith"ful*ness, n.
Faith"less, a. 1.
Not believing; not giving credit.
Be not faithless, but believing.
John xx. 27.
2. Not believing on God or religion;
specifically, not believing in the Christian religion.
Shak.
3. Not observant of promises or
covenants.
4. Not true to allegiance, duty, or vows;
perfidious; trecherous; disloyal; not of true fidelity; inconstant,
as a husband or a wife.
A most unnatural and faithless
service.
Shak.
5. Serving to disappoint or deceive;
delusive; unsatisfying. "Yonder faithless phantom."
Goldsmith.
-- Faith"less*ly,
adv.Faith"less*ness,
n.
Fai"tour (?), n. [OF. faitor a
doer, L. factor. See Factor.] A doer or actor;
particularly, an evil doer; a scoundrel. [Obs.]
Lo! faitour, there thy meed unto thee
take.
Spenser.
Fake (?), n. [Cf. Scot. faik
fold, stratum of stone, AS. fæc space, interval, G.
fach compartment, partition, row, and E. fay to fit.]
(Naut.) One of the circles or windings of a cable or
hawser, as it lies in a coil; a single turn or coil.
Fake, v. t. (Naut.) To coil
(a rope, line, or hawser), by winding alternately in opposite
directions, in layers usually of zigzag or figure of eight form,, to
prevent twisting when running out.
Faking box, a box in which a long rope is
faked; used in the life-saving service for a line attached to a
shot.
Fake, v. t. [Cf. Gael. faigh to
get, acquire, reach, or OD. facken to catch or gripe.]
[Slang in all its senses.] 1. To cheat;
to swindle; to steal; to rob.
2. To make; to construct; to do.
3. To manipulate fraudulently, so as to make
an object appear better or other than it really is; as, to
fake a bulldog, by burning his upper lip and thus artificially
shortening it.
Fake, n. A trick; a swindle.
[Slang]
Fa"kir (?), n. [Ar. faqīr
poor.] An Oriental religious ascetic or begging monk.
[Written also faquir anf fakeer.]
||Fa"la*na"ka (?), n. [Native name.]
(Zoöl.) A viverrine mammal of Madagascar
(Eupleres Goudotii), allied to the civet; -- called also
Falanouc.
Fal*cade" (făl*kād"), n.
[F., ultimately fr. L. falx, falcis, a sickle or
scythe.] (Man.) The action of a horse, when he throws
himself on his haunches two or three times, bending himself, as it
were, in very quick curvets. Harris.
{ Fal"cate (?), Fal"ca*ted (?), }
a. [L. falcatus, fr. falx,
falcis, a sickle or scythe.] Hooked or bent like a
sickle; as, a falcate leaf; a falcate claw; -- said
also of the moon, or a planet, when horned or crescent-
formed.
Fal*ca"tion (?), n. The state of
being falcate; a bend in the form of a sickle. Sir T.
Browne.
Fal"cer (?), n. [From L. falx,
falcis, a sickle.] (Zoöl.) One of the
mandibles of a spider.
Fal"chion (?), n. [OE. fauchon,
OF. fauchon, LL. fälcio, fr. L. falx,
falcis, a sickle, cf. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; a ship's rib,
&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; bandy-legged; perh, akin to E. falcon; cf.
It. falcione. Cf. Defalcation.] 1.
A broad-bladed sword, slightly curved, shorter and lighter than
the ordinary sword; -- used in the Middle Ages.
2. A name given generally and poetically to a
sword, especially to the swords of Oriental and fabled
warriors.
Fal*cid"i*an (?), a. [L.
Falcidius.] Of or pertaining to Publius Falcidius, a
Roman tribune.
Falcidian law (Civil Law), a law by
which a testator was obliged to leave at least a fourth of his estate
to the heir. Burrill.
Fal"ci*form (?), a. [L. falx,
falcis, a sickle + -form: cf. F. falciforme.]
Having the shape of a scithe or sickle; resembling a reaping
hook; as, the falciform ligatment of the liver.
Fal"con (?), n. [OE. faucon,
faucoun, OF. faucon, falcon, &?;. faucon,
fr. LL. falco, perh. from L. falx, falcis, a sickle or
scythe, and named from its curving talons. Cf. Falchion.]
1. (Zoöl.) (a) One
of a family (Falconidæ) of raptorial birds,
characterized by a short, hooked beak, strong claws, and powerful
flight. (b) Any species of the genus
Falco, distinguished by having a toothlike lobe on the upper
mandible; especially, one of this genus trained to the pursuit of
other birds, or game.
In the language of falconry, the female peregrine
(Falco peregrinus) is exclusively called the
falcon.
Yarrell.
2. (Gun.) An ancient form of
cannon.
Chanting falcon. (Zoöl.) See
under Chanting.
Fal"con*er (?), n. [OE.
fauconer, OF. falconier, fauconier, F.
fauconnier. See Falcon.] A person who breeds or
trains hawks for taking birds or game; one who follows the sport of
fowling with hawks. Johnson.
Fal"co*net (?), n. [Dim. of
falcon: cf. F. fauconneau, LL. falconeta,
properly, a young falcon.] 1. One of the smaller
cannon used in the 15th century and later.
2. (Zoöl.) (a)
One of several very small Asiatic falcons of the genus
Microhierax. (b) One of a group of
Australian birds of the genus Falcunculus, resembling shrikes
and titmice.
Fal"con*gen`til (?), n. [F. faucon-
gentil. See Falcon, and Genteel.]
(Zoöl.) The female or young of the goshawk (Astur
palumbarius).
Fal"co*nine (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Like a falcon or hawk; belonging to the
Falconidæ
Fal"con*ry (?), n. [Cf. F.
fauconnerie. See Falcon.] 1. The
art of training falcons or hawks to pursue and attack wild fowl or
game.
2. The sport of taking wild fowl or game by
means of falcons or hawks.
||Fal"cu*la (?), n. [L., a small
sickle, a billhook.] (Zoöl.) A curved and sharp-
pointed claw.
Fal"cu*late (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Curved and sharppointed, like a falcula, or claw of a
falcon.
Fald"age (?), n. [LL. faldagium,
fr. AS. fald, E. fold. Cf. Foldage.] (O.
Eng. Law) A privilege of setting up, and moving about, folds
for sheep, in any fields within manors, in order to manure them; --
often reserved to himself by the lord of the manor.
Spelman.
Fald"fee` (?), n. [AS. fald (E.
fold) + E. fee. See Faldage.] (O. Eng.
Law) A fee or rent paid by a tenant for the privilege of
faldage on his own ground. Blount.
Fald"ing, n. A frieze or rough-
napped cloth. [Obs.]
Fal"dis*to*ry (?), n. [LL.
faldistorium, faldestorium, from OHG. faldstuol;
faldan, faltan, to fold (G. falten) +
stuol stool. So called because it could be folded or laid
together. See Fold, and Stool, and cf.
Faldstool, Fauteuil.] The throne or seat of a
bishop within the chancel. [Obs.]
Fald"stool` (?), n. [See
Faldistory.] A folding stool, or portable seat, made to
fold up in the manner of a camo stool. It was formerly placed in the
choir for a bishop, when he offciated in any but his own cathedral
church. Fairholt.
&fist; In the modern practice of the Church of England, the term
faldstool is given to the reading desk from which the litany
is read. This esage is a relic of the ancient use of a lectern
folding like a camp stool.
Fa*ler"ni*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Mount Falernus, in Italy; as,
Falernianwine.
Falk (f&add;k), n. (Zoöl.)
The razorbill. [Written also falc, and
faik.] [Prov. Eng.]
Fall (f&add;l), v. i.
[imp. Fell (f&ebreve;l); p.
p. Fallen (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Falling.] [AS. feallan; akin to D. vallen, OS. &
OHG. fallan, G. fallen, Icel. Falla, Sw.
falla, Dan. falde, Lith. pulti, L.
fallere to deceive, Gr. sfa`llein to cause to fall,
Skr. sphal, sphul, to tremble. Cf. Fail,
Fell, v. t., to cause to fall.]
1. To Descend, either suddenly or gradually;
particularly, to descend by the force of gravity; to drop; to sink;
as, the apple falls; the tide falls; the mercury
falls in the barometer.
I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven.
Luke x. 18.
2. To cease to be erect; to take suddenly a
recumbent posture; to become prostrate; to drop; as, a child totters
and falls; a tree falls; a worshiper falls on
his knees.
I fell at his feet to worship him.
Rev. xix. 10.
3. To find a final outlet; to discharge its
waters; to empty; -- with into; as, the river Rhone
falls into the Mediterranean.
4. To become prostrate and dead; to die;
especially, to die by violence, as in battle.
A thousand shall fall at thy side.
Ps. xci. 7.
He rushed into the field, and, foremost fighting,
fell.
Byron.
5. To cease to be active or strong; to die
away; to lose strength; to subside; to become less intense; as, the
wind falls.
6. To issue forth into life; to be brought
forth; -- said of the young of certain animals.
Shak.
7. To decline in power, glory, wealth, or
importance; to become insignificant; to lose rank or position; to
decline in weight, value, price etc.; to become less; as, the price
falls; stocks fell two points.
I am a poor fallen man, unworthy now
To be thy lord and master.
Shak.
The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly
fell and vanished.
Sir J. Davies.
8. To be overthrown or captured; to be
destroyed.
Heaven and earth will witness,
If Rome must fall, that we are innocent.
Addison.
9. To descend in character or reputation; to
become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin; to depart from the
faith; to apostatize; to sin.
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest
any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb. iv. 11.
10. To become insnared or embarrassed; to be
entrapped; to be worse off than before; as, to fall into
error; to fall into difficulties.
11. To assume a look of shame or
disappointment; to become or appear dejected; -- said of the
countenance.
Cain was very wroth, and his countenance
fell.
Gen. iv. 5.
I have observed of late thy looks are
fallen.
Addison.
12. To sink; to languish; to become feeble or
faint; as, our spirits rise and fall with our
fortunes.
13. To pass somewhat suddenly, and passively,
into a new state of body or mind; to become; as, to fall
asleep; to fall into a passion; to fall in love; to
fall into temptation.
14. To happen; to to come to pass; to light;
to befall; to issue; to terminate.
The Romans fell on this model by
chance.
Swift.
Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter
will fall.
Ruth. iii. 18.
They do not make laws, they fall into
customs.
H. Spencer.
15. To come; to occur; to arrive.
The vernal equinox, which at the Nicene Council
fell on the 21st of March, falls now [1694] about ten
days sooner.
Holder.
16. To begin with haste, ardor, or vehemence;
to rush or hurry; as, they fell to blows.
They now no longer doubted, but fell to work
heart and soul.
Jowett (Thucyd. ).
17. To pass or be transferred by chance, lot,
distribution, inheritance, or otherwise; as, the estate fell
to his brother; the kingdom fell into the hands of his
rivals.
18. To belong or appertain.
If to her share some female errors fall,
Look on her face, and you'll forget them all.
Pope.
19. To be dropped or uttered carelessly; as,
an unguarded expression fell from his lips; not a murmur
fell from him.
To fall abroad of (Naut.), to strike
against; -- applied to one vessel coming into collision with
another. -- To fall among, to come among
accidentally or unexpectedly. -- To fall
astern (Naut.), to move or be driven backward;
to be left behind; as, a ship falls astern by the force of a
current, or when outsailed by another. -- To fall
away. (a) To lose flesh; to become lean
or emaciated; to pine. (b) To renounce or
desert allegiance; to revolt or rebel. (c)
To renounce or desert the faith; to apostatize. "These . . .
for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away."
Luke viii. 13. (d) To perish; to vanish;
to be lost. "How . . . can the soul . . . fall away into
nothing?" Addison. (e) To decline
gradually; to fade; to languish, or become faint. "One color
falls away by just degrees, and another rises insensibly."
Addison. -- To fall back.
(a) To recede or retreat; to give way.
(b) To fail of performing a promise or purpose;
not to fulfill. -- To fall back upon.
(a) (Mil.) To retreat for safety to (a
stronger position in the rear, as to a fort or a supporting body of
troops). (b) To have recourse to (a reserved
fund, or some available expedient or support). -- To
fall calm, to cease to blow; to become calm. --
To fall down. (a) To prostrate
one's self in worship. "All kings shall fall down before
him." Ps. lxxii. 11. (b) To sink; to come
to the ground. "Down fell the beauteous youth."
Dryden. (c) To bend or bow, as a
suppliant. (d) (Naut.) To sail or
drift toward the mouth of a river or other outlet. -- To
fall flat, to produce no response or result; to fail of
the intended effect; as, his speech fell flat. --
To fall foul of. (a) (Naut.)
To have a collision with; to become entangled with
(b) To attack; to make an assault upon. --
To fall from, to recede or depart from; not to
adhere to; as, to fall from an agreement or engagement; to
fall from allegiance or duty. -- To fall from
grace (M. E. Ch.), to sin; to withdraw from the
faith. -- To fall home (Ship Carp.),
to curve inward; -- said of the timbers or upper parts of a
ship's side which are much within a perpendicular. -- To
fall in. (a) To sink inwards; as, the
roof fell in. (b) (Mil.) To
take one's proper or assigned place in line; as, to fall in on
the right. (c) To come to an end; to
terminate; to lapse; as, on the death of Mr. B., the annuuity, which
he had so long received, fell in. (d)
To become operative. "The reversion, to which he had been
nominated twenty years before, fell in." Macaulay. --
To fall into one's hands, to pass, often
suddenly or unexpectedly, into one's ownership or control; as, to
spike cannon when they are likely to fall into the hands of
the enemy. -- To fall in with.
(a) To meet with accidentally; as, to fall in
with a friend. (b) (Naut.) To
meet, as a ship; also, to discover or come near, as land.
(c) To concur with; to agree with; as, the
measure falls in with popular opinion.
(d) To comply; to yield to. "You will find
it difficult to persuade learned men to fall in with your
projects." Addison. -- To fall off.
(a) To drop; as, fruits fall off when
ripe. (b) To withdraw; to separate; to
become detached; as, friends fall off in adversity. "Love
cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide." Shak.
(c) To perish; to die away; as, words fall
off by disuse. (d) To apostatize; to
forsake; to withdraw from the faith, or from allegiance or
duty.
Those captive tribes . . . fell off
From God to worship calves.
Milton.
(e) To forsake; to abandon; as, his customers
fell off. (f) To depreciate; to
change for the worse; to deteriorate; to become less valuable,
abundant, or interesting; as, a falling off in the wheat crop;
the magazine or the review falls off. "O Hamlet, what a
falling off was there!" Shak. (g)
(Naut.) To deviate or trend to the leeward of the point to
which the head of the ship was before directed; to fall to
leeward. --
To fall on. (a)
To meet with; to light upon; as, we have fallen on evil
days. (b) To begin suddenly and
eagerly. "Fall on, and try the appetite to eat."
Dryden. (c) To begin an attack; to
assault; to assail. "Fall on, fall on, and hear
him not." Dryden. (d) To drop on; to
descend on. -- To fall out.
(a) To quarrel; to begin to contend.
A soul exasperated in ills falls out
With everything, its friend, itself.
Addison.
(b) To happen; to befall; to chance.
"There fell out a bloody quarrel betwixt the frogs and the
mice." L'Estrange. (c) (Mil.) To
leave the ranks, as a soldier. --
To fall
over. (a) To revolt; to desert from one
side to another. (b) To fall beyond.
Shak. -- To fall short, to be deficient;
as, the corn falls short; they all fall short in
duty. -- To fall through, to come to
nothing; to fail; as, the engageent has fallen through. -
- To fall to, to begin. "Fall to,
with eager joy, on homely food." Dryden. -- To fall
under. (a) To come under, or within the
limits of; to be subjected to; as, they fell under the
jurisdiction of the emperor. (b) To come
under; to become the subject of; as, this point did not fall
under the cognizance or deliberations of the court; these things
do not fall under human sight or observation.
(c) To come within; to be ranged or reckoned
with; to be subordinate to in the way of classification; as, these
substances fall under a different class or order. --
To fall upon. (a) To
attack. [See To fall on.] (b) To
attempt; to have recourse to. "I do not intend to fall
upon nice disquisitions." Holder. (c)
To rush against.
&fist; Fall primarily denotes descending motion, either in
a perpendicular or inclined direction, and, in most of its
applications, implies, literally or figuratively,
velocity, haste, suddenness, or violence. Its use is so various, and
so mush diversified by modifying words, that it is not easy to
enumerate its senses in all its applications.
Fall (?), v. t. 1.
To let fall; to drop. [Obs.]
For every tear he falls, a Trojan
bleeds.
Shak.
2. To sink; to depress; as, to fall
the voice. [Obs.]
3. To diminish; to lessen or lower.
[Obs.]
Upon lessening interest to four per cent, you
fall the price of your native commodities.
Locke.
4. To bring forth; as, to fall
lambs. [R.] Shak.
5. To fell; to cut down; as, to fall a
tree. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.]
Fall, n. 1. The
act of falling; a dropping or descending be the force of gravity;
descent; as, a fall from a horse, or from the yard of
ship.
2. The act of dropping or tumbling from an
erect posture; as, he was walking on ice, and had a
fall.
3. Death; destruction; overthrow;
ruin.
They thy fall conspire.
Denham.
Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit
before a fall.
Prov. xvi. 18.
4. Downfall; degradation; loss of greatness
or office; termination of greatness, power, or dominion; ruin;
overthrow; as, the fall of the Roman empire.
Beholds thee glorious only in thy
fall.
Pope.
5. The surrender of a besieged fortress or
town ; as, the fall of Sebastopol.
6. Diminution or decrease in price or value;
depreciation; as, the fall of prices; the fall of
rents.
7. A sinking of tone; cadence; as, the
fall of the voice at the close of a sentence.
8. Declivity; the descent of land or a hill;
a slope.
9. Descent of water; a cascade; a cataract; a
rush of water down a precipice or steep; -- usually in the plural,
sometimes in the singular; as, the falls of Niagara.
10. The discharge of a river or current of
water into the ocean, or into a lake or pond; as, the fall of
the Po into the Gulf of Venice. Addison.
11. Extent of descent; the distance which
anything falls; as, the water of a stream has a fall of five
feet.
12. The season when leaves fall from trees;
autumn.
What crowds of patients the town doctor kills,
Or how, last fall, he raised the weekly bills.
Dryden.
13. That which falls; a falling; as, a
fall of rain; a heavy fall of snow.
14. The act of felling or cutting down.
"The fall of timber." Johnson.
15. Lapse or declension from innocence or
goodness. Specifically: The first apostasy; the act of our first
parents in eating the forbidden fruit; also, the apostasy of the
rebellious angels.
16. Formerly, a kind of ruff or band for the
neck; a falling band; a faule. B. Jonson.
17. That part (as one of the ropes) of a
tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.
Fall herring (Zoöl.), a herring
of the Atlantic (Clupea mediocris); -- also called tailor
herring, and hickory shad. -- To try a
fall, to try a bout at wrestling. Shak.
Fal*la"cious (?), a. [L.
fallaciosus, fr. fallacia: cf. F. fallacieux.
See Fallacy.] Embodying or pertaining to a fallacy;
illogical; fitted to deceive; misleading; delusive; as,
fallacious arguments or reasoning. --
Fal*la"cious*ly, adv. -
Fal*la"cious*ness, n.
Fal"la*cy (făl"l&adot;*s&ybreve;),
n.; pl. Fallacies (-
s&ibreve;z). [OE. fallace, fallas, deception, F.
fallace, fr. L. fallacia, fr. fallax deceitful,
deceptive, fr. fallere to deceive. See Fail.]
1. Deceptive or false appearance; deceitfulness;
that which misleads the eye or the mind; deception.
Winning by conquest what the first man lost,
By fallacy surprised.
Milton.
2. (Logic) An argument, or apparent
argument, which professes to be decisive of the matter at issue,
while in reality it is not; a sophism.
Syn. -- Deception; deceit; mistake. -- Fallacy,
Sophistry. A fallacy is an argument which professes to
be decisive, but in reality is not; sophistry is also false
reasoning, but of so specious and subtle a kind as to render it
difficult to expose its fallacy. Many fallacies are
obvious, but the evil of sophistry lies in its consummate art.
"Men are apt to suffer their minds to be misled by fallacies
which gratify their passions. Many persons have obscured and
confounded the nature of things by their wretched sophistry;
though an act be never so sinful, they will strip it of its guilt."
South.
Fal"-lals` (?), n. pl. Gay
ornaments; frippery; gewgaws. [Colloq.] Thackeray.
Fal"lax (?), n. [L. fallax
deceptive. See Fallacy.] Cavillation; a caviling.
[Obs.] Cranmer.
Fall"en (?), a. Dropped;
prostrate; degraded; ruined; decreased; dead.
Some ruined temple or fallen
monument.
Rogers.
Fal"len*cy (?), n. [LL.
fallentia, L. fallens p. pr of fallere.] An
exception. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.
Fall"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, falls.
2. (Mach.) A part which acts by
falling, as a stamp in a fulling mill, or the device in a spinning
machine to arrest motion when a thread breaks.
Fall"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A fresh-water fish of the United States (Semotilus
bullaris); -- called also silver chub, and Shiner.
The name is also applied to other allied species.
Fal`li*bil"i*ty (?), n. The state
of being fallible; liability to deceive or to be deceived; as, the
fallibity of an argument or of an adviser.
Fal"li*ble (?), a. [LL.
fallibilis, fr. L. fallere to deceive: cf. F.
faillible. See Fail.] Liable to fail, mistake, or
err; liable to deceive or to be deceived; as, all men are
fallible; our opinions and hopes are
fallible.
Fal"li*bly, adv. In a fallible
manner.
Fall"ing (?), a. & n. from
Fall, v. i.
Falling away, Falling off,
etc. See To fall away, To fall off, etc., under
Fall, v. i. -- Falling
band, the plain, broad, linen collar turning down over
the doublet, worn in the early part of the 17th century. --
Falling sickness (Med.), epilepsy.
Shak. -- Falling star. (Astron.)
See Shooting star. -- Falling
stone, a stone falling through the atmosphere; a
meteorite; an aërolite. -- Falling tide,
the ebb tide. -- Falling weather, a
rainy season. [Colloq.] Bartlett.
Fal*lo"pi*an (?), a. [From
Fallopius, or Fallopio, a physician of Modena, who died
in 1562.] (Anat.) Pertaining to, or discovered by,
Fallopius; as, the Fallopian tubes or oviducts, the ducts or
canals which conduct the ova from the ovaries to the
uterus.
Fal"low (?), a. [AS. fealu,
fealo, pale yellow or red; akin to D. vaal fallow,
faded, OHG. falo, G. falb, fahl, Icel.
fölr, and prob. to Lith. palvas, OSlav.
plavŭ white, L. pallidus pale, pallere to
be pale, Gr. polio`s gray, Skr. palita. Cf.
Pale, Favel, a., Favor.]
1. Pale red or pale yellow; as, a fallow
deer or greyhound. Shak.
2. [Cf. Fallow, n.]
Left untilled or unsowed after plowing; uncultivated; as,
fallow ground.
Fallow chat, Fallow finch
(Zoöl.), a small European bird, the wheatear
(Saxicola œnanthe). See Wheatear.
Fal"low, n. [So called from the
fallow, or somewhat yellow, color of naked ground; or perh.
akin to E. felly, n., cf. MHG. valgen
to plow up, OHG. felga felly, harrow.] 1.
Plowed land. [Obs.]
Who . . . pricketh his blind horse over the
fallows.
Chaucer.
2. Land that has lain a year or more untilled
or unseeded; land plowed without being sowed for the
season.
The plowing of fallows is a benefit to
land.
Mortimer.
3. The plowing or tilling of land, without
sowing it for a season; as, summer fallow, properly conducted,
has ever been found a sure method of destroying weeds.
Be a complete summer fallow, land is rendered
tender and mellow. The fallow gives it a better tilth than can
be given by a fallow crop.
Sinclair.
Fallow crop, the crop taken from a green
fallow. [Eng.] -- Green fallow, fallow
whereby land is rendered mellow and clean from weeds, by cultivating
some green crop, as turnips, potatoes, etc. [Eng.]
Fal"low (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fallowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fallowing.] [From Fallow, n.] To
plow, harrow, and break up, as land, without seeding, for the purpose
of destroying weeds and insects, and rendering it mellow; as, it is
profitable to fallow cold, strong, clayey land.
Fal"low deer` (?). [So called from its fallow or
pale yellow color.] (Zoöl.) A European species of
deer (Cervus dama), much smaller than the red deer. In summer
both sexes are spotted with white. It is common in England, where it
is often domesticated in the parks.
Fal"low*ist (?), n. One who favors
the practice of fallowing land. [R.] Sinclair.
Fal"low*ness, n. A well or
opening, through the successive floors of a warehouse or manufactory,
through which goods are raised or lowered. [U.S.]
Bartlett.
Fal"sa*ry (?), n. [L. falsarius,
fr. falsus. See False, a.] A
falsifier of evidence. [Obs.] Sheldon.
False (?), a.
[Compar. Falser (?);
superl. Falsest.] [L. falsus, p. p.
of fallere to deceive; cf. OF. faus, fals, F.
faux, and AS. fals fraud. See Fail,
Fall.] 1. Uttering falsehood;
unveracious; given to deceit; dishnest; as, a false
witness.
2. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations,
allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous; perfidious; as, a
false friend, lover, or subject; false to
promises.
I to myself was false, ere thou to
me.
Milton.
3. Not according with truth or reality; not
true; fitted or likely to deceive or disappoint; as, a false
statement.
4. Not genuine or real; assumed or designed
to deceive; counterfeit; hypocritical; as, false tears;
false modesty; false colors; false
jewelry.
False face must hide what the false heart doth
know.
Shak.
5. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy;
erroneous; as, a false claim; a false conclusion; a
false construction in grammar.
Whose false foundation waves have swept
away.
Spenser.
6. Not essential or permanent, as parts of a
structure which are temporary or supplemental.
7. (Mus.) Not in tune.
False arch (Arch.), a member having
the appearance of an arch, though not of arch construction. --
False attic, an architectural erection above
the main cornice, concealing a roof, but not having windows or
inclosing rooms. -- False bearing, any
bearing which is not directly upon a vertical support; thus, the
weight carried by a corbel has a false bearing. --
False cadence, an imperfect or interrupted
cadence. -- False conception (Med.),
an abnormal conception in which a mole, or misshapen fleshy mass,
is produced instead of a properly organized fetus. --
False croup (Med.), a spasmodic
affection of the larynx attended with the symptoms of membranous
croup, but unassociated with the deposit of a fibrinous
membrane. -- False door or
window (Arch.), the representation of a door or
window, inserted to complete a series of doors or windows or to give
symmetry. -- False fire, a combustible
carried by vessels of war, chiefly for signaling, but sometimes
burned for the purpose of deceiving an enemy; also, a light on shore
for decoying a vessel to destruction. -- False
galena. See Blende. -- False
imprisonment (Law), the arrest and imprisonment
of a person without warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or the
unlawful detaining of a person in custody. -- False
keel (Naut.), the timber below the main keel,
used to serve both as a protection and to increase the shio's lateral
resistance. -- False key, a picklock.
-- False leg. (Zoöl.) See
Proleg. -- False membrane
(Med.), the fibrinous deposit formed in croup and
diphtheria, and resembling in appearance an animal membrane. --
False papers (Naut.), documents carried
by a ship giving false representations respecting her cargo,
destination, ect., for the purpose of deceiving. --
False passage (Surg.), an unnatural
passage leading off from a natural canal, such as the urethra, and
produced usually by the unskillful introduction of instruments.
-- False personation (Law), the
intentional false assumption of the name and personality of
another. -- False pretenses (Law),
false representations concerning past or present facts and
events, for the purpose of defrauding another. -- False
rail (Naut.), a thin piece of timber placed on
top of the head rail to strengthen it. -- False
relation (Mus.), a progression in harmony, in
which a certain note in a chord appears in the next chord prefixed by
a flat or sharp. -- False return (Law),
an untrue return made to a process by the officer to whom it was
delivered for execution. -- False ribs
(Anat.), the asternal rebs, of which there are five pairs
in man. -- False roof (Arch.), the
space between the upper ceiling and the roof. Oxford
Gloss. -- False token, a false mark or
other symbol, used for fraudulent purposes. -- False
scorpion (Zoöl.), any arachnid of the genus
Chelifer. See Book scorpion. -- False
tack (Naut.), a coming up into the wind and
filling away again on the same tack. -- False
vampire (Zoöl.), the Vampyrus
spectrum of South America, formerly erroneously supposed to have
blood-sucking habits; -- called also vampire, and ghost
vampire. The genuine blood-sucking bats belong to the genera
Desmodus and Diphylla. See Vampire. --
False window. (Arch.) See False
door, above. -- False wing.
(Zoöl.) See Alula, and Bastard wing,
under Bastard. -- False works (Civil
Engin.), construction works to facilitate the erection of the
main work, as scaffolding, bridge centering, etc.
False, adv. Not truly; not
honestly; falsely. "You play me false."
Shak.
False, v. t. [L. falsare to
falsify, fr. falsus: cf. F. fausser. See False,
a.] 1. To report falsely; to
falsify. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To betray; to falsify. [Obs.]
[He] hath his truthe falsed in this
wise.
Chaucer.
3. To mislead by want of truth; to
deceive. [Obs.]
In his falsed fancy.
Spenser.
4. To feign; to pretend to make. [Obs.]
"And falsed oft his blows." Spenser.
False"-faced` (?), a.
Hypocritical. Shak.
False"-heart` (?), a. False-
hearted. Shak.
False"-heart`ed, a. Hollow or
unsound at the core; treacherous; deceitful; perfidious.
Bacon. -- False"-heart`ed*ness, n.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
False"hood (?), n. [False + -
hood] 1. Want of truth or accuracy; an
untrue assertion or representation; error; misrepresentation;
falsity.
Though it be a lie in the clock, it is but a
falsehood in the hand of the dial when pointing at a wrong
hour, if rightly following the direction of the wheel which moveth
it.
Fuller.
2. A deliberate intentional assertion of what
is known to be untrue; a departure from moral integrity; a
lie.
3. Treachery; deceit; perfidy;
unfaithfulness.
Betrayed by falsehood of his
guard.
Shak.
4. A counterfeit; a false appearance; an
imposture.
For his molten image is falsehood.
Jer. x. 14.
No falsehood can endure
Touch of celestial temper.
Milton.
Syn. -- Falsity; lie; untruth; fiction; fabrication. See
Falsity.
False"ly (?), adv. In a false
manner; erroneously; not truly; perfidiously or treacherously.
"O falsely, falsely murdered." Shak.
Oppositions of science, falsely so
called.
1 Tim. vi. 20.
Will ye steal, murder . . . and swear falsely
?
Jer. vii. 9.
False"ness, n. The state of being
false; contrariety to the fact; inaccuracy; want of integrity or
uprightness; double dealing; unfaithfulness; treachery; perfidy; as,
the falseness of a report, a drawing, or a singer's notes; the
falseness of a man, or of his word.
Fals"er (?), n. A deceiver.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Fal*set"to (?), n.; pl.
Falsettos (#). [It. falsetto, dim. fr. L.
falsus. See False.] A false or artificial voice;
that voice in a man which lies above his natural voice; the male
counter tenor or alto voice. See Head voice, under
Voice.
||Fal"si*cri"men (?). [L.] (Civ. Law) The
crime of falsifying.
&fist; This term in the Roman law included not only forgery, but
every species of fraud and deceit. It never has been used in so
extensive a sense in modern common law, in which its predominant
significance is forgery, though it also includes perjury and offenses
of a like character. Burrill. Greenleaf.
Fal"si*fi`a*ble (?), a. [Cf. OF.
falsifiable.] Capable of being falsified, counterfeited,
or corrupted. Johnson.
Fal`si*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
falsification.] 1. The act of falsifying,
or making false; a counterfeiting; the giving to a thing an
appearance of something which it is not.
To counterfeit the living image of king in his person
exceedeth all falsifications.
Bacon.
2. Willful misstatement or
misrepresentation.
Extreme necessity . . . forced him upon this bold and
violent falsification of the doctrine of the
alliance.
Bp. Warburton.
3. (Equity) The showing an item of
charge in an account to be wrong. Story.
Fal"si*fi*ca`tor (?), n. [Cf. F.
falsificateur.] A falsifier. Bp.
Morton.
Fal"si*fi`er (?), n. One who
falsifies, or gives to a thing a deceptive appearance; a
liar.
Fal"si*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Falsified (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Falsifying.] [L. falsus false + -ly: cf. F.
falsifier. See False, a.]
1. To make false; to represent
falsely.
The Irish bards use to forge and falsify
everything as they list, to please or displease any man.
Spenser.
2. To counterfeit; to forge; as, to
falsify coin.
3. To prove to be false, or untrustworthy; to
confute; to disprove; to nullify; to make to appear false.
By how much better than my word I am,
By so much shall I falsify men's hope.
Shak.
Jews and Pagans united all their endeavors, under
Julian the apostate, to baffie and falsify the
prediction.
Addison.
4. To violate; to break by falsehood; as, to
falsify one's faith or word. Sir P. Sidney.
5. To baffle or escape; as, to falsify
a blow. Butler.
6. (Law) To avoid or defeat; to prove
false, as a judgment. Blackstone.
7. (Equity) To show, in accounting,
(an inem of charge inserted in an account) to be wrong.
Story. Daniell.
8. To make false by multilation or addition;
to tamper with; as, to falsify a record or document.
Fal"si*fy, v. i. To tell lies; to
violate the truth.
It is absolutely and universally unlawful to lie and
falsify.
South.
Fals"ism (?), n. That which is
evidently false; an assertion or statement the falsity of which is
plainly apparent; -- opposed to truism.
Fal"si*ty (?), n.;pl.
Falsities (#). [L. falsitas: cf. F.
fausseté, OF. also, falsité. See
False, a.] 1. The
quality of being false; coutrariety or want of conformity to
truth.
Probability does not make any alteration, either in
the truth or falsity of things.
South.
2. That which is false; falsehood; a lie; a
false assertion.
Men often swallow falsities for
truths.
Sir T. Brown.
Syn. -- Falsehood; lie; deceit. -- Falsity,
Falsehood, Lie. Falsity denotes the state or
quality of being false. A falsehood is a false declaration
designedly made. A lie is a gross, unblushing falsehood. The
falsity of a person's assertion may be proved by the evidence
of others and thus the charge of falsehood be fastened upon
him.
Fal"ter (?), v. t. To thrash in
the chaff; also, to cleanse or sift, as barley. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Fal"ter, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Faltered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Faltering.] [OE. falteren, faltren, prob. from
fault. See Fault, v. & n.]
1. To hesitate; to speak brokenly or weakly; to
stammer; as, his tongue falters.
With faltering speech and visage
incomposed.
Milton.
2. To tremble; to totter; to be
unsteady. "He found his legs falter."
Wiseman.
3. To hesitate in purpose or
action.
Ere her native king
Shall falter under foul rebellion's arms.
Shak.
4. To fail in distinctness or regularity of
exercise; -- said of the mind or of thought.
Here indeed the power of disinct conception of space
and distance falters.
I. Taylor.
Fal"ter, v. t. To utter with
hesitation, or in a broken, trembling, or weak manner.
And here he faltered forth his last
farewell.
Byron.
Mde me most happy, faltering "I am
thine."
Tennyson.
Fal"ter (?), n. [See Falter,
v. i.] Hesitation; trembling; feebleness; an
uncertain or broken sound; as, a slight falter in her
voice.
The falter of an idle shepherd's
pipe.
Lowell.
Fal"ter*ing, a. Hesitating;
trembling. "With faltering speech." Milton. --
n. Falter; halting; hesitation. --
Fal"ter*ing*ly, adv.
||Fa`luns" (?), n. [F.] (Geol.)
A series of strata, of the Middle Tertiary period, of France,
abounding in shells, and used by Lyell as the type of his Miocene
subdivision.
Fal"we (?), a. & n. Fallow.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
||Falx (?), n. [L., a sickle.]
(Anat.) A curved fold or process of the dura mater or the
peritoneum; esp., one of the partitionlike folds of the dura mater
which extend into the great fissures of the brain.
Fam"ble (?), v. i. [OE.
falmelen; cf. SW. famla to grope, Dan. famle to
grope, falter, hesitate, Icel. fālma to grope. Cf.
Famble.] To stammer. [Obs.] Nares.
Fam"ble, n. [Cf. Famble,
v.] A hand. [Slang & Obs.] "We clap our
fambles." Beau. & Fl.
Fame (?), n. [OF. fame, L.
fama, fr. fari to speak, akin to Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; a
saying, report, &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to speak. See Ban, and cf.
Fable, Fate, Euphony, Blame.]
1. Public report or rumor.
The fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's
house.
Gen. xlv. 16.
2. Report or opinion generally diffused;
renown; public estimation; celebrity, either favorable or
unfavorable; as, the fame of Washington.
I find thou art no less than fame hath
bruited.
Shak.
Syn. -- Notoriety; celebrity; renown; reputation.
Fame, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Famed (?),; p. pr. & vb. n.
Faming.] 1. To report widely or
honorably.
The field where thou art famed
To have wrought such wonders.
Milton.
2. To make famous or renowned.
Those Hesperian gardens famed of
old.
Milton.
Fame"less, a. Without fame or
renown. -- Fame"less*ly, adv.
Fa*mil`iar (?), a. [OE. familer,
familier, F. familier, fr. L. familiaris, fr.
familia family. See Family.] 1. Of
or pertaining to a family; domestic. "Familiar feuds."
Byron.
2. Closely acquainted or intimate, as a
friend or companion; well versed in, as any subject of study; as,
familiar with the Scriptures.
3. Characterized by, or exhibiting, the
manner of an intimate friend; not formal; unconstrained; easy;
accessible. "In loose, familiar strains."
Addison.
Be thou familiar, but by no means
vulgar.
Shak.
4. Well known; well understood; common;
frequent; as, a familiar illustration.
That war, or peace, or both at once, may be
As things acquainted and familiar to us.
Shak.
There is nothing more familiar than
this.
Locke.
5. Improperly acquainted; wrongly
intimate. Camden.
Familiar spirit, a demon or evil spirit
supposed to attend at call. 1 Sam. xxviii. 3, 7-9.
Fa*mil"iar, n. 1.
An intimate; a companion.
All my familiars watched for my
halting.
Jer. xx. 10.
2. An attendant demon or evil spirit.
Shak.
3. (Court of Inquisition) A
confidential officer employed in the service of the tribunal,
especially in apprehending and imprisoning the accused.
Fa*mil`iar"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Familiarities (#). [OE. familarite, F.
familiaritéfr. L. faniliaritas. See
Familiar.] 1. The state of being
familiar; intimate and frequent converse, or association;
unconstrained intercourse; freedom from ceremony and constraint;
intimacy; as, to live in remarkable familiarity.
2. Anything said or done by one person to
another unceremoniously and without constraint; esp., in the
pl., such actions and words as propriety and courtesy do not
warrant; liberties.
Syn. -- Acquaintance; fellowship; affability; intimacy. See
Acquaintance.
Fa*mil`iar*i*za"tion (?), n. The
act or process of making familiar; the result of becoming familiar;
as, familiarization with scenes of blood.
Fa*mil"iar*ize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Familiarized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Familiarizing (?).] [Cf. F. familiariser.]
1. To make familiar or intimate; to habituate;
to accustom; to make well known by practice or converse; as, to
familiarize one's self with scenes of distress.
2. To make acquainted, or skilled, by
practice or study; as, to familiarize one's self with a
business, a book, or a science.
Fa"mil"iar*ly, adv. In a familiar
manner.
Fa*mil"iar*ness, n.
Familiarity. [R.]
Fa*mil"ia*ry (?), a. [L.
familiaris. See Familiar.] Of or pertaining to a
family or household; domestic. [Obs.] Milton.
Fam"i*lism (?), n. The tenets of
the Familists. Milton.
Fam"i*list (?), n. [From
Family.] (Eccl. Hist.) One of afanatical
Antinomian sect originating in Holland, and existing in England about
1580, called the Family of Love, who held that religion
consists wholly in love.
Fam"i*lis*ter*y (?), n.; pl.
Familisteries (&?;). [F.
familistère.] A community in which many persons
unite as in one family, and are regulated by certain communistic laws
and customs.
{ Fam`i*listic (?), Fam`i*lis"tic*al (?), }
a. Pertaining to Familists.
Baxter.
Fam"i*ly (?), n.; pl.
Families (#). [L. familia, fr.
famulus servant; akin to Oscan famel servant, cf.
faamat he dwells, Skr. dhāman house, fr.
dhāto set, make, do: cf. F. famille. Cf.
Do, v. t., Doom, Fact,
Feat.] 1. The collective body of persons
who live in one house, and under one head or manager; a household,
including parents, children, and servants, and, as the case may be,
lodgers or boarders.
2. The group comprising a husband and wife
and their dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the
organization of society.
The welfare of the family underlies the welfare
of society.
H. Spencer.
3. Those who descend from one common
progenitor; a tribe, clan, or race; kindred; house; as, the human
family; the family of Abraham; the father of a
family.
Go ! and pretend your family is
young.
Pope.
4. Course of descent; genealogy; line of
ancestors; lineage.
5. Honorable descent; noble or respectable
stock; as, a man of family.
6. A group of kindred or closely related
individuals; as, a family of languages; a family of
States; the chlorine family.
7. (Biol.) A group of organisms,
either animal or vegetable, related by certain points of resemblance
in structure or development, more comprehensive than a genus, because
it is usually based on fewer or less pronounced points of likeness.
In zoölogy a family is less comprehesive than an order; in
botany it is often considered the same thing as an order.
Family circle. See under Circle.
-- Family man. (a) A man who
has a family; esp., one who has a wife and children living with him
andd dependent upon him. (b) A man of
domestic habits. "The Jews are generally, when married, most
exemplary family men." Mayhew. -- Family
of curves or surfaces (Geom.),
a group of curves or surfaces derived from a single
equation. -- In a family way, like one
belonging to the family. "Why don't we ask him and his ladies to
come over in a family way, and dine with some other plain
country gentlefolks?" Thackeray. -- In the family
way, pregnant. [Colloq.]
Fam"ine (?), n. [F. famine, fr.
L. fames hunger; cf. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; want, need, Skr.
hāni loss, lack, hā to leave.] General
scarcity of food; dearth; a want of provisions; destitution.
"Worn with famine." Milton.
There was a famine in the land.
Gen. xxvi. 1.
Famine fever (Med.), typhus
fever.
Fam"ish (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Famished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Famishing.] [OE. famen; cf. OF. afamer, L.
fames. See Famine, and cf. Affamish.]
1. To starve, kill, or destroy with
hunger. Shak.
2. To exhaust the strength or endurance of,
by hunger; to distress with hanger.
And when all the land of Egypt was famished,
the people cried to Pharaoh for bread.
Cen. xli.
55.
The pains of famished Tantalus he'll
feel.
Dryden.
3. To kill, or to cause to suffer extremity,
by deprivation or denial of anything necessary.
And famish him of breath, if not of
bread.
Milton.
4. To force or constrain by famine.
He had famished Paris into a
surrender.
Burke.
Fam"ish, v. i. 1.
To die of hunger; to starve.
2. To suffer extreme hunger or thirst, so as
to be exhausted in strength, or to come near to perish.
You are all resolved rather to die than to
famish?
Shak.
3. To suffer extremity from deprivation of
anything essential or necessary.
The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to
famish.
Prov. x. 3.
Fam"ish*ment (?), n. State of
being famished.
Fa*mos"i*ty (?), n. [L.
famositas infamy: cf. F. famosité. See
Famous.] The state or quality of being famous.
[Obs.] Johnson.
Fa"mous (?), a. [L. famosus, fr.
fama fame: cf. F. fameux. See Fame.]
Celebrated in fame or public report; renowned; mach talked of;
distinguished in story; -- used in either a good or a bad sense,
chiefly the former; often followed by for; as, famous
for erudition, for eloquence, for military skill; a famous
pirate.
Famous for a scolding tongue.
Shak.
Syn. -- Noted; remarkable; signal; conspicuous; celebrated;
renowned; illustrious; eminent; transcendent; excellent. --
Famous, Renowned, Illustrious. Famous is
applied to a person or thing widely spoken of as extraordinary;
renowned is applied to those who are named again and again
with honor; illustrious, to those who have dazzled the world
by the splendor of their deeds or their virtues. See
Distinguished.
Fa"moused (?), a. Renowned.
[Obs.] Shak.
Fa"mous*ly (?), adv. In a famous
manner; in a distinguished degree; greatly; splendidly.
Then this land was famously enriched
With politic grave counsel.
Shak.
Fa"mous*ness, n. The state of
being famous.
Fam"u*lar (?), n. [Cf. L.
famularis of servants.] Domestic; familiar. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fam"u*late (?), v. i. [L.
famulatus, p. p. of famulari to serve, fr.
famulus servant.] To serve. [Obs.]
Fam"u*list (?), n. [L. famulus
servant.] A collegian of inferior rank or position,
corresponding to the sizar at Cambridge. [Oxford Univ.,
Eng.]
Fan (?), n. [AS. fann, fr. L.
vannus fan, van for winnowing grain; cf. F. van. Cf.
Van a winnowing machine, Winnow.] 1.
An instrument used for producing artificial currents of air, by
the wafting or revolving motion of a broad surface; as:
(a) An instrument for cooling the person, made
of feathers, paper, silk, etc., and often mounted on sticks all
turning about the same pivot, so as when opened to radiate from the
center and assume the figure of a section of a circle.
(b) (Mach.) Any revolving vane or vanes
used for producing currents of air, in winnowing grain, blowing a
fire, ventilation, etc., or for checking rapid motion by the
resistance of the air; a fan blower; a fan wheel.
(c) An instrument for winnowing grain, by moving
which the grain is tossed and agitated, and the chaff is separated
and blown away. (d) Something in the form
of a fan when spread, as a peacock's tail, a window, etc.
(e) A small vane or sail, used to keep the large
sails of a smock windmill always in the direction of the
wind.
Clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the
shovel and with the fan.
Is. xxx. 24.
2. That which produces effects analogous to
those of a fan, as in exciting a flame, etc.; that which inflames,
heightens, or strengthens; as, it served as a fan to the flame
of his passion.
3. A quintain; -- from its form. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fan blower, a wheel with vanes fixed on a
rotating shaft inclosed in a case or chamber, to create a blast of
air (fan blast) for forge purposes, or a current for draft and
ventilation; a fanner. -- Fan cricket
(Zoöl.), a mole cricket. -- Fan
light (Arch.), a window over a door; -- so
called from the semicircular form and radiating sash bars of those
windows which are set in the circular heads of arched doorways.
-- Fan shell (Zoöl.), any shell of
the family Pectinidæ. See Scallop,
n., 1. -- Fan tracery
(Arch.), the decorative tracery on the surface of fan
vaulting. -- Fan vaulting (Arch.),
an elaborate system of vaulting, in which the ribs diverge
somewhat like the rays of a fan, as in Henry VII.'s chapel in
Westminster Abbey. It is peculiar to English Gothic. --
Fan wheel, the wheel of a fan blower. --
Fan window. Same as Fan light
(above).
Fan (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fanned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fanning (?).] [Cf. OF. vanner, L. vannere. See
Fan, n., Van a winnowing machine.]
1. To move as with a fan.
The air . . . fanned with unnumbered
plumes.
Milton.
2. To cool and refresh, by moving the air
with a fan; to blow the air on the face of with a fan.
3. To ventilate; to blow on; to affect by air
put in motion.
Calm as the breath which fans our eastern
groves.
Dryden.
4. To winnow; to separate chaff from, and
drive it away by a current of air; as, to fan wheat.
Jer. li. 2.
5. To excite or stir up to activity, as a fan
excites a flame; to stimulate; as, this conduct fanned the
excitement of the populace.
Fanning machine, or Fanning
mill, a machine for separating seed from chaff, etc.,
by a blast of air; a fanner.
||Fa`nal" (?), n. [F.] A
lighthouse, or the apparatus placed in it for giving light.
Fa*nat"ic (?), a. [L. fanaticus
inspired by divinity, enthusiastic, frantic, fr. fanum fane:
cf. F. fanatique. See Fane.] Pertaining to, or
indicating, fanaticism; extravagant in opinions; ultra; unreasonable;
excessively enthusiastic, especially on religious subjects; as,
fanatic zeal; fanatic notions.
But Faith, fanatic Faith, once wedded fast
To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last.
T.
Moore.
Fa*nat"ic, n. A person affected by
excessive enthusiasm, particularly on religious subjects; one who
indulges wild and extravagant notions of religion.
There is a new word, coined within few months, called
fanatics, which, by the close stickling thereof, seemeth well
cut out and proportioned to signify what is meant thereby, even the
sectaries of our age.
Fuller (1660).
Fanatics are governed rather by imagination
than by judgment.
Stowe.
Fa*nat"ic*al (?), a.
Characteristic of, or relating to, fanaticism; fanatic. -
Fa*nat"ic*al*ly, adv. --
Fa*nat"ic*al*ness, n.
Fa*nat"i*cism (?), n. [Cf.
Fanatism.] Excessive enthusiasm, unreasoning zeal, or
wild and extravagant notions, on any subject, especially religion;
religious frenzy.
Syn. -- See Superstition.
Fa*nat"i*cize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Fanaticized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fanaticizing (?).] To cause to become a
fanatic.
Fan"a*tism (?), n. [Cf. F.
fanatisme. Cf. Fanaticism.] Fanaticism.
[R.] Gibbon.
Fan"cied (?), a. [From Fancy,
v. t.] Formed or conceived by the fancy;
unreal; as, a fancied wrong.
Fan"ci*er (?), n. 1.
One who is governed by fancy. "Not reasoners, but
fanciers." Macaulay.
2. One who fancies or has a special liking
for, or interest in, a particular object or class or objects; hence,
one who breeds and keeps for sale birds and animals; as, bird
fancier, dog fancier, etc.
Fan"ci*ful (?), a. 1.
Full of fancy; guided by fancy, rather than by reason and
experience; whimsical; as, a fanciful man forms visionary
projects.
2. Conceived in the fancy; not consistent
with facts or reason; abounding in ideal qualities or figures; as, a
fanciful scheme; a fanciful theory.
3. Curiously shaped or constructed; as, she
wore a fanciful headdress.
Gather up all fancifullest shells.
Keats.
Syn. -- Imaginative; ideal; visionary; capricious;
chimerical; whimsical; fantastical; wild. -- Fanciful,
Fantastical, Visionary. We speak of that as
fanciful which is irregular in taste and judgment; we speak of
it as fantastical when it becomes grotesque and extravagant as
well as irregular; we speak of it as visionary when it is
wholly unfounded in the nature of things. Fanciful notions are
the product of a heated fancy, without any tems are made up of oddly
assorted fancies, aften of the most whimsical kind; visionary
expectations are those which can never be realized in fact.
-- Fan"ci*ful*ly, adv. -
Fan"ci*ful*ness, n.
Fan"ci*less (?), a. Having no
fancy; without ideas or imagination. [R.]
A pert or bluff important wight,
Whose brain is fanciless, whose blood is white.
Armstrong.
Fan"cy (?), n.; pl.
Fancies (#). [Contr. fr. fantasy, OF.
fantasie, fantaisie, F. fantaisie, L.
phantasia, fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; appearance,
imagination, the power of perception and presentation in the mind,
fr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to make visible, to place before one's
mind, fr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to show; akin to &?;&?;&?;&?;,
&?;&?;&?;, light, Skr. bhāto shine. Cf. Fantasy,
Fantasia, Epiphany, Phantom.] 1.
The faculty by which the mind forms an image or a representation
of anything perceived before; the power of combining and modifying
such objects into new pictures or images; the power of readily and
happily creating and recalling such objects for the purpose of
amusement, wit, or embellishment; imagination.
In the soul
Are many lesser faculties, that serve
Reason as chief. Among these fancy next
Her office holds.
Milton.
2. An image or representation of anything
formed in the mind; conception; thought; idea; conceit.
How now, my lord ! why do you keep alone,
Of sorriest fancies your companoins making ?
Shak.
3. An opinion or notion formed without much
reflection; caprice; whim; impression.
I have always had a fancy that learning might
be made a play and recreation to children.
Locke.
4. Inclination; liking, formed by caprice
rather than reason; as, to strike one's fancy; hence, the
object of inclination or liking.
To fit your fancies to your father's
will.
Shak.
5. That which pleases or entertains the taste
or caprice without much use or value.
London pride is a pretty fancy for
borders.
Mortimer.
6. A sort of love song or light impromptu
ballad. [Obs.] Shak.
The fancy, all of a class who exhibit and
cultivate any peculiar taste or fancy; hence, especially, sporting
characters taken collectively, or any specific class of them, as
jockeys, gamblers, prize fighters, etc.
At a great book sale in London, which had congregated
all the fancy.
De Quincey.
Syn. -- Imagination; conceit; taste; humor; inclination;
whim; liking. See Imagination.
Fan"cy, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fancied (?), p. pr. & vb. n.
Fancying (&?;).] 1. To figure to one's
self; to believe or imagine something without proof.
If our search has reached no farther than simile and
metaphor, we rather fancy than know.
Locke.
2. To love. [Obs.] Shak.
Fan"cy, v. t. 1.
To form a conception of; to portray in the mind; to
imagine.
He whom I fancy, but can ne'er
express.
Dryden.
2. To have a fancy for; to like; to be
pleased with, particularly on account of external appearance or
manners. "We fancy not the cardinal." Shak.
3. To believe without sufficient evidence; to
imagine (something which is unreal).
He fancied he was welcome, because those
arounde him were his kinsmen.
Thackeray.
Fan"cy, a. 1.
Adapted to please the fancy or taste; ornamental; as,
fancy goods.
2. Extravagant; above real value.
This anxiety never degenerated into a monomania, like
that which led his [Frederick the Great's] father to pay fancy
prices for giants.
Macaulay.
Fancy ball, a ball in which porsons appear
in fanciful dresses in imitation of the costumes of different persons
and nations. -- Fancy fair, a fair at
which articles of fancy and ornament are sold, generally for some
charitable purpose. -- Fancy goods,
fabrics of various colors, patterns, etc., as ribbons, silks,
laces, etc., in distinction from those of a simple or plain color or
make. -- Fancy line (Naut.), a line
rove through a block at the jaws of a gaff; -- used to haul it
down. -- Fancy roller (Carding
Machine), a clothed cylinder (usually having straight teeth)
in front of the doffer. -- Fancy stocks, a
species of stocks which afford great opportunity for stock gambling,
since they have no intrinsic value, and the fluctuations in their
prices are artificial. -- Fancy store, one
where articles of fancy and ornament are sold. -- Fancy
woods, the more rare and expensive furniture woods, as
mahogany, satinwood, rosewood, etc.
Fan"cy-free` (?), a. Free from the
power of love. "In maiden meditation, fancy-free."
Shak.
Fan"cy*mon`ger (?), n. A
lovemonger; a whimsical lover. [Obs.] Shak.
Fan"cy-sick` (?), a. Love-
sick. Shak.
Fan"cy*work` (?), n. Ornamental
work with a needle or hook, as embroidery, crocheting, netting,
etc.
Fand (?), obs. imp. of
Find. Spenser.
Fan*dan"go (?), n.; pl.
Fandangoes (#). [Sp. A name brought, together with
the dance, from the West Indies to Spain.] 1. A
lively dance, in 3-8 or 6-8 time, much practiced in Spain and Spanish
America. Also, the tune to which it is danced.
2. A ball or general dance, as in
Mexico. [Colloq.]
Fane (?), n. [L. fanum a place
dedicated to some deity, a sanctuary, fr. fari to speak. See
Fame.] A temple; a place consecrated to religion; a
church. [Poet.]
Such to this British Isle, her Christian
fanes.
Wordsworth.
Fane, n. [See Vane.] A
weathercock. [Obs.]
||Fa*ne"ga (?), n. [Sp.] A dry
measure in Spain and Spanish America, varying from 1&?; to 2&?;
bushels; also, a measure of land. De Colange.
Fan"fare` (?), n. [F. Cf.
Fanfaron.] A flourish of trumpets, as in coming into the
lists, etc.; also, a short and lively air performed on hunting horns
during the chase.
The fanfare announcing the arrival of the
various Christian princes.
Sir W. Scott.
||Fan"fa*ron (?), n. [F., fr. Sp.
fanfarron; cf. It. fanfano, and OSp. fanfa
swaggering, boasting, also Ar. farfār talkative.] A
bully; a hector; a swaggerer; an empty boaster. [R.]
Dryden.
Fan*far`on*ade" (?), n. [F.
fanfaronnade, fr. Sp. fanfarronada. See
Fanfaron.] A swaggering; vain boasting; ostentation; a
bluster. Swift.
Fan"foot` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) A species of gecko having the toes expanded
into large lobes for adhesion. The Egyptian fanfoot (Phyodactylus
gecko) is believed, by the natives, to have venomous toes.
(b) Any moth of the genus
Polypogon.
Fang (făng), v. t. [OE.
fangen, fongen, fon (g orig. only in p.
p. and imp. tense), AS. fōn; akin to D. vangen,
OHG. fāhan, G. fahen, fangen, Icel.
fā, Sw. få, fånga, Dan.
fange, faae, Goth. fahan, and prob. to E.
fair, peace, pact. Cf. Fair,
a.] 1. To catch; to seize, as
with the teeth; to lay hold of; to gripe; to clutch. [Obs.]
Shak.
He's in the law's clutches; you see he's
fanged.
J. Webster.
2. To enable to catch or tear; to furnish
with fangs. "Chariots fanged with scythes."
Philips.
Fang, n. [From Fang, v.
t.; cf. AS. fang a taking, booty, G. fang.]
1. (Zoöl.) The tusk of an animal, by
which the prey is seized and held or torn; a long pointed tooth;
esp., one of the usually erectile, venomous teeth of serpents. Also,
one of the falcers of a spider.
Since I am a dog, beware my fangs.
Shak.
2. Any shoot or other thing by which hold is
taken.
The protuberant fangs of the
yucca.
Evelyn.
3. (Anat.) The root, or one of the
branches of the root, of a tooth. See Tooth.
4. (Mining) A niche in the side of an
adit or shaft, for an air course. Knight.
5. (Mech.) A projecting tooth or
prong, as in a part of a lock, or the plate of a belt clamp, or the
end of a tool, as a chisel, where it enters the handle.
6. (Naut.) (a) The
valve of a pump box. (b) A bend or loop of
a rope.
In a fang, fast entangled. --
To lose the fang, said of a pump when the water
has gone out; hence: To fang a pump, to
supply it with the water necessary to make it operate.
[Scot.]
Fanged (?), a. Having fangs or
tusks; as, a fanged adder. Also used figuratively.
Fan"gle (?), n. [From Fang,
v. t.; hence, prop., a taking up a new thing.]
Something new-fashioned; a foolish innovation; a gewgaw; a
trifling ornament.
Fan"gle, v. t. To fashion.
[Obs.]
To control and new fangle the
Scripture.
Milton.
Fan"gled (?), a. New made; hence,
gaudy; showy; vainly decorated. [Obs., except with the prefix
new.] See Newfangled. "Our fangled world."
Shak.
Fan"gle*ness (?), n. Quality of
being fangled. [Obs.]
He them in new fangleness did
pass.
Spenser.
Fang"less (?), a. Destitute of
fangs or tusks. "A fangless lion." Shak.
Fan"got (?), n. [Cf. It.
fagotto, fangotto, a bundle. Cf. Fagot.] A
quantity of wares, as raw silk, etc., from one hundred
weight.
Fan"ion (?), n. [See Fanon.]
1. (Mil.) A small flag sometimes carried
at the head of the baggage of a brigade. [Obs.]
2. A small flag for marking the stations in
surveying.
Fan"like` (?), a. Resembling a
fan; -- specifically (Bot.), folded up like a fan,
as certain leaves; plicate.
Fan"nel (?), n. [Dim., from same source
as fanon.] Same as Fanon.
Fan"ner (?), n. 1.
One who fans. Jer. li. 2.
2. A fan wheel; a fan blower. See under
Fan.
Fan"-nerved` (?), a. (Bot. &
Zoöl.) Having the nerves or veins arranged in a
radiating manner; -- said of certain leaves, and of the wings of some
insects.
Fan"on (?), n. [F. fanon, LL.
fano, fr. OHG. fano banner cloth, G. fahne
banner. See Vane, and cf. Fanion, Gonfalon.]
(Eccl.) A term applied to various articles, as:
(a) A peculiar striped scarf worn by the pope at
mass, and by eastern bishops. (b) A maniple.
[Written also fannel, phanon, etc.]
Fan" palm` (?). (Bot.) Any palm tree having
fan-shaped or radiate leaves; as the Chamærops humilis
of Southern Europe; the species of Sabal and Thrinax in
the West Indies, Florida, etc.; and especially the great talipot tree
(Corypha umbraculifera) of Ceylon and Malaya. The leaves of
the latter are often eighteen feet long and fourteen wide, and are
used for umbrellas, tents, and roofs. When cut up, they are used for
books and manuscripts.
Fan"tail` (făn"tāl`), n.
(Zool.) (a) A variety of the domestic
pigeon, so called from the shape of the tail.
(b) Any bird of the Australian genus
Rhipidura, in which the tail is spread in the form of a fan
during flight. They belong to the family of flycatchers.
Fan"-tailed` (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having an expanded, or fan-shaped, tail; as,
the fan-tailed pigeon.
Fan*ta"si*a (?), n. [It. See
Fancy.] (Mus.) A continuous composition, not
divided into what are called movements, or governed by the ordinary
rules of musical design, but in which the author's fancy roves
unrestricted by set form.
Fan"ta*sied (?), a. [From
Fantasy.] Filled with fancies or imaginations.
[Obs.] Shak.
Fan"tasm (?), n. [See Phantasm,
Fancy.] Same as Phantasm.
Fan"tast (?), n. One whose manners
or ideas are fantastic. [R.] Coleridge.
Fan*tas"tic (?), a. [F.
fantastique, fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; able to
represent, fr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to make visible. See
Fancy.] 1. Existing only in imagination;
fanciful; imaginary; not real; chimerical.
2. Having the nature of a phantom;
unreal. Shak.
3. Indulging the vagaries of imagination;
whimsical; full of absurd fancies; capricious; as, fantastic
minds; a fantastic mistress.
4. Resembling fantasies in irregularity,
caprice, or eccentricity; irregular; oddly shaped;
grotesque.
There at the foot of yonder nodding beech,
That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high.
T. Gray.
Syn. -- Fanciful; imaginative; ideal; visionary;
capricious; chimerical; whimsical; queer. See Fanciful.
Fan*tas"tic, n. A person given to
fantastic dress, manners, etc.; an eccentric person; a fop.
Milton.
Our fantastics, who, having a fine watch, take
all ocasions to draw it out to be seen.
Fuller.
Fan*tas"tic*al (?), a. Fanciful;
unreal; whimsical; capricious; fantastic.
Fan*tas`ti*cal"i*ty (?), n.
Fantastically. [Obs.]
Fan*tas"tic*al*ly (?), adv. In a
fantastic manner.
the letter A, in scarlet, fantastically
embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom.
Hawthorne.
Fan*tas"tic-al*ness, n. The
quality of being fantastic.
Fan*tas"ti*cism (?), n. The
quality of being fantastical; fancifulness; whimsicality.
Ruskin.
Fan*tas"tic*ly (?), adv.
Fantastically. [Obs.]
Fan*tas"tic*ness, n.
Fantasticalness. [Obs.]
||Fan*tas"ti*co (?), n. [It.] A
fantastic. [Obs.] Shak.
Fan"ta*sy (?), n.; pl.
Fantasies (#). [See Fancy.]
1. Fancy; imagination; especially, a whimsical
or fanciful conception; a vagary of the imagination; whim; caprice;
humor.
Is not this something more than fantasy
?
Shak.
A thousand fantasies
Begin to throng into my memory.
Milton.
2. Fantastic designs.
Embroidered with fantasies and flourishes of
gold thread.
Hawthorne.
Fan"ta*sy, v. t. To have a fancy
for; to be pleased with; to like; to fancy. [Obs.]
Cavendish.
Which he doth most fantasy.
Robynson (More's Utopia).
||Fan`toc*ci"ni (?), n. pl. [It., dim.
fr. fante child.] Puppets caused to perform evolutions or
dramatic scenes by means of machinery; also, the representations in
which they are used.
Fan"tom (?), n. See
Phantom.
Fantom corn, phantom corn.
Grose.
Fap (?), a. Fuddled. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fa*quir" (?), n. See
Fakir.
Far (?), n. [See Farrow.]
(Zoöl.) A young pig, or a litter of pigs.
Far, a. [Farther (#) and
Farthest (#) are used as the compar. and
superl. of far, although they are
corruptions arising from confusion with further and
furthest. See Further.] [OE. fer, feor,
AS. feor; akin to OS. fer, D. ver, OHG.
ferro, adv., G. fern, a., Icel.
fjarri, Dan. fjirn, Sw. fjerran, adv., Goth.
faīrra, adv., Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; beyond, Skr.
paras, adv., far, and prob. to L. per through, and E.
prefix for-, as in forgive, and also to fare.
Cf. Farther, Farthest.] 1. Distant
in any direction; not near; remote; mutually separated by a wide
space or extent.
They said, . . . We be come from a far
country.
Josh. ix. 6.
The nations far and near contend in
choice.
Dryden.
2. Remote from purpose; contrary to design or
wishes; as, far be it from me to justify cruelty.
3. Remote in affection or obedience; at a
distance, morally or spiritually; t enmity with; alienated.
They that are far from thee ahsll
perish.
Ps. lxxiii. 27.
4. Widely different in nature or quality;
opposite in character.
He was far from ill looking, though he thought
himself still farther.
F. Anstey.
5. The more distant of two; as, the
far side (called also off side) of a horse, that is,
the right side, or the one opposite to the rider when he
mounts.
&fist; The distinction between the adjectival and adverbial use of
far is sometimes not easily discriminated.
By far, by much; by a great difference.
-- Far between, with a long distance (of space
or time) between; at long intervals. "The examinations are few
and far between." Farrar.
Far, adv. 1. To a
great extent or distance of space; widely; as, we are separated
far from each other.
2. To a great distance in time from any
point; remotely; as, he pushed his researches far into
antiquity.
3. In great part; as, the day is far
spent.
4. In a great proportion; by many degrees;
very much; deeply; greatly.
Who can find a virtuous woman ? for her price is
far above rubies.
Prov. xxxi. 10.
As far as, to the extent, or degree, that.
See As far as, under As. -- Far
off. (a) At a great distance,
absolutely or relatively. (b) Distant in
sympathy or affection; alienated. "But now, in Christ Jesus, ye
who some time were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ." Eph. ii. 13. -- Far other,
different by a great degree; not the same; quite unlike.
Pope. -- Far and near, at a distance and
close by; throughout a whole region. -- Far and
wide, distantly and broadly; comprehensively.
"Far and wide his eye commands." Milton. --
From far, from a great distance; from a remote
place.
&fist; Far often occurs in self-explaining compounds, such
as far-extended, far-reaching, far-spread.
Far"-a*bout` (?), n. A going out
of the way; a digression. [Obs.] Fuller.
Far"ad (?), n. [From Michael
Faraday, the English electrician.] (Elec.) The
standard unit of electrical capacity; the capacity of a condenser
whose charge, having an electro-motive force of one volt, is equal to
the amount of electricity which, with the same electromotive force,
passes through one ohm in one second; the capacity, which, charged
with one coulomb, gives an electro-motive force of one
volt.
Far*ad"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining
to Michael Faraday, the distinguished electrician; -- applied
especially to induced currents of electricity, as produced by certain
forms of inductive apparatus, on account of Faraday's investigations
of their laws.
{ Far"a*dism (?), Far`a*di*za"tion (?), }
n. (Med.) The treatment with faradic or
induced currents of electricity for remedial purposes.
Far"and (?), n. See
Farrand, n.
Far"an*dams (?), n. A fabrik made
of silk and wool or hair. Simmonds.
Far"ant*ly (?), a. [See
Farrand.] Orderly; comely; respectable. [Obs.]
Halliwell.
Farce (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Farced (?), p. pr. & vb. n.
Farcing (&?;).] [F. Farcir, L. farcire; akin to
Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to fence in, stop up. Cf. Force
to stuff, Diaphragm, Frequent, Farcy,
Farse.] 1. To stuff with forcemeat;
hence, to fill with mingled ingredients; to fill full; to
stuff. [Obs.]
The first principles of religion should not be
farced with school points and private tenets.
Bp. Sanderson.
His tippet was aye farsed full of
knives.
Chaucer.
2. To render fat. [Obs.]
If thou wouldst farce thy lean
ribs.
B. Jonson.
3. To swell out; to render pompous.
[Obs.]
Farcing his letter with fustian.
Sandys.
Farce, n. [F. farce, from L.
farsus (also sometimes farctus), p. p. pf
farcire. See Farce, v. t.]
1. (Cookery) Stuffing, or mixture of
viands, like that used on dressing a fowl; forcemeat.
2. A low style of comedy; a dramatic
composition marked by low humor, generally written with little regard
to regularity or method, and abounding with ludicrous incidents and
expressions.
Farce is that in poetry which "grotesque" is in
a picture: the persons and action of a farce are all
unnatural, and the manners false.
Dryden.
3. Ridiculous or empty show; as, a mere
farce. "The farce of state." Pope.
Farce"ment (?), n. Stuffing;
forcemeat. [Obs.]
They spoil a good dish with . . . unsavory
farcements.
Feltham.
Far"ci*cal (?), a. Pertaining to
farce; appropriated to farce; ludicrous; unnatural; unreal.
They deny the characters to be farcical,
because they are &?;&?;tually in in nature.
Gay.
-- Far"ci*cal*ly, adv. -
Far"ci*cal*ness, n.
Far"ci*cal, a. Of or pertaining to
the disease called farcy. See Farcy,
n.
Far"ci*lite (?), n. [Farce+-
lite.] (Min.) Pudding stone. [Obs.]
Kirwan.
{ Far"ci*men (?), Far"cin (?), }
n. (Far.) Same as
Farcy.
Far"cing (?), n. (Cookery)
Stuffing; forcemeat.
Farc"tate (?), a. [L. farctus,
p. p. of farcire. See Farce, v. t.]
(Bot.) Stuffed; filled solid; as, a farctate leaf,
stem, or pericarp; -- opposed to tubular or
hollow. [Obs.]
Far"cy (?), n. [F. farcin; cf.
L. farciminum a disease of horses, fr. farcire. See
Farce.] (Far.) A contagious disease of horses,
associated with painful ulcerating enlargements, esp. upon the head
and limbs. It is of the same nature as glanders, and is often fatal.
Called also farcin, and farcimen.
&fist; Farcy, although more common in horses, is
communicable to other animals and to human beings.
Farcy bud, a hard, prominent swelling
occurring upon the cutaneous surface in farcy, due to the obstruction
and inflammation of the lymphatic vessels, and followed by
ulceration. Youatt.
Fard (?), n. [F., prob. fr. OHG.
gifarit, gifarwit p. p. of farwjan to color,
tinge, fr. farawa color, G. farbe.] Paint used on
the face. [Obs.] "Painted with French fard." J.
Whitaker.
Fard, v. t. [F. farder to paint
one's face.] To paint; -- said esp. of one's face. [Obs.]
Shenstone.
||Far`dage" (?), n. [F. See
Fardel.] (Naut.) See Dunnage.
Far"del (?), n. [OF. fardel, F.
fardeau; cf. Sp. fardel, fardillo, fardo,
LL. fardellus; prob. fr. Ar. fard one of the two parts
of an object divisible into two, hence, one of the two parts of a
camel's load. Cf. Furl.] A bundle or little pack; hence,
a burden. [Obs.] Shak.
A fardel of never-ending misery and
suspense.
Marryat.
Far"del, v. t. To make up in
fardels. [Obs.] Fuller.
Far"ding-bag` (?), n. [Of uncertain
origin; cf. Fardel.] The upper stomach of a cow, or other
ruminant animal; the rumen.
Far"ding*dale (?), n. A
farthingale. [Obs.]
Far"ding*deal (?), n. [See
Farthing, and Deal a part.] The fourth part of an
acre of land. [Obs.] [Written also farding dale,
fardingale, etc.]
Fare (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fared (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Faring.] [AS. faran to travel, fare; akin to OS.,
Goth., & OHG. faran to travel, go, D. varen, G.
fahren, OFries., Icel., & Sw. fara, Dan. fare,
Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; a way through, &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; a ferry,
strait, &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to convey,
&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to go, march, &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; beyond,
on the other side, &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to pass through, L. peritus
experienced, portus port, Skr. par to bring over.
√78. Cf. Chaffer, Emporium, Far,
Ferry, Ford, Peril, Port a harbor,
Pore, n.] 1. To go; to
pass; to journey; to travel.
So on he fares, and to the border comes
Of Eden.
Milton.
2. To be in any state, or pass through any
experience, good or bad; to be attended with any circummstances or
train of events, fortunate or unfortunate; as, he fared well,
or ill.
So fares the stag among the enraged
hounds.
Denham.
I bid you most heartily well to
fare.
Robynson (More's Utopia).
So fared the knight between two
foes.
Hudibras.
3. To be treated or entertained at table, or
with bodily or social comforts; to live.
There was a certain rich man which . . . fared
sumptuously every day.
Luke xvi. 19.
4. To happen well, or ill; -- used
impersonally; as, we shall see how it will fare with
him.
So fares it when with truth falsehood
contends.
Milton.
5. To behave; to conduct one's self.
[Obs.]
She ferde [fared] as she would
die.
Chaucer.
Fare (?), n. [AS. faru journey,
fr. faran. See Fare, v.]
1. A journey; a passage. [Obs.]
That nought might stay his fare.
Spenser.
2. The price of passage or going; the sum
paid or due for conveying a person by land or water; as, the
fare for crossing a river; the fare in a coach or by
railway.
3. Ado; bustle; business. [Obs.]
The warder chid and made fare.
Chaucer.
4. Condition or state of things; fortune;
hap; cheer.
What fare? what news abroad ?
Shak.
5. Food; provisions for the table;
entertainment; as, coarse fare; delicious fare.
"Philosophic fare." Dryden.
6. The person or persons conveyed in a
vehicle; as, a full fare of passengers. A.
Drummond.
7. The catch of fish on a fishing
vessel.
Bill of fare. See under Bill. --
Fare indicator or register, a
device for recording the number of passengers on a street car,
etc. -- Fare wicket. (a) A
gate or turnstile at the entrance of toll bridges, exhibition
grounds, etc., for registering the number of persons passing it.
(b) An opening in the door of a street car for
purchasing tickets of the driver or passing fares to the
conductor. Knight.
Far"en (?), obs. p. p. of
Fare, v. i. Chaucer.
Fare`well" (?), interj. [Fare
(thou, you) + well.] Go well; good-by; adieu; --
originally applied to a person departing, but by custom now applied
both to those who depart and those who remain. It is often separated
by the pronoun; as, fare you well; and is sometimes
used as an expression of separation only; as, farewell the
year; farewell, ye sweet groves; that is, I bid you
farewell.
So farewell hope, and with hope,
farewell fear.
Milton.
Fare thee well! and if forever,
Still forever fare thee well.
Byron.
&fist; The primary accent is sometimes placed on the first
syllable, especially in poetry.
Fare`well" (?), n. 1.
A wish of happiness or welfare at parting; the parting
compliment; a good-by; adieu.
2. Act of departure; leave-taking; a last
look at, or reference to something.
And takes her farewell of the glorious
sun.
Shak.
Before I take my farewell of the
subject.
Addison.
Fare"well` (?), a. Parting;
valedictory; final; as, a farewell discourse; his
farewell bow.
Leans in his spear to take his farewell
view.
Tickell.
Farewell rock (Mining), the Millstone
grit; -- so called because no coal is found worth working below this
stratum. It is used for hearths of furnaces, having power to resist
intense heat. Ure.
Far"fet` (?), a. [Far +
fet, p. p. of Fette.]
Farfetched. [Obs.]
York with his farfet policy.
Shak.
Far"fetch` (?), v. t. [Far +
fetch.] To bring from far; to seek out studiously.
[Obs.]
To farfetch the name of Tartar from a Hebrew
word.
Fuller.
Far"fetch`, n. Anything brought
from far, or brought about with studious care; a deep
strategem. [Obs.] "Politic farfetches."
Hudibras.
Far"fetched` (?), a. 1.
Brought from far, or from a remote place.
Every remedy contained a multitude of
farfetched and heterogeneous ingredients.
Hawthorne.
2. Studiously sought; not easily or naturally
deduced or introduced; forced; strained.
Fa*ri"na (f&adot;*rī"n&adot; or
f&adot;*rē"n&adot;), n. [L., meal, flour, fr.
far a sort of grain, spelt; akin to E. barley.]
1. A fine flour or meal made from cereal grains
or from the starch or fecula of vegetables, extracted by various
processes, and used in cookery.
2. (Bot.) Pollen. [R.]
Craig.
Far`i*na"ceous (?), a. [L.
farinaceus.] 1. Consisting or made of
meal or flour; as, a farinaceous diet.
2. Yielding farina or flour; as,
ffarinaceous seeds.
3. Like meal; mealy; pertaining to meal; as,
a farinaceous taste, smell, or appearance.
Far`i*nose" (?), a. [L.
farinosus: cf. F. farineux.] 1.
Yielding farina; as, farinose substances.
2. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Covered with a
sort of white, mealy powder, as the leaves of some poplars, and the
body of certain insects; mealy.
Farl (?), v. t. Same as
Furl. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
Far"lie (?), n. [OE. ferlish
wonder, as adj., strange, sudden, fearful, AS.
f&aemacr;rlīc sudden. See Fear.] An unusual
or unexpected thing; a wonder. See Fearly. [Obs. or
Prov. Eng.] Drayton.
Farm (?), n. [OE. ferme rent,
lease, F. ferme, LL. firma, fr. L. firmus firm,
fast, firmare to make firm or fast. See Firm,
a. & n.] 1. The rent of land,
-- originally paid by reservation of part of its products.
[Obs.]
2. The term or tenure of a lease of land for
cultivation; a leasehold. [Obs.]
It is great willfulness in landlords to make any
longer farms to their tenants.
Spenser.
3. The land held under lease and by payment
of rent for the purpose of cultivation.
4. Any tract of land devoted to agricultural
purposes, under the management of a tenant or the owner.
&fist; In English the ideas of a lease, a term, and a rent,
continue to be in a great degree inseparable, even from the popular
meaning of a farm, as they are entirely so from the legal
sense. Burrill.
5. A district of country leased (or farmed)
out for the collection of the revenues of government.
The province was devided into twelve
farms.
Burke.
6. (O. Eng. Law) A lease of the
imposts on particular goods; as, the sugar farm, the silk
farm.
Whereas G. H. held the farm of sugars upon a
rent of 10,000 marks per annum.
State Trials
(1196).
Farm (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Farmed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Farming.] 1. To lease or let for an
equivalent, as land for a rent; to yield the use of to
proceeds.
We are enforced to farm our royal
realm.
Shak.
2. To give up to another, as an estate, a
business, the revenue, etc., on condition of receiving in return a
percentage of what it yields; as, to farm the taxes.
To farm their subjects and their duties toward
these.
Burke.
3. To take at a certain rent or
rate.
4. To devote (land) to agriculture; to
cultivate, as land; to till, as a farm.
To farm let, To let to farm,
to lease on rent.
Farm, v. i. To engage in the
business of tilling the soil; to labor as a farmer.
Farm"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being farmed.
Farm"er (?), n. [Cf. F.
fermier.] One who farms; as: (a)
One who hires and cultivates a farm; a cultivator of leased
ground; a tenant. Smart. (b) One
who is devoted to the tillage of the soil; one who cultivates a farm;
an agriculturist; a husbandman. (c) One
who takes taxes, customs, excise, or other duties, to collect, either
paying a fixed annuual rent for the privilege; as, a farmer of
the revenues. (d) (Mining) The lord
of the field, or one who farms the lot and cope of the
crown.
Farmer-general [F. fermier-general],
one to whom the right of levying certain taxes, in a particular
district, was farmed out, under the former French monarchy,
for a given sum paid down. -- Farmers' satin,
a light material of cotton and worsted, used for coat
linings. McElrath. -- The king's farmer
(O. Eng. Law), one to whom the collection of a royal
revenue was farmed out. Burrill.
Farm"er*ess, n. A woman who
farms.
Farm"er*ship, n. Skill in
farming.
Farm"er*y (?), n. The buildings
and yards necessary for the business of a farm; a homestead.
[Eng.]
Farm"house`, n. A dwelling house
on a farm; a farmer's residence.
Farm"ing, a. Pertaining to
agriculture; devoted to, adapted to, or engaged in, farming; as,
farming tools; farming land; a farming
community.
Farm"ing, n. The business of
cultivating land.
Far"most` (?), a. Most distant;
farthest.
A spacious cave within its farmost
part.
Dryden.
Farm"stead (?), n. A farm with the
building upon it; a homestead on a farm. Tennyson.
With its pleasant groves and
farmsteads.
Carlyle.
Farm"stead*ing, n. A
farmstead. [Scot.] Black.
Farm"yard` (?), n. The yard or
inclosure attached to a barn, or the space inclosed by the farm
buildings.
Far"ness (?), n. [From Far,
a.] The state of being far off; distance;
remoteness. [R.] Grew.
Far"o (?), n. [Said to be so called
because the Egyptian king Pharaoh was formerly represented
upon one of the cards.] A gambling game at cards, in which all
the other players play against the dealer or banker, staking their
money upon the order in which the cards will lie and be dealt from
the pack.
Faro bank, the capital which the proprietor
of a faro table ventures in the game; also, the place where a game of
faro is played. Hoyle.
Fa`ro*ese` (?), n. sing. & pl. An
inhabitant, or, collectively, inhabitants, of the Faroe
islands.
Far"-off` (?), a. Remote; as, the
far-off distance. Cf. Far-off, under Far,
adv.
Far*rag*i*nous (?), a. [See
Farrago.] Formed of various materials; mixed; as, a
farraginous mountain. [R.] Kirwan.
A farraginous concurrence of all conditions,
tempers, sexes, and ages.
Sir T. Browne.
||Far*ra"go (?), n. [L. farrago,
-aginis, mixed fodder for cattle, mash, medley, fr. far
a sort of grain. See Farina.] A mass composed of various
materials confusedly mixed; a medley; a mixture.
A confounded farrago of doubts, fears, hopes,
wishes, and all the flimsy furniture of a country miss's
brain.
Sheridan.
Far"rand (?), n. [OE. farand
beautiful; cf. Gael. farranta neat, stout, stately; or perh.
akin to E. fare.] Manner; custom; fashion; humor.
[Prov. Eng.] [Written also farand.] Grose.
Far`re*a"tion (?), n. [L.
farreatio.] Same as Confarreation.
Far"ri*er (?), n. [OE. farrour,
ferrer, OF. ferreor, ferrier, LL.
Ferrator, ferrarius equorum, from ferrare to
shoe a horse, ferrum a horseshoe, fr. L. ferrum iron.
Cf. Ferreous.] 1. A shoer of horses; a
veterinary surgeon.
Far"ri*er, v. i. To practice as a
farrier; to carry on the trade of a farrier. [Obs.]
Mortimer.
Far"ri*er*y (?), n. 1.
The art of shoeing horses.
2. The art of preventing, curing, or
mitigating diseases of horses and cattle; the veterinary
art.
3. The place where a smith shoes
horses.
Far"row (făr"r&osl;), n. [AS.
fearh a little pig; a akin to OHG. farh, farah,
pig, dim. farheli little pig, G. fercel, D.
varken pig, Lith. parszas OIr. orc, L.
porcus, Gr. po`rkos. Cf. Pork.] A
litter of pigs. Shak.
Far"row, v. t. & i. [imp. & p.
p. Farrowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Farrowing.] To bring forth (young); -- said only of
swine. Tusser.
Far"row, a. [Cf. Scot. ferry cow
a cow that is not with calf, D. vaarkoe, vaars, heifer,
G. färse, AS. fearr bull, G. farre. Cf.
Heifer.] Not producing young in a given season or year; -
- said only of cows.
&fist; If a cow has had a calf, but fails in a subsequent year,
she is said to be farrow, or to go farrow.
Far"ry (?), n. A farrow.
[Obs.] Perry.
Farse (?), n. [See Farce,
n.] (Eccl.) An addition to, or a
paraphrase of, some part of the Latin service in the vernacular; --
common in English before the Reformation.
Far"see`ing (?), a. 1.
Able to see to a great distance; farsighted.
2. Having foresight as regards the
future.
Far"sight`ed (?), a. 1.
Seeing to great distance; hence, of good judgment regarding the
remote effects of actions; sagacious.
2. (Med.) Hypermetropic.
Far"sight`ed*ness, n.
1. Quality of bbeing farsighted.
2. (Med.) Hypermetropia.
Far"-stretched` (?), a. Stretched
beyond ordinary limits.
Far"ther (fär"&thlig;&etilde;r),
a., compar. of Far.
[superl. Farthest (-&thlig;&ebreve;st). See
Further.] [For farrer, OE. ferrer, compar. of
far; confused with further. Cf. Farthest.]
1. More remote; more distant than something
else.
2. Tending to a greater distance; beyond a
certain point; additional; further.
Before our farther way the fates
allow.
Dryden.
Let me add a farther Truth.
Dryden.
Some farther change awaits us.
MIlton.
Far"ther, adv. 1.
At or to a greater distance; more remotely; beyond; as, let us
rest with what we have, without looking farther.
2. Moreover; by way of progress in treating a
subject; as, farther, let us consider the probable
event.
No farther, (used elliptically for) go no
farther; say no more, etc.
It will be dangerous to go on. No farther
!
Shak.
Far"ther, v. t. To help onward.
[R.] See Further.
Far"ther*ance (?), n. [Obs.] See
Furtherance.
Far"ther*more` (?), adv. [Obs.]
See Furthermore.
Far"ther*most` (?), a. Most
remote; farthest.
Far"thest (fär"&thlig;&ebreve;st),
a. Superl. of far. [See
Farther and cf. Furthest] Most distant or remote;
as, the farthest degree. See Furthest.
Far"thest adv. At or to the
greatest distance. See Furthest.
Far"thing (?), n. [OE. furthing,
AS. feórðung, fr. feórða fourth,
feór, feówer, four. See Four.]
1. The fourth of a penny; a small copper coin of
Great Britain, being a cent in United States currency.
2. A very small quantity or value.
[Obs.]
In her cup was no farthing seen of
grease.
Chaucer.
3. A division of land. [Obs.]
Thirty acres make a farthing land; nine
farthings a Cornish acre; and four Cornish acres a knight's
fee.
R. Carew.
Far"thin*gale (?), n. [OE.
vardingale, fardingale, fr. OF. vertugale,
verdugade, F. vertugade, vertugadin, from Sp.
verdugado, being named from its hoops, fr. verdugo a
young shoot of tree, fr. verde green, fr. L. viridis.
See Verdant.] A hoop skirt or hoop petticoat, or other
light, elastic material, used to extend the petticoat.
We'll revel it as bravely as the best, . . .
With ruffs and cuffs, and farthingales and
things.
Shak.
||Fas"ces (?), n. pl. [L.,
pl. of fascis bundle; cf. fascia a
band, and Gr. fa`kelos a bundle.], (Rom. Antiq.)
A bundle of rods, having among them an ax with the blade
projecting, borne before the Roman magistrates as a badge of their
authority.
Fas"cet (?), n. (Glass Making)
A wire basket on the end of a rod to carry glass bottles, etc.,
to the annealing furnace; also, an iron rod to be thrust into the
mouths of bottles, and used for the same purpose; -- called also
pontee and punty.
||Fas"ci*a (?), n.; pl.
Fasciæ (#). [L., a band: cf. It.
fascia. See Fasces, and cf. Fess.]
1. A band, sash, or fillet; especially, in
surgery, a bandage or roller.
2. (Arch.) A flat member of an order
or building, like a flat band or broad fillet; especially, one of the
three bands which make up the architrave, in the Ionic order. See
Illust. of Column.
3. (Anat.) The layer of loose tissue,
often containing fat, immediately beneath the skin; the stronger
layer of connective tissue covering and investing all muscles; an
aponeurosis.
4. (Zoöl.) A broad well-defined
band of color.
Fas"ci*al (?), a. 1.
Pertaining to the fasces.
2. (Anat.) Relating to a
fascia.
{ Fas"ci*ate (?), Fas"ci*a`ted (?), }
a. [L. fasciatus, p. p. of fasciare
to envelop with bands, fr. fascia band. See Fasces.]
1. Bound with a fillet, sash, or
bandage.
2. (Bot.) (a) Banded
or compacted together. (b) Flattened and
laterally widened, as are often the stems of the garden
cockscomb.
3. (Zoöl.) Broadly banded with
color.
Fas`ci*a"tion, n. The act or
manner of binding up; bandage; also, the condition of being
fasciated.
Fas"ci*cle (?), n. [L.
fasciculus, dim. of fascis. See Fasces.] A
small bundle or collection; a compact cluster; as, a fascicle
of fibers; a fascicle of flowers or roots.
Fas"ci*cled (?), a. Growing in a
bundle, tuft, or close cluster; as, the fascicled leaves of
the pine or larch; the fascicled roots of the dahlia;
fascicled muscle fibers; fascicled tufts of
hair.
Fas*cic"u*lar (?), a. Pertaining
to a fascicle; fascicled; as, a fascicular root.
Fas*cic"u*lar*ly, adv. In a
fascicled manner. Kirwan.
{ Fas*cic"u*late (?), Fas*cic"u*la`ted (?),}
a. Grouped in a fascicle; fascicled.
||Fas*cic"u*lus (?), n.; pl.
Fasciculi (#). [L. See Fascicle.]
1. A little bundle; a fascicle.
2. A division of a book.
Fas"ci*nate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fascinated (?), p. pr. & vb.
n.. Fascinating (&?;).] [L. fascinare; cf.
Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to slander, bewitch.]
1. To influence in an uncontrollable manner; to
operate on by some powerful or irresistible charm; to bewitch; to
enchant.
It has been almost universally believed that . . .
serpents can stupefy and fascinate the prey which they are
desirous to obtain.
Griffith (Cuvier).
2. To excite and allure irresistibly or
powerfully; to charm; to captivate, as by physical or mental
charms.
There be none of the passions that have been noted to
fascinate or bewitch but love and envy.
Bacon.
Syn. -- To charm; enrapture; captivate; enchant; bewitch;
attract.
Fas`ci*na"tion (?), n. [L.
fascinatio; cf. F. fascination.] 1.
The act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment;
witchcraft; the exercise of a powerful or irresistible influence on
the affections or passions; unseen, inexplicable influence.
The Turks hang old rags . . . upon their fairest
horses, and other goodly creatures, to secure them against
fascination.
Waller.
2. The state or condition of being
fascinated.
3. That which fascinates; a charm; a
spell.
There is a certain bewitchery or fascination in
words.
South.
Fas*cine" (?), n. [F., fr. L.
fascina a bundle of sticks, fr. fascis. See
Fasces.] (Fort. & Engin.) A cylindrical bundle of
small sticks of wood, bound together, used in raising batteries,
filling ditches, strengthening ramparts, and making parapets; also in
revetments for river banks, and in mats for dams, jetties,
etc.
Fas"ci*nous (?), a. [L. fascinum
witchcraft, akin to fascinare. See Fascinate.]
Caused or acting by witchcraft. [Obs.] "Fascinous
diseases." Harvey.
||Fas*ci"o*la (?), n.;pl.
Fasciolæ (#). [See Fasciole.]
(Anat.) A band of gray matter bordering the fimbria in
the brain; the dentate convolution. Wilder.
Fas"ci*ole (?), n. [L. fasciola
a little bandage. See Fascia.] (Zoöl.) A band
of minute tubercles, bearing modified spines, on the shells of
spatangoid sea urchins. See Spatangoidea.
Fash (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fashing.] [OF. faschier, F. f&?;cher, to anger,
vex; cf. Pr. fasticar, fastigar, fr. L.
fastidium dilike. See Fastidious.] To vex; to
tease; to trouble. [Scot.]
Fash, n. Vexation; anxiety;
care. [Scot.]
Without further fash on my part.
De Quincey.
Fash"ion (?), n. [OE. fasoun,
facioun, shape, manner, F. facon, orig., a making, fr.
L. factio a making, fr. facere to make. See
Fact, Feat, and cf. Faction.]
1. The make or form of anything; the style,
shape, appearance, or mode of structure; pattern, model; as, the
fashion of the ark, of a coat, of a house, of an altar, etc.;
workmanship; execution.
The fashion of his countenance was
altered.
Luke ix. 29.
I do not like the fashion of your
garments.
Shak.
2. The prevailing mode or style, especially
of dress; custom or conventional usage in respect of dress, behavior,
etiquette, etc.; particularly, the mode or style usual among persons
of good breeding; as, to dress, dance, sing, ride, etc., in the
fashion.
The innocent diversions in
fashion.
Locke.
As now existing, fashion is a form of social
regulation analogous to constitutional government as a form of
political regulation.
H. Spencer.
3. Polite, fashionable, or genteel life;
social position; good breeding; as, men of fashion.
4. Mode of action; method of conduct; manner;
custom; sort; way. "After his sour fashion."
Shak.
After a fashion, to a certain extent; in a
sort. -- Fashion piece (Naut.), one
of the timbers which terminate the transom, and define the shape of
the stern. -- Fashion plate, a pictorial
design showing the prevailing style or a new style of dress.
Fash"ion, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fashioned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fashioning.] [Cf. F. faconner.] 1.
To form; to give shape or figure to; to mold.
Here the loud hammer fashions female
toys.
Gay.
Ingenious art . . .
Steps forth to fashion and refine the age.
Cowper.
2. To fit; to adapt; to accommodate; -- with
to.
Laws ought to be fashioned to the manners and
conditions of the people.
Spenser.
3. To make according to the rule prescribed
by custom.
Fashioned plate sells for more than its
weight.
Locke.
4. To forge or counterfeit. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fashioning needle (Knitting Machine),
a needle used for widening or narrowing the work and thus shaping
it.
Fash"ion*a*ble (?), a.
1. Conforming to the fashion or established
mode; according with the prevailing form or style; as, a
fashionable dress.
2. Established or favored by custom or use;
current; prevailing at a particular time; as, the fashionable
philosophy; fashionable opinions.
3. Observant of the fashion or customary
mode; dressing or behaving according to the prevailing fashion; as, a
fashionable man.
4. Genteel; well-bred; as, fashionable
society.
Time is like a fashionable host
That slightly shakes his parting guest by the hand.
Shak.
Fash"ion*a*ble, n. A person who
conforms to the fashions; -- used chiefly in the plural.
Fash"ion*a*ble*ness, n. State of
being fashionable.
Fash"ion*a*bly, adv. In a
fashionable manner.
Fash"ioned (?), a. Having a
certain style or fashion; as old-fashioned; new-
fashioned.
Fash"ion*er (?), n. One who
fashions, forms, ar gives shape to anything. [R.]
The fashioner had accomplished his task, and
the dresses were brought home.
Sir W. Scott.
Fash"ion*ist (?), n. An obsequious
follower of the modes and fashions. [R.] Fuller.
Fash"ion*less, a. Having no
fashion.
Fash"ion-mon`ger (?), n. One who
studies the fashions; a fop; a dandy. Marston.
Fash"ion-mon`ger*ing, a. Behaving
like a fashion-monger. [R.] Shak.
Fas"sa*ite (?), n. (Min.) A
variety of pyroxene, from the valley of Fassa, in the
Tyrol.
Fast (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fasted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fasting.] [AS. fæstan; akin to D.
vasten, OHG. fastēn, G. fasten, Icel. &
Sw. fasta, Dan. faste, Goth. fastan to keep,
observe, fast, and prob. to E. fast firm.] 1.
To abstain from food; to omit to take nourishment in whole or in
part; to go hungry.
Fasting he went to sleep, and fasting
waked.
Milton.
2. To practice abstinence as a religious
exercise or duty; to abstain from food voluntarily for a time, for
the mortification of the body or appetites, or as a token of grief,
or humiliation and penitence.
Thou didst fast and weep for the
child.
2 Sam. xii. 21.
Fasting day, a fast day; a day of
fasting.
Fast, n. [OE. faste,
fast; cf. AS. fæsten, OHG. fasta, G.
faste. See Fast, v. i.]
1. Abstinence from food; omission to take
nourishment.
Surfeit is the father of much
fast.
Shak.
2. Voluntary abstinence from food, for a
space of time, as a spiritual discipline, or as a token of religious
humiliation.
3. A time of fasting, whether a day, week, or
longer time; a period of abstinence from food or certain kinds of
food; as, an annual fast.
Fast day, a day appointed for fasting,
humiliation, and religious offices as a means of invoking the favor
of God. -- To break one's fast, to put an
end to a period of abstinence by taking food; especially, to take
one's morning meal; to breakfast. Shak.
Fast, a. [Compar.
Faster (?); superl. Fastest (?).]
[OE., firm, strong, not loose, AS. f&?;st; akin to OS.
fast, D. vast, OHG. fasti, festi, G.
fest, Icel. fastr, Sw. & Dan. fast, and perh. to
E. fetter. The sense swift comes from the idea of
keeping close to what is pursued; a Scandinavian use. Cf.
Fast, adv., Fast,
v., Avast.] 1. Firmly
fixed; closely adhering; made firm; not loose, unstable, or easily
moved; immovable; as, to make fast the door.
There is an order that keeps things
fast.
Burke.
2. Firm against attack; fortified by nature
or art; impregnable; strong.
Outlaws . . . lurking in woods and fast
places.
Spenser.
3. Firm in adherence; steadfast; not easily
separated or alienated; faithful; as, a fast friend.
4. Permanent; not liable to fade by exposure
to air or by washing; durable; lasting; as, fast
colors.
5. Tenacious; retentive. [Obs.]
Roses, damask and red, are fast flowers of
their smells.
Bacon.
6. Not easily disturbed or broken; deep;
sound.
All this while in a most fast
sleep.
Shak.
7. Moving rapidly; quick in mition; rapid;
swift; as, a fast horse.
8. Given to pleasure seeking; disregardful of
restraint; reckless; wild; dissipated; dissolute; as, a fast
man; a fast liver. Thackeray.
Fast and loose, now cohering, now disjoined;
inconstant, esp. in the phrases to play at fast and loose,
to play fast and loose, to act with giddy or reckless
inconstancy or in a tricky manner; to say one thing and do
another. "Play fast and loose with faith." Shak. -
- Fast and loose pulleys (Mach.), two
pulleys placed side by side on a revolving shaft, which is driven
from another shaft by a band, and arranged to disengage and
reëngage the machinery driven thereby. When the machinery is to
be stopped, the band is transferred from the pulley fixed to the
shaft to the pulley which revolves freely upon it, and vice
versa. -- Hard and fast (Naut.),
so completely aground as to be immovable. -- To make
fast (Naut.), to make secure; to fasten firmly,
as a vessel, a rope, or a door.
Fast (?), adv. [OE. faste
firmly, strongly, quickly, AS. fæste. See Fast,
a.] 1. In a fast, fixed, or
firmly established manner; fixedly; firmly; immovably.
We will bind thee fast.
Judg.
xv. 13.
2. In a fast or rapid manner; quickly;
swiftly; extravagantly; wildly; as, to run fast; to live
fast.
Fast by, or Fast beside,
close or near to; near at hand.
He, after Eve seduced, unminded slunk
Into the wood fast by.
Milton.
Fast by the throne obsequious Fame
resides.
Pope.
Fast, n. That which fastens or
holds; especially, (Naut.) a mooring rope, hawser, or chain; -
- called, according to its position, a bow, head,
quarter, breast, or stern fast; also, a post on
a pier around which hawsers are passed in mooring.
Fas"ten (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fastened (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fastening (?).] [AS. fæstnian; akin to OHG.
festinōn. See Fast, a.]
1. To fix firmly; to make fast; to secure, as by
a knot, lock, bolt, etc.; as, to fasten a chain to the feet;
to fasten a door or window.
2. To cause to hold together or to something
else; to attach or unite firmly; to cause to cleave to something , or
to cleave together, by any means; as, to fasten boards
together with nails or cords; to fasten anything in our
thoughts.
The words Whig and Tory have been pressed to the
service of many successions of parties, with very different ideas
fastened to them.
Swift.
3. To cause to take close effect; to make to
tell; to lay on; as, to fasten a blow. [Obs.]
Dryden.
If I can fasten but one cup upon
him.
Shak.
To fasten a charge, or a
crime, upon, to make his guilt
certain, or so probable as to be generally believed. --
To fasten one's eyes upon, to look upon
steadily without cessation. Acts iii. 4.
Syn. -- To fix; cement; stick; link; affix; annex.
Fas"ten, v. i. To fix one's self;
to take firm hold; to clinch; to cling.
A horse leech will hardly fasten on a
fish.
Sir T. Browne.
Fas"ten*er (?), n. One who, or
that which, makes fast or firm.
Fas"ten*ing (?), n. Anything that
binds and makes fast, as a lock, catch, bolt, bar, buckle,
etc.
Fast"er (?), n. One who abstains
from food.
Fast"-hand`ed (?), a. Close-
handed; close-fisted; covetous; avaricious. [Obs.]
Bacon.
||Fas"ti (?), n. pl. [L.]
1. The Roman calendar, which gave the days for
festivals, courts, etc., corresponding to a modern almanac.
2. Records or registers of important
events.
Fas*tid`i*os"i*ty (?), n.
Fastidiousness; squeamishness. [Obs.] Swift.
Fas*tid"i*ous (?), a. [L.
fastidiosus disdainful, fr. fastidium loathing,
aversion, perh. fr. fastus arrogance (of uncertain origin) +
taedium loathing. Cf. Tedious, Fash.]
Difficult to please; delicate to a fault; suited with
difficulty; squeamish; as, a fastidious mind or ear; a
fastidious appetite.
Proud youth ! fastidious of the lower
world.
Young.
Syn. -- Squeamish; critical; overnice; difficult;
punctilious. -- Fastidious, Squeamish. We call a
person fastidious when his taste or feelings are offended by
trifling defects or errors; we call him squeamish when he is
excessively nice or critical on minor points, and also when he is
overscrupulous as to questions of duty. "Whoever examines his own
imperfections will cease to be fastidious; whoever restrains
his caprice and scrupulosity will cease to be squeamish."
Crabb.
-- Fas*tid"i*ous*ly, adv. --
Fas*tid"i*ous*ness, n.
{ Fas*tig"i*ate (?), Fas*tig"i*a`ted (?), }
a. [L. fastigium gable end, top, height,
summit.] 1. Narrowing towards the top.
2. (Bot.) Clustered, parallel, and
upright, as the branches of the Lombardy poplar; pointed.
3. (Zoöl.) United into a conical
bundle, or into a bundle with an enlarged head, like a sheaf of
wheat.
Fast"ish (?), a. Rather fast;
also, somewhat dissipated. [Colloq.] Thackeray.
Fast"ly, adv. Firmly;
surely.
Fast"ness, n. [AS.
fæstnes, fr. fæst fast. See Fast,
a.] 1. The state of being fast
and firm; firmness; fixedness; security; faithfulness.
All . . . places of fastness [are] laid
open.
Sir J. Davies.
2. A fast place; a stronghold; a fortress or
fort; a secure retreat; a castle; as, the enemy retired to their
fastnesses in the mountains.
3. Conciseness of style. [Obs.]
Ascham.
4. The state of being fast or
swift.
Fas"tu*ous (?), a. [L.
fastuosus, from fastus haughtiness, pride: cf. F.
fastueux.] Proud; haughty; disdainful. [Obs.]
Barrow. -- Fas"tu*ous*ness, n.
[Obs.] Jer. Taylor.
Fat (?), n. [See Vat,
n.] 1. A large tub, cistern,
or vessel; a vat. [Obs.]
The fats shall overflow with wine and
oil.
Joel ii. 24.
2. A measure of quantity, differing for
different commodities. [Obs.] Hebert.
Fat, a. [Compar.
Fatter (?); superl. Fattest (?).]
[AS. f&aemacr;tt; akin to D. vet, G. fett,
feist, Icel. feitr, Sw. fet, Dan. fed,
and perh. to Gr. pi^dax spring, fountain,
pidy`ein to gush forth, pi`wn fat, Skr.
pi to swell.] 1. Abounding with
fat; as: (a) Fleshy; characterized by
fatness; plump; corpulent; not lean; as, a fat man; a
fat ox. (b) Oily; greasy; unctuous;
rich; -- said of food.
2. Exhibiting the qualities of a fat animal;
coarse; heavy; gross; dull; stupid.
Making our western wits fat and
mean.
Emerson.
Make the heart of this people fat.
Is. vi. 10.
3. Fertile; productive; as, a fat
soil; a fat pasture.
4. Rich; producing a large income; desirable;
as, a fat benefice; a fat office; a fat
job.
Now parson of Troston, a fat living in
Suffolk.
Carlyle.
5. Abounding in riches; affluent;
fortunate. [Obs.]
Persons grown fat and wealthy by long
impostures.
Swift.
6. (Typog.) Of a character which
enables the compositor to make large wages; -- said of matter
containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.; as, a fat take; a
fat page.
Fat lute, a mixture of pipe clay and oil for
filling joints.
Fat (?), n. 1.
(Physiol. Chem.) An oily liquid or greasy substance
making up the main bulk of the adipose tissue of animals, and widely
distributed in the seeds of plants. See Adipose tissue, under
Adipose.
&fist; Animal fats are composed mainly of three distinct
fats, tristearin, tripalmitin, and triolein,
mixed in varying proportions. As olein is liquid at ordinary
temperatures, while the other two fats are solid, it follows that the
consistency or hardness of fats depends upon the relative proportion
of the three individual fats. During the life of an animal, the fat
is mainly in a liquid state in the fat cells, owing to the solubility
of the two solid fats in the more liquid olein at the body
temperature. Chemically, fats are composed of fatty acid, as stearic,
palmitic, oleic, etc., united with glyceryl. In butter fat, olein and
palmitin predominate, mixed with another fat characteristic of
butter, butyrin. In the vegetable kingdom many other fats or
glycerides are to be found, as myristin from nutmegs, a glyceride of
lauric acid in the fat of the bay tree, etc.
2. The best or richest productions; the best
part; as, to live on the fat of the land.
3. (Typog.) Work. containing much
blank, or its equivalent, and, therefore, profitable to the
compositor.
Fat acid. (Chem.) See Sebacic
acid, under Sebacic. -- Fat series,
Fatty series (Chem.), the series of the
paraffine hydrocarbons and their derivatives; the marsh gas or
methane series. -- Natural fats
(Chem.), the group of oily substances of natural
occurrence, as butter, lard, tallow, etc., as distinguished from
certain fatlike substance of artificial production, as paraffin. Most
natural fats are essentially mixtures of triglycerides of fatty
acids.
Fat, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fatted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
atting (?).] [OE. fatten, AS. f&aemacr;ttian.
See Fat, a., and cf. Fatten.] To
make fat; to fatten; to make plump and fleshy with abundant food; as,
to fat fowls or sheep.
We fat all creatures else to fat
us.
Shak.
Fat, v. i. To grow fat, plump, and
fleshy.
An old ox fats as well, and is as good, as a
young one.
Mortimer.
Fa"tal, a. [L. fatalis, fr.
fatum: cf. F. fatal. See Fate.]
1. Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or
destiny; necessary; inevitable. [R.]
These thing are fatal and
necessary.
Tillotson.
It was fatal to the king to fight for his
money.
Bacon.
2. Foreboding death or great disaster.
[R.]
That fatal screech owl to our house
That nothing sung but death to us and ours.
Shak.
3. Causing death or destruction; deadly;
mortal; destructive; calamitous; as, a fatal wound; a
fatal disease; a fatal day; a fatal
error.
Fa"tal*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
fatalisme.] The doctrine that all things are subject to
fate, or that they take place by inevitable necessity.
Fa"tal*ist (?), n. [Cf. F.
fataliste.] One who maintains that all things happen by
inevitable necessity.
Fa`tal*is"tic (?), a. Implying, or
partaking of the nature of, fatalism.
Fa*tal"i*ty (?), n.;pl.
Fatalities (#). [L. fatalitas: cf. F.
fatalité] 1. The state of being
fatal, or proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to,
and independent of, free and rational control.
The Stoics held a fatality, and a fixed,
unalterable course of events.
South.
2. The state of being fatal; tendency to
destruction or danger, as if by decree of fate; mortaility.
The year sixty-three is conceived to carry with it the
most considerable fatality.
Ser T.
Browne.
By a strange fatality men suffer their
dissenting.
Eikon Basilike.
3. That which is decreed by fate or which is
fatal; a fatal event. Dryden.
Fa"tal*ly (?), adv. 1.
In a manner proceeding from, or determined by, fate.
Bentley.
2. In a manner issuing in death or ruin;
mortally; destructively; as, fatally deceived or
wounded.
Fa"tal*ness, n. Quality of being
fatal. Johnson.
||Fa"ta Mor*ga"na (?). [It.; -- so called because this
phenomenon was looked upon as the work of a fairy (It. fata)
of the name of Morgána. See Fairy.] A kind
of mirage by which distant objects appear inverted, distorted,
displaced, or multiplied. It is noticed particularly at the Straits
of Messina, between Calabria and Sicily.
Fat"back` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The menhaden.
Fat"-brained` (?), a. Dull of
apprehension.
Fate (?), n. [L. fatum a
prophetic declaration, oracle, what is ordained by the gods, destiny,
fate, fr. fari to speak: cf. OF. fat. See Fame,
Fable, Ban, and cf. 1st Fay, Fairy.]
1. A fixed decree by which the order of things
is prescribed; the immutable law of the universe; inevitable
necessity; the force by which all existence is determined and
conditioned.
Necessity and chance
Approach not me; and what I will is fate.
Milton.
Beyond and above the Olympian gods lay the silent,
brooding, everlasting fate of which victim and tyrant were
alike the instruments.
Froude.
2. Appointed lot; allotted life; arranged or
predetermined event; destiny; especially, the final lot; doom; ruin;
death.
The great, th'important day, big with the
fate
Of Cato and of Rome.
Addison.
Our wills and fates do so contrary run
That our devices still are overthrown.
Shak.
The whizzing arrow sings,
And bears thy fate, Antinous, on its wings.
Pope.
3. The element of chance in the affairs of
life; the unforeseen and unestimated conitions considered as a force
shaping events; fortune; esp., opposing circumstances against which
it is useless to struggle; as, fate was, or the fates
were, against him.
A brave man struggling in the storms of
fate.
Pope.
Sometimes an hour of Fate's serenest weather
strikes through our changeful sky its coming beams.
B. Taylor.
4. pl. [L. Fata, pl. of
fatum.] (Myth.) The three goddesses, Clotho,
Lachesis, and Atropos, sometimes called the Destinies, or
Parcæwho were supposed to determine the course of human
life. They are represented, one as holding the distaff, a second as
spinning, and the third as cutting off the thread.
&fist; Among all nations it has been common to speak of
fate or destiny as a power superior to gods and men -- swaying
all things irresistibly. This may be called the fate of poets
and mythologists. Philosophical fate is the sum of the laws
of the universe, the product of eternal intelligence and the blind
properties of matter. Theological fate represents Deity as
above the laws of nature, and ordaining all things according to his
will -- the expression of that will being the law. Krauth-
Fleming.
Syn. -- Destiny; lot; doom; fortune; chance.
Fat"ed (?), p. p. & a.
1. Decreed by fate; destined; doomed; as, he was
fated to rule a factious people.
One midnight
Fated to the purpose.
Shak.
2. Invested with the power of determining
destiny. [Obs.] "The fated sky." Shak.
3. Exempted by fate. [Obs. or R.]
Dryden.
Fate"ful (?), a. . Having the
power of serving or accomplishing fate. "The fateful
steel." J. Barlow.
2. Significant of fate; ominous.
The fateful cawings of the crow.
Longfellow.
-- Fate"ful*ly, adv.-
Fate"ful*ness, n.
Fat"head` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) A cyprinoid fish of the Mississippi valley
(Pimephales promelas); -- called also black-headed
minnow. (b) A labroid food fish of
California; the redfish.
Fa"ther (fä"&thlig;&etilde;r), n.
[OE. fader, AS. fæder; akin to OS. fadar,
D. vader, OHG. fatar, G. vater, Icel.
faðir Sw. & Dan. fader, OIr. athir, L.
pater, Gr. path`r, Skr. pitr, perh. fr. Skr.
pā protect. √75, 247. Cf. Papa,
Paternal, Patriot, Potential, Pablum.]
1. One who has begotten a child, whether son or
daughter; a generator; a male parent.
A wise son maketh a glad father.
Prov. x. 1.
2. A male ancestor more remote than a
parent; a progenitor; especially, a first ancestor; a founder of a
race or family; -- in the plural, fathers,
ancestors.
David slept with his fathers.
1
Kings ii. 10.
Abraham, who is the father of us
all.
Rom. iv. 16.
3. One who performs the offices of a parent
by maintenance, affetionate care, counsel, or protection.
I was a father to the poor.
Job
xxix. 16.
He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord
of all his house.
Gen. xiv. 8.
4. A respectful mode of address to an old
man.
And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him
[Elisha], . . . and said, O my father, my
father!
2 Kings xiii. 14.
5. A senator of ancient Rome.
6. A dignitary of the church, a superior of a
convent, a confessor (called also father confessor), or a
priest; also, the eldest member of a profession, or of a legislative
assembly, etc.
Bless you, good father friar !
Shak.
7. One of the chief ecclesiastical
authorities of the first centuries after Christ; -- often spoken of
collectively as the Fathers; as, the Latin, Greek, or
apostolic Fathers.
8. One who, or that which, gives origin; an
originator; a producer, author, or contriver; the first to practice
any art, profession, or occupation; a distinguished example or
teacher.
The father of all such as handle the harp and
organ.
Gen. iv. 21.
Might be the father, Harry, to that
thought.
Shak.
The father of good news.
Shak.
9. The Supreme Being and Creator; God; in
theology, the first person in the Trinity.
Our Father, which art in heaven.
Matt. vi. 9.
Now had the almighty Father from above . . .
Bent down his eye.
Milton.
Adoptive father, one who adopts the child of
another, treating it as his own. -- Apostolic
father, Conscript fathers, etc. See
under Apostolic, Conscript, etc. -- Father
in God, a title given to bishops. --
Father of lies, the Devil. --
Father of the bar, the oldest practitioner at
the bar. -- Fathers of the city, the
aldermen. -- Father of the Faithful.
(a) Abraham. Rom. iv. Gal. iii. 6-
9. (b) Mohammed, or one of the sultans, his
successors. -- Father of the house, the
member of a legislative body who has had the longest continuous
service. -- Most Reverend Father in God, a
title given to archbishops and metropolitans, as to the archbishops
of Canterbury and York. -- Natural father,
the father of an illegitimate child. -- Putative
father, one who is presumed to be the father of an
illegitimate child; the supposed father. -- Spiritual
father. (a) A religious teacher or
guide, esp. one instrumental in leading a soul to God.
(b) (R. C. Ch.) A priest who hears
confession in the sacrament of penance. -- The Holy
Father (R. C. Ch.), the pope.
Fa"ther (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fathered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fathering.] 1. To make one's self the
father of; to beget.
Cowards father cowards, and base things sire
base.
Shak.
2. To take as one's own child; to adopt;
hence, to assume as one's own work; to acknowledge one's self author
of or responsible for (a statement, policy, etc.).
Men of wit
Often fathered what he writ.
Swift.
3. To provide with a father. [R.]
Think you I am no stronger than my sex,
Being so fathered and so husbanded ?
Shak.
To father on or upon, to
ascribe to, or charge upon, as one's offspring or work; to put or lay
upon as being responsible. "Nothing can be so uncouth or
extravagant, which may not be fathered on some fetch of wit,
or some caprice of humor." Barrow.
Fa"ther*hood (?), n. The state of
being a father; the character or authority of a father;
paternity.
Fa"ther-in-law` (?), n.; pl.
Fathers-in-law (&?;). The father of one's
husband or wife; -- correlative to son-in-law and daughter-
in-law.
&fist; A man who marries a woman having children already, is
sometimes, though erroneously, called their father-in-law.
Fa"ther*land" (?), n. [Imitated fr. D.
vaderland. See Father, and Land.] One's
native land; the native land of one's fathers or ancestors.
Fa"ther-lash`er (?), n.
(Zoöl.) A European marine fish (Cottus
bubalis), allied to the sculpin; -- called also lucky
proach.
Fa"ther*less, a. 1.
Destitute of a living father; as, a fatherless
child.
2. Without a known author. Beau. &
Fl.
Fa"ther*less*ness, n. The state of
being without a father.
Fa"ther*li*ness (?), n. [From
Fatherly.] The qualities of a father; parantal kindness,
care, etc.
Fa"ther long"legs` (?). (Zoöl.) See
Daddy longlegs, 2.
Fa"ther*ly, a. 1.
Like a father in affection and care; paternal; tender;
protecting; careful.
You have showed a tender, fatherly
regard.
Shak.
2. Of or pertaining to a father.
Fa"ther*ship, n. The state of
being a father; fatherhood; paternity.
Fath"om (fă&thlig;"ŭm),
n. [OE. fadme, faðme, AS.
fæðm fathom, the embracing arms; akin to OS.
faðmos the outstretched arms, D. vadem,
vaam, fathom, OHG. fadom, fadum, G. faden
fathom, thread, Icel. faðmr fathom, Sw. famn, Dan.
favn; cf. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to spread out,
&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; outspread, flat, L. patere to lie open,
extend. Cf. Patent, Petal.] 1. A
measure of length, containing six feet; the space to which a man can
extend his arms; -- used chiefly in measuring cables, cordage, and
the depth of navigable water by soundings.
2. The measure or extant of one's capacity;
depth, as of intellect; profundity; reach; penetration.
[R.]
Another of his fathom they have none
To lead their business.
Shak.
Fath"om, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fathomed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fathoming.] 1. To encompass with the arms
extended or encircling; to measure by throwing the arms about; to
span. [Obs.] Purchas.
2. To measure by a sounding line; especially,
to sound the depth of; to penetrate, measure, and comprehend; to get
to the bottom of. Dryden.
The page of life that was spread out before me seemed
dull and commonplace, only because I had not fathomed its
deeper import.
Hawthotne.
Fath"om*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being fathomed.
Fath"om*er (?), n. One who
fathoms.
Fath"om*less, a. 1.
Incapable of being fathomed; immeasurable; that can not be
sounded.
And buckle in a waist most
fathomless.
Shak.
2. Incomprehensible.
The fathomless absurdity.
Milton.
Fa*tid"i*cal (?), a. [L.
fatidicus; fatum fate + dicere to say, tell.]
Having power to foretell future events; prophetic; fatiloquent;
as, the fatidical oak. [R.] Howell. --
Fa*tid"i*cal*ly, adv.
Fa*tif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
fatifer; fatum fate + ferre to bear, bring.]
Fate-bringing; deadly; mortal; destructive. [R.]
Johnson.
Fat"i*ga*ble (?), a. [L.
fatigabilis: cf. F. fatigable. See Fatigue.]
Easily tired. [Obs.] Bailey.
Fat"i*gate (?), a. [L.
fatigatus, p. p. of fatigare. See Fatigue.]
Wearied; tired; fatigued. [Obs.]
Requickened what in flesh was
fatigate.
Shak.
Fat"i*gate (?), v. t. To weary; to
tire; to fatigue. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.
Fat`i*ga"tion (?), n. [L.
fatigatio: cf. OF. fatigation.] Weariness.
[Obs.] W. Montaqu.
Fa*tigue" (?), n. [F., fr.
fatiguer to fatigue, L. fatigare; cf. L. affatim
sufficiently.] 1. Weariness from bodily labor or
mental exertion; lassitude or exhaustion of strength.
2. The cause of weariness; labor; toil; as,
the fatigues of war. Dryden.
3. The weakening of a metal when subjected to
repeated vibrations or strains.
Fatigue call (Mil.), a summons, by
bugle or drum, to perform fatigue duties. -- Fatigue
dress, the working dress of soldiers. --
Fatigue duty (Mil.), labor exacted from
soldiers aside from the use of arms. Farrow. --
Fatigue party, a party of soldiers on fatigue
duty.
Fa*tigue", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fatigued (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fatiguing, n.] [Cf. F. fatiguer. See
Fatigue, n.] To weary with labor or any
bodily or mental exertion; to harass with toil; to exhaust the
strength or endurance of; to tire.
Syn. -- To jade; tire; weary; bore. See Jade.
Fa*til"o*quent (?), a. [See
Fatiloquist.] Prophetic; fatidical. [Obs.]
Blount.
Fa*til"o*quist (?), n. [L.
fatiloquus declaring fate; fatum fate+ Loqui to
speak.] A fortune teller.
{ Fat"i*mite (?), Fat"i*mide (?) },
a. (Hist.) Descended from Fatima, the
daughter and only child of Mohammed. -- n.
A descendant of Fatima.
Fa*tis"cence (?), n. [L.
fatiscense, p. pr. of fatiscere to gape or crack open.]
A gaping or opening; state of being chinky, or having
apertures. Kirwan.
Fat"-kid`neyed (?), a. Gross;
lubberly.
Peace, ye fat-kidneyed rascal !
Shak.
Fat"ling (?), n. [Fat + -
ling.] A calf, lamb, kid, or other young animal fattened for
slaughter; a fat animal; -- said of such animals as are used for
food.
He sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
2 Sam. vi. 13.
Fat"ly, adv. Grossly;
greasily.
Fat"ner (?), n. One who fattens.
[R.] See Fattener. Arbuthnit.
Fat"ness, n. 1.
The quality or state of being fat, plump, or full-fed;
corpulency; fullness of flesh.
Their eyes stand out with fatness.
Ps. lxxiii. 7.
2. Hence; Richness; fertility;
fruitfulness.
Rich in the fatness of her plenteous
soil.
Rowe.
3. That which makes fat or fertile.
The clouds drop fatness.
Philips.
Fat"ten (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fattened (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fattening (?).] [See Fat, v. t.]
1. To make fat; to feed for slaughter; to make
fleshy or plump with fat; to fill full; to fat.
2. To make fertile and fruitful; to enrich;
as, to fatten land; to fatten fields with blood.
Dryden.
Fat"ten, v. i. To grow fat or
corpulent; to grow plump, thick, or fleshy; to be pampered.
And villains fatten with the brave man's
labor.
Otway.
Fat"ten*er (?), n. One who, or
that which, fattens; that which gives fatness or fertility.
Fat"ti*ness (?), n. State or
quality of being fatty.
Fat"tish (?), a. Somewhat fat;
inclined to fatness.
Coleridge, a puffy, anxious, obstructed-looking,
fattish old man.
Carlyle.
Fat"ty (?), a. Containing fat, or
having the qualities of fat; greasy; gross; as, a fatty
substance.
Fatty acid (Chem.), any one of the
paraffin series of monocarbonic acids, as formic acid, acetic, etc.;
-- so called because the higher members, as stearic and palmitic
acids, occur in the natural fats, and are themselves fatlike
substances. -- Fatty clays. See under
Clay. -- Fatty degeneration
(Med.), a diseased condition, in which the oil globules,
naturally present in certain organs, are so multiplied as gradually
to destroy and replace the efficient parts of these organs. --
Fatty heart, Fatty liver,
etc. (Med.), a heart, liver, etc., which have been the
subjects of fatty degeneration or infiltration. -- Fatty
infiltration (Med.), a condition in which there
is an excessive accumulation of fat in an organ, without destruction
of any essential parts of the latter. -- Fatty
tumor (Med.), a tumor consisting of fatty or
adipose tissue; lipoma.
Fa*tu"i*tous (?), a. Stupid;
fatuous.
Fa*tu"i*ty (?), n. [L. fatuitas,
fr. fatuus foolish: cf. F. fatuité Cf.
Fatuous.] Weakness or imbecility of mind;
stupidity.
Those many forms of popular
fatuity.
I Taylor.
Fat"u*ous (?), a. [L. fatuus.]
1. Feeble in mind; weak; silly; stupid; foolish;
fatuitous. Glanvill.
2. Without reality; illusory, like the
ignis fatuus.
Thence fatuous fires and meteors take their
birth.
Danham.
Fat"-wit`ted (?), a. Dull;
stupid. Shak.
||Fau`bourg" (fō`b&oomac;r"; E.
fō"b&oomac;rg), n. [F.] A suburb of a
French city; also, a district now within a city, but formerly without
its walls.
Fau"cal (?), a. [L. fauces
throat.] Pertaining to the fauces, or opening of the throat;
faucial; esp., (Phon.) produced in the fauces, as
certain deep guttural sounds found in the Semitic and some other
languages.
Ayin is the most difficult of the
faucals.
I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
||Fau"ces (?), n. pl. [L.]
1. (Anat.) The narrow passage from the
mouth to the pharynx, situated between the soft palate and the base
of the tongue; -- called also the isthmus of the fauces. On
either side of the passage two membranous folds, called the
pillars of the fauces, inclose the tonsils.
2. (Bot.) The throat of a calyx,
corolla, etc.
3. (Zoöl.) That portion of the
interior of a spiral shell which can be seen by looking into the
aperture.
Fau"cet (?), n. [F. fausset,
perh. fr. L. fauces throat.] 1. A fixture
for drawing a liquid, as water, molasses, oil, etc., from a pipe,
cask, or other vessel, in such quantities as may be desired; --
called also tap, and cock. It consists of a tubular
spout, stopped with a movable plug, spigot, valve, or
slide.
2. The enlarged end of a section of pipe
which receives the spigot end of the next section.
Fau"chion (?), n. See
Falchion. [Obs.]
Fau"cial (?), a. (Anat.)
Pertaining to the fauces; pharyngeal.
Faugh (?), interj. [Cf. Foh.]
An exclamation of contempt, disgust, or abhorrence.
Faul"chion (?), n. See
Falchion.
Faul"con (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Falcon.
Fauld (?), n. The arch over the
dam of a blast furnace; the tymp arch.
Faule (?), n. A fall or falling
band. [Obs.]
These laces, ribbons, and these
faules.
Herrick.
Fault (?), n. [OE. faut,
faute, F. faute (cf. It., Sp., & Pg. falta), fr.
a verb meaning to want, fail, freq., fr. L.
fallere to deceive. See Fail, and cf. Default.]
1. Defect; want; lack; default.
One, it pleases me, for fault of a better, to
call my friend.
Shak.
2. Anything that fails, that is wanting, or
that impairs excellence; a failing; a defect; a blemish.
As patches set upon a little breach
Discredit more in hiding of the fault.
Shak.
3. A moral failing; a defect or dereliction
from duty; a deviation from propriety; an offense less serious than a
crime.
4. (Geol. & Mining) (a)
A dislocation of the strata of the vein.
(b) In coal seams, coal rendered worthless by
impurities in the seam; as, slate fault, dirt fault,
etc. Raymond.
5. (Hunting) A lost scent; act of
losing the scent.
Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have
singled,
With much ado, the cold fault cleary out.
Shak.
6. (Tennis) Failure to serve the ball
into the proper court.
At fault, unable to find the scent and
continue chase; hence, in trouble or embarrassment, and unable to
proceed; puzzled; thrown off the track. -- To find
fault, to find reason for blaming or complaining; to
express dissatisfaction; to complain; -- followed by with
before the thing complained of; but formerly by at.
"Matter to find fault at." Robynson (More's
Utopia).
Syn. -- -- Error; blemish; defect; imperfection; weakness;
blunder; failing; vice. -- Fault, Failing,
Defect, Foible. A fault is positive, something
morally wrong; a failing is negative, some weakness or falling
short in a man's character, disposition, or habits; a defect
is also negative, and as applied to character is the absence of
anything which is necessary to its completeness or perfection; a
foible is a less important weakness, which we overlook or
smile at. A man may have many failings, and yet commit but few
faults; or his faults and failings may be few,
while his foibles are obvious to all. The faults of a
friend are often palliated or explained away into mere
defects, and the defects or foibles of an enemy
exaggerated into faults. "I have failings in common
with every human being, besides my own peculiar faults; but of
avarice I have generally held myself guiltless." Fox.
"Presumption and self-applause are the foibles of mankind."
Waterland.
Fault (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Faulted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Faulting.] 1. To charge with a fault; to
accuse; to find fault with; to blame. [Obs.]
For that I will not fault thee.
Old Song.
2. (Geol.) To interrupt the continuity
of (rock strata) by displacement along a plane of fracture; --
chiefly used in the p. p.; as, the coal beds are badly
faulted.
Fault, v. i. To err; to blunder,
to commit a fault; to do wrong. [Obs.]
If after Samuel's death the people had asked of God a
king, they had not faulted.
Latimer.
Fault"er (?), n. One who commits a
fault. [Obs.]
Behold the faulter here in sight.
Fairfax.
Fault"-find`er (?), n. One who
makes a practice of discovering others' faults and censuring them; a
scold.
Fault"-find`ing, n. The act of
finding fault or blaming; -- used derogatively. Also
Adj.
Fault"ful (?), a. Full of faults
or sins. Shak.
Fault"i*ly (?), adv. In a faulty
manner.
Fault"i*ness, n. Quality or state
of being faulty.
Round, even to faultiness.
Shak.
Fault"ing, n. (Geol.) The
state or condition of being faulted; the process by which a fault is
produced.
Fault"less, a. Without fault; not
defective or imperfect; free from blemish; free from incorrectness,
vice, or offense; perfect; as, a faultless poem.
Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see,
Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er shall be.
Pope.
Syn. -- Blameless; spotless; perfect. See
Blameless.
-- Fault"less*ly, adv.-
Fault"less*ness, n.
Fault"y (?), a. 1.
Containing faults, blemishes, or defects; imperfect; not fit for
the use intended.
Created once
So goodly and erect, though faulty since.
Milton.
2. Guilty of a fault, or of faults; hence,
blamable; worthy of censure. Shak.
The king doth speak . . . as one which is
faulty.
2 Sam. xiv. 13.
Faun (?), n. [L. Faunus, fr.
favere to be favorable. See Favor.] (Rom. Myth.)
A god of fields and shipherds, diddering little from the satyr.
The fauns are usually represented as half goat and half
man.
Satyr or Faun, or Sylvan.
Milton.
Fau"na (?), n. [NL.: cf. F.
faune. See Faun.] (Zoöl.) The animals
of any given area or epoch; as, the fauna of America; fossil
fauna; recent fauna.
Fau"nal (?), a. Relating to
fauna.
Fau"nist (?), n. One who describes
the fauna of country; a naturalist. Gilbert White.
||Fau"nus (?), n.;pl.
Fauni (#). [L.] (Myth.) See
Faun.
Fau"sen (?), n. [Cf. W. llysowen
eel, ll sounding in Welsh almost like fl.]
(Zoöl.) A young eel. [Prov. Eng.]
||Fausse`-braye" (?), n. [F. fausse-
braie.] (Mil.) A second rampart, exterior to, and
parallel to, the main rampart, and considerably below its
level.
||Fau`teuil" (?), n. [F. See
Faldistory.] 1. An armchair; hence
(because the members sit in fauteuils or armchairs), membership in
the French Academy.
2. Chair of a presiding officer.
Fau"tor (?), n. [L., contr. fr.
favitor, fr. favere to be favorable: cf. F.
fauteur. See Favor.] A favorer; a patron; one who
gives countenance or support; an abettor. [Obs.]
The king and the fautors of his
proceedings.
Latimer.
Fau"tress (?), n. [L. fauutrix:
cf. F. fautrice.] A patroness. [Obs.]
Chapman.
||Fau`vette" (?), n. [F., dim. fr.
fauve fawn-colored.] (Zoöl.) A small singing
bird, as the nightingale and warblers.
||Faux (?), n.; pl.
Fauces (#). [L.] See Fauces.
||faux` pas" (?). [F. See False, and Pas.]
A false step; a mistake or wrong measure.
Fa*vag"i*nous (?), a. [L. favus
a honeycomb.] Formed like, or resembling, a honeycomb.
Fa"vas (?), n. See Favus,
n., 2. Fairholt.
Fa"vel (?), a. [OF. fauvel,
favel, dim. of F. fauve; of German oigin. See
Fallow, a.] Yellow; fal&?;ow;
dun. [Obs.] Wright.
Fa"vel, n. A horse of a favel or
dun color.
To curry favel. See To curry favor,
under Favor, n.
Fa"vel, n. [OF. favele, fr. L.
fabella short fable, dim. of fabula. See Fable.]
Flattery; cajolery; deceit. [Obs.] Skeat.
||Fa*vel"la (?), n. [NL., prob. from L.
favus a honeycomb.] (Bot.) A group of spores
arranged without order and covered with a thin gelatinous envelope,
as in certain delicate red algæ.
Fa*ve"o*late (?), a. [L. favus
honeycomb.] Honeycomb; having cavities or cells, somewhat
resembling those of a honeycomb; alveolate; favose.
Fa*vil"lous (?), a. [L. favilla
sparkling or glowing ashes.] Of or pertaining to ashes.
[Obs.]
Light and favillous particles.
Sir T. Browne.
Fa*vo"ni*an (?), a. [L. Favonius
the west wind.] Pertaining to the west wind; soft; mild;
gentle.
Fa"vor (?), n. [Written also
favour.] [OF. favor, F. faveur, L. favor,
fr. favere to be favorable, cf. Skr. bhāvaya to
further, foster, causative of bhū to become, be. Cf.
Be. In the phrase to curry favor, favor is prob.
for favel a horse. See 2d Favel.] 1.
Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly
disposition; kindness; good will.
Hath crawled into the favor of the
king.
Shak.
2. The act of countenancing, or the condition
of being countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support; promotion;
befriending.
But found no favor in his lady's
eyes.
Dryden.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and man.
Luke ii. 52.
3. A kind act or office; kindness done or
granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good
will, as distinct from justice or remuneration.
Beg one favor at thy gracious
hand.
Shak.
4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment;
lenity.
I could not discover the lenity and favor of
this sentence.
Swift.
5. The object of regard; person or thing
favored.
All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man,
His chief delight and favor.
Milton.
6. A gift or represent; something bestowed as
an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons;
something worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor
is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a
wedding.
Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in
thy cap.
Shak.
7. Appearance; look; countenance; face.
[Obs.]
This boy is fair, of female favor.
Shak.
8. (Law) Partiality; bias.
Bouvier.
9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in
civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is
received.
10. pl. Love locks. [Obs.]
Wright.
Challenge to the favor or for
favor (Law), the challenge of a juror on grounds
not sufficient to constitute a principal challenge, but sufficient to
give rise to a probable suspicion of favor or bias, such as
acquaintance, business relation, etc. See Principal challenge,
under Challenge. -- In favor of,
upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of. --
In favor with, favored, countenanced, or
encouraged by. -- To curry favor [see the
etymology of Favor, above], to seek to gain favor by
flattery, caresses, kindness, or officious civilities. --
With one's favor, or By one's
favor, with leave; by kind permission.
But, with your favor, I will treat it
here.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity;
grace; gift; present; benefit.
Fa"vor, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Favored (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Favoring.] [Written also favour.] [Cf. OF.
favorer, favorir. See Favor,
n.] 1. To regard with
kindness; to support; to aid, or to have the disposition to aid, or
to wish success to; to be propitious to; to countenance; to treat
with consideration or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias
towards.
O happy youth! and favored of the
skies.
Pope.
He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after
Joab.
2 Sam. xx. 11.
[The painter] has favored her squint
admirably.
Swift.
2. To afford advantages for success to; to
facilitate; as, a weak place favored the entrance of the
enemy.
3. To resemble in features; to have the
aspect or looks of; as, the child favors his father.
The porter owned that the gentleman favored his
master.
Spectator.
Fa"vor*a*ble (?), a. [Written also
favourable.] [F. favorable, L. favorabilis
favored, popular, pleasing, fr. favor. See Favor,
n.] 1. Full of favor;
favoring; manifesting partiality; kind; propitious;
friendly.
Lend favorable ears to our
request.
Shak.
Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy
land.
Ps. lxxxv. 1.
2. Conducive; contributing; tending to
promote or facilitate; advantageous; convenient.
A place very favorable for the making levies of
men.
Clarendon.
The temper of the climate, favorable to
generation, health, and long life.
Sir W.
Temple.
3. Beautiful; well-favored. [Obs.]
Spenser.
-- Fa"vora*ble*ness, n. --
Fa"vor*a*bly, sdv.
The faborableness of the present times to all
extertions in the cause of liberty.
Burke.
Fa"vored (?), a. 1.
Countenanced; aided; regarded with kidness; as, a favored
friend.
2. Having a certain favor or appearance;
featured; as, well-favored; hard-favored,
etc.
Fa"vored*ly (?), adv. In a favored
or a favorable manner; favorably. [Obs.] Deut. xvii. 1.
Arscham.
Fa"vored*ness, n.
Appearance. [Obs.]
Fa"vor*er (?), n. One who favors;
one who regards with kindness or friendship; a well-wisher; one who
assists or promotes success or prosperity. [Written also
favourer.]
And come to us as favorers, not as
foes.
Shak.
Fa"vor*ess (?), n. A woman who
favors or gives countenance. [Written also
fovouress.]
Fa"vor*ing, a. That favors.
-- Fa"vor*ing*ly, adv.
Fa"vor*ite (?), n. [OF. favorit
favored, F. favori, fem. favorite, p. p. of OF.
favorir, cf. It. favorito, frm. favorita, fr.
favorire to favor. See Favor.] 1.
A person or thing regarded with peculiar favor; one treated with
partiality; one preferred above others; especially, one unduly loved,
trusted, and enriched with favors by a person of high rank or
authority.
Committing to a wicked favorite
All public cares.
Milton.
2. pl. Short curls dangling over the
temples; -- fashionable in the reign of Charles II. [Obs.]
Farquhar.
3. (Sporting) The competitor (as a
horse in a race) that is judged most likely to win; the competitor
standing highest in the betting.
Fa"vor*ite, a. Regarded with
particular affection, esteem, or preference; as, a favorite
walk; a favorite child. "His favorite argument."
Macaulay.
Fa"vor*it*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
favoritisme.] The disposition to favor and promote the
interest of one person or family, or of one class of men, to the
neglect of others having equal claims; partiality.
A spirit of favoritism to the Bank of the
United States.
A. Hamilton.
Fa"vor*less, a. 1.
Unfavored; not regarded with favor; having no countenance or
support.
2. Unpropitious; unfavorable. [Obs.]
"Fortune favorless." Spenser.
Fa*vose" (?), a. [L. favus
honeycomb.] 1. (Bot.) Honeycombed. See
Faveolate.
2. (Med.) Of or pertaining to the
disease called favus.
Fav"o*site (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Like or pertaining to the genus Favosites.
||Fav`o*si"tes (?), n. [NL. See
Favose.] (Paleon.) A genus of fossil corals
abundant in the Silurian and Devonian rocks, having polygonal cells
with perforated walls.
||Fa"vus (?), n. [L., honeycomb.]
1. (Med.) A disease of the scalp,
produced by a vegetable parasite.
2. A tile or flagstone cut into an hexagonal
shape to produce a honeycomb pattern, as in a pavement; -- called
also favas and sectila. Mollett.
Fawe (?), a. [See Fain.]
Fain; glad; delighted. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fawk"ner (?), n. [See Falconer.]
A falconer. [Obs.] Donne.
Fawn (?), n. [OF. faon the young
one of any beast, a fawn, F. faon a fawn, for fedon,
fr. L. fetus. See Fetus.] 1.
(Zoöl.) A young deer; a buck or doe of the first
year. See Buck.
2. The young of an animal; a whelp.
[Obs.]
[The tigress] . . . followeth . . . after her
fawns.
Holland.
3. A fawn color.
Fawn, a. Of the color of a fawn;
fawn-colored.
Fawn, v. i. [Cf. F. faonner.]
To bring forth a fawn.
Fawn, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fawned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fawning.] [OE. fawnen, fainen, fagnien,
to rejoice, welcome, flatter, AS. fægnian to rejoice;
akin to Icel. fagna to rejoice, welcome. See Fain.]
To court favor by low cringing, frisking, etc., as a dog; to
flatter meanly; -- often followed by on or
upon.
You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned
like hounds.
Shak.
Thou with trembling fear,
Or like a fawning parasite, obeyest.
Milton.
Courtiers who fawn on a master while they
betray him.
Macaulay.
Fawn, n. A servile cringe or bow;
mean flattery; sycophancy. Shak.
Fawn"-col`ored (?), a. Of the
color of a fawn; light yellowish brown.
Fawn"er (?), n. One who fawns; a
sycophant.
Fawn"ing*ly, adv. In a fawning
manner.
Faxed (?), a. [AS. feaxede
haired, fr. feax hair. Cf. Paxwax.] Hairy.
[Obs.] amden.
Fay (?), n. [F. fée. See
Fate, and cf. Fairy.] A fairy; an elf.
"Yellow-skirted fays." Milton.
Fay, n. [OF. fei, F. foi.
See Faith.] Faith; as, by my fay. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fay (fā), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. fayed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Faying.] [OE. feien, v.t. & i., AS. fēgan
to join, unite; akin to OS. fōgian, D. voegen,
OHG. fuogen, G. fügen, Sw. foga. See
Fair, and cf. Fadge.] (Shipbuilding) To
fit; to join; to unite closely, as two pieces of wood, so as to make
the surface fit together.
Fay, v. i. (Shipbuilding)
To lie close together; to fit; to fadge; -- often with
in, into, with, or together.
Faying surface, that surface of an object
which comes with another object to which it is fastened; -- said of
plates, angle irons, etc., that are riveted together in
shipwork.
Fay"al*ite (?), n. [So called from the
island Fayal.] (Min.) A black, greenish, or
brownish mineral of the chrysolite group. It is a silicate of
iron.
||Fa`y*ence" (?), n. See
Fa&?;ence.
Fay"tour (?), n. See
Faitour. [Obs.] Spenser.
Faze (?), v. t. See
Feeze.
Faz"zo*let` (?), n. [It.
fazzoletto.] A handkerchief. [R.]
percival.
Fea"ber*ry (?), n. [Cf. Prov. E.
feabe, theabe, thape.] (Bot.) A
gooseberry. [Prov. Eng.] Prior.
Feague (?), v. t. [Cf. G. fegen
to sweep, Icel. fægia to cleanse, polish, E.
fair, fay, to fit, fey to cleanse.] To beat
or whip; to drive. [Obs.] Otway.
Fe"al (?), a. [OF. feal,
feel, feeil, fedeil, F. fidèle, L.
fidelis faithful, fr. fides faith. See Faith.]
Faithful; loyal. [Obs.] Wright.
Fe"al*ty (?), n. [OE. faute, OF.
fauté, fealté, feelé,
feelteit, fr. L. fidelitas, fr. fidelis
faithful. See Feal, and cf. Fidelity.]
1. Fidelity to one's lord; the feudal obligation
by which the tenant or vassal was bound to be faithful to his lord;
the special oath by which this obligation was assumed; fidelity to a
superior power, or to a government; loyality. It is no longer the
practice to exact the performance of fealty, as a feudal
obligation. Wharton (Law Dict. ). Tomlins.
2. Fidelity; constancy; faithfulness, as of a
friend to a friend, or of a wife to her husband.
He should maintain fealty to God.
I. Taylor.
Makes wicked lightnings of her eyes, and saps
The fealty of our friends.
tennyson.
Swore fealty to the new
government.
Macaulay.
&fist; Fealty is distinguished from homage, which is
an acknowledgment of tenure, while fealty implies an oath. See
Homage. Wharton.
Syn. -- Homage; loyality; fidelity; constancy.
Fear (?), n. A variant of
Fere, a mate, a companion. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fear, n. [OE. fer, feer,
fere, AS. f&?;r a coming suddenly upon, fear, danger;
akin to D. vaar, OHG. fāra danger, G.
gefahr, Icel. fār harm, mischief, plague, and to
E. fare, peril. See Fare.] 1.
A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil,
or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety;
solicitude; alarm; dread.
&fist; The degrees of this passion, beginning with the most
moderate, may be thus expressed, -- apprehension, fear,
dread, fright, terror.
Fear is an uneasiness of the mind, upon the
thought of future evil likely to befall us.
Locke.
Where no hope is left, is left no
fear.
Milton.
2. (Script.) (a)
Apprehension of incurring, or solicitude to avoid, God's wrath;
the trembling and awful reverence felt toward the Supreme
Belng. (b) Respectful reverence for men of
authority or worth.
I will put my fear in their
hearts.
Jer. xxxii. 40.
I will teach you the fear of the
Lord.
Ps. xxxiv. 11.
render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom
tribute is due . . . fear to whom fear.
Rom. xiii. 7.
3. That which causes, or which is the object
of, apprehension or alarm; source or occasion of terror; danger;
dreadfulness.
There were they in great fear, where no fear
was.
Ps. liii. 5.
The fear of your adventure would counsel you to
a more equal enterprise.
Shak.
For fear, in apprehension lest. "For
fear you ne'er see chain nor money more." Shak.
Fear, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Feared (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fearing.] [OE. feren, faeren, to frighten, to be
afraid, AS. f&?;ran to terrify. See Fear,
n.] 1. To feel a painful
apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion
of alarm or solicitude.
I will fear no evil, for thou art with
me.
Ps. xxiii. 4.
With subordinate clause.
I greatly fear my money is not
safe.
Shak.
I almost fear to quit your hand.
D. Jerrold.
2. To have a reverential awe of; to
solicitous to avoid the displeasure of.
Leave them to God above; him serve and
fear.
Milton.
3. To be anxious or solicitous for.
[R.]
The sins of the father are to be laid upon the
children, therefore . . . I fear you.
Shak.
4. To suspect; to doubt. [Obs.]
Ay what else, fear you not her
courage?
Shak.
5. To affright; to terrify; to drive away or
prevent approach of by fear. [Obs.]
fear their people from doing evil.
Robynsin (More's utopia).
Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.
Shak.
Syn. -- To apprehend; dread; reverence; venerate.
Fear, v. i. To be in apprehension
of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected
evil.
I exceedingly fear and quake.
Heb. xii. 21.
Fear"er (?), n. One who
fars. Sir P. Sidney.
Fear"ful (?), a. 1.
Full of fear, apprehension, or alarm; afraid;
frightened.
Anxious amidst all their success, and fearful
amidat all their power.
Bp. Warburton.
2. inclined to fear; easily frightened;
without courage; timid.
What man is there that is fearful and faint-
hearted?
Deut. xx. 8.
3. Indicating, or caused by, fear.
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling
flesh.
Shak.
4. Inspiring fear or awe; exciting
apprehension or terror; terrible; frightful; dreadful.
This glorious and fearful name, The Lord thy
God.
Deut. xxviii. 58.
Death is a fearful thing.
Shak.
In dreams they fearful precipices
tread.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Apprehensive; afraid; timid; timorous; horrible;
distressing; shocking; frightful; dreadful; awful.
Fear"ful*ly, adv. In a fearful
manner.
Fear"ful*ness, n. The state of
being fearful.
Fear"less, a. Free from
fear.
Syn. -- Bold; courageous; intrepid; valorous; valiant;
brave; undaunted; dauntless; heroic.
-- Fear"less*ly, adv. --
Fear"less*ness, n.
Fear"naught` (?), n. 1.
A fearless person.
2. A stout woolen cloth of great thickness;
dreadnaught; also, a warm garment.
Fear"some (?) a. 1.
Frightful; causing fear. [Scotch] "This fearsome
wind." Sir W. Scott
2. Easily frightened; timid; timorous.
"A silly fearsome thing." B. Taylor
Fea"si*bil*ity (?) n.; pl.
Feasibilities (-tiz). [from Feasible]
The quality of being feasible; practicability; also, that which
is feasible; as, before we adopt a plan, let us consider its
feasibility.
Men often swallow falsities for truths, dubiosities
for certainties, possibilities for feasibilities.
Sir T. Browne.
Fea"si*ble (?) a. [F. faisable,
fr. faire to make or do, fr. L. facere. See
Fact, Feat.] 1. Capable of being
done, executed, or effected; practicable.
Always existing before their eyes as a thing
feasible in practice.
Burke.
It was not feasible to gratify so many
ambitions.
Beaconsfield.
2. Fit to be used or tailed, as land.
[R.] R. Trumbull.
Fea"si*ble*ness, n. --
Fea"si*bly, adv.
Feast (fēst), n. [OE.
feste festival, holiday, feast, OF. feste festival, F.
fête, fr. L. festum, pl. festa, fr.
festus joyful, festal; of uncertain origin. Cf. Fair,
n., Festal, Fête.]
1. A festival; a holiday; a solemn, or more
commonly, a joyous, anniversary.
The seventh day shall be a feast to the
Lord.
Ex. xiii. 6.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the
feast of the passover.
Luke ii. 41.
&fist; Ecclesiastical feasts are called immovable
when they always occur on the same day of the year; otherwise they
are called movable.
2. A festive or joyous meal; a grand,
ceremonious, or sumptuous entertainment, of which many guests
partake; a banquet characterized by tempting variety and abundance of
food.
Enough is as good as a feast.
Old Proverb.
Belshazzar the King made a great feast to a
thousand of his lords.
Dan. v. 1.
3. That which is partaken of, or shared in,
with delight; something highly agreeable; entertainment.
The feast of reason, and the flow of
soul.
Pope.
Feast day, a holiday; a day set as a solemn
commemorative festival.
Syn. -- Entertainment; regale; banquet; treat; carousal;
festivity; festival. -- Feast, Banquet,
Festival, Carousal. A feast sets before us
viands superior in quantity, variety, and abundance; a banquet
is a luxurious feast; a festival is the joyful celebration by
good cheer of some agreeable event. Carousal is unrestrained
indulgence in frolic and drink.
Feast, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Feasted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Feasting.] [OE. festen, cf. OF. fester to rest
from work, F. fêter to celebrate a holiday. See
Feast, n.] 1. To eat
sumptuously; to dine or sup on rich provisions, particularly in large
companies, and on public festivals.
And his sons went and feasted in their
houses.
Job. i. 4.
2. To be highly gratified or
delighted.
With my love's picture then my eye doth
feast.
Shak.
Feast, v. t. 1. To
entertain with sumptuous provisions; to treat at the table
bountifully; as, he was feasted by the king.
Hayward.
2. To delight; to gratify; as, to
feast the soul.
Feast your ears with the music a
while.
Shak.
Feast"er (?), n. 1.
One who fares deliciously.
2. One who entertains magnificently.
Johnson.
Feast"ful (?), a. Festive; festal;
joyful; sumptuous; luxurious. "Feastful days."
Milton.
-- Feast"ful*ly, adv.
Feat (?), n. [OE. fet, OF.
fet, fait, F. fait, factum, fr. L.
facere, factum, to make or do. Cf. Fact,
Feasible, Do.] 1. An act; a deed;
an exploit.
The warlike feats I have done.
Shak.
2. A striking act of strength, skill, or
cunning; a trick; as, feats of horsemanship, or of
dexterity.
Feat, v. t. To form; to
fashion. [Obs.]
To the more mature,
A glass that feated them.
Shak.
Feat, a. [Compar.
Feater (?); superl. Featest.] [F.
fait made, shaped, fit, p. p. of faire to make or do.
See Feat, n.] Dexterous in movements or
service; skillful; neat; nice; pretty. [Archaic]
Never master had a page . . . so
feat.
Shak.
And look how well my garments sit upon me --
Much feater than before.
Shak.
Feat"-bod`ied (?), a. Having a
feat or trim body. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
Feat"e*ous (?), a. [Cf. OF.
faitis, faitice, fetis, well made, fine, L.
facticius made by art.] Dexterous; neat. [Obs.]
Johnson.
-- Feat"e*ous*ly, adv.
Feath"er (f&ebreve;&thlig;"&etilde;r),
n. [OE. fether, AS. feðer; akin
to D. veder, OHG. fedara, G. feder, Icel.
fjöðr, Sw. fjäder, Dan.
fjæder, Gr. ptero`n wing, feather,
pe`tesqai to fly, Skr. pattra wing, feather,
pat to fly, and prob. to L. penna feather, wing.
√76, 248. Cf. Pen a feather.] 1.
One of the peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds,
belonging to birds, as contour feathers, quills, and down.
&fist; An ordinary feather consists of the quill or hollow basal
part of the stem; the shaft or rachis, forming the upper, solid part
of the stem; the vanes or webs, implanted on the rachis and
consisting of a series of slender laminæ or barbs, which
usually bear barbules, which in turn usually bear barbicels and
interlocking hooks by which they are fastened together. See
Down, Quill, Plumage.
2. Kind; nature; species; -- from the
proverbial phrase, "Birds of a feather," that is, of the same
species. [R.]
I am not of that feather to shake off
My friend when he must need me.
Shak.
3. The fringe of long hair on the legs of the
setter and some other dogs.
4. A tuft of peculiar, long, frizzly hair on
a horse.
5. One of the fins or wings on the shaft of
an arrow.
6. (Mach. & Carp.) A longitudinal
strip projecting as a fin from an object, to strengthen it, or to
enter a channel in another object and thereby prevent displacement
sidwise but permit motion lengthwise; a spline.
7. A thin wedge driven between the two
semicylindrical parts of a divided plug in a hole bored in a stone,
to rend the stone. Knight.
8. The angular adjustment of an oar or
paddle-wheel float, with reference to a horizontal axis, as it leaves
or enters the water.
&fist; Feather is used adjectively or in combination,
meaning composed of, or resembling, a feather or
feathers; as, feather fan, feather-heeled,
feather duster.
Feather alum (Min.), a hydrous
sulphate of alumina, resulting from volcanic action, and from the
decomposition of iron pyrites; -- called also
halotrichite. Ure. -- Feather
bed, a bed filled with feathers. --
Feather driver, one who prepares feathers by
beating. -- Feather duster, a dusting
brush of feathers. -- Feather flower, an
artifical flower made of feathers, for ladies' headdresses, and other
ornamental purposes. -- Feather grass
(Bot.), a kind of grass (Stipa pennata) which has a
long feathery awn rising from one of the chaffy scales which inclose
the grain. -- Feather maker, one who makes
plumes, etc., of feathers, real or artificial. --
Feather ore (Min.), a sulphide of
antimony and lead, sometimes found in capillary forms and like a
cobweb, but also massive. It is a variety of Jamesonite. --
Feather shot, or Feathered shot
(Metal.), copper granulated by pouring into cold
water. Raymond. -- Feather spray
(Naut.), the spray thrown up, like pairs of feathers, by
the cutwater of a fast-moving vessel. -- Feather
star. (Zoöl.) See Comatula. --
Feather weight. (Racing) (a)
Scrupulously exact weight, so that a feather would turn the
scale, when a jockey is weighed or weighted. (b)
The lightest weight that can be put on the back of a horse in
racing. Youatt. (c) In wrestling,
boxing, etc., a term applied to the lightest of the classes into
which contestants are divided; -- in contradistinction to light
weight, middle weight, and heavy weight. --
A feather in the cap an honour, trophy, or mark
of distinction. [Colloq.] -- To be in full
feather, to be in full dress or in one's best
clothes. [Collog.] -- To be in high feather,
to be in high spirits. [Collog.] -- To cut a
feather. (a) (Naut.) To make the
water foam in moving; in allusion to the ripple which a ship throws
off from her bows. (b) To make one's self
conspicuous. [Colloq.] -- To show the white
feather, to betray cowardice, -- a white feather in the
tail of a cock being considered an indication that he is not of the
true game breed.
Feath"er (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Feathered (#); p. pr. & vb. n.
Feathering.] 1. To furnish with a feather
or feathers, as an arrow or a cap.
An eagle had the ill hap to be struck with an arrow
feathered from her own wing.
L'Estrange.
2. To adorn, as with feathers; to
fringe.
A few birches and oaks still feathered the
narrow ravines.
Sir W. Scott.
3. To render light as a feather; to give
wings to.[R.]
The Polonian story perhaps may feather some
tedious hours.
Loveday.
4. To enrich; to exalt; to benefit.
They stuck not to say that the king cared not to plume
his nobility and people to feather himself.
Bacon. Dryden.
5. To tread, as a cock.
Dryden.
To feather one's nest, to provide for one's
self especially from property belonging to another, confided to one's
care; -- an expression taken from the practice of birds which collect
feathers for the lining of their nests. -- To feather an
oar (Naut), to turn it when it leaves the water
so that the blade will be horizontal and offer the least resistance
to air while reaching for another stroke. -- To tar and
feather a person, to smear him with tar and cover him
with feathers, as a punishment or an indignity.
Feath"er, v. i. 1.
To grow or form feathers; to become feathered; -- often with
out; as, the birds are feathering out.
2. To curdle when poured into another liquid,
and float about in little flakes or "feathers;" as, the cream
feathers. [Colloq.]
3. To turn to a horizontal plane; -- said of
oars.
The feathering oar returns the
gleam.
Tickell.
Stopping his sculls in the air to feather
accurately.
Macmillan's Mag.
4. To have the appearance of a feather or of
feathers; to be or to appear in feathery form.
A clump of ancient cedars feathering in
evergreen beauty down to the ground.
Warren.
The ripple feathering from her
bows.
Tennyson.
Feath"er-brained` (?), a. Giddy;
frivolous; feather-headed. [Colloq.]
Feath"ered (?), a. 1.
Clothed, covered, or fitted with (or as with) feathers or wings;
as, a feathered animal; a feathered arrow.
Rise from the ground like feathered
Mercury.
Shak.
Nonsense feathered with soft and delicate
phrases and pointed with pathetic accent.
Dr. J.
Scott.
2. Furnished with anything featherlike;
ornamented; fringed; as, land feathered with trees.
3. (Zoöl.) Having a fringe of
feathers, as the legs of certian birds; or of hairs, as the legs of a
setter dog.
4. (Her.) Having feathers; -- said of
an arrow, when the feathers are of a tincture different from that of
the shaft.
Feath"er-edge` (?), n.
1. (Zoöl.) The thin, new growth
around the edge of a shell, of an oyster.
2. Any thin, as on a board or a
razor.
Feath"er-edged` (?), a. Having a
feather-edge; also, having one edge thinner than the other, as a
board; -- in the United States, said only of stuff one edge of which
is made as thin as practicable.
Feath"er-few (?), n. (Bot.)
Feverfew.
Feath"er-foil` (?), n. [Feather
+ foil a leaf.] (Bot.) An aquatic plant
(Hottonia palustris), having finely divided leaves.
Feath"er-head` (?), n. A frivolous
or featherbrained person. [Colloq.] H. James.
Feath"er-head`ed (?), a. Giddy;
frivolous; foolish. [Colloq.] G. Eliot.
Feath"er-heeled` (?), a. Light-
heeled; gay; frisky; frolicsome. [Colloq.]
Feath"er*i*ness (?), n. The state
or condition of being feathery.
Feath"er*ing, n. 1.
(Arch.) Same as Foliation.
2. The act of turning the blade of the oar,
as it rises from the water in rowing, from a vertical to a horizontal
position. See To feather an oar, under Feather,
v. t.
3. A covering of feathers.
Feathering float (Naut.), the float
or paddle of a feathering wheel. -- Feathering
screw (Naut.), a screw propeller, of which the
blades may be turned so as to move edgewise through the water when
the vessel is moving under sail alone. -- Feathering
wheel (Naut.), a paddle wheel whose floats turn
automatically so as to dip about perpendicularly into the water and
leave in it the same way, avoiding beating on the water in the
descent and lifting water in the ascent.
Feath"er*less, a. Destitute of
feathers.
Feath"er*ly, a. Like
feathers. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Feath"er-pat"ed (?), a. Feather-
headed; frivolous. [Colloq.] Sir W. Scott.
Feath"er-veined` (?), a. (Bot.)
Having the veins (of a leaf) diverging from the two sides of a
midrib.
Feath"er*y (?), a. Pertaining to,
or resembling, feathers; covered with, or as with, feathers; as,
feathery spray or snow. Milton.
Ye feathery people of mid air.
Barry Cornwall.
Feat"ly (?), adv. [From Feat,
a.] Neatly; dexterously; nimbly.
[Archaic]
Foot featly here and there.
Shak.
Feat"ness, n. Skill;
adroitness. [Archaic] Johnson.
Fea"ture (?; 135), n. [OE.
feture form, shape, feature, OF. faiture fashion, make,
fr. L. factura a making, formation, fr. facere,
factum, to make. See Feat, Fact, and cf.
Facture.] 1. The make, form, or outward
appearance of a person; the whole turn or style of the body; esp.,
good appearance.
What needeth it his feature to
descrive?
Chaucer.
Cheated of feature by dissembling
nature.
Shak.
2. The make, cast, or appearance of the human
face, and especially of any single part of the face; a lineament.
(pl.) The face, the countenance.
It is for homely features to keep
home.
Milton.
3. The cast or structure of anything, or of
any part of a thing, as of a landscape, a picture, a treaty, or an
essay; any marked peculiarity or characteristic; as, one of the
features of the landscape.
And to her service bind each living creature
Through secret understanding of their feature.
Spenser.
4. A form; a shape. [R.]
So scented the grim feature, and upturned
His nostril wide into the murky air.
Milton.
Fea"tured (?; 135), a.
1. Shaped; fashioned.
How noble, young, how rarely
featured!
Shak.
2. Having features; formed into
features.
The well-stained canvas or the featured
stone.
Young.
Fea"ture*less (?; 135), a. Having
no distinct or distinctive features.
Fea"ture*ly, a. Having features;
showing marked peculiarities; handsome. [R.]
Featurely warriors of Christian
chivalry.
Coleridge.
Feaze (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Feazed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Feazing.] [Cf. OE. faseln to ravel, fr. AS.
fæs fringe; akin to G. fasen to separate fibers
or threads, fasen, faser, thread, filament, OHG.
faso.] To untwist; to unravel, as the end of a
rope. Johnson.
Feaze, v. t. [See Feese.]
To beat; to chastise; also, to humble; to harass; to
worry. [Obs.] insworth.
Feaze, n. A state of anxious or
fretful excitement; worry; vexation. [Obs.]
Feaz"ings (?), n. pl. [See
Feaze, v. t.] (Naut.) The unlaid
or ragged end of a rope. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Fe*bric"i*tate (?), v. i. [L.
febricitare, fr. febris. See Febrile.] To
have a fever. [Obs.] Bailey.
Fe*bric"u*lose` (?), a. [L.
febriculosus.] Somewhat feverish. [Obs.]
Johnson.
Feb`ri*fa"cient (?), a. [L.
febris fever + faciens, p. pr. of facere to
make.] Febrific. Dunglison.
-- n. That which causes fever.
Beddoes.
Fe*brif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
febris fever + -ferous.] Causing fever; as, a
febriferous locality.
Fe*brif"ic (?), a. [L. febris
fever + ficare (in comp.) to make. See fy-.]
Producing fever. Dunglison.
Fe*brif"u*gal (? or ?), a. [See
Febrifuge.] Having the quality of mitigating or curing
fever. Boyle.
Feb"ri*fuge (?), n. [L. febris
fever + fugare to put to flight, from fugere to flee:
cf. F. fébrifuge. see Febrile, Feverfew.]
(Med.) A medicine serving to mitigate or remove
fever. -- a. Antifebrile.
Fe"brile (?; 277), a. [F.
fébrile, from L. febris fever. See
Fever.] Pertaining to fever; indicating fever, or derived
from it; as, febrile symptoms; febrile action.
Dunglison.
Feb"ru*a*ry (?), n. [L.
Februarius, orig., the month of expiation, because on the
fifteenth of this month the great feast of expiation and purification
was held, fr. februa, pl., the Roman festival or purification;
akin to februare to purify, expiate.] The second month in
the year, said to have been introduced into the Roman calendar by
Numa. In common years this month contains twenty-eight days; in the
bissextile, or leap year, it has twenty-nine days.
Feb`ru*a"tion (?), n. [L.
februatio. See february.] Purification; a
sacrifice. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fe"cal (fē"kal), a. [Cf.
F. fécal. See Feces.] relating to, or
containing, dregs, feces, or ordure; fæcal.
Fec"che (?), v. t. To fetch.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fe"ces (?), n. pl. dregs;
sediment; excrement. See FÆces.
Fe"cial (?), a. [L. fetialis
belonging to the fetiales, the Roman priests who sanctioned
treaties and demanded satisfaction from the enemy before a formal
declaration of war.] Pertaining to heralds, declarations of war,
and treaties of peace; as, fecial law. Kent.
Fe"ci*fork` (?), n. [Feces +
fork.] (Zoöl.) The anal fork on which the
larvæ of certain insects carry their fæces.
Feck"less (?), a. [Perh. a corruption
of effectless.] Spiritless; weak; worthless.
[Scot]
feck"less*ness n. absence of
merit.
[WordNet 1.5]
Fecks (?), n. A corruption of the
word faith. Shak.
Fec"u*la (?), n.; pl.
FeculÆ [L. faecula burnt tartar or
salt of tartar, dim. of faex, faecis, sediment, dregs:
cf. F. fécule.] Any pulverulent matter obtained
from plants by simply breaking down the texture, washing with water,
and subsidence. Especially: (a) The
nutritious part of wheat; starch or farina; -- called also
amylaceous fecula. (b) The green
matter of plants; chlorophyll.
Fec"u*lence (?), n. [L.
faeculentia dregs, filth: cf. F. féculence.]
1. The state or quality of being feculent;
muddiness; foulness.
2. That which is feculent; sediment; lees;
dregs.
Fec"u*len*cy (?), n.
Feculence.
Fec"u*lent (?), a. [L.
faeculentus, fr. faecula: cf. F.
féculent. See Fecula.] Foul with extraneous
or impure substances; abounding with sediment or excrementitious
matter; muddy; thick; turbid.
Both his hands most filthy
feculent.
Spenser.
Fec"und (?), a. [L. fecundus,
from the root of fetus: cf. F. fécond. see
Fetus.] Fruitful in children; prolific.
Graunt.
Fec"un*date (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fecundated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fecundating (?).] [L. fecundare, fr.
fecundus. See Fecund.] 1. To make
fruitful or prolific. W. Montagu.
2. (Biol.) To render fruitful or
prolific; to impregnate; as, in flowers the pollen fecundates
the ovum through the stigma.
Fec`un*da"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
fécondation.] (Biol.) The act by which,
either in animals or plants, material prepared by the generative
organs the female organism is brought in contact with matter from the
organs of the male, so that a new organism results; impregnation;
fertilization.
Fe*cun"di*fy (?), v. t. [Fecund
+ -fy.] To make fruitful; to fecundate.
Johnson.
Fe*cun"di*ty (?), n. [L.
fecunditas: cf. F. fécondité. See
Fecund.] 1. The quality or power of
producing fruit; fruitfulness; especially (Biol.), the quality
in female organisms of reproducing rapidly and in great
numbers.
2. The power of germinating; as in
seeds.
3. The power of bringing forth in abundance;
fertility; richness of invention; as, the fecundity of God's
creative power. Bentley.
Fed (?), imp. & p. p. of
Feed.
Fed"a*ry (?), n. A feodary.
[Obs.] Shak.
Fed"er*al (?), a. [L. foedus
league, treaty, compact; akin to fides faith: cf. F.
fédéral. see Faith.] 1.
Pertaining to a league or treaty; derived from an agreement or
covenant between parties, especially between nations; constituted by
a compact between parties, usually governments or their
representatives.
The Romans compelled them, contrary to all
federal right, . . . to part with Sardinia.
Grew.
2. Specifically: (a) Composed
of states or districts which retain only a subordinate and limited
sovereignty, as the Union of the United States, or the
Sonderbund of Switzerland. (b)
Consisting or pertaining to such a government; as, the
Federal Constitution; a Federal officer.
(c) Friendly or devoted to such a government;
as, the Federal party. see Federalist.
Federal Congress. See under
Congress.
Fed"er*al, n. See
Federalist.
Fed"er*al*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
fédéralisme.] The principles of Federalists
or of federal union.
Fed"er*al*ist, n. [Cf. F.
fédéraliste.] An advocate of
confederation; specifically (Amer. Hist.), a friend
of the Constitution of the United States at its formation and
adoption; a member of the political party which favored the
administration of president Washington.
Fed"er*al*ize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Federalized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Federalizing (?).] [Cf. F.
fédéraliser.] To unite in compact, as
different States; to confederate for political purposes; to unite by
or under the Federal Constitution. Barlow.
Fed"er*a*ry (?), n. [See
Federal.] A partner; a confederate; an accomplice.
[Obs.] hak.
Fed"er*ate (?), a. [L.
foederatus, p. p. of foederare to establish by treaty
or league, fr. foedus. See Federal.] United by
compact, as sovereignties, states, or nations; joined in confederacy;
leagued; confederate; as, federate nations.
Fed`er*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
fédération.] 1. The act of
uniting in a league; confederation.
2. A league; a confederacy; a federal or
confederated government. Burke.
Fed"er*a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
fédératif.] Uniting in a league; forming a
confederacy; federal. "A federative society."
Burke.
Fed"i*ty (?), n. [L. foeditas,
fr. foedus foul, filthy.] Turpitude; vileness.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Fee (fē), n. [OE. fe,
feh, feoh, cattle, property, money, fief, AS.
feoh cattle, property, money; the senses of "property, money,"
arising from cattle being used in early times as a medium of exchange
or payment, property chiefly consisting of cattle; akin to OS.
fehu cattle, property, D. vee cattle, OHG. fihu,
fehu, G. vieh, Icel. fē cattle, property,
money, Goth. faíhu, L. pecus cattle,
pecunia property, money, Skr. paçu cattle, perh.
orig., "a fastened or tethered animal," from a root signifying to
bind, and perh. akin to E. fang, fair, a.; cf. OF.
fie, flu, feu, fleu, fief, F.
fief, from German, of the same origin. the sense fief
is due to the French. √249. Cf. Feud, Fief,
Fellow, Pecuniary.] 1. property;
possession; tenure. "Laden with rich fee."
Spenser.
Once did she hold the gorgeous East in
fee.
Wordsworth.
2. Reward or compensation for services
rendered or to be rendered; especially, payment for professional
services, of optional amount, or fixed by custom or laws; charge;
pay; perquisite; as, the fees of lawyers and physicians; the
fees of office; clerk's fees; sheriff's fees;
marriage fees, etc.
To plead for love deserves more fee than
hate.
Shak.
3. (Feud. Law) A right to the use of a
superior's land, as a stipend for services to be performed; also, the
land so held; a fief.
4. (Eng. Law) An estate of inheritance
supposed to be held either mediately or immediately from the
sovereign, and absolutely vested in the owner.
&fist; All the land in England, except the crown land, is of this
kind. An absolute fee, or fee simple, is land which a
man holds to himself and his heirs forever, who are called tenants
in fee simple. In modern writers, by fee is usually meant
fee simple. A limited fee may be a qualified or
base fee, which ceases with the existence of certain
conditions; or a conditional fee, or fee tail, which is
limited to particular heirs. Blackstone.
5. (Amer. Law) An estate of
inheritance belonging to the owner, and transmissible to his heirs,
absolutely and simply, without condition attached to the
tenure.
Fee estate (Eng. Law), land or
tenements held in fee in consideration or some acknowledgment or
service rendered to the lord. -- Fee farm
(Law), land held of another in fee, in consideration of an
annual rent, without homage, fealty, or any other service than that
mentioned in the feoffment; an estate in fee simple, subject to a
perpetual rent. Blackstone. -- Fee farm
rent (Eng. Law), a perpetual rent reserved upon
a conveyance in fee simple. -- Fee fund
(Scot. Law), certain court dues out of which the clerks
and other court officers are paid. -- Fee
simple (Law), an absolute fee; a fee without
conditions or limits.
Buy the fee simple of my life for an hour and a
quarter.
Shak.
--
Fee tail (Law), an estate of
inheritance, limited and restrained to some particular heirs.
Burill.
Fee (fē), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Feed (fēd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Feeing.] To reward for services performed,
or to be performed; to recompense; to hire or keep in hire; hence, to
bribe.
The patient . . . fees the doctor.
Dryden.
There's not a one of them but in his house
I keep a servant feed.
Shak.
Fee"ble (fē"b'l), a.
[Compar. Feebler (-bl&etilde;r);
superl. Feeblest (-bl&ebreve;st).] [OE.
feble, OF. feble, flebe, floibe,
floible, foible, F. faible, L. flebilis
to be wept over, lamentable, wretched, fr. flere to weep. Cf.
Foible.] 1. Deficient in physical
strength; weak; infirm; debilitated.
Carried all the feeble of them upon
asses.
2 Chron. xxviii. 15.
2. Wanting force, vigor, or efficiency in
action or expression; not full, loud, bright, strong, rapid, etc.;
faint; as, a feeble color; feeble motion. "A
lady's feeble voice." Shak.
Fee"ble, v. t. To make feble; to
enfeeble. [Obs.]
Shall that victorious hand be feebled
here?
Shak.
Fee"ble-mind"ed (?), a. Weak in
intellectual power; wanting firmness or constancy; irresolute;
vacillating; imbecile. "comfort the feeble-minded."
1 Thess. v. 14.
-- Fee"ble-mind"ed*ness, n.
Fee"ble*ness, n. The quality or
condition of being feeble; debility; infirmity.
That shakes for age and
feebleness.
Shak.
Fee"bly (?), adv. In a feeble
manner.
The restored church . . . contended feebly, and
with half a heart.
Macaulay.
Feed (fēd), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fed (f&ebreve;d); p. pr. & vb.
n. Feeding.] [AS. fēdan, fr.
fōda food; akin to OS. fōdian, OFries.
fēda, fōda, D. voeden, OHG.
fuottan, Icel. fæða, Sw. föda,
Dan. föde. √75. See Food.]
1. To give food to; to supply with nourishment;
to satisfy the physical huger of.
If thine enemy hunger, feed him.
Rom. xii. 20.
Unreasonable creatures feed their
young.
Shak.
2. To satisfy; gratify or minister to, as any
sense, talent, taste, or desire.
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear
him.
Shak.
Feeding him with the hope of
liberty.
Knolles.
3. To fill the wants of; to supply with that
which is used or wasted; as, springs feed ponds; the hopper
feeds the mill; to feed a furnace with coal.
4. To nourish, in a general sense; to foster,
strengthen, develop, and guard.
Thou shalt feed my people Israel.
2 Sam. v. 2.
Mightiest powers by deepest calms are
fed.
B. Cornwall.
5. To graze; to cause to be cropped by
feeding, as herbage by cattle; as, if grain is too forward in autumn,
feed it with sheep.
Once in three years feed your mowing
lands.
Mortimer.
6. To give for food, especially to animals;
to furnish for consumption; as, to feed out turnips to the
cows; to feed water to a steam boiler.
7. (Mach.) (a) To
supply (the material to be operated upon) to a machine; as, to
feed paper to a printing press. (b)
To produce progressive operation upon or with (as in wood and
metal working machines, so that the work moves to the cutting tool,
or the tool to the work).
Feed, v. i. 1. To
take food; to eat.
Her kid . . . which I afterwards killed because it
would not feed.
De Foe.
2. To subject by eating; to satisfy the
appetite; to feed one's self (upon something); to prey; -- with
on or upon.
Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed
upon.
Shak.
3. To be nourished, strengthened, or
satisfied, as if by food. "He feeds upon the cooling
shade." Spenser.
4. To place cattle to feed; to pasture; to
graze.
If a man . . . shall put in his beast, and shall
feed in another man's field.
Ex. xxii.
5.
Feed (?), n. 1.
That which is eaten; esp., food for beasts; fodder; pasture;
hay; grain, ground or whole; as, the best feed for
sheep.
2. A grazing or pasture ground.
Shak.
3. An allowance of provender given to a
horse, cow, etc.; a meal; as, a feed of corn or
oats.
4. A meal, or the act of eating.
[R.]
For such pleasure till that hour
At feed or fountain never had I found.
Milton.
5. The water supplied to steam
boilers.
6. (Mach.) (a) The
motion, or act, of carrying forward the stuff to be operated upon, as
cloth to the needle in a sewing machine; or of producing progressive
operation upon any material or object in a machine, as, in a turning
lathe, by moving the cutting tool along or in the work.
(b) The supply of material to a machine, as
water to a steam boiler, coal to a furnace, or grain to a run of
stones. (c) The mechanism by which the
action of feeding is produced; a feed motion.
Feed bag, a nose bag containing feed for a
horse or mule. -- Feed cloth, an apron for
leading cotton, wool, or other fiber, into a machine, as for carding,
etc. -- Feed door, a door to a furnace, by
which to supply coal. -- Feed head.
(a) A cistern for feeding water by gravity to a
steam boiler. (b) (Founding) An
excess of metal above a mold, which serves to render the casting more
compact by its pressure; -- also called a riser,
deadhead, or simply feed or head
Knight. -- Feed heater. (a)
(Steam Engine) A vessel in which the feed water for the
boiler is heated, usually by exhaust steam. (b)
A boiler or kettle in which is heated food for stock. --
Feed motion, or Feed gear
(Mach.), the train of mechanism that gives motion to the
part that directly produces the feed in a machine. --
Feed pipe, a pipe for supplying the boiler of a
steam engine, etc., with water. -- Feed pump,
a force pump for supplying water to a steam boiler, etc. --
Feed regulator, a device for graduating the
operation of a feeder. Knight. -- Feed
screw, in lathes, a long screw employed to impart a
regular motion to a tool rest or tool, or to the work. --
Feed water, water supplied to a steam boiler,
etc. -- Feed wheel (Mach.), a kind
of feeder. See Feeder, n., 8.
Feed"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, gives food or supplies nourishment;
steward.
A couple of friends, his chaplain and
feeder.
Goldsmith.
2. One who furnishes incentives; an
encourager. "The feeder of my riots." Shak.
3. One who eats or feeds; specifically, an
animal to be fed or fattened.
With eager feeding, food doth choke the
feeder.
Shak.
4. One who fattens cattle for
slaughter.
5. A stream that flows into another body of
water; a tributary; specifically (Hydraulic Engin.), a water
course which supplies a canal or reservoir by gravitation or natural
flow.
6. A branch railroad, stage line, or the
like; a side line which increases the business of the main
line.
7. (Mining) (a) A
small lateral lode falling into the main lode or mineral vein.
Ure. (b) A strong discharge of gas from a
fissure; a blower. Raymond.
8. (Mach.) An auxiliary part of a
machine which supplies or leads along the material operated
upon.
9. (Steam Engine) A device for
supplying steam boilers with water as needed.
Feed"ing, n. 1.
the act of eating, or of supplying with food; the process of
fattening.
2. That which is eaten; food.
3. That which furnishes or affords food,
especially for animals; pasture land.
Feeding bottle. See under
Bottle.
Fee`-faw`-fum" (?), n. A
nonsensical exclamation attributed to giants and ogres; hence, any
expression calculated to impose upon the timid and ignorant.
"Impudent fee-faw-fums." J. H. Newman.
Fee"jee (?), a. & n. (Ethnol.)
See Fijian.
Feel (fēl), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Felt (f&ebreve;lt); p. pr. & vb.
n. Feeling.] [AS. fēlan; akin to OS.
gifōlian to perceive, D. voelen to feel, OHG.
fuolen, G. fühlen, Icel. fālma to
grope, and prob. to AS. folm palm of the hand, L.
palma. Cf. Fumble, Palm.] 1.
To perceive by the touch; to take cognizance of by means of the
nerves of sensation distributed all over the body, especially by
those of the skin; to have sensation excited by contact of (a thing)
with the body or limbs.
Who feel
Those rods of scorpions and those whips of steel.
Creecn.
2. To touch; to handle; to examine by
touching; as, feel this piece of silk; hence, to
make trial of; to test; often with out.
Come near, . . . that I may feel thee, my
son.
Gen. xxvii. 21.
He hath this to feel my affection to your
honor.
Shak.
3. To perceive by the mind; to have a sense
of; to experience; to be affected by; to be sensible of, or sensitive
to; as, to feel pleasure; to feel pain.
Teach me to feel another's woe.
Pope.
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no
evil thing.
Eccl. viii. 5.
He best can paint them who shall feel them
most.
Pope.
Mankind have felt their strength and made it
felt.
Byron.
4. To take internal cognizance of; to be
conscious of; to have an inward persuasion of.
For then, and not till then, he felt
himself.
Shak.
5. To perceive; to observe. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
To feel the helm (Naut.), to obey
it.
Feel (?), v. i. 1.
To have perception by the touch, or by contact of anything with
the nerves of sensation, especially those upon the surface of the
body.
2. To have the sensibilities moved or
affected.
[She] feels with the dignity of a Roman
matron
. Burke.
And mine as man, who feel for all
mankind.
Pope.
3. To be conscious of an inward impression,
state of mind, persuasion, physical condition, etc.; to perceive
one's self to be; -- followed by an adjective describing the state,
etc.; as, to feel assured, grieved, persuaded.
I then did feel full sick.
Shak.
4. To know with feeling; to be conscious;
hence, to know certainly or without misgiving.
Garlands . . . which I feel
I am not worthy yet to wear.
Shak.
5. To appear to the touch; to give a
perception; to produce an impression by the nerves of sensation; --
followed by an adjective describing the kind of sensation.
Blind men say black feels rough, and white
feels smooth.
Dryden.
To feel after, to search for; to seek to
find; to seek as a person groping in the dark. "If haply they
might feel after him, and find him." Acts xvii.
27.
--
To feel of, to examine by
touching.
Feel (?), n. 1.
Feeling; perception. [R.]
To intercept and have a more kindly feel of its
genial warmth.
Hazlitt.
2. A sensation communicated by touching;
impression made upon one who touches or handles; as, this leather has
a greasy feel.
The difference between these two tumors will be
distinguished by the feel.
S. Sharp.
Feel"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, feels.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the sense
organs or certain animals (as insects), which are used in testing
objects by touch and in searching for food; an antenna; a
palp.
Insects . . . perpetually feeling and searching before
them with their feelers or antennæ.
Derham.
3. Anything, as a proposal, observation,
etc., put forth or thrown out in order to ascertain the views of
others; something tentative.
Feel"ing, a. 1.
Possessing great sensibility; easily affected or moved; as, a
feeling heart.
2. Expressive of great sensibility; attended
by, or evincing, sensibility; as, he made a feeling
representation of his wrongs.
Feel"ing, n. 1.
The sense by which the mind, through certain nerves of the body,
perceives external objects, or certain states of the body itself;
that one of the five senses which resides in the general nerves of
sensation distributed over the body, especially in its surface; the
sense of touch; nervous sensibility to external objects.
Why was the sight
To such a tender ball as the eye confined, . . .
And not, as feeling, through all parts diffused?
Milton.
2. An act or state of perception by the sense
above described; an act of apprehending any object whatever; an act
or state of apprehending the state of the soul itself;
consciousness.
The apprehension of the good
Gives but the greater feeling to the worse.
Shak.
3. The capacity of the soul for emotional
states; a high degree of susceptibility to emotions or states of the
sensibility not dependent on the body; as, a man of feeling; a
man destitute of feeling.
4. Any state or condition of emotion; the
exercise of the capacity for emotion; any mental state whatever; as,
a right or a wrong feeling in the heart; our angry or kindly
feelings; a feeling of pride or of humility.
A fellow feeling makes one wondrous
kind.
Garrick.
Tenderness for the feelings of
others.
Macaulay.
5. That quality of a work of art which
embodies the mental emotion of the artist, and is calculated to
affect similarly the spectator. Fairholt.
Syn. -- Sensation; emotion; passion; sentiment; agitation;
opinion. See Emotion, Passion, Sentiment.
Feel"ing*ly, adv. In a feeling
manner; pathetically; sympathetically.
Feere (?), n. [See Fere,
n.] A consort, husband or wife; a companion; a
fere. [Obs.]
Feese (?), n. [Cf. OE. fesien to
put to flight, AS. fēsian, f&ymacr;sian,
f&ymacr;san, fr. fūs, prompt, willing.] The
short run before a leap. [Obs.] Nares.
Feet (?), n. pl. See
Foot.
Feet, n. [See Feat,
n.] Fact; performance. [Obs.]
Feet"less, a. Destitute of feet;
as, feetless birds.
Feeze (?), v. t. [For sense 1, cf. F.
visser to screw, vis screw, or 1st E. feaze,
v.t.: for sense 2, see Feese.] 1. To
turn, as a screw. [Scot] Jamieson.
2. To beat; to chastise; to humble; to
worry. [Obs.] [Written also feaze, feize,
pheese.] Beau. & Fl.
To feeze up, to work into a passion.
[Obs.]
Feeze, n. Fretful excitement.
[Obs.] See Feaze.
||Feh"ling (?), n. (Chem.)
See Fehling's solution, under Solution.
Feh"mic (?), a. See
Vehmic.
Feign (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Feigned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Feigning.] [OE. feinen, F. feindre (p. pr.
feignant), fr. L. fingere; akin to L. figura
figure,and E. dough. See Dough, and cf. Figure,
Faint, Effigy, Fiction.] 1.
To give a mental existence to, as to something not real or
actual; to imagine; to invent; hence, to pretend; to form and relate
as if true.
There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou
feignest them out of thine own heart.
Neh. vi.
8.
The poet
Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and
floods.
Shak.
2. To represent by a false appearance of; to
pretend; to counterfeit; as, to feign a sickness.
Shak.
3. To dissemble; to conceal. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Feigned (?), a. Not real or
genuine; pretended; counterfeit; insincere; false. "A
feigned friend." Shak.
Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of
feigned lips.
Ps. xvii. 1.
-- Feign"ed*ly (#), adv. --
Feign"ed*ness, n.
Her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me
with her whole heart, but feignedly.
Jer. iii.
10.
Feigned issue (Law), an issue
produced in a pretended action between two parties for the purpose of
trying before a jury a question of fact which it becomes necessary to
settle in the progress of a cause. Burill.
Bouvier.
Feign"er (?), n. One who feigns or
pretends.
Feign"ing, a. That feigns;
insincere; not genuine; false.
-- Feign"ing*ly, adv.
Feine (?), v. t. & i. To
feign. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Feint (?), a. [F. feint, p. p.
of feindre to feign. See Feign.] Feigned;
counterfeit. [Obs.]
Dressed up into any feint appearance of
it.
Locke.
Feint, n. [F. feinte, fr.
feint. See Feint, a.]
1. That which is feigned; an assumed or false
appearance; a pretense; a stratagem; a fetch.
Courtley's letter is but a feint to get
off.
Spectator.
2. A mock blow or attack on one part when
another part is intended to be struck; -- said of certain movements
in fencing, boxing, war, etc.
Feint, v. i. To make a feint, or
mock attack.
||Fei`tsui" (?), n. (Min.)
The Chinese name for a highly prized variety of pale green jade.
See Jade.
Feize (?), v. t. See Feeze,
v. t.
Fel"an*ders (?), n. pl. See
Filanders.
{ Feld"spar` (?), Feld"spath` (?) },
n. [G. feldspath; feld field +
spath spar.] (Min.) A name given to a group of
minerals, closely related in crystalline form, and all silicates of
alumina with either potash, soda, lime, or, in one case, baryta. They
occur in crystals and crystalline masses, vitreous in luster, and
breaking rather easily in two directions at right angles to each
other, or nearly so. The colors are usually white or nearly white,
flesh-red, bluish, or greenish.
&fist; The group includes the monoclinic (orthoclastic)
species orthoclase or common potash feldspar, and the rare
hyalophane or baryta feldspar; also the triclinic species
(called in general plagioclase) microcline, like
orthoclase a potash feldspar; anorthite or lime feldspar;
albite or soda feldspar; also intermediate between the last
two species, labradorite, andesine, oligoclase,
containing both lime and soda in varying amounts. The feldspars are
essential constituents of nearly all crystalline rocks, as granite,
gneiss, mica, slate, most kinds of basalt and trachyte, etc. The
decomposition of feldspar has yielded a large part of the clay of the
soil, also the mineral kaolin, an essential material in the making of
fine pottery. Common feldspar is itself largely used for the same
purpose.
{ Feld*spath"ic (?), Feld*spath"ose (?) },
a. Pertaining to, or consisting of,
feldspar.
Fele (?), a. [AS. fela,
feola; akin to G. viel, gr. &?;. See Full,
a.] Many. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fe*lic"ify (?), v. t. [L. felix
happy + -fy.] To make happy; to felicitate. [Obs.]
Quarles.
Fe*lic"i*tate (?), a. [L.
felicitatus, p. p. of felicitare to felicitate, fr.
felix, -icis, happy. See felicity.] Made
very happy. [Archaic]
I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness' love.
Shak.
Fe*lic"i*tate (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Felicitated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. felicitating.] [Cf. F. féliciter.]
1. To make very happy; to delight.
What a glorious entertainment and pleasure would fill
and felicitate his spirit.
I. Watts.
2. To express joy or pleasure to; to wish
felicity to; to call or consider (one's self) happy; to
congratulate.
Every true heart must felicitate itself that
its lot is cast in this kingdom.
W. Howitt.
Syn. -- See Congratulate.
Fe*lic`i*ta"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
félicitation.] The act of felicitating; a wishing
of joy or happiness; congratulation.
Fe*lic"i*tous (?), a.
Characterized by felicity; happy; prosperous; delightful;
skillful; successful; happily applied or expressed;
appropriate.
Felicitous words and images.
M.
Arnold.
-- Fe*lic"i*tous*ly, adv. --
Fe*lic"i*tous*ness, n.
Fe*lic"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Felicities (#). [OE. felicite, F.
félicité, fr. L. felicitas, fr.
felix, -icis, happy, fruitful; akin to fetus.]
1. The state of being happy; blessedness;
blissfulness; enjoyment of good.
Our own felicity we make or find.
Johnson.
Finally, after this life, to attain everlasting joy
and felicity.
Book of Common Prayer.
2. That which promotes happiness; a
successful or gratifying event; prosperity; blessing.
the felicities of her wonderful
reign.
Atterbury.
3. A pleasing faculty or accomplishment; as,
felicity in painting portraits, or in writing or
talking. "Felicity of expression." Bp.
Warburton.
Syn. -- Happiness; bliss; beatitude; blessedness;
blissfulness. See Happiness.
Fe"line (?), a. [L. felinus, fr.
feles, felis, cat, prob. orig., the fruitful: cf. F.
félin. See Fetus.] 1.
(Zoöl.) Catlike; of or pertaining to the genus
Felis, or family Felidæ; as, the feline race;
feline voracity.
2. Characteristic of cats; sly; stealthy;
treacherous; as, a feline nature; feline
manners.
||Fe"lis (?), n. [L., cat.]
(Zoöl.) A genus of carnivorous mammals, including
the domestic cat, the lion, tiger, panther, and similar
animals.
Fell (?), imp. of
Fall.
Fell, a. [OE. fel, OF.
fel cruel, fierce, perfidious; cf. AS. fel (only in
comp.) OF. fel, as a noun also accus. felon, is fr. LL.
felo, of unknown origin; cf. Arm fall evil, Ir.
feal, Arm. falloni treachery, Ir. & Gael. feall
to betray; or cf. OHG. fillan to flay, torment, akin to E.
fell skin. Cf. Felon.] 1. Cruel;
barbarous; inhuman; fierce; savage; ravenous.
While we devise fell tortures for thy
faults.
Shak.
2. Eager; earnest; intent. [Obs.]
I am so fell to my business.
Pepys.
Fell, n. [Cf. L. fel gall, bile,
or E. fell, a.] Gall; anger;
melancholy. [Obs.]
Untroubled of vile fear or bitter
fell.
Spenser.
Fell, n. [AS. fell; akin to D.
vel, OHG. fel, G. fell, Icel. fell (in
comp.), Goth fill in þrutsfill leprosy, L.
pellis skin, G. &?;. Cf. Film, Peel,
Pell, n.] A skin or hide of a beast
with the wool or hair on; a pelt; -- used chiefly in composition, as
woolfell.
We are still handling our ewes, and their
fells, you know, are greasy.
Shak.
Fell (?), n. [Icel. fell,
fjally; akin to Sw. fjäll a ridge or chain of
mountains, Dan. fjeld mountain, rock and prob. to G.
fels rock, or perh. to feld field, E. field.]
1. A barren or rocky hill. T.
Gray.
2. A wild field; a moor.
Dryton.
Fell, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Felled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Felling.] [AS. fellan, a causative verb fr.
feallan to fall; akin to D. vellen, G.
fällen, Icel. fella, Sw. fälla, Dan.
fælde. See Fall, v. i.] To
cause to fall; to prostrate; to bring down or to the ground; to cut
down.
Stand, or I'll fell thee down.
Shak.
Fell, n. (Mining) The finer
portions of ore which go through the meshes, when the ore is sorted
by sifting.
Fell, v. t. [Cf. Gael. fill to
fold, plait, Sw. fåll a hem.] To sew or hem; --
said of seams.
Fell, n. 1.
(Sewing) A form of seam joining two pieces of cloth, the
edges being folded together and the stitches taken through both
thicknesses.
2. (Weaving) The end of a web, formed
by the last thread of the weft.
Fell"a*ble (?), a. Fit to be
felled.
||Fel"lah (?), n.; pl. Ar.
Fellahin (#), E. Fellahs (#).
[Ar.] A peasant or cultivator of the soil among the Egyptians,
Syrians, etc. W. M. Thomson.
Fell"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, fells, knocks or cuts down; a machine for felling
trees.
Fell"er, n. An appliance to a
sewing machine for felling a seam.
Fell"fare` (?), n. [Cf. AS.
fealafor, and E. fieldfare.] (Zoöl.)
The fieldfare.
Fel*lif"lu*ous (?), a. [L.
fellifuus; fel gall + fluere to flow.]
Flowing with gall. [R.] Johnson.
Fel*lin"ic (?), a. [L. fel,
fellis, gall.] Of, relating to, or derived from, bile or
gall; as, fellinic acid.
Fell"mon`ger (?), n. A dealer in
fells or sheepskins, who separates the wool from the pelts.
Fell"ness, n. [See Fell cruel.]
The quality or state of being fell or cruel; fierce
barbarity. Spenser.
Fel"loe (?), n. See
Felly.
Fel"lon (?), n. Variant of
Felon. [Obs.]
Those two were foes the fellonest on
ground.
Spenser.
Fel"low (?), n. [OE. felawe,
felaghe, Icel. fēlagi, fr. fēlag
companionship, prop., a laying together of property; fē
property + lag a laying, pl. lög law, akin to
liggja to lie. See Fee, and Law, Lie to
be low.] 1. A companion; a comrade; an
associate; a partner; a sharer.
The fellows of his crime.
Milton.
We are fellows still,
Serving alike in sorrow.
Shak.
That enormous engine was flanked by two fellows
almost of equal magnitude.
Gibbon.
&fist; Commonly used of men, but sometimes of women. Judges
xi. 37.
2. A man without good breeding or worth; an
ignoble or mean man.
Worth makes the man, and want of it, the
fellow.
Pope.
3. An equal in power, rank, character,
etc.
It is impossible that ever Rome
Should breed thy fellow.
Shak.
4. One of a pair, or of two things used
together or suited to each other; a mate; the male.
When they be but heifers of one year, . . . they are
let go to the fellow and breed.
Holland.
This was my glove; here is the fellow of
it.
Shak.
5. A person; an individual.
She seemed to be a good sort of
fellow.
Dickens.
6. In the English universities, a scholar who
is appointed to a foundation called a fellowship, which gives
a title to certain perquisites and privileges.
7. In an American college or university, a
member of the corporation which manages its business interests; also,
a graduate appointed to a fellowship, who receives the income of the
foundation.
8. A member of a literary or scientific
society; as, a Fellow of the Royal Society.
&fist; Fellow is often used in compound words, or
adjectively, signifying associate, companion, or
sometimes equal. Usually, such compounds or phrases are self-
explanatory; as, fellow-citizen, or fellow citizen;
fellow-student, or fellow student; fellow-
workman, or fellow workman; fellow-mortal, or
fellow mortal; fellow-sufferer; bedfellow;
playfellow; workfellow.
Were the great duke himself here, and would lift
up
My head to fellow pomp amongst his nobles.
Ford.
Fel"low (?), v. t. To suit with;
to pair with; to match. [Obs.] Shak.
Fel"low-com"mon*er (?), n. A
student at Cambridge University, England, who commons, or
dines, at the Fellow's table.
Fel"low-crea"ture (?; 135), n. One
of the same race or kind; one made by the same Creator.
Reason, by which we are raised above our fellow-
creatures, the brutes.
I. Watts.
Fel"low*feel" (?), v. t. To share
through sympathy; to participate in. [R.] D.
Rodgers.
Fel"low-feel"ing, n. 1.
Sympathy; a like feeling.
2. Joint interest. [Obs.]
Arbuthnot.
Fel"low*less, a. Without fellow or
equal; peerless.
Whose well-built walls are rare and
fellowless.
Chapman.
Fel"low*like` (?), a. Like a
companion; companionable; on equal terms; sympathetic. [Obs.]
Udall.
Fel"low*ly, a. Fellowlike.
[Obs.] Shak.
Fel"low*ship (?), n. [Fellow + -ship.]
1. The state or relation of being or
associate.
2. Companionship of persons on equal and
friendly terms; frequent and familiar intercourse.
In a great town, friends are scattered, so that there
is not that fellowship which is in less
neighborhods.
Bacon.
Men are made for society and mutual
fellowship.
Calamy.
3. A state of being together; companionship;
partnership; association; hence, confederation; joint
interest.
The great contention of the sea and skies
Parted our fellowship.
Shak.
Fellowship in pain divides not
smart
. Milton.
Fellowship in woe doth woe
assuage
. Shak.
The goodliest fellowship of famous knights,
Whereof this world holds record.
Tennyson.
4. Those associated with one, as in a family,
or a society; a company.
The sorrow of Noah with his
fellowship.
Chaucer.
With that a joyous fellowship issued
Of minstrels.
Spenser.
5. (Eng. & Amer. Universities) A
foundation for the maintenance, on certain conditions, of a scholar
called a fellow, who usually resides at the university.
6. (Arith.) The rule for dividing
profit and loss among partners; -- called also partnership, company,
and distributive proportion.
Good fellowship, companionableness; the
spirit and disposition befitting comrades.
There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good
fellowship in thee.
Shak.
Fel"low*ship (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fellowshiped (&?;); p. pr. & vb.
n.. Fellowshiping.] (Eccl.) To
acknowledge as of good standing, or in communion according to
standards of faith and practice; to admit to Christian
fellowship.
Fel"ly (?), adv. In a fell or
cruel manner; fiercely; barbarously; savagely.
Spenser.
Fel"ly, n.; pl.
Fellies (&?;). [OE. feli, felwe,
felow, AS. felg, felge; akin to D. velg,
G. felge, OHG. felga felly (also, a harrow, but prob. a
different word), Dan. felge.] The exterior wooden rim, or
a segment of the rim, of a wheel, supported by the spokes.
[Written also felloe.]
Break all the spokes and fellies from her
wheel.
Shak.
||Fe"lo-de-se` (?), n.; pl.
Felos-de-se (#). [LL. felo, E. felon
+ de of, concerning + se self.] (Law) One
who deliberately puts an end to his own existence, or loses his life
while engaged in the commission of an unlawful or malicious act; a
suicide. Burrill.
Fel"on (?), n. [OE., adj., cruel,
n., villain, ruffian, traitor, whitlow, F.
félon traitor, in OF. also, villain, fr. LL.
felo. See Fell, a.] 1.
(Law) A person who has committed a felony.
2. A person guilty or capable of heinous
crime.
3. (Med.) A kind of whitlow; a painful
imflammation of the periosteum of a finger, usually of the last
joint.
Syn. -- Criminal; convict; malefactor; culprit.
Fel"on, a. Characteristic of a
felon; malignant; fierce; malicious; cruel; traitorous;
disloyal.
Vain shows of love to vail his felon
hate.
Pope.
Fe*lo"ni*ous (?), a. Having the
quality of felony; malignant; malicious; villainous; traitorous;
perfidious; in a legal sense, done with intent to commit a crime; as,
felonious homicide.
O thievish Night,
Why should'st thou, but for some felonious end,
In thy dark lantern thus close up the stars?
Milton.
-- Fe*lo"ni*ous*ly, adv. --
Fe*lo"ni*ous*ness, n.
Fel"o*nous (?), a. [Cf. OF.
feloneus. Cf. Felonious.] Wicked;
felonious. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fel"on*ry (?), n. A body of
felons; specifically, the convict population of a penal colony.
Howitt.
Fel"on*wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
The bittersweet nightshade (Solanum Dulcamara). See
Bittersweet.
Fel"o*ny (?), n.; pl.
Felonies (#). [OE. felonie cruelty, OF.
felonie, F. félonie treachery, malice. See
Felon, n.] 1. (Feudal
Law) An act on the part of the vassal which cost him his fee
by forfeiture. Burrill.
2. (O. Eng. Law) An offense which
occasions a total forfeiture either lands or goods, or both, at the
common law, and to which capital or other punishment may be added,
according to the degree of guilt.
3. A heinous crime; especially, a crime
punishable by death or imprisonment.
&fist; Forfeiture for crime having been generally abolished in the
United States, the term felony, in American law, has lost this
point of distinction; and its meaning, where not fixed by statute, is
somewhat vague and undefined; generally, however, it is used to
denote an offense of a high grade, punishable either capitally or by
a term of imprisonment. In Massachusetts, by statute, any crime
punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison, and no
other, is a felony; so in New York. the tendency now is to
obliterate the distinction between felonies and misdemeanors; and
this has been done partially in England, and completely in some of
the States of the Union. The distinction is purely arbitrary, and its
entire abolition is only a question of time.
&fist; There is no lawyer who would undertake to tell what a
felony is, otherwise than by enumerating the various kinds of
offenses which are so called. originally, the word felony had
a meaning: it denoted all offenses the penalty of which included
forfeiture of goods; but subsequent acts of Parliament have declared
various offenses to be felonies, without enjoining that penalty, and
have taken away the penalty from others, which continue,
nevertheless, to be called felonies, insomuch that the acts so
called have now no property whatever in common, save that of being
unlawful and purnishable. J. S. Mill.
To compound a felony. See under Compound,
v. t.
Fel"site (?), n. [Cf. Feldspar.]
(Min.) A finegrained rock, flintlike in fracture,
consisting essentially of orthoclase feldspar with occasional grains
of quartz.
Fel*sit"ic (?), a. relating to,
composed of, or containing, felsite.
{ Fel"spar` (?), Fel"spath` (?) },
n. (Min.) See
Feldspar.
Fel*spath"ic (?), a. See
Feldspathic.
Fel"stone` (?), n. [From G.
feldstein, in analogy with E. felspar.] (Min.)
See Felsite.
Felt (?), imp. & p. p. or a. from
Feel.
Felt (?), n. [AS. felt; akin to
D. vilt, G. filz, and possibly to Gr. &?; hair or wool
wrought into felt, L. pilus hair, pileus a felt cap or
hat.] 1. A cloth or stuff made of matted fibers
of wool, or wool and fur, fulled or wrought into a compact substance
by rolling and pressure, with lees or size, without spinning or
weaving.
It were a delicate stratagem to shoe
A troop of horse with felt.
Shak.
2. A hat made of felt.
Thynne.
3. A skin or hide; a fell; a pelt.
[Obs.]
To know whether sheep are sound or not, see that the
felt be loose.
Mortimer.
Felt grain, the grain of timber which is transverse
to the annular rings or plates; the direction of the medullary rays
in oak and some other timber. Knight.
Felt, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Felted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Felting.] 1. To make into felt, or a
feltike substance; to cause to adhere and mat together. Sir
M. Hale.
2. To cover with, or as with, felt; as, to
felt the cylinder of a steam engine.
Felt"er (?), v. t. To clot or mat
together like felt.
His feltered locks that on his bosom
fell.
Fairfax.
Felt"ing, n. 1.
The material of which felt is made; also, felted cloth; also,
the process by which it is made.
2. The act of splitting timber by the felt
grain.
Fel"try (?), n. [OF. feltre.]
See Felt, n. [Obs.]
Fe*luc"ca (&?;), n. [It. feluca
(cf. Sp. faluca, Pg. falua), fr. Ar. fulk ship,
or harrāqah a sort of ship.] (Naut.) A
small, swift-sailing vessel, propelled by oars and lateen sails, --
once common in the Mediterranean. Sometimes it is constructed
so that the helm may be used at either end.
Fel"wort` (?), n. [Probably a
corruption of fieldwort.] (Bot.) A European herb
(Swertia perennis) of the Gentian family.
Fe"male (?), n. [OE. femel,
femal, F. femelle, fr. L. femella, dim. of
femina woman. See Feminine.] 1. An
individual of the sex which conceives and brings forth young, or (in
a wider sense) which has an ovary and produces ova.
The male and female of each living
thing.
Drayton.
2. (Bot.) A plant which produces only
that kind of reproductive organs which are capable of developing into
fruit after impregnation or fertilization; a pistillate
plant.
Fe"male, a. 1.
Belonging to the sex which conceives and gives birth to young,
or (in a wider sense) which produces ova; not male.
As patient as the female dove
When that her golden couplets are disclosed.
Shak.
2. Belonging to an individual of the female
sex; characteristic of woman; feminine; as, female
tenderness. "Female usurpation.'b8 Milton.
To the generous decision of a female mind, we
owe the discovery of America.
Belknap.
3. (Bot.) Having pistils and no
stamens; pistillate; or, in cryptogamous plants, capable of receiving
fertilization.
Female rhymes (Pros.), double rhymes, or
rhymes (called in French feminine rhymes because they end in
e weak, or feminine) in which two syllables, an
accented and an unaccented one, correspond at the end of each
line.
&fist; A rhyme, in which the final syllables only agree
(strain, complain) is called a male rhyme; one in which
the two final syllables of each verse agree, the last being short
(motion, ocean), is called female. Brande &
C.
--
Female screw, the spiral-threaded cavity into
which another, or male, screw turns. Nicholson. --
Female fern (Bot.), a common species of fern
with large decompound fronds (Asplenium Filixfæmina),
growing in many countries; lady fern.
&fist; The names male fern and female fern were
anciently given to two common ferns; but it is now understood that
neither has any sexual character.
Syn. -- Female, Feminine. We apply
female to the sex or individual, as opposed to male;
also, to the distinctive belongings of women; as, female
dress, female form, female character, etc.;
feminine, to things appropriate to, or affected by, women; as,
feminine studies, employments, accomplishments, etc.
"Female applies to sex rather than gender, and is a
physiological rather than a grammatical term. Feminine applies
to gender rather than sex, and is grammatical rather than
physiological." Latham.
Fe"mal*ist (?), n. A
gallant. [Obs.]
Courting her smoothly like a
femalist.
Marston.
Fe"mal*ize (?), v. t. To make, or
to describe as, female or feminine. Shaftesbury.
||Feme (f&ebreve;m or făm),
n. [OF. feme, F. femme.] (Old
Law) A woman. Burrill.
Feme covert (Law), a married woman.
See Covert, a., 3. -- Feme
sole (Law), a single or unmarried woman; a woman
who has never been married, or who has been divorced, or whose
husband is dead. -- Feme sole trader
or merchant (Eng. Law), a married woman, who, by
the custom of London, engages in business on her own account,
inpendently of her husband.
Fem"er*al (?), n. (Arch.)
See Femerell.
Fem"er*ell (?), n. [OF.
fumeraille part of a chimney. See Fume.] (Arch.)
A lantern, or louver covering, placed on a roof, for ventilation
or escape of smoke.
Fem"i*nal (?), a. Feminine.
[Obs.] West.
Fem`i*nal"i*ty (?), n.
Feminity.
Fem"i*nate (?), a. [L. feminatus
effeminate.] Feminine. [Obs.]
Fem`i*ne"i*ty (?), n. [L.
femineus womanly.] Womanliness; femininity. C.
Reade.
Fem"i*nine (?), a. [L.
femininus, fr. femina woman; prob. akin to L.
fetus, or to Gr. qh^sqai to suck, qh^sai
to suckle, Skr. dhā to suck; cf. AS. f&aemacr;mme
woman, maid: cf. F. féminin. See Fetus.]
1. Of or pertaining to a woman, or to women;
characteristic of a woman; womanish; womanly.
Her letters are remarkably deficient in
feminine ease and grace.
Macaulay.
2. Having the qualities of a woman; becoming
or appropriate to the female sex; as, in a good sense, modest,
graceful, affectionate, confiding; or, in a bad sense, weak,
nerveless, timid, pleasure-loving, effeminate.
Her heavenly form
Angelic, but more soft and feminine.
Milton.
Ninus being esteemed no man of war at all, but
altogether feminine, and subject to ease and
delicacy.
Sir W. Raleigh.
Feminine rhyme. (Pros.) See Female
rhyme, under Female, a.
Syn. -- See Female, a.
Fem"i*nine, n. 1.
A woman. [Obs. or Colloq.]
They guide the feminines toward the
palace.
Hakluyt.
2. (Gram.) Any one of those words
which are the appellations of females, or which have the terminations
usually found in such words; as, actress, songstress,
abbess, executrix.
There are but few true feminines in
English.
Latham.
Fem"i*nine*ly, adv. In a feminine
manner. Byron.
Fem"i*nine*ness, n. The quality of
being feminine; womanliness; womanishness.
Fem`i*nin"i*ty (?), n.
1. The quality or nature of the female sex;
womanliness.
2. The female form. [Obs.]
O serpent under femininitee.
Chaucer.
Fe*min"i*ty (?), n. Womanliness;
femininity. [Obs.] "Trained up in true feminity."
Spenser.
Fem`i*ni*za"tion (?), n. The act
of feminizing, or the state of being feminized.
Fem"i*nize (?), v. t. [Cf. F.
féminiser.] To make womanish or effeminate.
Dr. H. More.
Fem"i*nye (?), n. [OF. femenie,
feminie, the female sex, realm of women.] The people
called Amazons. [Obs.] "[The reign of] feminye."
Chaucer.
||Femme (? or ?), n. [F.] A woman.
See Feme, n.
Femme de chambre (?). [F.] A lady's maid; a
chambermaid.
Fem"o*ral (?), a. [L. femur,
femoris, thigh: cf. F. fémoral.] Pertaining
to the femur or thigh; as, the femoral artery.
"Femoral habiliments." Sir W. Scott.
||Fe"mur (fē"mŭr), n.;
pl. Femora (f&ebreve;m"&osl;*r&adot;). [L.
thigh.] (Anat.) (a) The thigh bone.
(b) The proximal segment of the hind limb
containing the thigh bone; the thigh. See Coxa.
Fen (?), n. [AS. fen,
fenn, marsh, mud, dirt; akin to D. veen, OFries.
fenne, fene, OHG. fenna, G. fenn, Icel.
fen, Goth. fani mud.] Low land overflowed, or
covered wholly or partially with water, but producing sedge, coarse
grasses, or other aquatic plants; boggy land; moor; marsh.
'Mid reedy fens wide spread.
Wordsworth.
&fist; Fen is used adjectively with the sense of
belonging to, or of the nature of, a fen or
fens.
Fen boat, a boat of light draught used in
marshes. -- Fen duck (Zoöl.),
a wild duck inhabiting fens; the shoveler. [Prov. Eng.] --
Fen fowl (Zoöl.), any water fowl
that frequent fens. -- Fen goose
(Zoöl.), the graylag goose of Europe. [Prov.
Eng.] -- Fen land, swamp land.
Fence (?), n. [Abbrev. from defence.]
1. That which fends off attack or danger; a
defense; a protection; a cover; security; shield.
Let us be backed with God and with the seas,
Which he hath given for fence impregnable.
Shak.
A fence betwixt us and the victor's
wrath.
Addison.
2. An inclosure about a field or other space,
or about any object; especially, an inclosing structure of wood,
iron, or other material, intended to prevent intrusion from without
or straying from within.
Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the
fold.
Milton.
&fist; In England a hedge, ditch, or wall, as well as a structure
of boards, palings, or rails, is called a fence.
3. (Locks) A projection on the bolt,
which passes through the tumbler gates in locking and
unlocking.
4. Self-defense by the use of the sword; the
art and practice of fencing and sword play; hence, skill in debate
and repartee. See Fencing.
Enjoy your dear wit, and gay rhetoric,
That hath so well been taught her dazzing fence.
Milton.
Of dauntless courage and consummate skill in
fence.
Macaulay.
5. A receiver of stolen goods, or a place
where they are received. [Slang] Mayhew.
Fence month (Forest Law), the month
in which female deer are fawning, when hunting is prohibited.
Bullokar. -- Fence roof, a covering for
defense. "They fitted their shields close to one another in
manner of a fence roof." Holland. -- Fence
time, the breeding time of fish or game, when they
should not be killed. -- Rail fence, a
fence made of rails, sometimes supported by posts. --
Ring fence, a fence which encircles a large
area, or a whole estate, within one inclosure. -- Worm
fence, a zigzag fence composed of rails crossing one
another at their ends; -- called also snake fence, or
Virginia rail fence. -- To be on the
fence, to be undecided or uncommitted in respect to two
opposing parties or policies. [Colloq.]
Fence, v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Fenced (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Fencing (?).]
1. To fend off danger from; to give security to;
to protect; to guard.
To fence my ear against thy
sorceries.
Milton.
2. To inclose with a fence or other
protection; to secure by an inclosure.
O thou wall! . . . dive in the earth,
And fence not Athens.
Shak.
A sheepcote fenced about with olive
trees.
Shak.
To fence the tables (Scot. Church),
to make a solemn address to those who present themselves to
commune at the Lord's supper, on the feelings appropriate to the
service, in order to hinder, so far as possible, those who are
unworthy from approaching the table. McCheyne.
Fence (?), v. i. 1.
To make a defense; to guard one's self of anything, as against
an attack; to give protection or security, as by a fence.
Vice is the more stubborn as well as the more
dangerous evil, and therefore, in the first place, to be
fenced against.
Locke.
2. To practice the art of attack and defense
with the sword or with the foil, esp. with the smallsword, using the
point only.
He will fence with his own shadow.
Shak.
3. Hence, to fight or dispute in the manner
of fencers, that is, by thrusting, guarding, parrying, etc.
They fence and push, and, pushing, loudly
roar;
Their dewlaps and their sides are bat&?;ed in gore.
Dryden.
As when a billow, blown against,
Falls back, the voice with which I fenced
A little ceased, but recommenced.
Tennyson.
Fence"ful (?), a. Affording
defense; defensive. [Obs.] Congreve.
Fence"less, a. Without a fence;
uninclosed; open; unguarded; defenseless. Milton.
Fen"cer (?), n. One who fences;
one who teaches or practices the art of fencing with sword or
foil.
As blunt as the fencer's foils.
Shak.
Fen"ci-ble (?), a. Capable of
being defended, or of making or affording defense. [Obs.]
No fort so fencible, nor walls so
strong.
Spenser.
Fen"ci*ble, n. (Mil.) A
soldier enlisted for home service only; -- usually in the
pl.
Fen"cing (?), n. 1.
The art or practice of attack and defense with the sword, esp.
with the smallsword. See Fence, v. i.,
2.
2. Disputing or debating in a manner
resembling the art of fencers. Shak.
3. The materials used for building
fences. [U.S.]
4. The act of building a fence.
5. The aggregate of the fences put up for
inclosure or protection; as, the fencing of a farm.
Fen" crick`et (?). (Zoöl.) The mole
cricket. [Prov. Eng.]
Fend (?), n. A fiend. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fend (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fended; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fending.] [Abbrev. fr. defend.] To keep off; to
prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often
with off; as, to fend off blows.
With fern beneath to fend the bitter
cold.
Dryden.
To fend off a boat or vessel
(Naut.), to prevent its running against anything with too
much violence.
Fend, v. i. To act on the
defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry; to shift
off.
The dexterous management of terms, and being able to
fend . . . with them, passes for a great part of
learning.
Locke.
Fen"der (?), n. [From Fend,
v. t. & i., cf. Defender.] One who or
that which defends or protects by warding off harm; as:
(a) A screen to prevent coals or sparks of an
open fire from escaping to the floor. (b)
Anything serving as a cushion to lessen the shock when a vessel
comes in contact with another vessel or a wharf.
(c) A screen to protect a carriage from mud
thrown off the wheels: also, a splashboard. (d)
Anything set up to protect an exposed angle, as of a house, from
damage by carriage wheels.
Fend"liche (?), a.
Fiendlike. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fen"er*ate (?), v. i. [L.
faeneratus, p. p. of faenerari lend on interest, fr.
faenus interest.] To put money to usury; to lend on
interest. [Obs.] Cockeram.
Fen`er*a"tion (?), n. [L.
faeneratio.] The act of fenerating; interest.
[Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
||Fen`es-tel"la (?), n. [L., dim. of
fenestra &?; window.] (Arch.) Any small windowlike
opening or recess, esp. one to show the relics within an altar, or
the like.
||Fe*nes"tra (?), n.; pl.
Fenestræ (#). [L., a window.] (Anat.)
A small opening; esp., one of the apertures, closed by
membranes, between the tympanum and internal ear.
Fe*nes"tral (?), a. [L. fenestra
a window.] 1. (Arch.) Pertaining to a
window or to windows.
2. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to a
fenestra.
Fe*nes"tral, n. (Arch.) A
casement or window sash, closed with cloth or paper instead of
glass. Weale.
Fe*nes"trate (?), a. [L.
fenestratus, p. p. of fenestrare to furnish with
openings and windows.] 1. Having numerous
openings; irregularly reticulated; as, fenestrate membranes;
fenestrate fronds.
2. (Zoöl.) Having transparent
spots, as the wings of certain butterflies.
Fe*nes"tra*ted (?), a.
1. (Arch.) Having windows; characterized
by windows.
2. Same as Fenestrate.
Fen`es*tra"tion (?), n.
1. (Arch.) The arrangement and
proportioning of windows; -- used by modern writers for the
decorating of an architectural composition by means of the window
(and door) openings, their ornaments, and proportions.
2. (Anat.) The state or condition of
being fenestrated.
Fe*nes"trule (?), n. [L.
fenestrula a little window, dim. of fenestra a window.]
(Zoöl.) One of the openings in a fenestrated
structure.
Fen"gite (?), n. (Min.) A
kind of marble or alabaster, sometimes used for windows on account of
its transparency.
Fe"ni*an (?), n. [From the
Finians or Fenii, the old militia of Ireland, who were
so called from Fin or Finn, Fionn, or
Fingal, a popular hero of Irish traditional history.] A
member of a secret organization, consisting mainly of Irishmen,
having for its aim the overthrow of English rule in
Ireland.
Fe"ni*an (?), a. Pertaining to
Fenians or to Fenianism.
Fe"ni*an*ism (?), n. The
principles, purposes, and methods of the Fenians.
Fenks (f&ebreve;&nsm;ks), n. The
refuse whale blubber, used as a manure, and in the manufacture of
Prussian blue. Ure.
Fen"nec (f&ebreve;n"n&ebreve;k), n.
[Ar. fanek.] (Zoöl.) A small, African,
foxlike animal (Vulpes zerda) of a pale fawn color, remarkable
for the large size of its ears.
Fen"nel (f&ebreve;n"n&ebreve;l), n.
[AS. fenol, finol, from L. feniculum,
faeniculum, dim. of fenum, faenum, hay: cf. F.
fenouil. Cf. Fenugreek. Finochio.]
(Bot.) A perennial plant of the genus
Fæniculum (F. vulgare), having very finely
divided leaves. It is cultivated in gardens for the agreeable
aromatic flavor of its seeds.
Smell of sweetest fennel.
Milton.
A sprig of fennel was in fact the theological
smelling bottle of the tender sex.
S. G.
Goodrich.
Azorean, or Sweet, fennel,
(Fæniculum dulce). It is a smaller and stouter plant
than the common fennel, and is used as a pot herb. --
Dog's fennel (Anthemis Cotula), a foul-
smelling European weed; -- called also mayweed. --
Fennel flower (Bot.), an herb
(Nigella) of the Buttercup family, having leaves finely
divided, like those of the fennel. N. Damascena is common in
gardens. N. sativa furnishes the fennel seed, used as a
condiment, etc., in India. These seeds are the "fitches" mentioned in
Isaiah (xxviii. 25). -- Fennel water
(Med.), the distilled water of fennel seed. It is
stimulant and carminative. -- Giant fennel
(Ferula communis), has stems full of pith, which, it is
said, were used to carry fire, first, by Prometheus. --
Hog's fennel, a European plant (Peucedanum
officinale) looking something like fennel.
Fen"nish (?), a. Abounding in
fens; fenny.
Fen"ny (?), a. [AS. fennig.]
Pertaining to, or inhabiting, a fen; abounding in fens; swampy;
boggy. "Fenny snake." Shak.
Fen"owed (?), a. [AS. fynig
musty, fynegean to become musty or filthy: cf. fennig
fenny, muddy, dirty, fr. fen fen. Cf. Finew.]
Corrupted; decayed; moldy. See Vinnewed. [Obs.]
Dr. Favour.
Fen"si-ble (?), a. Fencible.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Fen"-sucked` (?), a. Sucked out of
marches. "Fen-sucked fogs." Shak.
Fen"u*greek (? or ?), n. [L. faenum
Graecum, lit., Greek hay: cf. F. fenugrec. Cf.
Fennel.] (Bot.) A plant (trigonella Fœnum
Græcum) cultivated for its strong-smelling seeds, which
are "now only used for giving false importance to horse
medicine and damaged hay." J. Smith (Pop. Names of Plants,
1881).
Feod (?), n. A feud. See 2d
Feud. Blackstone.
Feod"al (?), a. Feudal. See
Feudal.
Feo*dal"i*ty (?), n. Feudal
tenure; the feudal system. See Feudality.
Burke.
Feod"a*ry (?), n. 1.
An accomplice.
Art thou a feodary for this act?
Shak.
2. (Eng. Law) An ancient officer of
the court of wards. Burrill.
Feod"a*to*ry (?), n. See
Feudatory.
Feoff (?; 277), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Feoffed (#); p. pr. & vb.
n.. Feoffing.] [OE. feffen, OF.
feffer, fieffer, F. fieffer, fr. fief
fief; cf. LL. feoffare, fefare. See Fief.]
(Law) To invest with a fee or feud; to give or grant a
corporeal hereditament to; to enfeoff.
Feoff, n. (Law) A fief. See
Fief.
Feof*fee" (?; 277), n. [OF.
feoffé.] (Law) The person to whom a
feoffment is made; the person enfeoffed.
Feoff"ment (?), n. [OF.
feoffement, fieffement; cf. LL. feoffamentum.]
(Law) (a) The grant of a feud or
fee. (b) (Eng. Law) A gift or
conveyance in fee of land or other corporeal hereditaments,
accompanied by actual delivery of possession.
Burrill.
(c) The instrument or deed by which corporeal
hereditaments are conveyed. [Obs. in the U.S., Rare in
Eng.]
{ Feo"for (?), Feof"fer (?) },
n. [OF. feoour.] (Law) One who
enfeoffs or grants a fee.
Fer (?), a. & adv. Far.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fe*ra"cious (?), a. [L. ferax,
-acis, fr. ferre to bear.] Fruitful; producing
abundantly. [R.] Thomson.
Fe*rac"i*ty (?), n. [L.
feracitas.] The state of being feracious or
fruitful. [Obs.] Beattie.
||Fe"ræ (?), n. pl. [L., wild
animals, fem. pl. of ferus wild.] (Zoöl.) A
group of mammals which formerly included the Carnivora, Insectivora,
Marsupialia, and lemurs, but is now often restricted to the
Carnivora.
||Fe"ræ na*tu"ræ (?). [L.] Of a wild
nature; -- applied to animals, as foxes, wild ducks, etc., in which
no one can claim property.
Fe"ral (?), a. [L. ferus. See
Fierce.] (Bot. & Zoöl.) Wild; untamed;
ferine; not domesticated; -- said of beasts, birds, and plants.
Fe"ral, a. [L. feralis,
belonging to the dead.] Funereal; deadly; fatal;
dangerous. [R.] "Feral accidents." Burton.
Ferde (?), obs. imp. of
Fare. Chaucer.
||Fer`-de-lance" (?), n. [F., the iron
of a lance, lance head.] (Zoöl.) A large, venomous
serpent (Trigonocephalus lanceolatus) of Brazil and the West
Indies. It is allied to the rattlesnake, but has no rattle.
Fer"ding (?), n. [See Farthing.]
A measure of land mentioned in Domesday Book. It is supposed to
have consisted of a few acres only. [Obs.]
Ferd"ness (?), n. [OE. ferd
fear. See Fear.] Fearfulness. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fere (?), n. [OE. fere
companion, AS. gefēra, from fēran to go,
travel, faran to travel. √78. See Fare.] A
mate or companion; -- often used of a wife. [Obs.] [Written
also fear and feere.] Chaucer.
And Cambel took Cambrina to his
fere.
Spenser.
In fere, together; in company. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fere, a. [Cf. L. ferus wild.]
Fierce. [Obs.]
Fere, n. [See Fire.]
Fire. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fere, n. [See Fear.]
Fear. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fere, v. t. & i. To fear.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fer`e*to*ry (?), n. [L. feretrum
bier, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to bear, akin to L. ferre, E.
bear to support.] A portable bier or shrine, variously
adorned, used for containing relics of saints.
Mollett.
Fer"forth` (?), adv. Far
forth. [Obs.]
As ferforth as, as far as. --
So ferforth, to such a degree.
Fer"forth`ly, adv. Ferforth.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fer"gu*son*ite (?), n. (Min.)
A mineral of a brownish black color, essentially a tantalo-
niobate of yttrium, erbium, and cerium; -- so called after Robert
Ferguson.
||Fe"ri*a (?), n.; pl.
Feriæ (&?;). (Eccl.) A week day,
esp. a day which is neither a festival nor a fast.
Shipley.
Fe"ri*al (?), n. Same as
Feria.
Fe"ri*al, a. [LL. ferialis, fr.
L. ferie holidays: cf. F. férial. See 5th
Fair.] 1. Of or pertaining to
holidays. [Obs.] J. Gregory.
2. Belonging to any week day, esp. to a day
that is neither a festival nor a fast.
Fe`ri*a"tion (?), n. [L. feriari
to keep holiday, fr. ferie holidays.] The act of keeping
holiday; cessation from work. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Fe"rie (?), n. [OF. ferie, fr.
L. ferie holidays. See 5th Fair.] A holiday.
[Obs.] Bullokar.
Fe"ri*er (?), a.,
compar. of Fere, fierce.
[Obs.]
Rhenus ferier than the cataract.
Marston.
Fe"rine (?), a. [L. ferinus, fr.
ferus wild. See Fierce.] Wild; untamed; savage;
as, lions, tigers, wolves, and bears are ferine beasts.
Sir M. Hale. -- n. A wild beast; a
beast of prey. -- Fe"rine*ly, adv. -
- Fe"rine*ness, n.
||Fer*in"gee (?), n. [Per.
Farangī, or Ar. Firanjī, properly, a
Frank.] The name given to Europeans by the Hindos.
[Written also Feringhee.]
Fer"i*ty (?), n. [L. feritas,
from ferus wild.] Wildness; savageness; fierceness.
[Obs.] Woodward.
Fer"ly (?), a. [AS. f&?;rlic
sudden, unexpected. See Fear, n.]
Singular; wonderful; extraordinary. [Obs.] --
n. A wonder; a marvel. [Obs.]
Who hearkened ever such a ferly
thing.
Chaucer.
{ Ferm, Ferme (?), n. }[See
Farm.] Rent for a farm; a farm; also, an abode; a place
of residence; as, he let his land to ferm. [Obs.]
Out of her fleshy ferme fled to the place of
pain.
Spenser.
Fer"ma*cy (?), n. [OE. See
Pharmacy.] Medicine; pharmacy. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fer"ment (?), n. [L. fermentum
ferment (in senses 1 & 2), perh. for fervimentum, fr.
fervere to be boiling hot, boil, ferment: cf. F.
ferment. Cf. 1st Barm, Fervent.]
1. That which causes fermentation, as yeast,
barm, or fermenting beer.
&fist; Ferments are of two kinds: (a) Formed or organized
ferments. (b) Unorganized or structureless ferments. The
latter are also called soluble or chemical ferments, and
enzymes. Ferments of the first class are as a rule simple
microscopic vegetable organisms, and the fermentations which they
engender are due to their growth and development; as, the acetic
ferment, the butyric ferment, etc. See
Fermentation. Ferments of the second class, on the other hand,
are chemical substances, as a rule soluble in glycerin and
precipitated by alcohol. In action they are catalytic and, mainly,
hydrolytic. Good examples are pepsin of the dastric juice, ptyalin of
the salvia, and disease of malt.
2. Intestine motion; heat; tumult;
agitation.
Subdue and cool the ferment of
desire.
Rogers.
the nation is in a ferment.
Walpole.
3. A gentle internal motion of the
constituent parts of a fluid; fermentation. [R.]
Down to the lowest lees the ferment
ran.
Thomson.
ferment oils, volatile oils produced by the
fermentation of plants, and not originally contained in them. These
were the quintessences of the alchenists.
Ure.
Fer*ment" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fermented; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fermenting.] [L. fermentare, fermentatum: cf. F.
fermenter. See Ferment, n.] To
cause ferment of fermentation in; to set in motion; to excite
internal emotion in; to heat.
Ye vigorous swains! while youth ferments your
blood.
Pope.
Fer*ment", v. i. 1.
To undergo fermentation; to be in motion, or to be excited into
sensible internal motion, as the constituent particles of an animal
or vegetable fluid; to work; to effervesce.
2. To be agitated or excited by violent
emotions.
But finding no redress, ferment and
rage.
Milton.
The intellect of the age was a fermenting
intellect.
De Quincey.
Fer*ment`a*bil"i*ty (?), n.
Capability of fermentation.
Fer*ment"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
fermentable.] Capable of fermentation; as, cider and
other vegetable liquors are fermentable.
Fer*ment"al (?), a.
Fermentative. [Obs.]
Fer`men*ta"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
fermentation.] 1. The process of
undergoing an effervescent change, as by the action of yeast; in a
wider sense (Physiol. Chem.), the transformation of an organic
substance into new compounds by the action of a ferment, either
formed or unorganized. It differs in kind according to the nature of
the ferment which causes it.
2. A state of agitation or excitement, as of
the intellect or the feelings.
It puts the soul to fermentation and
activity.
Jer. Taylor.
A univesal fermentation of human thought and
faith.
C. Kingsley.
Acetous, or Acetic,
fermentation, a form of oxidation in which
alcohol is converted into vinegar or acetic acid by the agency of a
specific fungus or ferment (Mycoderma aceti). The process
involves two distinct reactions, in which the oxygen of the air is
essential. An intermediate product, aldehyde, is formed in the first
process.
1.
C2H6O + O = H2O + C2H4O
Alcohol. Water. Aldehyde.
2.
C2H4O + O = C2H4O2
Aldehyde. Acetic acid.
--
Alcoholic fermentation, the fermentation
which saccharine bodies undergo when brought in contact with the
yeast plant or Torula. The sugar is converted, either directly or
indirectly, into alcohol and carbonic acid, the rate of action being
dependent on the rapidity with which the Torulæ develop. -
- Ammoniacal fermentation, the conversion of
the urea of the urine into ammonium carbonate, through the growth of
the special urea ferment.
CON2H4 + 2H2O = (NH4)2CO3
Urea. Water. Ammonium carbonate.
Whenever urine is exposed to the air in open vessels for several
days it undergoes this alkaline fermentation. --
Butyric
fermentation, the decomposition of various forms of
organic matter, through the agency of a peculiar worm-shaped vibrio,
with formation of more or less butyric acid. It is one of the many
forms of fermentation that collectively constitute putrefaction. See
Lactic fermentation. -- Fermentation by
an unorganized ferment or enzyme.
Fermentations of this class are purely chemical reactions, in
which the ferment acts as a simple catalytic agent. Of this nature
are the decomposition or inversion of cane sugar into levulose and
dextrose by boiling with dilute acids, the conversion of starch into
dextrin and sugar by similar treatment, the conversion of starch into
like products by the action of diastase of malt or ptyalin of saliva,
the conversion of albuminous food into peptones and other like
products by the action of pepsin-hydrochloric acid of the gastric
juice or by the ferment of the pancreatic juice. --
Fermentation theory of disease (Biol. &
Med.), the theory that most if not all, infectious or zymotic
disease are caused by the introduction into the organism of the
living germs of ferments, or ferments already developed (organized
ferments), by which processes of fermentation are set up injurious to
health. See Germ theory. -- Glycerin
fermentation, the fermentation which occurs on mixing a
dilute solution of glycerin with a peculiar species of schizomycetes
and some carbonate of lime, and other matter favorable to the growth
of the plant, the glycerin being changed into butyric acid, caproic
acid, butyl, and ethyl alcohol. With another form of bacterium
(Bacillus subtilis) ethyl alcohol and butyric acid are mainly
formed. -- Lactic fermentation, the
transformation of milk sugar or other saccharine body into lactic
acid, as in the souring of milk, through the agency of a special
bacterium (Bacterium lactis of Lister). In this change the
milk sugar, before assuming the form of lactic acid, presumably
passes through the stage of glucose.
C12H22O11.H2O = 4C3H6O3
Hydrated milk sugar. Lactic acid.
In the lactic fermentation of dextrose or glucose, the lactic acid
which is formed is very prone to undergo butyric fermentation after
the manner indicated in the following equation: 2C3H6O3 (lactic acid)
= C4H8O2 (butyric acid) + 2CO2 (carbonic acid) + 2H2 (hydrogen gas).
--
Putrefactive fermentation. See
Putrefaction.
Fer*ment"a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
fermentatif.] Causing, or having power to cause,
fermentation; produced by fermentation; fermenting; as, a
fermentative process.
-- Fer*ment"a*tive*ly, adv. --
Fer*ment"a*tive*ness, n.
Fer"mer*ere (?), n. [OF.
enfermerier, fr. enfermerie infirmary. See
Infirmary.] The officer in a religious house who had the
care of the infirmary. [Obs.]
Fer"mil*let (?), n. [OF., dim. of
fermeil, fermail, clasp, prob. fr. OF. & F.
fermer to make fast, fr. ferme fast. See Firm.]
A buckle or clasp. [Obs.] Donne.
Fern (?), adv. Long ago.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fern, a. [AS. fyrn.]
Ancient; old. [Obs.] "Pilgrimages to . . . ferne halwes."
[saints]. Chaucer.
Fern (f&etilde;rn), n. [AS.
fearn; akin to D. varen, G. farn,
farnkraut; cf. Skr. parn.a wing, feather, leaf, sort of
plant, or Lith. papartis fern.] (Bot.) An order of
cryptogamous plants, the Filices, which have their
fructification on the back of the fronds or leaves. They are usually
found in humid soil, sometimes grow epiphytically on trees, and in
tropical climates often attain a gigantic size.
&fist; The plants are asexual, and bear clustered sporangia,
containing minute spores, which germinate and form prothalli, on
which are borne the true organs of reproduction. The brake or
bracken, the maidenhair, and the polypody are all well known
ferns.
Christmas fern. See under
Christmas. -- Climbing fern
(Bot.), a delicate North American fern (Lygodium
palmatum), which climbs several feet high over bushes, etc., and
is much sought for purposes of decoration. -- Fern
owl. (Zoöl.) (a) The
European goatsucker. (b) The short-eared
owl. [Prov. Eng.] -- Fern shaw, a fern
thicket. [Eng.] R. Browning.
Fern"er*y (?), n. A place for
rearing ferns.
Fern"ti*cle (?), n. A freckle on
the skin, resembling the seed of fern. [Prov. Eng.]
Fern"y (?), a. Abounding in
ferns.
Fe*ro"cious (?), a. [L. ferox,
-ocis, fierce: cf. F. féroce. See
Ferocity.] Fierce; savage; wild; indicating cruelty;
ravenous; rapacious; as, ferocious look or features; a
ferocious lion.
The humbled power of a ferocious
enemy.
Lowth.
Syn. -- Ferocious, Fierce, Savage,
Barbarous. When these words are applied to human feelings or
conduct, ferocious describes the disposition; fierce,
the haste and violence of an act; barbarous, the coarseness
and brutality by which it was marked; savage, the cruel and
unfeeling spirit which it showed. A man is ferocious in his
temper, fierce in his actions, barbarous in the manner
of carrying out his purposes, savage in the spirit and
feelings expressed in his words or deeds.
-- Fe*ro"cious*ly, adv. --
Fe*ro"cious*ness, n.
It [Christianity] has adapted the ferociousness
of war.
Blair.
Fe*roc"i*ty (?), n. [L.
ferocitas, fr. ferox, -ocis, fierce, kin to
ferus wild: cf. F. ferocité. See Fierce.]
Savage wildness or fierceness; fury; cruelty; as,
ferocity of countenance.
The pride and ferocity of a Highland
chief.
Macaulay.
||Fer*o"her (?), n.
(Archæol.) A symbol of the solar deity, found on
monuments exhumed in Babylon, Nineveh, etc.
Fe"rous (?), a. [L. ferus. See
Fierce.] Wild; savage. [R.] Arthur
Wilson.
-fer*ous (?). [L. -fer. fr. ferre to bear. See
Bear to support.] A suffix signifying bearing,
producing, yielding; as, auriferous, yielding
gold; chyliferous, producing chyle.
Fer*ran"dine (? or ?), n. [F.; cf. OF.
ferrant iron-gray, from L. ferrum iron.] A stuff
made of silk and wool.
I did buy a colored silk
ferrandine.
Pepys.
Fer*ra"ra (?), n. A sword bearing
the mark of one of the Ferrara family of Italy. These swords were
highly esteemed in England and Scotland in the 16th and 17th
centuries.
Fer`ra*rese" (?), a. Pertaining to
Ferrara, in Italy. -- n., sing. & pl. A
citizen of Ferrara; collectively, the inhabitants of
Ferrara.
Fer"ra*ry (?), n. [L. ferraria
iron works. See Ferreous.] The art of working in
iron. [Obs.] Chapman.
Fer"rate (?), n. [L. ferrum
iron.] (Chem.) A salt of ferric acid.
{ Fer"re (?), Fer"rer (?), a. &
adv. } Obs. compar. of
Fer.
Fer"re*ous (?), a. [L. ferreus,
fr. ferrum iron. Cf. Farrier, Ferrous.]
Partaking of, made of, or pertaining to, iron; like iron.
[Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Fer"rest (?), a. & adv. Obs.
superl. of Fer.
Chaucer.
Fer"ret (?), n. [F. furet, cf.
LL. furo; prob. fr. L. fur thief (cf. Furtive);
cf. Arm. fur wise, sly.] (Zoöl.) An animal of
the Weasel family (Mustela or Putorius furo), about fourteen
inches in length, of a pale yellow or white color, with red eyes. It
is a native of Africa, but has been domesticated in Europe. Ferrets
are used to drive rabbits and rats out of their holes.
Fer"ret, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Ferreted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Ferreting.] [Cf. F. fureter. See Ferret,
n.] To drive or hunt out of a lurking place,
as a ferret does the cony; to search out by patient and sagacious
efforts; -- often used with out; as, to ferret out a
secret.
Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him, and
ferret him.
Shak.
Fer"ret, n. [Ital. foretto, dim.
of fiore flower; or F. fleuret. Cf. Floret.]
A kind of narrow tape, usually made of woolen; sometimes of
cotton or silk; -- called also ferreting.
Fer"ret, n. [F. feret, dim. or
fer iron, L. ferrum.] (Glass Making) The
iron used for trying the melted glass to see if is fit to work, and
for shaping the rings at the mouths of bottles.
Fer"ret*er (?), n. One who
ferrets. Johnson.
Fer"ret-eye` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) The spur-winged goose; -- so called from the
red circle around the eyes.
Fer*ret"to (?), n. [It. ferretto
di Spagna, dim. of ferro iron, fr. L. ferrum.]
Copper sulphide, used to color glass. Hebert.
Fer"ri- (&?;). (Chem.) A combining form
indicating ferric iron as an ingredient; as,
ferricyanide.
Fer"ri*age (?; 48), n. [From
Ferry.] The price or fare to be paid for passage at a
ferry.
Fer"ric (?), a. [L. ferrum iron:
cf. F. ferrique. See Ferrous.] Pertaining to,
derived from, or containing iron. Specifically (Chem.),
denoting those compounds in which iron has a higher valence than in
the ferrous compounds; as, ferric oxide; ferric
acid.
Ferric acid (Chem.), an acid,
H2FeO4, which is not known in the free state,
but forms definite salts, analogous to the chromates and
sulphates. -- Ferric oxide (Chem.),
sesquioxide of iron, Fe2O3; hematite. See
Hematite.
Fer`ri*cy"a*nate (?), n. [Ferri-
+ cyanate.] (Chem.) A salt of ferricyanic acid; a
ferricyanide.
Fer`ri*cy*an"ic (?), a. [Ferri-
+ cyanic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from,
a ferricyanide.
Ferricyanic acid (Chem.), a brown
crystalline substance, H6(CN)12Fe2,
obtained from potassium ferricyanide, and regarded as the type of the
ferricyanides; -- called also hydro-ferricyanic acid,
hydrogen ferricyanide, etc.
Fer`ri*cy"a*nide (?; 104), n.
[Ferri- + cyanide.] (Chem.) One of a
complex series of double cyanides of ferric iron and some other
base.
Potassium ferricyanide (Chem.), red
prussiate of potash; a dark, red, crystalline salt,
K6(CN)12Fe2, consisting of the
double cyanide of potassium and ferric iron. From it is derived the
ferrous ferricyanate, Turnbull's blue.
Fer"ri*er (?), n. A
ferryman. Calthrop.
Fer*rif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
ferrum iron + -ferous: cf. F. ferrifère.]
Producing or yielding iron.
Fer`ri*prus"si*ate (? or ?; see Prussiate, 277),
n. [Ferri- + prussiate.]
(Chem.) A ferricyanate; a ferricyanide. [R.]
Fer`ri*prus"sic (? or ?; see Prussik, 277),
a. [Ferri- + prussic.] (Chem.)
Ferricyanic. [R.]
Fer"ro- (&?;). (Chem.) A prefix, or combining
form, indicating ferrous iron as an ingredient; as,
ferrocyanide.
Fer`ro*cal"cite (?), n. [Ferro-
+ calcite.] Limestone containing a large percentage of
iron carbonate, and hence turning brown on exposure.
Fer`ro*cy"a*nate (?), n. [Ferro-
+ cyanate: cf. F. ferrocyanate.] (Chem.) A
salt of ferrocyanic acid; a ferrocyanide.
Fer`ro*cy*an"ic (?), a. [Ferro-
+ cyanic: cf. F. ferrocyanique.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, derived from, or designating, a
ferrocyanide.
ferrocyanic acid (Chem.), a white
crystalline substance, H4(CN)6Fe, of strong
acid properties, obtained from potassium ferrocyanide, and regarded
as the type of the ferrocyanides; -- called also hydro-ferrocyanic
acid, hydrogen ferrocyanide. etc.
Fer`ro*cy"a*nide (? or ?; 104), n.
[Ferro- + cyanide.] (Chem.) One of a series
of complex double cyanides of ferrous iron and some other
base.
Potassium ferrocyanide (Chem.),
yellow prussiate of potash; a tough, yellow, crystalline salt,
K4(CN)6Fe, the starting point in the
manufacture of almost all cyanogen compounds, and the basis of the
ferric ferrocyanate, prussian blue. It is obtained by strongly
heating together potash, scrap iron, and animal matter containing
nitrogen, as horn, leather, blood, etc., in iron pots.
Fer`ro*prus"si*ate (&?; or &?; or &?;; see
Prussiate, 277), n. [Ferro- +
prussiate.] (Chem.) A ferrocyanate; a
ferocyanide. [R.]
Fer`ro*prus"sic (? or ?; see Prussic, 277),
a. [Ferro- + prussic.] (Chem.)
Ferrocyanic.
Fer*ro"so- (&?;). (Chem.) See Ferro-
.
Fer"ro*type (?), n. [L. ferrum
iron + -type.] A photographic picture taken on an iron
plate by a collodion process; -- familiarly called
tintype.
Fer"rous (?), a. [Cf. F.
ferreux. See Ferreous.] (Chem.) Pertaining
to, or derived from, iron; -- especially used of compounds of iron in
which the iron has its lower valence; as, ferrous
sulphate.
Fer*ru"gi*na`ted (?), a. [See
Ferrugo.] Having the color or properties of the rust of
iron.
Fer`ru*gin"e*ous (?), a.
Ferruginous. [R.]
Fer*ru"gi*nous (?), a. [L.
ferruginus, ferrugineus, fr. ferrugo, -
ginis, iron rust: cf. F. ferrugineux. See Ferrugo.]
1. Partaking of iron; containing particles of
iron. Boyle.
2. Resembling iron rust in appearance or
color; brownish red, or yellowish red.
||Fer*ru"go (?), n. [L., iron rust, fr.
ferrum iron.] A disease of plants caused by fungi,
commonly called the rust, from its resemblance to iron rust in
color.
Fer"rule (? or ?; 277), n. [Formerly
verrel, F. virole, fr. L. viriola little
bracelet, dim. of viriae, pl., bracelets; prob. akin to
viere to twist, weave, and E. withe. The spelling with
f is due to confusion with L. ferrum iron.]
1. A ring or cap of metal put round a cane,
tool, handle, or other similar object, to strengthen it, or prevent
splitting and wearing.
2. (Steam Boilers) A bushing for
expanding the end of a flue to fasten it tightly in the tube plate,
or for partly filling up its mouth.
Fer*ru"mi*nate (?), v. t. [L.
ferruminatus, p. p. of ferruminare to cement, solder,
fr. ferrumen cement, fr. ferrum iron.] To solder
or unite, as metals. [R.] Coleridge.
Fer*ru`mi*na"tion (?), n. [L.
ferruminatio: cf. F. ferrumination.] The soldering
or uniting of metals. [R.] Coleridge.
Fer"ry (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Ferried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Ferrying.] [OE. ferien to convey, AS. ferian,
from faran to go; akin to Icel. ferja to ferry, Goth.
farjan to sail. See Fare.] To carry or transport
over a river, strait, or other narrow water, in a boat.
Fer"ry, v. i. To pass over water
in a boat or by a ferry.
They ferry over this Lethean sound
Both to and fro.
Milton.
Fer"ry, n.; pl.
Ferries (#). [OE. feri; akin to Icel.
ferja, Sw. färja, Dan. færge, G.
fähre. See Ferry, v. t.]
1. A place where persons or things are carried
across a river, arm of the sea, etc., in a ferryboat.
It can pass the ferry backward into
light.
Milton.
To row me o'er the ferry.
Campbell.
2. A vessel in which passengers and goods are
conveyed over narrow waters; a ferryboat; a wherry.
3. A franchise or right to maintain a vessel
for carrying passengers and freight across a river, bay, etc.,
charging tolls.
Ferry bridge, a ferryboat adapted in its
structure for the transfer of railroad trains across a river or
bay. -- Ferry railway. See under
Railway.
Fer"ry*boat` (?), n. A vessel for
conveying passengers, merchandise, etc., across streams and other
narrow waters.
Fer"ry*man (?), n.; pl.
Ferrymen (&?;). One who maintains or attends a
ferry.
Fers (?), a. Fierce. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Ferthe (?), a. Fourth.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fer"tile (? or ?; 277), a. [L.
fertilis, fr. ferre to bear, produce: cf. F.
fertile. See Bear to support.]
1. Producing fruit or vegetation in abundance;
fruitful; able to produce abundantly; prolific; fecund; productive;
rich; inventive; as, fertile land or fields; a fertile
mind or imagination.
Though he in a fertile climate
dwell.
Shak.
2. (Bot.) (a) Capable
of producing fruit; fruit-bearing; as, fertile flowers.
(b) Containing pollen; -- said of
anthers.
3. produced in abundance; plenteous;
ample.
Henceforth, my early care . . .
Shall tend thee, and the fertile burden ease
Of thy full branches.
Milton.
Syn. -- Fertile, Fruitful. Fertile
implies the inherent power of production; fruitful, the act.
The prairies of the West are fertile by nature, and are turned
by cultivation into fruitful fields. The same distinction
prevails when these words are used figuratively. A man of
fertile genius has by nature great readiness of invention; one
whose mind is fruitful has resources of thought and a
readiness of application which enable him to think and act
effectively.
Fer"tile*ly (? or ?; 277), adv. In
a fertile or fruitful manner.
fer"tile*ness, n. Fertility.
Sir P. Sidney.
Fer*til"i*tate (?), v. t. To
fertilize; to fecundate. Sir T. Browne.
Fer*til"i*ty (?), n. [L.
fertilitas: cf. F. fertilité.] The state or
quality of being fertile or fruitful; fruitfulness; productiveness;
fecundity; richness; abundance of resources; fertile invention;
quickness; readiness; as, the fertility of soil, or of
imagination. "fertility of resource." E.
Everett.
And all her husbandry doth lie on heaps
Corrupting in its own fertility.
Shak.
Thy very weeds are beautiful; thy waste
More rich than other climes' fertility.
Byron.
Fer`ti*li*za"tion (?), n.
1. The act or process of rendering
fertile.
2. (Biol.) The act of fecundating or
impregnating animal or vegetable germs; esp., the process by which in
flowers the pollen renders the ovule fertile, or an analogous process
in flowerless plants; fecundation; impregnation.
Close fertilization (Bot.), the
fertilization of pistils by pollen derived from the stamens of the
same blossom. -- Cross fertilization,
fertilization by pollen from some other blossom. See under
Cross, a.
Fer"ti*lize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fertilized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fertilizing (?).] [Cf. F. fertiliser.]
1. To make fertile or enrich; to supply with
nourishment for plants; to make fruitful or productive; as, to
fertilize land, soil, ground, and meadows.
And fertilize the field that each pretends to
gain.
Byron.
2. To fecundate; as, to fertilize
flower. A. R. Wallace.
Fer"ti*lizer (?), n. 1.
One who fertilizes; the agent that carries the fertilizing
principle, as a moth to an orchid. A. R. Wallace.
2. That which renders fertile; a general name
for commercial manures, as guano, phosphate of lime, etc.
||Fer"u*la (?), n. [L. ferula
giant fennel (its stalks were used in punishing schoolboys), rod,
whip, fr. ferire to strike; akin to OHG. berjan, Icel.
berja. Cf. Ferule.] 1. A
ferule. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
2. The imperial scepter in the Byzantine or
Eastern Empire.
Fer`u*la"ceous (?), a. [L.
ferulaceus, fr. ferula rod: cf. F.
férulacé.] Pertaining to reeds and canes;
having a stalk like a reed; as, ferulaceous plants.
Fer"u*lar (?), n. A ferule.
[Obs.] Milton.
Fer"ule (? or ?; 277), n. [L.
ferula: cf. F. férule. See Ferula.]
A flat piece of wood, used for striking, children, esp. on the
hand, in punishment.
Fer"ule (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Feruled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Feruling.] To punish with a ferule.
Fe*ru"lic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or derived from, asafetida (Ferula
asafœtida); as, ferulic acid. [Written also
ferulaic.]
Fer"vence (?), n. Heat;
fervency. [Obs.]
Fer"ven*cy (?), n. [Cf. OF.
fervence. See Fervent.] The state of being fervent
or warm; ardor; warmth of feeling or devotion; eagerness.
When you pray, let it be with attention, with
fervency, and with perseverance.
Wake.
Fer"vent (?), a. [F. fervent, L.
fervens, -entis. p. pr. of fervere o the boiling
hot, to boil, glow.] 1. Hot; glowing; boiling;
burning; as, a fervent summer.
The elements shall melt with fervent
heat.
2 Pet. iii. 10.
2. Warm in feeling; ardent in temperament;
earnest; full of fervor; zealous; glowing.
Not slothful in business; fervent in
spirit.
Rom. iii. 11.
So spake the fervent angel.
Milton.
A fervent desire to promote the happiness of
mankind.
Macaulay.
-- Fer"vent*ly, adv. --
Fer"vent*ness, n.
Laboring fervently for you in
prayers.
Col. iv. 12.
Fer*ves"cent (?), a. [L.
fervescens, p. pr. of fervescere to become boiling hot,
incho., fr. fervere. See Fervent.] Growing
hot.
Fer"vid (?), a. [L. fervidus,
fr. fervere. See Fervent.] 1. Very
hot; burning; boiling.
The mounted sun
Shot down direct his fervid rays.
Milton.
2. Ardent; vehement; zealous.
The fervid wishes, holy fires.
Parnell.
-- Fer"vid*ly, adv. --
Fer"vid*ness, n.
Fer"vor (?), n. [Written also
fervour.] [OF. fervor, fervour, F.
ferveur, L. fervor, fr. fervere. See
Fervent.] 1. Heat; excessive
warmth.
The fevor of ensuing day.
Waller.
2. Intensity of feeling or expression;
glowing ardor; passion; holy zeal; earnestness.
Hooker.
Winged with fervor of her love.
Shak.
Syn. -- Fervor, Ardor. Fervor is a
boiling heat, and ardor is a burning heat. Hence, in metaphor,
we commonly use fervor and its derivatives when we conceive of
thoughts or emotions under the image of ebullition, or as pouring
themselves forth. Thus we speak of the fervor of passion,
fervid declamation, fervid importunity, fervent
supplication, fervent desires, etc. Ardent is used when
we think of anything as springing from a deepseated glow of soul; as,
ardent friendship, ardent zeal, ardent
devotedness; burning with ardor for the fight.
Fes"cen*nine (?), a. [L.
Fescenninus, fr. Fescennia, a city of Etruria.]
Pertaining to, or resembling, the Fescennines. --
n. A style of low, scurrilous, obscene poetry
originating in fescennia.
Fes"cue (f&ebreve;s"k&usl;), n. [OE.
festu, OF. festu, F. fétu, fr. L.
festuca stalk, straw.] 1. A straw, wire,
stick, etc., used chiefly to point out letters to children when
learning to read. "Pedantic fescue." Sterne.
To come under the fescue of an
imprimatur.
Milton.
2. An instrument for playing on the harp; a
plectrum. [Obs.] Chapman.
3. The style of a dial. [Obs.]
4. (Bot.) A grass of the genus
Festuca.
Fescue grass (Bot.), a genus of
grasses (Festuca) containing several species of importance in
agriculture. Festuca ovina is sheep's fescue; F.
elatior is meadow fescue.
Fes"cue (f&ebreve;s"k&usl;), v. i. & t.
[imp. & p. p. Fescued (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Fescuing.] To use a fescue, or teach
with a fescue. Milton.
Fes"els (?), n. pl. [Written also
fasels.] See Phasel. [Obs.] May
(Georgics).
{ Fess, Fesse } (?), n. [OF.
fesse, faisse, F. fasce, fr. L. fascia
band. See Fascia.] (Her.) A band drawn
horizontally across the center of an escutcheon, and containing in
breadth the third part of it; one of the nine honorable
ordinaries.
Fess point (Her.), the exact center
of the escutcheon. See Escutcheon.
Fes"si*tude (?), n. [L. fessus
wearied, fatigued.] Weariness. [Obs.] Bailey.
Fess"wise (?), adv. In the manner
of fess.
Fest (?), n. [See Fist.]
The fist. [Obs.] Chaucer.
{ Fest, Fes"te (?), n. }
A feast. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fes"tal (?), a. [L. festum
holiday, feast. See feast.] Of or pertaining to a holiday
or a feast; joyous; festive.
You bless with choicer wine the festal
day.
Francis.
Fes"tal*ly, adv. Joyously;
festively; mirthfully.
Fes"ten*nine (?), n. A
fescennine.
Fes"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Festered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Festering.] [OE. festern, fr. fester,
n.; or fr. OF. festrir, fr.
festre, n. See Fester,
n.] 1. To generate pus; to
become imflamed and suppurate; as, a sore or a wound
festers.
Wounds immedicable
Rankle, and fester, and gangrene.
Milton.
Unkindness may give a wound that shall bleed and
smart, but it is treachery that makes it fester.
South.
Hatred . . . festered in the hearts of the
children of the soil.
Macaulay.
2. To be inflamed; to grow virulent, or
malignant; to grow in intensity; to rankle.
Fes`ter, v. t. To cause to fester
or rankle.
For which I burnt in inward, swelt'ring hate,
And festered ranking malice in my breast.
Marston.
Fes"ter, n. [OF. festre, L.
fistula a sort of ulcer. Cf. Fistula.]
1. A small sore which becomes inflamed and
discharges corrupt matter; a pustule.
2. A festering or rankling.
The fester of the chain their
necks.
I. Taylor.
Fes"ter*ment (?), n. A
festering. [R.] Chalmers.
Fest"eye (?), v. t. [OF.
festier, festeer, F. festoyer.] To feast;
to entertain. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fes"ti*nate (?), a. [L.
festinatus, p. p. of festinare to hasten.] Hasty;
hurried. [Obs.] -- Fes"ti*nate*ly,
adv. [Obs.] Shak.
Fes`ti*na"tion (?), n. [L.
festinatio.] Haste; hurry. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Fes"ti*val (?), a. [OF.
festival, fr. L. festivum festive jollity, fr.
festivus festive, gay. See Festive.] Pertaining to
a fest; festive; festal; appropriate to a festival; joyous;
mirthful.
I cannot woo in festival terms.
Shak.
Fes"ti-val, n. A time of feasting
or celebration; an anniversary day of joy, civil or
religious.
The morning trumpets festival
proclaimed.
Milton.
Syn. -- Feast; banquet; carousal. See Feast.
Fes"tive (?), a. [L. festivus,
fr. festum holiday, feast. See feast, and cf.
Festivous.] Pertaining to, or becoming, a feast; festal;
joyous; gay; mirthful; sportive. -- Fes"tive*ly,
adv.
The glad circle round them yield their souls
To festive mirth and wit that knows no gall.
Thomson.
Fes*tiv"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Festivities (#). [L. festivitas: cf. F.
festivité.] 1. The condition of
being festive; social joy or exhilaration of spirits at an
entertaintment; joyfulness; gayety.
The unrestrained festivity of the rustic
youth.
Bp. Hurd.
2. A festival; a festive celebration.
Sir T. Browne.
Fes"ti*vous (?), a. [See
Festive.] Pertaining to a feast; festive. [R.]
Sir W. Scott.
Fest"lich (?), a. [See Feast,
n.] Festive; fond of festive occasions.
[Obs.] "A festlich man." Chaucer.
Fes*toon" (?), n. [F. feston
(cf. Sp. feston, It. festone), prob. fr. L.
festum festival. See Feast.] 1. A
garland or wreath hanging in a depending curve, used in decoration
for festivals, etc.; anything arranged in this way.
2. (Arch. & Sculp.) A carved ornament
consisting of flowers, and leaves, intermixed or twisted together,
wound with a ribbon, and hanging or depending in a natural curve. See
Illust. of Bucranium.
Fes*toon", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Festooned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Festooning.] To form in festoons, or to adorn with
festoons.
Fes*toon"y (?), a. Pertaining to,
consisting of, or resembling, festoons. Sir J.
Herschel.
Fes*tu*cine (? or ?), a. [L.
festula stalk, straw. Cf. Fescue.] Of a straw
color; greenish yellow. [Obs.]
A little insect of a festucine or pale
green.
Sir T. Browne.
Fes"tu*cous (?), a. Formed or
consisting of straw. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Fes"tue (?), n. [See Fescue.]
A straw; a fescue. [Obs.] Holland.
Fet (?), n. [Cf. feat, F.
fait, and It. fett&?; slice, G. fetzen rag,
Icel. fat garment.] A piece. [Obs.]
Dryton.
Fet, v. t. [OE. fetten,
feten, AS. fetian; akin to AS. fæt a
journey, and to E. foot; cf. G. fassen to seize.
√ 77. See Foot, and cf. Fetch.] To
fetch. [Obs.]
And from the other fifty soon the prisoner
fet.
Spenser.
Fet, p. p. of Fette.
Fetched. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fe"tal (?), a. [From Fetus.]
Pertaining to, or connected with, a fetus; as, fetal
circulation; fetal membranes.
Fe*ta"tion (?), n. The formation
of a fetus in the womb; pregnancy.
Fetch (f&ebreve;ch; 224), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Fetched 2; p. pr. &
vb. n.. Fetching.] [OE. fecchen, AS.
feccan, perh. the same word as fetian; or cf.
facian to wish to get, OFries. faka to prepare. √
77. Cf. Fet, v. t.] 1.
To bear toward the person speaking, or the person or thing from
whose point of view the action is contemplated; to go and bring; to
get.
Time will run back and fetch the age of
gold.
Milton.
He called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray
thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was
going to fetch it he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray
thee, a morsel of bred in thine hand.
1 Kings xvii.
11, 12.
2. To obtain as price or equivalent; to sell
for.
Our native horses were held in small esteem, and
fetched low prices.
Macaulay.
3. To recall from a swoon; to revive; --
sometimes with to; as, to fetch a man to.
Fetching men again when they
swoon.
Bacon.
4. To reduce; to throw.
The sudden trip in wrestling that fetches a man
to the ground.
South.
5. To bring to accomplishment; to achieve; to
make; to perform, with certain objects; as, to fetch a
compass; to fetch a leap; to fetch a sigh.
I'll fetch a turn about the
garden.
Shak.
He fetches his blow quick and
sure.
South.
6. To bring or get within reach by going; to
reach; to arrive at; to attain; to reach by sailing.
Meantine flew our ships, and straight we
fetched
The siren's isle.
Chapman.
7. To cause to come; to bring to a particular
state.
They could n't fetch the butter in the
churn.
W. Barnes.
To fetch a compass (Naut.), to make a
sircuit; to take a circuitious route going to a place. --
To fetch a pump, to make it draw water by
pouring water into the top and working the handle. -- To
fetch headway or sternway (Naut.),
to move ahead or astern. -- To fetch out,
to develop. "The skill of the polisher fetches out
the colors [of marble]" Addison. -- To fetch
up. (a) To overtake. [Obs.] "Says
[the hare], I can fetch up the tortoise when I please."
L'Estrange. (b) To stop suddenly.
fetch, v. i. To bring one's self;
to make headway; to veer; as, to fetch about; to fetch
to windward. Totten.
To fetch away (Naut.), to break
loose; to roll slide to leeward. -- To fetch and
carry, to serve obsequiously, like a trained
spaniel.
Fetch, n. 1. A
stratagem by which a thing is indirectly brought to pass, or by which
one thing seems intended and another is done; a trick; an
artifice.
Every little fetch of wit and
criticism.
South.
2. The apparation of a living person; a
wraith.
The very fetch and ghost of Mrs.
Gamp.
Dickens.
Fetch candle, a light seen at night,
superstitiously believed to portend a person's death.
Fetch"er (?), n. One who fetches
or brings.
Fete (fēt), n. [See feat.]
A feat. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fete, n. pl. [See Foot.]
Feet. [Obs.] Chaucer.
||Fête (f&asl;t), n. [F. See
Feast.] A festival.
Fête champêtre (&?;) [F.], a
festival or entertainment in the open air; a rural festival.
Fête (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fêted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fêting.] [Cf. F. fêter.] To feast; to
honor with a festival.
{ Fe"tich, Fe"tish (?), n.
}[F. fétiche, from Pg. feitiço, adj.,
n., sorcery, charm, fr. L. facticius made by
art, artifical, factitious. See Factitious.]
1. A material object supposed among certain
African tribes to represent in such a way, or to be so connected
with, a supernatural being, that the possession of it gives to the
possessor power to control that being.
2. Any object to which one is excessively
devoted.
{ fe"tich*ism, Fe"tish*ism (? or ?); 277),
n. }[Cf. F. fétichisme.] [Written
also feticism.] 1. The doctrine or
practice of belief in fetiches.
2. Excessive devotion to one object or one
idea; abject superstition; blind adoration.
The real and absolute worship of fire falls into two
great divisions, the first belonging rather to fetichism, the
second to polytheism proper.
Tylor.
{ Fe"tich*ist, Fe"tish*ist, n.
} A believer in fetiches.
He was by nature a fetichist.
H. Holbeach.
{ Fe`tich*is"tic (?), Fe`tish*is"tic,
a.} Pertaining to, or involving,
fetichism.
A man of the fifteenth century, inheriting its strange
web of belief and unbelief, of epicurean levity and
fetichistic dread.
G. Eliot.
Fe"ti*cide (? or ?), n. [Written also
fœticide.] [Fetus + L. caedere to kill.]
(Med. & Law) The act of killing the fetus in the womb;
the offense of procuring an abortion.
Fe"ti*cism (?), n. See
Fetichism.
Fet"id (? or ?; 277), a. [L.
fetidus, foetidus, fr. fetere, foetere,
to have an ill smell, to stink: cf. F. fétide.]
Having an offensive smell; stinking.
Most putrefactions . . . smell either fetid or
moldy.
Bacon.
Fet*id"i*ty (? or ?), n.
Fetidness.
Fet"id*ness, n. The quality or
state of being fetid.
Fe*tif"er*ous (?), a. [Fetus +
-ferous.] Producing young, as animals.
Fe"tis (?), a. [OF. fetis,
faitis. Cf. Factitious.] Neat; pretty; well made;
graceful. [Obs.]
Full fetis was her cloak, as I was
ware.
Chaucer.
Fe"tise*ly (?), adv. Neatly;
gracefully; properly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fe"tish (?), n., Fe"tish*ism
(&?; or &?;; 277), n., Fe`tish*is"tic
(&?;), a. See Fetich,
n., Fetichism, n.,
Fetichistic, a.
Fet"lock (?), n. [OE. fetlak,
fitlock, cf. Icel. fet pace, step, fit webbed
foot of water birds, akin to E. foot. √77. See
Foot.] The cushionlike projection, bearing a tuft of long
hair, on the back side of the leg above the hoof of the horse and
similar animals. Also, the joint of the limb at this point (between
the great pastern bone and the metacarpus), or the tuft of
hair.
Their wounded steeds
Fret fetlock deep in gore.
Shak.
Fe"tor (?), n. [L. fetor,
foetor. See Fetid.] A strong, offensive smell;
stench; fetidness. Arbuthnot.
Fet"te (? or ?), v. t.
[imp. Fette, p. p.
Fet.] [See Fet, v. t.] To
fetch. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fet"ter (f&ebreve;t"t&etilde;r), n.
[AS. fetor, feter; akin to OS. feterōs,
pl., OD. veter, OHG. fezzera, Icel.
fjöturr, L. pedica, Gr. pe`dh, and to
E. foot. √ 77. See Foot.] [Chiefly used in the
plural, fetters.] 1. A chain
or shackle for the feet; a chain by which an animal is confined by
the foot, either made fast or disabled from free and rapid motion; a
bond; a shackle.
[They] bound him with fetters of
brass.
Judg. xvi. 21.
2. Anything that confines or restrains; a
restraint.
Passion's too fierce to be in fetters
bound.
Dryden.
Fet"ter, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fettered (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fettering.] 1. To put fetters upon; to
shackle or confine the feet of with a chain; to bind.
My heels are fettered, but my fist is
free.
Milton.
2. To restrain from motion; to impose
restraints on; to confine; to enchain; as, fettered by
obligations.
My conscience! thou art fettered
More than my shanks and wrists.
Shak.
Fet"tered (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Seeming as if fettered, as the feet of certain animals which
bend backward, and appear unfit for walking.
Fet"ter*er (?), n. One who
fetters. Landor.
Fet"ter*less, a. Free from
fetters. Marston.
Fet"tle (?), v. t. [OE. & Prov. E., to
fettle (in sense 1), fettle, n., order,
repair, preparation, dress; prob. akin to E. fit. See
Fit, a.] 1. To repair;
to prepare; to put in order. [Prov. Eng.] Carlyle.
2. (Metal.) To cover or line with a
mixture of ore, cinders, etc., as the hearth of a puddling
furnace.
Fet"tle, v. i. To make
preparations; to put things in order; to do trifling business.
[Prov. Eng.] Bp. Hall.
Fet"tle, n. The act of
fettling. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.
In fine fettle, in good spirits.
Fet"tling (?), n. 1.
(Metal.) A mixture of ore, cinders, etc., used to line
the hearth of a puddling furnace. [Eng.] [It is commonly called
fix in the United States.]
2. (Pottery) The operation of shaving
or smoothing the surface of undried clay ware.
Fet"u*ous (?), a. Neat;
feat. [Obs.] Herrick.
Fe"tus (?), n.; pl.
Fetuses (#). [L. fetus, foetus, a
bringing forth, brood, offspring, young ones, cf. fetus
fruitful, fructified, that is or was filled with young; akin to E.
fawn a deer, fecundity, felicity,
feminine, female, and prob. to do, or according
to others, to be.] The young or embryo of an animal in
the womb, or in the egg; often restricted to the later stages in the
development of viviparous and oviparous animals, embryo being
applied to the earlier stages. [Written also
fœtus.]
||Fet"wah (?), n. [Ar.] A written
decision of a Turkish mufti on some point of law.
Whitworth.
Feu (?), n. [See 2d Feud, and
Fee.] (Scots Law) A free and gratuitous right to
lands made to one for service to be performed by him; a tenure where
the vassal, in place of military services, makes a return in grain or
in money. Burrill.
Feu"ar (?), n. [From Feu.] (Scots
Law) One who holds a feu. Sir W. Scott.
Feud (fūd), n. [OE. feide,
AS. f&aemacr;hð, fr. fāh hostile; akin to
OHG. fēhida, G. fehde, Sw. fejd, D.
feide; prob. akin to E. fiend. See Foe.]
1. A combination of kindred to avenge injuries
or affronts, done or offered to any of their blood, on the offender
and all his race.
2. A contention or quarrel; especially, an
inveterate strife between families, clans, or parties; deadly hatred;
contention satisfied only by bloodshed.
Mutual feuds and battles betwixt their several
tribes and kindreds.
Purchas.
Syn. -- Affray; fray; broil; contest; dispute; strife.
Feud, n. [LL. feudum,
feodum prob. of same origin as E. fief. See
Fief, Fee.] (Law) A stipendiary estate in
land, held of superior, by service; the right which a vassal or
tenant had to the lands or other immovable thing of his lord, to use
the same and take the profists thereof hereditarily, rendering to his
superior such duties and services as belong to military tenure, etc.,
the property of the soil always remaining in the lord or superior; a
fief; a fee.
Feu"dal (?), a. [F.
féodal, or LL. feudalis.] 1.
Of or pertaining to feuds, fiefs, or feels; as, feudal
rights or services; feudal tenures.
2. Consisting of, or founded upon, feuds or
fiefs; embracing tenures by military services; as, the feudal
system.
Feu"dal*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
féodalisme.] The feudal system; a system by which
the holding of estates in land is made dependent upon an obligation
to render military service to the kind or feudal superior; feudal
principles and usages.
Feu"dal*ist, n. An upholder of
feudalism.
Feu*dal"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
féodalité.] The state or quality of being
feudal; feudal form or constitution. Burke.
Feu`dal*i*za"tion (?), n. The act
of reducing to feudal tenure.
Feu"dal*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Feudalized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Feudalizing (?).] To reduce to a feudal
tenure; to conform to feudalism.
Feu"dal*ly, adv. In a feudal
manner.
Feu"da*ry (?), a. [LL.
feudarius, fr. feudum. See 2d Feud.] Held
by, or pertaining to, feudal tenure.
Feu"da*ry, n. 1. A
tenant who holds his lands by feudal service; a feudatory.
Foxe.
2. A feodary. See Feodary.
Feu"da*ta*ry (?), a. & n. [LL.
feudatarius: cf. F. feudataire.] See
Feudatory.
Feu"da*to*ry (?), n.; pl.
Feudatories (&?;). A tenant or vassal who held
his lands of a superior on condition of feudal service; the tenant of
a feud or fief.
The grantee . . . was styled the feudatory or
vassal.
Blackstone.
[He] had for feudatories great
princes.
J. H. Newman.
Feu"da*to*ry, a. Held from another
on some conditional tenure; as, a feudatory title.
Bacon.
||Feu` de joie" (?). [F., lit., fire of joy.] A fire
kindled in a public place in token of joy; a bonfire; a firing of
guns in token of joy.
Feud"ist (?), n. [Cf. F.
feudiste.] A writer on feuds; a person versed in feudal
law. Spelman.
||Feu`illants" (?), n. pl. A
reformed branch of the Bernardines, founded in 1577 at
Feuillans, near Toulouse, in France.
Feuille"mort` (?), a. [F. feuille
morte a dead leaf.] Having the color of a faded leaf.
Locke.
||Feu`ille*ton" (? or ?), n. [F., from
feulle leaf.] A part of a French newspaper (usually the
bottom of the page), devoted to light literature, criticism, etc.;
also, the article or tale itself, thus printed.
Feuill"ton*ist (?), n. [F.
feuilletoniste.] A writer of feuilletons. F.
Harrison.
feu"ter (&?;), v. t. [OE. feutre
rest for a lance, OF. feutre, fautre, feltre,
felt, cushion, rest for a lance, fr. LL. filtrum,
feltrum; of German origin, and akin to E. felt. See
Felt, and cf. Filter.] To set close; to fix in
rest, as a spear. Spenser.
Feu"ter*er (?), n. [Either fr. G.
fütterer feeder, or corrupted fr. OF. vautrier,
vaultrier; fr. vaultre, viautre, a kind of hound, fr. L.
vertragus, vertraga, a greyhound. The last is of Celtic
origin.] A dog keeper. [Obs.] Massinger.
Fe"ver (?), n. [OE. fever,
fefer, AS. fefer, fefor, L. febris: cf.
F. fièvre. Cf. Febrile.] 1.
(Med.) A diseased state of the system, marked by
increased heat, acceleration of the pulse, and a general derangement
of the functions, including usually, thirst and loss of appetite.
Many diseases, of which fever is the most prominent symptom, are
denominated fevers; as, typhoid fever; yellow
fever.
&fist; Remitting fevers subside or abate at intervals;
intermitting fevers intermit or entirely cease at intervals;
continued or continual fevers neither remit nor
intermit.
2. Excessive excitement of the passions in
consequence of strong emotion; a condition of great excitement; as,
this quarrel has set my blood in a fever.
An envious fever
Of pale and bloodless emulation.
Shak.
After life's fitful fever he sleeps
well.
Shak.
Brain fever, Continued fever,
etc. See under Brain, Continued, etc. --
Fever and ague, a form of fever recurring in
paroxysms which are preceded by chills. It is of malarial
origin. -- Fever blister (Med.), a
blister or vesicle often found about the mouth in febrile states; a
variety of herpes. -- Fever bush
(Bot.), the wild allspice or spice bush. See
Spicewood. -- Fever powder. Same as
Jame's powder. -- Fever root
(Bot.), an American herb of the genus Triosteum
(T. perfoliatum); -- called also feverwort amd horse
gentian. -- Fever sore, a carious
ulcer or necrosis. Miner.
Fe"ver, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fevered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fevering.] To put into a fever; to affect with fever; as,
a fevered lip. [R.]
The white hand of a lady fever
thee.
Shak.
Fe"ver*et (?), n. A slight
fever. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
Fe"ver*few (?), n. [AS.
feferfuge, fr. L. febrifugia. See fever,
Fugitive, and cf. Febrifuge.] (Bot.) A
perennial plant (Pyrethrum, or Chrysanthemum, Parthenium)
allied to camomile, having finely divided leaves and white blossoms;
-- so named from its supposed febrifugal qualities.
Fe"ver*ish, a. 1.
Having a fever; suffering from, or affected with, a moderate
degree of fever; showing increased heat and thirst; as, the patient
is feverish.
2. Indicating, or pertaining to, fever;
characteristic of a fever; as, feverish symptoms.
3. Hot; sultry. "The feverish
north." Dryden.
4. Disordered as by fever; excited; restless;
as, the feverish condition of the commercial world.
Strive to keep up a frail and feverish
bing.
Milton.
-- Fe"ver*ish*ly, adv. --
Fe"ver*ish*ness, n.
Fe"ver*ous (?), a. [Cf.F.
fiévreux.] 1. Affected with fever
or ague; feverish.
His heart, love's feverous
citadel.
Keats.
2. Pertaining to, or having the nature of,
fever; as, a feverous pulse.
All maladies . . . all feverous
kinds.
Milton.
3. Having the tendency to produce fever; as,
a feverous disposition of the year. [R.]
Bacon.
Fe"ver*ous*ly, adv.
Feverishly. [Obs.] Donne.
Fe"ver*wort` (?), n. See Fever
root, under Fever.
Fe"ver*y (?), a. Feverish.
[Obs.] B. Jonson.
Few (fū), a.
[Compar. Fewer (?);
superl. Fewest.] [OE. fewe,
feawe, AS. feá, pl. feáwe; akin to
OS. fāh, OHG. fō fao, Icel.
fār, Sw. få, pl., Dan. faa, pl.,
Goth. faus, L. paucus, cf. Gr. pay^ros. Cf.
Paucity.] Not many; small, limited, or confined in
number; -- indicating a small portion of units or individuals
constituing a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a few
people. "Are not my days few?" Job x. 20.
Few know and fewer care.
Proverb.
&fist; Few is often used partitively; as, few of
them.
A few, a small number. -- In
few, in a few words; briefly. Shak.
--
No few, not few; more than a few;
many. Cowper.
--
The few, the minority; -- opposed to
the many or the majority.
Fe"wel (?), n. [See Fuel.]
Fuel. [Obs.] Hooker.
Few"met (?), n. See
Fumet. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Few"ness, n. 1.
The state of being few; smallness of number; paucity.
Shak.
2. Brevity; conciseness. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fey (?), a. [AS. f&?;ga, Icel.
feigr, OHG. feigi.] Fated; doomed. [Old Eng.
& Scot.]
Fey (?), n. [See Fay faith.]
Faith. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fey (?), v. t. [Cf. Feague.]
To cleanse; to clean out. [Obs.] Tusser.
Feyne (?), v. t. To feign.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Feyre (?), n. A fair or
market. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fez (?), n. [F., fr. the town of
Fez in Morocco.] A felt or cloth cap, usually red and
having a tassel, -- a variety of the tarboosh. See
Tarboosh. B. Taylor.
||Fia"cre (?), n. [F.] A kind of
French hackney coach.
Fi"ance (?), v. t. [F. fiancer.
See Affiance.] To betroth; to affiance. [Obs.]
Harmar.
||Fi`an`cé" (?), n. [F.] A
betrothed man.
||Fi`an`cée" (?), n. [F.] A
betrothed woman.
Fi"ants (?), n. [F. fiente
dung.] The dung of the fox, wolf, boar, or badger.
Fi"ar (? or ?), n. [See Feuar.]
1. (Scots Law) One in whom the property
of an estate is vested, subject to the estate of a life
renter.
I am fiar of the lands; she a life
renter.
Sir W. Scott.
2. pl. The price of grain, as legally
fixed, in the counties of Scotland, for the current year.
||Fi*as"co (?), n.; pl.
Fiascoes (#). [It.] A complete or ridiculous
failure, esp. of a musical performance, or of any pretentious
undertaking.
Fi"at (?), n. [L., let it be done, 3d
pers. sing., subj. pres., fr. fieri, used as pass. of
facere to make. Cf. Be.] 1. An
authoritative command or order to do something; an effectual
decree.
His fiat laid the corner stone.
Willis.
2. (Eng. Law) (a) A
warrant of a judge for certain processes. (b)
An authority for certain proceedings given by the Lord
Chancellor's signature.
Fiat money, irredeemable paper currency, not
resting on a specie basis, but deriving its purchasing power from the
declaratory fiat of the government issuing it.
Fi*aunt" (?), n. Commission; fiat;
order; decree. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fib (?), n. [Prob. fr. fable;
cf. Prov. E. fibble-fabble nonsense.] A falsehood; a lie;
-- used euphemistically.
They are very serious; they don't tell
fibs.
H. James.
Fib, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fibbed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fibbing (?).] To speak falsely. [Colloq.]
Fib, v. t. To tell a fib to.
[R.] De Quincey.
Fib"ber (?), n. One who tells
fibs.
{ Fi"ber, Fi"bre }, (&?;), n.
[F. fibre, L. fibra.] 1. One of
the delicate, threadlike portions of which the tissues of plants and
animals are in part constituted; as, the fiber of flax or of
muscle.
2. Any fine, slender thread, or threadlike
substance; as, a fiber of spun glass; especially, one of the
slender rootlets of a plant.
3. Sinew; strength; toughness; as, a man of
real fiber.
Yet had no fibers in him, nor no
force.
Chapman.
4. A general name for the raw material, such
as cotton, flax, hemp, etc., used in textile manufactures.
Fiber gun, a kind of steam gun for
converting, wood, straw, etc., into fiber. The material is shut up in
the gun with steam, air, or gas at a very high pressure which is
afterward relieved suddenly by letting a lid at the muzzle fly open,
when the rapid expansion separates the fibers. -- Fiber
plants (Bot.), plants capable of yielding fiber
useful in the arts, as hemp, flax, ramie, agave, etc.
{ Fi"bered, Fi"bred } (?), a.
Having fibers; made up of fibers.
{ Fi"ber-faced`, Fi"bre-faced` } (?),
a. Having a visible fiber embodied in the
surface of; -- applied esp. to a kind of paper for checks, drafts,
etc.
{ Fi"ber*less, Fi"bre*less },
a. Having no fibers; destitute of fibers or
fiber.
Fi"bri*form (? or ?), a. [L.
fibra a fiber + -form.] (Biol.) Having the
form of a fiber or fibers; resembling a fiber.
Fi"bril (?), n. [F. fibrille,
dim. of fibre, L. fibra.] A small fiber; the
branch of a fiber; a very slender thread; a fibrilla.
Cheyne.
||Fi*bril"la (?), n.; pl.
FibrillÆ (#). [NL. See Fibril.] A
minute thread or fiber, as one of the fibrous elements of a muscular
fiber; a fibril.
Fi"bril*lar (?), a. Of or
pertaining to fibrils or fibers; as, fibrillar
twitchings.
Fi"bril*la*ry (? or ?), a. Of of
pertaining to fibrils.
Fi"bril*la`ted (? or ?), a.
Furnished with fibrils; fringed.
Fi`bril*la"tion (?), n. The state
of being reduced to fibers. Carpenter.
Fi*bril"lose (? or ?), a. Covered
with hairlike appendages, as the under surface of some lichens; also,
composed of little strings or fibers; as, fibrillose
appendages.
Fi*bril"lous (? or ?), a. [Cf. F.
fibraleux.] Pertaining to, or composed of,
fibers.
Fi"brin (?), n. [Cf. F. fibrine.
See Fiber.] (Physiol. Chem.) 1. A
white, albuminous, fibrous substance, formed in the coagulation of
the blood either by decomposition of fibrinogen, or from the union of
fibrinogen and paraglobulin which exist separately in the blood. It
is insoluble in water, but is readily digestible in gastric and
pancreatic juice.
2. The white, albuminous mass remaining after
washing lean beef or other meat with water until all coloring matter
is removed; the fibrous portion of the muscle tissue; flesh
fibrin.
3. An albuminous body, resembling animal
fibrin in composition, found in cereal grains and similar seeds;
vegetable fibrin.
Fibrin factors (Physiol.), the
albuminous bodies, paraglobulin and fibrinigen in the blood, which,
by the action of the fibrin ferment, are changed into fibrin, in
coagulation. -- Fibrin ferment (Physiol.
Chem.), a ferment which makes its appearance in the blood
shortly after it is shed, and is supposed to be the active agent in
causing coagulation of the blood, with formation of fibrin.
Fi`bri*na"tion (?), n. (Med.)
The state of acquiring or having an excess of fibrin.
Fi"brine (?), a. Belonging to the
fibers of plants.
Fi*brin"o*gen (?), n. [Fibrin +
-gen.] (Physiol. Chem.) An albuminous substance
existing in the blood, and in other animal fluids, which either alone
or with fibrinoplastin or paraglobulin forms fibrin, and thus causes
coagulation.
Fi`bri*nog"e*nous (?), a. (Physiol.
Chem.) Possessed of properties similar to fibrinogen;
capable of forming fibrin.
Fi`bri*no*plas"tic (?), a.
(Physiol.Chem.) Like fibrinoplastin; capable of forming
fibrin when brought in contact with fibrinogen.
Fi`bri*no*plas"tin (?), n.
[Fibrin + Gr. &?; to form, mold.] (Physiol.Chem.)
An albuminous substance, existing in the blood, which in
combination with fibrinogen forms fibrin; -- called also
paraglobulin.
Fi"bri*nous (? or ?; 277), a.
Having, or partaking of the properties of, fibrin; as,
fibrious exudation.
Fi`bro*car"ti*lage (?), n. [L.
fibra a fiber + E. cartilage.] (Anat.) A
kind of cartilage with a fibrous matrix and approaching fibrous
connective tissue in structure. --
Fi`bro*car`ti*lag"i*nous (#), a.
Fi`bro*chon*dros"te*al (?), a. [L.
fibra a fiber + gr. &?; cartilage + &?; bone.] (Anat.)
Partly fibrous, partly cartilaginous, and partly osseous.
St. George Mivart.
Fi"broid (?), a. [L. fibra a
fiber + -oid.] (Med.) Resembling or forming
fibrous tissue; made up of fibers; as, fibroid tumors. -
- n. A fibroid tumor; a fibroma.
Fibroid degeneration, a form of degeneration
in which organs or tissues are converted into fibroid tissue. --
Fibroid phthists, a form of pulmonary
consumption associated with the formation of fibrous tissue in the
lungs, and the gradual atrophy of the lungs, from the pressure due to
the contraction of this tissue.
Fi"bro*in (? or ?), n. [L. fibra
a fiber.] (Chem.) A variety of gelatin; the chief
ingredient of raw silk, extracted as a white amorphous
mass.
Fi"bro*lite (? or ?), n. [L.
fibra a fiber + -lite: cf. F. fibrolithe.]
(Min.) A silicate of alumina, of fibrous or columnar
structure. It is like andalusite in composition; -- called also
sillimanite, and bucholizite.
||Fi*bro"ma (?), n. [NL. See
Fiber, and -oma.] (Med.) A tumor consisting
mainly of fibrous tissue, or of same modification of such
tissue.
||Fi`bro*spon"gi*æ (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. L. fibra a fiber + spongia a sponge.]
(Zoöl.) An order of sponges having a fibrous
skeleton, including the commercial sponges.
Fi"brous (?), a. [Cf. F.
fibreux.] Containing, or consisting of, fibers; as, the
fibrous coat of the cocoanut; the fibrous roots of
grasses. -- Fi"brous*ness, n.
Fi`bro*vas"cu*lar (?), a. [L.
fibra a fiber + E. vascular.] (Bot.)
Containing woody fiber and ducts, as the stems of all flowering
plants and ferns; -- opposed to cellular.
Fib"ster (?), n. One who tells
fibs. [Jocular]
||Fib"u*la (?), n.; pl.
FibulÆ (#). [L., clasp, buckle.]
1. A brooch, clasp, or buckle.
Mere fibulæ, without a robe to
clasp.
Wordsworth.
2. (Anat.) The outer and usually the
smaller of the two bones of the leg, or hind limb, below the
knee.
3. (Surg.) A needle for sewing up
wounds.
Fib"u-lar (?), a. Pertaining to
the fibula.
||Fib`u*la"re (?), n.; pl.
Fibularia (#). [NL. See Fibula.]
(Anat.) The bone or cartilage of the tarsus, which
articulates with the fibula, and corresponds to the calcaneum in man
and most mammals.
Fice (?), n. A small dog; --
written also fise, fyce, fiste, etc.
[Southern U.S.]
Fi*ché (?), a. (Her.)
See FitchÉ.
Fich"tel*ite (?), n. (Min.)
A white crystallized mineral resin from the Fichtelgebirge,
Bavaria.
Fich"u (?), n. [F., neckerchief.]
A light cape, usually of lace, worn by women, to cover the neck
and throat, and extending to the shoulders.
Fic"kle (?), a. [OE. fikel
untrustworthy, deceitful, AS. ficol, fr. fic,
gefic, fraud, deceit; cf. fācen deceit, OS.
f&?;kn, OHG. feichan, Icel. feikn portent. Cf.
Fidget.] Not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable;
of a changeable mind; not firm in opinion or purpose; inconstant;
capricious; as, Fortune's fickle wheel.
Shak.
They know how fickle common lovers
are.
Dryden.
Syn. -- Wavering; irresolute; unsettled; vacillating;
unstable; inconsonant; unsteady; variable; mutable; changeful;
capricious; veering; shifting.
Fic"kle*ness (?), n. The quality
of being fickle; instability; inconsonancy. Shak.
Fic"kly (?), adv. In a fickle
manner. [Obs.] Pepys.
||Fi"co (?), n.; pl.
Ficoes (#). [It., a fig, fr. L. ficus. See
Fig.] A fig; an insignificant trifle, no more than the
snap of one's thumb; a sign of contempt made by the fingers,
expressing. A fig for you.
Steal! foh, a fico for the phrase.
Shak.
Fic"tile (?), a. [L. fictilis.
See Fiction.] Molded, or capable of being molded, into
form by art; relating to pottery or to molding in any soft
material.
Fictile earth is more fragile than crude
earth.
Bacon.
The earliest specimens of Italian fictile
art.
C. Wordsworth.
Fictile ware, ware made of any material
which is molded or shaped while soft; hence, pottery of any
sort.
-- Fic"tile*ness, n. --
Fic*til"i*ty (#), n.
Fic"tion (?), n. [F. fiction, L.
fictio, fr. fingere, fictum to form, shape,
invent, feign. See Feign.] 1. The act of
feigning, inventing, or imagining; as, by a mere fiction of
the mind. Bp. Stillingfleet.
2. That which is feigned, invented, or
imagined; especially, a feigned or invented story, whether oral or
written. Hence: A story told in order to deceive; a fabrication; --
opposed to fact, or reality.
The fiction of those golden apples kept by a
dragon.
Sir W. Raleigh.
When it could no longer be denied that her flight had
been voluntary, numerous fictions were invented to account for
it.
Macaulay.
3. Fictitious literature; comprehensively,
all works of imagination; specifically, novels and
romances.
The office of fiction as a vehicle of
instruction and moral elevation has been recognized by most if not
all great educators.
Dict. of Education.
4. (Law) An assumption of a possible
thing as a fact, irrespective of the question of its truth.
Wharton.
5. Any like assumption made for convenience,
as for passing more rapidly over what is not disputed, and arriving
at points really at issue.
Syn. -- Fabrication; invention; fable; falsehood. --
Fiction, Fabrication. Fiction is opposed to what
is real; fabrication to what is true. Fiction is
designed commonly to amuse, and sometimes to instruct; a
fabrication is always intended to mislead and deceive. In the
novels of Sir Walter Scott we have fiction of the highest
order. The poems of Ossian, so called, were chiefly
fabrications by Macpherson.
Fic"tion*al (?), a. Pertaining to,
or characterized by, fiction; fictitious;
romantic."Fictional rather than historical."
Latham.
Fic"tion*ist, n. A writer of
fiction. [R.] Lamb.
Fic"tious (?), a.
Fictitious. [R.] Prior.
Fic*ti"tious (?), a. [L.
fictitius. See Fiction.] Feigned; imaginary; not
real; fabulous; counterfeit; false; not genuine; as,
fictitious fame.
The human persons are as fictitious as the airy
ones.
Pope.
-- Fic*ti"tious*ly, adv. --
Fic*ti"tious*ness, n.
Fic"tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
fictif.] Feigned; counterfeit. "The fount of
fictive tears." Tennyson.
Fic"tor (?), n. [L.] An artist who
models or forms statues and reliefs in any plastic material.
[R.] Elmes.
||Fi"cus (?), n. [L., a fig.] A
genus of trees or shrubs, one species of which (F. Carica)
produces the figs of commerce; the fig tree.
&fist; Ficus Indica is the banyan tree; F.
religiosa, the peepul tree; F. elastica, the India-rubber
tree.
Fid (?), n. [Prov. E. fid a
small, thick lump.] 1. (Naut.) A square
bar of wood or iron, used to support the topmast, being passed
through a hole or mortise at its heel, and resting on the trestle
trees.
2. A wooden or metal bar or pin, used to
support or steady anything.
3. A pin of hard wood, tapering to a point,
used to open the strands of a rope in splicing.
&fist; There are hand fids and standing fids (which
are larger than the others, and stand upon a flat base). An iron
implement for this purpose is called a marline spike.
4. (Mil.) A block of wood used in
mounting and dismounting heavy guns.
Fi*dal"go (?), n. [Pg. See
Hidalgo.] The lowest title of nobility in Portugal,
corresponding to that of Hidalgo in Spain.
Fid"dle (f&ibreve;d"d'l), n. [OE.
fidele, fithele, AS. fiðele; akin to D.
vedel, OHG. fidula, G. fiedel, Icel.
fiðla, and perh. to E. viol. Cf. Viol.]
1. (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music
played with a bow; a violin; a kit.
2. (Bot.) A kind of dock (Rumex
pulcher) with fiddle-shaped leaves; -- called also fiddle
dock.
3. (Naut.) A rack or frame of bars
connected by strings, to keep table furniture in place on the cabin
table in bad weather. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Fiddle beetle (Zoöl.), a
Japanese carabid beetle (Damaster blaptoides); -- so called
from the form of the body. -- Fiddle block
(Naut.), a long tackle block having two sheaves of
different diameters in the same plane, instead of side by side as in
a common double block. Knight. -- Fiddle
bow, fiddlestick. -- Fiddle fish
(Zoöl.), the angel fish. -- Fiddle
head, an ornament on a ship's bow, curved like the
volute or scroll at the head of a violin. -- Fiddle
pattern, a form of the handles of spoons, forks, etc.,
somewhat like a violin. -- Scotch fiddle, the
itch. (Low) -- To play first, or
second, fiddle, to take a leading or
a subordinate part. [Colloq.]
Fid"dle, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fiddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fiddling (?).] 1. To play on a
fiddle.
Themistocles . . . said he could not fiddle,
but he could make a small town a great city.
Bacon.
2. To keep the hands and fingers actively
moving as a fiddler does; to move the hands and fingers restlessy or
in busy idleness; to trifle.
Talking, and fiddling with their hats and
feathers.
Pepys.
Fid"dle (?), v. t. To play (a
tune) on a fiddle.
Fid"dle*dee*dee` (?), interj. An
exclamatory word or phrase, equivalent to nonsense!
[Colloq.]
Fid"dle-fad`dle (?), n. A trifle;
trifling talk; nonsense. [Colloq.] Spectator.
Fid"dle-fad`dle, v. i. To talk
nonsense. [Colloq.] Ford.
Fid"dler (?), n. [AS.
fiðelere.] 1. One who plays on a
fiddle or violin.
2. (Zoöl.) A burrowing crab of
the genus Gelasimus, of many species. The male has one claw
very much enlarged, and often holds it in a position similar to that
in which a musician holds a fiddle, hence the name; -- called also
calling crab, soldier crab, and fighting
crab.
3. (Zoöl.) The common European
sandpiper (Tringoides hypoleucus); -- so called because it
continually oscillates its body.
Fiddler crab. (Zoöl.) See
Fiddler, n., 2.
Fid"dle-shaped` (?), a. (Bot.)
Inversely ovate, with a deep hollow on each side.
Gray.
Fid"dle*stick` (?), n. The bow,
strung with horsehair, used in playing the fiddle; a fiddle
bow.
Fid"dle*string` (?), n. One of the
catgut strings of a fiddle.
Fid"dle*wood` (?), n. [Corrupted fr. F.
bois-fidèle, lit., faithful wood; -- so called from its
durability.] The wood of several West Indian trees, mostly of
the genus Citharexylum.
Fi`de*jus"sion (?), n. [L.
fidejussio, from fidejubere to be surety or bail;
fides faith + jubere to order: cf. F.
fidéjussion.] (Civil Law) The act or state
of being bound as surety for another; suretyship.
Fi`de*jus"sor (?), n. [L.: cf. F.
fidéjusseur.] (Civil Law) A surety; one
bound for another, conjointly with him; a guarantor.
Blackstone.
Fi*del"i*ty (?), n. [L.
fidelitas: cf. F. fidélité. See
Fealty.] Faithfulness; adherence to right; careful and
exact observance of duty, or discharge of obligations.
Especially: (a) Adherence to a person or party
to which one is bound; loyalty.
Whose courageous fidelity was proof to all
danger.
Macaulay.
The best security for the fidelity of men is to
make interest coincide with duty.
A.
Hamilton.
(b) Adherence to the marriage contract.
(c) Adherence to truth; veracity;
honesty.
The principal thing required in a witness is
fidelity.
Hooker.
Syn. -- Faithfulness; honesty; integrity; faith; loyalty;
fealty.
||Fi"des (?), n. [L., faith.] (Roman
Muth.) Faith personified as a goddess; the goddess of
faith.
Fidge (f&ibreve;j), n. & v. i. See
Fidget. [R.] Swift.
Fidg"et (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fidgeted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fodgeting.] [From Fidge; cf. OE. fiken to
fidget, to flatter, Icel. fika to hasten, Sw. fika to
hunt after, AS. befician to deceive. Cf. Fickle.]
To move uneasily one way and the other; to move irregularly, or
by fits and starts. Moore.
Fidg"et, n. 1.
Uneasiness; restlessness. Cowper.
2. pl. A general nervous restlessness,
manifested by incessant changes of position; dysphoria.
Dunglison.
Fidg"et*i*ness (?), n. Quality of
being fidgety.
Fidg"et*y (?), a. Restless;
uneasy. Lowell.
||Fid"i*a (?), n. [NL., prob. fr. L.
fidus trusty.] (Zoöl.) A genus of small
beetles, of which one species (the grapevine Fidia, F.
longipes) is very injurious to vines in America.
Fi*dic"i*nal (?), a. [L.
fidicinus, fr. fidicen, -inis, a lute player.]
(Mus.) Of or pertaining to a stringed
instrument.
Fi*du"cial (?), a. [L. fiducia
trust, confidence; akin to fides faith. See Faith.]
1. Having faith or trust; confident; undoubting;
firm. "Fiducial reliance on the promises of God."
Hammond.
2. Having the nature of a trust; fiduciary;
as, fiducial power. Spelman.
Fiducial edge (Astron. & Surv.), the
straight edge of the alidade or ruler along which a straight line is
to be drawn. -- Fiducial line or
point (Math. & Physics.), a line or point of
reference, as for setting a graduated circle or scale used for
measurments.
Fi*du"cial*ly, adv. With
confidence. South.
Fi*du"ci*a*ry (? or ?), a. [L.
fiduciarus, fr. fiducia: cf. F. fiduciaire. See
Fiducial.] 1. Involving confidence or
trust; confident; undoubting; faithful; firm; as, in a
fiduciary capacity. "Fiduciary obedience."
Howell.
2. Holding, held, or founded, in trust.
Spelman.
Fi*du"ci*a*ry, n. 1.
One who holds a thing in trust for another; a trustee.
Instrumental to the conveying God's blessing upon
those whose fiduciaries they are.
Jer.
Taylor.
2. (Theol.) One who depends for
salvation on faith, without works; an Antinomian.
Hammond.
Fie (?), interj. [OE. fi; cf. D.
fif. G. pfui, Icel. f&?;, Sw. & Dan. fy,
F. fi, L. fi, phy.] An exclamation denoting
contempt or dislike. See Fy. Fuller.
Fief (?), n. [F. fief; of German
origin, and the same word as E. fee. See Fee, and cf.
Feud, a tief.] (Law) An estate held of a superior
on condition of military service; a fee; a feud. See under
Benefice, n., 2.
Field (fēld), n. [OE.
feld, fild, AS. feld; akin to D. veld, G.
feld, Sw. fält, Dan. felt, Icel.
fold field of grass, AS. folde earth, land, ground, OS.
folda.] 1. Cleared land; land suitable
for tillage or pasture; cultivated ground; the open
country.
2. A piece of land of considerable size;
esp., a piece inclosed for tillage or pasture.
Fields which promise corn and
wine.
Byron.
3. A place where a battle is fought; also,
the battle itself.
In this glorious and well-foughten
field.
Shak.
What though the field be lost?
Milton.
4. An open space; an extent; an
expanse. Esp.: (a) Any blank space or
ground on which figures are drawn or projected.
(b) The space covered by an optical instrument
at one view.
Without covering, save yon field of
stars.
Shak.
Ask of yonder argent fields above.
Pope.
5. (Her.) The whole surface of an
escutcheon; also, so much of it is shown unconcealed by the different
bearings upon it. See Illust. of Fess, where the
field is represented as gules (red), while the fess is
argent (silver).
6. An unresticted or favorable opportunity
for action, operation, or achievement; province; room.
Afforded a clear field for moral
experiments.
Macaulay.
7. A collective term for all the competitors
in any outdoor contest or trial, or for all except the favorites in
the betting.
8. (Baseball) That part of the grounds
reserved for the players which is outside of the diamond; -- called
also outfield.
&fist; Field is often used adjectively in the sense of
belonging to, or used in, the fields; especially
with reference to the operations and equipments of an army during a
campaign away from permanent camps and fortifications. In most cases
such use of the word is sufficiently clear; as, field battery;
field fortification; field gun; field hospital,
etc. A field geologist, naturalist, etc., is one who makes
investigations or collections out of doors. A survey uses a
field book for recording field notes, i.e.,
measurment, observations, etc., made in field work (outdoor
operations). A farmer or planter employs field hands, and may
use a field roller or a field derrick. Field
sports are hunting, fishing, athletic games, etc.
Coal field (Geol.) See under
Coal. -- Field artillery, light
ordnance mounted on wheels, for the use of a marching army. --
Field basil (Bot.), a plant of the Mint
family (Calamintha Acinos); -- called also basil
thyme. -- Field colors (Mil.),
small flags for marking out the positions for squadrons and
battalions; camp colors. -- Field cricket
(Zoöl.), a large European cricket (Gryllus
campestric), remarkable for its loud notes. -- Field
day. (a) A day in the fields.
(b) (Mil.) A day when troops are taken
into the field for instruction in evolutions. Farrow.
(c) A day of unusual exertion or display; a gala
day. -- Field driver, in New England, an
officer charged with the driving of stray cattle to the pound. -
- Field duck (Zoöl.), the little
bustard (Otis tetrax), found in Southern Europe. --
Field glass. (Optics) (a)
A binocular telescope of compact form; a lorgnette; a race
glass. (b) A small achromatic telescope,
from 20 to 24 inches long, and having 3 to 6 draws.
(c) See Field lens. -- Field
lark. (Zoöl.) (a) The
skylark. (b) The tree pipit. --
Field lens (Optics), that one of the two
lenses forming the eyepiece of an astronomical telescope or compound
microscope which is nearer the object glass; -- called also field
glass. -- Field madder (Bot.),
a plant (Sherardia arvensis) used in dyeing. --
Field marshal (Mil.), the highest
military rank conferred in the British and other European
armies. -- Field mouse (Zoöl.),
a mouse inhabiting fields, as the campagnol and the deer
mouse. See Campagnol, and Deer mouse. --
Field officer (Mil.), an officer above
the rank of captain and below that of general. -- Field
officer's court (U.S.Army), a court-martial
consisting of one field officer empowered to try all cases, in time
of war, subject to jurisdiction of garrison and regimental
courts. Farrow. -- Field plover
(Zoöl.), the black-bellied plover (Charadrius
squatarola); also sometimes applied to the Bartramian sandpiper
(Bartramia longicauda). -- Field
spaniel (Zoöl.), a small spaniel used in
hunting small game. -- Field sparrow.
(Zoöl.) (a) A small American sparrow
(Spizella pusilla). (b) The hedge
sparrow. [Eng.] -- Field staff> (Mil.),
a staff formerly used by gunners to hold a lighted match for
discharging a gun. -- Field vole
(Zoöl.), the European meadow mouse. --
Field of ice, a large body of floating ice; a
pack. -- Field, or Field of
view, in a telescope or microscope, the entire space
within which objects are seen. -- Field
magnet. see under Magnet. --
Magnetic field. See Magnetic. --
To back the field, or To bet on the
field. See under Back, v.
t. -- To keep the field.
(a) (Mil.) To continue a campaign.
(b) To maintain one's ground against all
comers. -- To lay, or back,
against the field, to bet on (a horse, etc.)
against all comers. -- To take the field
(Mil.), to enter upon a campaign.
Field (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fielded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fielding.] 1. To take the field.
[Obs.] Spenser.
2. (Ball Playing) To stand out in the
field, ready to catch, stop, or throw the ball.
Field, v. t. (Ball Playing)
To catch, stop, throw, etc. (the ball), as a fielder.
Field"ed, a. Engaged in the field;
encamped. [Obs.]
To help fielded friends.
Shak.
Field"en (?), a. Consisting of
fields. [Obs.]
The fielden country also and
plains.
Holland.
Field"er (?), n. (Ball Playing)
A ball payer who stands out in the field to catch or stop
balls.
Field"fare` (?; 277), n. [OE.
feldfare, AS. feldfare; field + faran to
travel.] (Zoöl.) a small thrush (Turdus
pilaris) which breeds in northern Europe and winters in Great
Britain. The head, nape, and lower part of the back are ash-colored;
the upper part of the back and wing coverts, chestnut; -- called also
fellfare.
Field"ing, n. (Ball Playing)
The act of playing as a fielder.
Field"piece` (?), n. A cannon
mounted on wheels, for the use of a marching army; a piece of field
artillery; -- called also field gun.
Field"work` (?), n. (Mil.)
Any temporary fortification thrown up by an army in the field; -
- commonly in the plural.
All works which do not come under the head of
permanent fortification are called fieldworks.
Wilhelm.
Field"y (?), a. Open, like a
field. [Obs.] Wyclif.
Fiend (?), n. [OE. fend,
find, fiend, feond, fiend, foe, AS.
feónd; akin to OS. fīond, D. vijand
enemy, OHG. fīant, G. feind, Icel.
fjānd, Sw. & Dan. fiende, Goth. fijands;
orig. p. pr. of a verb meaning to hate, AS.
feón, feógan, OHG. fī&?;n,
Goth. fijan, Skr. pīy to scorn; prob. akin to E.
feud a quarrel. √81. Cf. Foe, Friend.]
An implacable or malicious foe; one who is diabolically wicked
or cruel; an infernal being; -- applied specifically to the devil or
a demon.
Into this wild abyss the wary fiend
Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while.
Milton.
O woman! woman! when to ill thy mind
Is bent, all hell contains no fouler fiend.
Pope.
Fiend"ful (?), a. Full of fiendish
spirit or arts. Marlowe.
-- Fiend"ful*ly, adv.
Fiend"ish (?), a. Like a fiend;
diabolically wicked or cruel; infernal; malignant; devilish;
hellish. -- Fiend"ish*ly, adv. --
Fiend"ish*ness, n.
Fiend"like` (?), a. Fiendish;
diabolical. Longfellow.
Fiend"ly, a. [AS.
feóndlic.] Fiendlike; monstrous; devilish.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
||Fi`e*ras"fer (?), n. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) A genus of small, slender fishes, remarkable
for their habit of living as commensals in other animals. One species
inhabits the gill cavity of the pearl oyster near Panama; another
lives within an East Indian holothurian.
Fierce (?), a.
[Compar. Fiercer (?);
superl. Fiercest (?).] [OE. fers,
fiers, OF. fier, nom. fiers, fierce, savage,
cruel, F. fier proud, from L. ferus wild, savage,
cruel; perh. akin to E. bear the animal. Cf. Feral,
Ferocity.] 1. Furious; violent;
unrestrained; impetuous; as, a fierce wind.
His fierce thunder drove us to the
deep.
Milton.
2. Vehement in anger or cruelty; ready or
eager to kill or injure; of a nature to inspire terror;
ferocious. "A fierce whisper." Dickens. "A
fierce tyrant." Pope.
The fierce foe hung upon our broken
rear.
Milton.
Thou huntest me as a fierce lion.
Job. x. 16.
3. Excessively earnest, eager, or
ardent.
Syn. -- Ferocious; savage; cruel; vehement; impetuous;
barbarous; fell. See Ferocious.
-- Fierce"ly, adv. --
Fierce"ness, n.
||Fi"e*ri fa"ci*as (?). [L., cause it to be done.]
(Law) A judicial writ that lies for one who has recovered
in debt or damages, commanding the sheriff that he cause to be made
of the goods, chattels, or real estate of the defendant, the sum
claimed. Blackstone. Cowell.
Fi"er*i*ness (?), n. The quality
of being fiery; heat; acrimony; irritability; as, a fieriness
of temper. Addison.
Fi"er*y (? or ?), a. [Formerly written
firy, fr. fire.] 1. Consisting of,
containing, or resembling, fire; as, the fiery gulf of Etna; a
fiery appearance.
And fiery billows roll below.
I. Watts.
2. Vehement; ardent; very active;
impetuous.
Hath thy fiery heart so parched thine
entrails?
Shak.
The fiery spirit of his
forefathers.
W. Irwing.
3. Passionate; easily provoked;
irritable.
You know the fiery quality of the
duke.
Shak.
4. Unrestrained; fierce; mettlesome;
spirited.
One curbed the fiery steed.
Dryden.
5. heated by fire, or as if by fire; burning
hot; parched; feverish. Pope.
The sword which is made fiery.
Hooker.
Fiery cross, a cross constructed of two
firebrands, and pitched upon the point of a spear; formerly in
Scotland borne by a runner as a signal for the clan to take up
arms. Sir W. Scott.
Fife (?), n. [F. fifre, OHG.
pfīfa, LL. pipa pipe, pipare to play on
the pipe, fr. L. pipire, pipare, to peep, pip, chirp,
as a chiken. See Pipe.] (Mus.) A small shrill
pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the
drum in military music.
Fife major (Mil.), a noncommissioned
officer who superintends the fifers of a regiment. --
Fife rail. (Naut.) (a) A
rail about the mast, at the deck, to hold belaying pins, etc.
(b) A railing around the break of a poop
deck.
Fife, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fifed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
fifing.] To play on a fife.
Fif"er (?), n. One who plays on a
fife.
Fif"teen` (?), a. [OE. fiftene,
AS. fīft&ymacr;ne, fīftēne. See
Five, and Ten, and cf. Fifty.] Five and
ten; one more than fourteen.
Fif"teen`, n. 1.
The sum of five and ten; fifteen units or objects.
2. A symbol representing fifteen units, as
15, or xv.
Fif"teenth` (?), a. [OE.
fiftenthe; cf. fiftethe, AS.
fīfteōða. See Fifteen.]
1. Next in order after the fourteenth; -- the
ordinal of fifteen.
2. Consisting of one of fifteen equal parts
or divisions of a thing.
Fif"teenth`, n. 1.
One of fifteen equal parts or divisions; the quotient of a unit
divided by fifteen.
2. A species of tax upon personal property
formerly laid on towns, boroughs, etc., in England, being one
fifteenth part of what the personal property in each town, etc., had
been valued at. Burrill.
3. (Mus.) (a) A stop
in an organ tuned two octaves above the diaposon.
(b) An interval consisting of two
octaves.
Fifth (?), a. [OE. fifte,
fifthe, AS. fīfta. See Five.]
1. Next in order after the fourth; -- the
ordinal of five.
2. Consisting of one of five equal divisions
of a thing.
Fifth monarchy men (Hist.), a
fanatical sect in England, of the time of the commonwealth, who
maintained that there would be a fifth universal monarchy, during
which Christ would reign on earth a thousand years. --
Fifth wheel, a horizontal wheel or segment
above the fore axle of a carriage and beneath the body, forming an
extended support to prevent careening.
Fifth (?), n. 1.
The quotient of a unit divided by five; one of five equal parts;
a fifth part.
2. (Mus.) The interval of three tones
and a semitone, embracing five diatonic degrees of the scale; the
dominant of any key.
Fifth"ly, adv. In the fifth place;
as the fifth in order.
Fif"ti*eth (?), a. [AS.
fīftigoða. See Fifty.] 1.
Next in order after the forty-ninth; -- the ordinal of
fifty.
2. Consisting of one of fifty equal parts or
divisions.
Fif"ti*eth, n. One of fifty equal
parts; the quotient of a unit divided by fifty.
Fif"ty (?), a. [AS.
fīftig; akin to OHG. finfzug, fimfzuc, G.
fünfzig, funfzig, Goth. fimftigjus. See
Five, and Ten, and cf. Fifteen.] Five times
ten; as, fifty men.
Fif"ty, n.; pl.
Fifties (&?;). 1. The sum of
five tens; fifty units or objects.
2. A symbol representing fifty units, as 50,
or l.
Fig (?), n. [F. figue the fruit
of the tree, Pr. figa, fr. L. ficus fig tree, fig. Cf.
Fico.] 1. (Bot.) A small fruit
tree (Ficus Carica) with large leaves, known from the remotest
antiquity. It was probably native from Syria westward to the Canary
Islands.
2. The fruit of a fig tree, which is of round
or oblong shape, and of various colors.
&fist; The fruit of a fig tree is really the hollow end of a stem,
and bears numerous achenia inside the cavity. Many species have
little, hard, inedible figs, and in only a few does the fruit become
soft and pulpy. The fruit of the cultivated varieties is much prized
in its fresh state, and also when dried or preserved. See
Caprification.
3. A small piece of tobacco. [U.S.]
4. The value of a fig, practically nothing; a
fico; -- used in scorn or contempt. "A fig for Peter."
Shak.
Cochineal fig. See Conchineal
fig. -- Fig dust, a preparation of
fine oatmeal for feeding caged birds. -- Fig
faun, one of a class of rural deities or monsters
supposed to live on figs. "Therefore shall dragons dwell there
with the fig fauns." Jer. i. 39. (Douay version). --
Fig gnat (Zoöl.), a small fly said
to be injurious to figs. -- Fig leaf, the
leaf tree; hence, in allusion to the first clothing of Adam and Eve
(Genesis iii.7), a covering for a thing that ought to be concealed;
esp., an inadequate covering; a symbol for affected modesty. --
Fig marigold (Bot.), the name of several
plants of the genus Mesembryanthemum, some of which are prized
for the brilliancy and beauty of their flowers. -- Fig
tree (Bot.), any tree of the genus Ficus,
but especially F. Carica which produces the fig of
commerce.
Fig, v. t. [See Fico,
Fig, n.] 1. To insult
with a fico, or contemptuous motion. See Fico.
[Obs.]
When Pistol lies, do this, and fig me like
The bragging Spaniard.
Shak.
2. To put into the head of, as something
useless o&?; contemptible. [Obs.] L'Estrange.
Fig, n. Figure; dress;
array. [Colloq.]
Were they all in full fig, the females with
feathers on their heads, the males with chapeaux bras?
Prof. Wilson.
||Fi`ga`ro" (?), n. [From the name of
the barber in Beaumarchais' "Barber of Seville."] An adroit and
unscrupulous intriguer.
Fig"a*ry (?), n. [Corrupted fr.
vagary.] A frolic; a vagary; a whim. [Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
Fig"eat`er (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) A large beetle (Allorhina nitida)
which in the Southern United States destroys figs. The elytra are
velvety green with pale borders. (b) A
bird. See Figpecker.
Fig"ent (?), a. Fidgety;
restless. [Obs.]
Such a little figent thing.
Beau. & Fl.
Fig"gum (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
A juggler's trick; conjuring. [Obs.]
The devil is the author of wicked
figgum.
B. Jonson.
Fight (fīt), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Fought (f&add;t); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fighting.] [OE. fihten, fehten, AS.
feohtan; akin to D. vechten, OHG. fehtan, G.
fechten, Sw. fäkta, Dan. fegte, and perh.
to E. fist; cf. L. pugnare to fight, pugnus
fist.] 1. To strive or contend for victory, with
armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy
an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; -- followed
by with or against.
You do fight against your country's
foes.
Shak.
To fight with thee no man of arms will
deign.
Milton.
2. To act in opposition to anything; to
struggle against; to contend; to strive; to make
resistance.
To fight shy, to avoid meeting fairly or at
close quarters; to keep out of reach.
Fight, v. t. 1. To
carry on, or wage, as a conflict, or battle; to win or gain by
struggle, as one's way; to sustain by fighting, as a cause.
He had to fight his way through the
world.
Macaulay.
I have fought a good fight.
2
Tim. iv. 7.
2. To contend with in battle; to war against;
as, they fought the enemy in two pitched battles; the sloop
fought the frigate for three hours.
3. To cause to fight; to manage or maneuver
in a fight; as, to fight cocks; to fight one's
ship.
To fight it out, to fight until a decisive
and conclusive result is reached.
Fight, n. [OE. fight,
feht, AS. feoht. See Fight, v.
i.] 1. A battle; an engagement; a
contest in arms; a combat; a violent conflict or struggle for
victory, between individuals or between armies, ships, or navies,
etc.
Who now defies thee thrice to single
fight.
Milton.
2. A struggle or contest of any
kind.
3. Strength or disposition for fighting;
pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of fight in him.
[Colloq.]
4. A screen for the combatants in
ships. [Obs.]
Up with your fights, and your nettings
prepare.
Dryden.
Running fight, a fight in which the enemy is
continually chased; also, one which continues without definite end or
result.
Syn. -- Combat; engagement; contest; struggle; encounter;
fray; affray; action; conflict. See Battle.
Fight"er (?), n. [AS. feohtere.]
One who fights; a combatant; a warrior. Shak.
Fight"ing, a. 1.
Qualified for war; fit for battle.
An host of fighting men.
2
Chron. xxvi. 11.
2. Occupied in war; being the scene of a
battle; as, a fighting field. Pope.
A fighting chance, one dependent upon the
issue of a struggle. [Colloq.] -- Fighting
crab (Zoöl.), the fiddler crab. --
Fighting fish (Zoöl.), a remarkably
pugnacious East Indian fish (Betta pugnax), reared by the
Siamese for spectacular fish fights.
Fight"ing*ly, adv.
Pugnaciously.
Fight"wite` (?), n. [Fight +
wite.] (O.Eng. Law) A mulct or fine imposed on a
person for making a fight or quarrel to the disturbance of the
peace.
Fig"ment (?), n. [L. figmentum,
fr. fingere to form, shape, invent, feign. See Feign.]
An invention; a fiction; something feigned or
imagined.
Social figments, feints, and
formalism.
Mrs. Browning.
It carried rather an appearance of figment and
invention . . . than of truth and reality.
Woodward.
Fig"peck`er (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The European garden warbler (Sylvia, or Currica,
hortensis); -- called also beccafico and greater
pettychaps.
Fig"-shell` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A marine univalve shell of the genus Pyrula, or
Ficula, resembling a fig in form.
{ Fig"u*late (?), Fig"u*la`ted (?) },
a. [L. figulatus, p. p. of figulare
to shape, fr. figulus potter, fr. fingere to shape.]
Made of potter's clay; molded; shaped. [R.]
Johnson.
Fig"u*line (? or ?), n. [F., fr. L.
figulina pottery, fr. figulus. See Figulate.]
A piece of pottery ornamented with representations of natural
objects.
Whose figulines and rustic wares
Scarce find him bread from day to day.
Longfellow.
Fig`ur*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
figurabilité.] The quality of being
figurable. Johnson.
Fig`ur*a*ble (?), a. [L.
figurare to form, shape, fr. figura figure: cf. F.
figurable. See Figure.] Capable of being brought
to a fixed form or shape.
Lead is figurable, but water is
not.
Johnson.
Fig"ur*al (?), a. [From Figure.]
1. Represented by figure or delineation;
consisting of figures; as, figural ornaments. Sir T.
Browne.
2. (Mus.) Figurate. See
Figurate.
Figural numbers. See Figurate
numbers, under Figurate.
Fig"u*rant` (? or ?), n. masc. [F.,
prop. p. pr. of figurer figure, represent, make a figure.]
One who dances at the opera, not singly, but in groups or
figures; an accessory character on the stage, who figures in its
scenes, but has nothing to say; hence, one who figures in any scene,
without taking a prominent part.
Fig"u*rante` (? or ?), n. fem. [F.]
A female figurant; esp., a ballet girl.
Fig"ur*ate (?), a. [L.
figuratus, p. p. of figurare. See Figure.]
1. Of a definite form or figure.
Plants are all figurate and determinate, which
inanimate bodies are not.
Bacon.
2. Figurative; metaphorical. [Obs.]
Bale.
3. (Mus.) Florid; figurative;
involving passing discords by the freer melodic movement of one or
more parts or voices in the harmony; as, figurate counterpoint
or descant.
Figurate counterpoint or
descant (Mus.), that which is not
simple, or in which the parts do not move together tone for tone, but
in which freer movement of one or more parts mingles passing discords
with the harmony; -- called also figural, figurative,
and figured counterpoint or descant (although the term
figured is more commonly applied to a bass with numerals
written above or below to indicate the other notes of the
harmony). -- Figurate numbers (Math.),
numbers, or series of numbers, formed from any arithmetical
progression in which the first term is a unit, and the difference a
whole number, by taking the first term, and the sums of the first
two, first three, first four, etc., as the successive terms of a new
series, from which another may be formed in the same manner, and so
on, the numbers in the resulting series being such that points
representing them are capable of symmetrical arrangement in different
geometrical figures, as triangles, squares, pentagons, etc. In
the following example, the two lower lines are composed of
figurate numbers, those in the second line being
triangular, and represented thus: --
. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
. . . 1, 3, 6, 10, etc.
. . . . . . . etc. 1, 4, 10, 20, etc
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Fig"ur*a`ted (?), a. Having a
determinate form.
Fig"ur*ate*ly (?), adv. In a
figurate manner.
Fig`u*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
figuratio.] 1. The act of giving figure
or determinate form; determination to a certain form.
Bacon.
2. (Mus.) Mixture of concords and
discords.
Fig"ur*a*tive (?), a. [L.
figurativus: cf. F. figuratif. See Figurative.]
1. Representing by a figure, or by resemblance;
typical; representative.
This, they will say, was figurative, and
served, by God's appointment, but for a time, to shadow out the true
glory of a more divine sanctity.
Hooker.
2. Used in a sense that is tropical, as a
metaphor; not literal; -- applied to words and expressions.
3. Abounding in figures of speech; flowery;
florid; as, a highly figurative description.
4. Relating to the representation of form or
figure by drawing, carving, etc. See Figure,
n., 2.
They belonged to a nation dedicated to the
figurative arts, and they wrote for a public familiar with
painted form.
J. A. Symonds.
Figurative counterpoint or
descant. See under Figurate.
-- Fig"ur*a*tive*ly, adv. --
Fig"ur*a*tive*ness, n.
Fig"ure (f&ibreve;g"&usl;r; 135), n.
[F., figure, L. figura; akin to fingere to form,
shape, feign. See Feign.] 1. The form of
anything; shape; outline; appearance.
Flowers have all exquisite
figures.
Bacon.
2. The representation of any form, as by
drawing, painting, modeling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially,
a representation of the human body; as, a figure in bronze; a
figure cut in marble.
A coin that bears the figure of an
angel.
Shak.
3. A pattern in cloth, paper, or other
manufactured article; a design wrought out in a fabric; as, the
muslin was of a pretty figure.
4. (Geom.) A diagram or drawing; made
to represent a magnitude or the relation of two or more magnitudes; a
surface or space inclosed on all sides; -- called superficial
when inclosed by lines, and solid when inclosed by surfaces;
any arrangement made up of points, lines, angles, surfaces,
etc.
5. The appearance or impression made by the
conduct or career of a person; as, a sorry figure.
I made some figure there.
Dryden.
Gentlemen of the best figure in the
county.
Blackstone.
6. Distinguished appearance; magnificence;
conspicuous representation; splendor; show.
That he may live in figure and
indulgence.
Law.
7. A character or symbol representing a
number; a numeral; a digit; as, 1, 2,3, etc.
8. Value, as expressed in numbers; price; as,
the goods are estimated or sold at a low figure.
[Colloq.]
With nineteen thousand a year at the very lowest
figure.
Thackeray.
9. A person, thing, or action, conceived of
as analogous to another person, thing, or action, of which it thus
becomes a type or representative.
Who is the figure of Him that was to
come.
Rom. v. 14.
10. (Rhet.) A mode of expressing
abstract or immaterial ideas by words which suggest pictures or
images from the physical world; pictorial language; a trope; hence,
any deviation from the plainest form of statement.
To represent the imagination under the figure
of a wing.
Macaulay.
11. (Logic) The form of a syllogism
with respect to the relative position of the middle term.
12. (Dancing) Any one of the several
regular steps or movements made by a dancer.
13. (Astrol.) A horoscope; the diagram
of the aspects of the astrological houses. Johnson.
14. (Music) (a) Any
short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords,
which produce a single complete and distinct impression.
Grove.
(b) A form of melody or accompaniment kept up
through a strain or passage; a musical phrase or motive; a florid
embellishment.
&fist; Figures are often written upon the staff in music to denote
the kind of measure. They are usually in the form of a fraction, the
upper figure showing how many notes of the kind indicated by the
lower are contained in one measure or bar. Thus, 2/4
signifies that the measure contains two quarter notes. The following
are the principal figures used for this purpose: --
2/22/42/8
4/22/44/8
3/23/43/8
6/46/46/8
Academy figure, Canceled
figures, Lay figure, etc. See under
Academy, Cancel, Lay, etc. --
Figure caster, or Figure flinger,
an astrologer. "This figure caster." Milton. -
- Figure flinging, the practice of
astrology. -- Figure-of-eight knot, a knot
shaped like the figure 8. See Illust. under Knot.
-- Figure painting, a picture of the human
figure, or the act or art of depicting the human figure. --
Figure stone (Min.), agalmatolite.
-- Figure weaving, the art or process of
weaving figured fabrics. -- To cut a figure,
to make a display. [Colloq.] Sir W. Scott.
Fig"ure, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Figured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Figuring.] [F. figurer, L. figurare, fr.
figura. See Figure, n.]
1. To represent by a figure, as to form or mold;
to make an image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into
a determinate form; to shape.
If love, alas! be pain I bear,
No thought can figure, and no tongue
declare.Prior.
2. To embellish with design; to adorn with
figures.
The vaulty top of heaven
Figured quite o'er with burning meteors.
Shak.
3. To indicate by numerals; also, to
compute.
As through a crystal glass the figured hours
are seen.
Dryden.
4. To represent by a metaphor; to signify or
symbolize.
Whose white vestments figure
innocence.
Shak.
5. To prefigure; to foreshow.
In this the heaven figures some
event.
Shak.
6. (Mus.) (a) To write
over or under the bass, as figures or other characters, in order to
indicate the accompanying chords. (b) To
embellish.
To figure out, to solve; to compute or find
the result of. -- To figure up, to add; to
reckon; to compute the amount of.
Fig"ure, v. i. 1.
To make a figure; to be distinguished or conspicious; as, the
envoy figured at court.
Sociable, hospitable, eloquent, admired,
figuring away brilliantly.
M. Arnold.
2. To calculate; to contrive; to scheme; as,
he is figuring to secure the nomination. [Colloq.]
Fig"ured (?), a. 1.
Adorned with figures; marked with figures; as, figured
muslin.
2. Not literal; figurative. [Obs.]
Locke.
3. (Mus.) (a) Free and
florid; as, a figured descant. See Figurate, 3.
(b) Indicated or noted by figures.
Figured bass. See Continued bass,
under Continued.
Fig"ure*head` (?), n.
1. (Naut.) The figure, statue, or bust,
on the prow of a ship.
2. A person who allows his name to be used to
give standing to enterprises in which he has no responsible interest
or duties; a nominal, but not real, head or chief.
Fi*gu"ri*al (?), a. Represented by
figure or delineation. [R.] Craig.
||Fi`gu`rine" (? or ?), n. [F.,
dim. of figure.] A very small figure, whether
human or of an animal; especially, one in terra cotta or the like; --
distinguished from statuette, which is applied to small
figures in bronze, marble, etc.
Fig"ur*ist (?), n. One who uses or
interprets figurative expressions. Waterland.
Fig"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A
genus of herbaceous plants (Scrophularia), mostly found in the
north temperate zones. See Brownwort.
Fi"ji*an (?), a. Of or pertaining
to the Fiji islands or their inhabitants. --
n. A native of the Fiji islands.
[Written also Feejeean, Feejee.]
Fike (?), n. See
Fyke.
Fil (?), obs. imp. of Fall,
v. i. Fell. Chaucer.
Fi*la"ceous (? or ?), a. [L.
filum thread.] Composed of threads.
Bacon.
Fil"a*cer (?), n. [OE. filace a
file, or thread, on which the records of the courts of justice were
strung, F. filasse tow of flax or hemp, fr. L. filum
thread.] (Eng. Law) A former officer in the English Court
of Common Pleas; -- so called because he filed the writs on
which he made out process. [Obs.] Burrill.
Fil"a*ment (?), n. [F. filament,
fr. L. filum thread. See File a row.] A thread or
threadlike object or appendage; a fiber; esp. (Bot.), the
threadlike part of the stamen supporting the anther.
Fil`a*men"ta*ry (?), a. Having the
character of, or formed by, a filament.
Fil"a*men*toid` (?), a.
[Filament + -oid.] Like a filament.
Fil`a*men"tous (?), a. [Cf. F.
filamenteux.] Like a thread; consisting of threads or
filaments. Gray.
Fil"an*der (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A species of kangaroo (Macropus Brunii), inhabiting New
Guinea.
Fil"an*ders (?), n. pl. [F.
filandres, fr. L. filum thread.] (Falconry)
A disease in hawks, characterized by the presence of small
threadlike worms, also of filaments of coagulated blood, from the
rupture of a vein; -- called also backworm. Sir T.
Browne.
Fi"lar (?), a. [L. filum a
thread.] Of or pertaining to a thread or line; characterized by
threads stretched across the field of view; as, a filar
microscope; a filar micrometer.
||Fi*la"ri*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
filum a thread.] (Zoöl.) A genus of slender,
nematode worms of many species, parasitic in various animals. See
Guinea worm.
Fil"a*to*ry (?), n. [LL.
filatorium place for spinning, fr. filare to spin, fr.
L. filum a thread.] A machine for forming threads.
[Obs.] W. Tooke.
Fil"a*ture (?; 135), n. [LL.
filatura, fr. filare to spin: cf. F. filature.
See Filatory.] 1. A drawing out into
threads; hence, the reeling of silk from cocoons.
Ure.
2. A reel for drawing off silk from cocoons;
also, an establishment for reeling silk.
Fil"bert (?), n. [Perh. fr. fill +
bread, as filling the bread or husk; cf. G. bartnuss
(lit., bread nut) filbert; or perh. named from a St.
Philibert, whose day, Aug. 22, fell in the nutting season.]
(Bot.) The fruit of the Corylus Avellana or hazel.
It is an oval nut, containing a kernel that has a mild, farinaceous,
oily taste, agreeable to the palate.
&fist; In England filberts are usually large hazelnuts,
especially the nuts from selected and cultivated trees. The American
hazelnuts are of two other species.
Filbert gall (Zoöl.), a gall
resembling a filbert in form, growing in clusters on grapevines. It
is produced by the larva of a gallfly (Cecidomyia).
Filch (f&ibreve;lch), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Filched (f&ibreve;lcht);
p. pr. & vb. n. Filching.] [Cf. AS.
feolan to stick to, OHG. felhan, felahan, to
hide, Icel. fela, Goth. filhan to hide, bury, Prov. E.
feal to hide slyly, OE. felen.] To steal or take
privily (commonly, that which is of little value); to
pilfer.
Fain would they filch that little food
away.
Dryden.
But he that filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.
Shak.
Filch"er (f&ibreve;lch"&etilde;r), n.
One who filches; a thief.
Filch"ing*ly, adv. By pilfering or
petty stealing.
File (fīl), n. [F. file
row (cf. Pr., Sp., Pg., & It. fila), LL. fila, fr. L.
filum a thread. Cf. Enfilade, Filament,
Fillet.] 1. An orderly succession; a
line; a row; as: (a) (Mil)
A row of soldiers ranged one behind another; -- in
contradistinction to rank, which designates a row of soldiers
standing abreast; a number consisting the depth of a body of troops,
which, in the ordinary modern formation, consists of two men, the
battalion standing two deep, or in two ranks.
&fist; The number of files in a company describes its
width, as the number of ranks does its depth; thus, 100 men in "fours
deep" would be spoken of as 25 files in 4 ranks.
Farrow.
(b) An orderly collection of papers, arranged
in sequence or classified for preservation and reference; as,
files of letters or of newspapers; this mail brings English
files to the 15th instant. (c) The
line, wire, or other contrivance, by which papers are put and kept in
order.
It is upon a file with the duke's other
letters.
Shak.
(d) A roll or list. "A file of
all the gentry." Shak.
2. Course of thought; thread of
narration. [Obs.]
Let me resume the file of my
narration.
Sir H. Wotton.
File firing, the act of firing by file, or
each file independently of others. -- File
leader, the soldier at the front of any file, who
covers and leads those in rear of him. -- File
marching, the marching of a line two deep, when faced
to the right or left, so that the front and rear rank march side by
side. Brande & C. --Indian file, or
Single file, a line of men marching one behind
another; a single row. -- On file,
preserved in an orderly collection. -- Rank and
file. (a) The body of soldiers
constituing the mass of an army, including corporals and
privates. Wilhelm. (b) Those who
constitute the bulk or working members of a party, society, etc., in
distinction from the leaders.
File (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Filed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Filing.] 1. To set in order; to arrange,
or lay away, esp. as papers in a methodical manner for preservation
and reverence; to place on file; to insert in its proper place in an
arranged body of papers.
I would have my several courses and my dishes well
filed.
Beau. & Fl.
2. To bring before a court or legislative
body by presenting proper papers in a regular way; as, to file
a petition or bill. Burrill.
3. (Law) To put upon the files or
among the records of a court; to note on (a paper) the fact date of
its reception in court.
To file a paper, on the part of a party, is to
place it in the official custody of the clerk. To file, on the
part of the clerk, is to indorse upon the paper the date of its
reception, and retain it in his office, subject to inspection by
whomsoever it may concern.
Burrill.
File, v. i. [Cf. F. filer.]
(Mil.) To march in a file or line, as soldiers, not
abreast, but one after another; -- generally with
off.
To file with, to follow closely, as one
soldier after another in file; to keep pace.
My endeavors
Have ever come too short of my desires,
Yet filed with my abilities.
Shak.
File (fīl), n. [AS.
feól; akin to D. viji, OHG. fīla,
fīhala, G. feile, Sw. fil, Dan.
fiil, cf. Icel. þēl, Russ. pila, and
Skr. piç to cut out, adorn; perh. akin to E.
paint.] 1. A steel instrument, having
cutting ridges or teeth, made by indentation with a chisel, used for
abrading or smoothing other substances, as metals, wood,
etc.
&fist; A file differs from a rasp in having the
furrows made by straight cuts of a chisel, either single or crossed,
while the rasp has coarse, single teeth, raised by the pyramidal end
of a triangular punch.
2. Anything employed to smooth, polish, or
rasp, literally or figuratively.
Mock the nice touches of the critic's
file.
Akenside.
3. A shrewd or artful person. [Slang]
Fielding.
Will is an old file in spite of his smooth
face.
Thackeray.
Bastard file, Cross file,
etc. See under Bastard, Cross, etc. --
Cross-cut file, a file having two sets of teeth
crossing obliquely. -- File blank, a steel
blank shaped and ground ready for cutting to form a file. --
File cutter, a maker of files. --
Second-cut file, a file having teeth of a grade
next finer than bastard. -- Single-cut file,
a file having only one set of parallel teeth; a float. --
Smooth file, a file having teeth so fine as to
make an almost smooth surface.
File, v. t. 1. To
rub, smooth, or cut away, with a file; to sharpen with a file; as, to
file a saw or a tooth.
2. To smooth or polish as with a file.
Shak.
File your tongue to a little more
courtesy.
Sir W. Scott.
File, v. t. [OE. fulen,
filen, foulen, AS. f&?;lan, fr. f&?;l foul. See
Foul, and cf. Defile, v. t.] To
make foul; to defile. [Obs.]
All his hairy breast with blood was
filed.
Spenser.
For Banquo's issue have I filed my
mind.
Shak.
File"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any plectognath fish of the genera Monacanthus,
Alutera, balistes, and allied genera; -- so called on
account of the roughly granulated skin, which is sometimes used in
place of sandpaper.
Fil"e*mot (?), n. See
Feullemort. Swift.
Fil"er (?), n. One who works with
a file.
Fil"ial (?), a. [L. filialis,
fr. filius son, filia daughter; akin to e.
female, feminine. Cf. Fitz.] 1.
Of or pertaining to a son or daughter; becoming to a child in
relation to his parents; as, filial obedience.
2. Bearing the relation of a child.
And thus the filial Godhead answering
spoke.
Milton.
Fil"ial*ly (?), adv. In a filial
manner.
Fil"i*ate (?), v. t. To adopt as
son or daughter; to establish filiation between. [R.]
Southey.
Fil`i*a"tion (?), n. [LL.
filiatio, fr. L. filius son: cf. F. filiation.
See Filial.] 1. The relationship of a son
or child to a parent, esp. to a father.
The relation of paternity and
filiation.
Sir M. Hale.
2. (Law) The assignment of a bastard
child to some one as its father; affiliation.
Smart.
Fil"i*beg (?), n. [Gael.
feileadhbeag, i. e., little kilt; feileadh kilt
+ beag little, small; cf. filleadh a plait, fold.]
Same as Kilt. [Written also philibeg.]
Fil"i*bus`ter (?), n. [Sp.
flibuster, flibustero, corrupted fr. E.
freebooter. See Freebooter.] A lawless military
adventurer, especially one in quest of plunder; a freebooter; --
originally applied to buccaneers infesting the Spanish American
coasts, but introduced into common English to designate the followers
of Lopez in his expedition to Cuba in 1851, and those of Walker in
his expedition to Nicaragua, in 1855.
Fil"i*bus*ter, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fillibustered (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Filibustering.] 1. To act as
a filibuster, or military freebooter. Bartlett.
2. To delay legislation, by dilatory motions
or other artifices. [political cant or slang, U.S.]
Bartlett.
Fil"i*bus`ter*ism (?), n. The
characteristics or practices of a filibuster.
Bartlett.
Fil"i*cal (?), a. Belonging to the
Filices, r ferns.
Fi*lic"ic (?), a. [L. filix,
-icis, a fern.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived
from, ferns; as, filicic acid.
Fil"i*cide (?), n. [L. filius
son, filia daughter + caedere to kill.] The act of
murdering a son or a daughter; also, parent who commits such a
murder.
Fi*lic"i*form (?), a. [L. filix,
-icis, fern + -form: cf. F. filiciforme]
Shaped like a fern or like the parts of a fern leaf.
Smart.
Fil"i*coid (?), a. [L. filix,
-icis, fern + -oid: cf. F. filicoiïde.]
(Bot.) Fernlike, either in form or in the nature of the
method of reproduction.
Fil"i*coid, n. (Bot.) A
fernlike plant. Lindley.
Fi*li"e*ty (?), n. [L.
filietas.] The relation of a son to a father; sonship; --
the correlative of paternity. J. S. Mill.
Fi*lif"er*ous (?), a. [L. filum
a thread + -ferous.] Producing threads.
Carpenter.
Fil"i*form (?), a. [L. filum
thread + -form: cf. F. filiforme.] Having the
shape of a thread or filament; as, the filiform papillæ
of the tongue; a filiform style or peduncle. See
Illust. of AntennÆ.
{ Fil"i*grain, Fil"i*grane } (?),
n. [Sp. filigrana (cf. It. filigrana,
E. filigrane), fr. L. filuma thread + granum
grain. See File a row, and Grain, and cf.
Filigree.] Filigree. [Archaic]
With her head . . . touches the crown of
filigrane.
Longfellow.
Fil"i*graned (?), a. See
Filigreed. [Archaic]
Fil"i*gree (?), n. [Corrupted fr.
filigrane.] Ornamental work, formerly with grains or
breads, but now composed of fine wire and used chiefly in decorating
gold and silver to which the wire is soldered, being arranged in
designs frequently of a delicate and intricate arabesque
pattern.
Fil"i*gree, a. Relating to,
composed of, or resembling, work in filigree; as, a filigree
basket. Hence: Fanciful; unsubstantial; merely decorative.
You ask for reality, not fiction and filigree
work.
J. C. Shairp.
Fil"i*greed (?), a. Adorned with
filigree. Tatler.
Fil"ing (?), n. A fragment or
particle rubbed off by the act of filing; as, iron
filings.
Fil`i*pen"du*lous (?; 135), a. [L.
filum a thread + pendulus hanging, fr. pend&?;re
to hang.] (Bot.) Suspended by, or strung upon, a thread;
-- said of tuberous swellings in the middle or at the extremities of
slender, threadlike rootlets.
Fill (?), n. [See Thill.]
One of the thills or shafts of a carriage.
Mortimer.
Fill horse, a thill horse.
Shak.
Fill, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Filled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Filling.] [OE. fillen, fullen, AS.
fyllan, fr. full full; akin to D. vullen, G.
füllen, Icel. fylla, Sw. fylla, Dan.
fylde, Goth. fulljan. See Full,
a.] 1. To make full; to supply
with as much as can be held or contained; to put or pour into, till
no more can be received; to occupy the whole capacity of.
The rain also filleth the pools.
Ps. lxxxiv. 6.
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with
water. Anf they filled them up to the brim.
John ii. 7.
2. To furnish an abudant supply to; to
furnish with as mush as is desired or desirable; to occupy the whole
of; to swarm in or overrun.
And God blessed them, saying. Be fruitful, and
multiply, and fill the waters in the seas.
Gen. i. 22.
The Syrians filled the country.
1 Kings xx. 27.
3. To fill or supply fully with food; to
feed; to satisfy.
Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness,
as to fillso great a multitude?
Matt. xv.
33.
Things that are sweet and fat are more
filling.
Bacon.
4. To possess and perform the duties of; to
officiate in, as an incumbent; to occupy; to hold; as, a king
fills a throne; the president fills the office of chief
magistrate; the speaker of the House fills the
chair.
5. To supply with an incumbent; as, to
fill an office or a vacancy. A. Hamilton.
6. (Naut.) (a) To
press and dilate, as a sail; as, the wind filled the
sails. (b) To trim (a yard) so that the
wind shall blow on the after side of the sails.
7. (Civil Engineering) To make an
embankment in, or raise the level of (a low place), with earth or
gravel.
To fill in, to insert; as, he filled
in the figures. -- To fill out, to
extend or enlarge to the desired limit; to make complete; as, to
fill out a bill. -- To fill up, to
make quite full; to fill to the brim or entirely; to occupy
completely; to complete. "The bliss that fills up all the
mind." Pope. "And fill up that which is behind of the
afflictions of Christ." Col. i. 24.
Fill (?), v. i. 1.
To become full; to have the whole capacity occupied; to have an
abundant supply; to be satiated; as, corn fills well in a warm
season; the sail fills with the wind.
2. To fill a cup or glass for
drinking.
Give me some wine; fill full.
Shak.
To back and fill. See under Back,
v. i. -- To fill up, to grow
or become quite full; as, the channel of the river fills up
with sand.
Fill, n. [AS. fyllo. See
Fill, v. t.] A full supply, as much as
supplies want; as much as gives complete satisfaction. "Ye
shall eat your fill." Lev. xxv. 19.
I'll bear thee hence, where I may weep my
fill.
Shak.
Fill"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, fills; something used for filling.
'T is mere filler, to stop a vacancy in the
hexameter.
Dryden.
They have six diggers to four fillers, so as to
keep the fillers always at work.
Mortimer.
Fill"er, n. [From 1st Fill.]
A thill horse. [Prov. Eng.]
Fil"let (?), n. [OE. filet,
felet, fr. OF. filet thread, fillet of meat, dim. of
fil a thread, fr. L. filum. See Fille a row.]
1. A little band, especially one intended to
encircle the hair of the head.
A belt her waist, a fillet binds her
hair.
Pope.
2. (Cooking) A piece of lean meat
without bone; sometimes, a long strip rolled together and
tied.
&fist; A fillet of beef is the under side of the sirlom;
also called tenderloin. A fillet of veal or mutton is
the fleshy part of the thigh. A fillet of fish is a slice of
flat fish without bone. "Fillet of a fenny snake."
Shak.
3. A thin strip or ribbon; esp.:
(a) A strip of metal from which coins are punched.
(b) A strip of card clothing. (c) A
thin projecting band or strip.
4. (Mach.) A concave filling in of a
reëntrant angle where two surfaces meet, forming a rounded
corner.
5. (Arch.) A narrow flat member;
especially, a flat molding separating other moldings; a reglet; also,
the space between two flutings in a shaft. See Illust. of
Base, and Column.
6. (Her.) An ordinary equaling in
breadth one fourth of the chief, to the lowest portion of which it
corresponds in position.
7. (Mech.) The thread of a
screw.
8. A border of broad or narrow lines of color
or gilt.
9. The raised molding about the muzzle of a
gun.
10. Any scantling smaller than a
batten.
11. (Anat.) A fascia; a band of
fibers; applied esp. to certain bands of white matter in the
brain.
12. (Man.) The loins of a horse,
beginning at the place where the hinder part of the saddle
rests.
Arris fillet. See under
Arris.
Fil"let, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Filleted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Filleting.] To bind, furnish, or adorn with a
fillet.
Fil"let*ing, n. 1.
(Arch.) The protecting of a joint, as between roof and
parapet wall, with mortar, or cement, where flashing is
employed in better work.
2. The material of which fillets are made;
also, fillets, collectively.
Fil"li*beg (?), n. A kilt. See
Filibeg.
Fil"li*bus`ter (?), n. See
Filibuster.
Fill"ing (?), n. 1.
That which is used to fill a cavity or any empty space, or to
supply a deficiency; as, filling for a cavity in a tooth, a
depression in a roadbed, the space between exterior and interior
walls of masonry, the pores of open-grained wood, the space between
the outer and inner planks of a vessel, etc.
2. The woof in woven fabrics.
3. (Brewing) Prepared wort added to
ale to cleanse it.
Back filling. (Arch.) See under
Back, a.
Fil"lip (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Filliped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Filliping.] [For filp, flip. Cf.
Flippant.] 1. To strike with the nail of
the finger, first placed against the ball of the thumb, and forced
from that position with a sudden spring; to snap with the
finger. "You filip me o' the head." Shak.
2. To snap; to project quickly.
The use of the elastic switch to fillip small
missiles with.
Tylor.
Fil"lip, n. 1. A
jerk of the finger forced suddenly from the thumb; a smart
blow.
2. Something serving to rouse or
excite.
I take a glass of grog for a
filip.
Dickens.
Fil"li*peen` (?), n. See
Philopena.
Fil"lis*ter (?), n. 1.
The rabbet on the outer edge of a sash bar to hold the glass and
the putty. Knight.
2. A plane for making a rabbet.
Fillister screw had, a short cylindrical
screw head, having a convex top.
Fil"ly (?), n.; pl.
Fillies (#). [Cf. Icel. fylia, fr.
foli foal. See Foal.] 1.
(Zoöl.) A female foal or colt; a young mare. Cf.
Colt, Foal.
Neighing in likeness of a filly
foal.
Shak.
2. A lively, spirited young girl.
[Colloq.] Addison.
Film (?), n. [AS. film skin, fr.
fell skin; akin to fylmen membrane, OFries.
filmene skin. See Fell skin.] 1. A
thin skin; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity; hence,
any thin, slight covering.
He from thick films shall purge the visual
ray.
Pope.
2. A slender thread, as that of a
cobweb.
Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of
film.
Shak.
Film, v. t. To cover with a thin
skin or pellicle.
It will but skin and film the ulcerous
place.
Shak.
Film"i*ness (?), n. State of being
filmy.
Film"y (?), a. Composed of film or
films.
Whose filmy cord should bind the struggling
fly.
Dryden.
Fil`o*plu*ma"ceous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having the structure of a
filoplume.
Fil"o*plume (?), n. [L. filum a
thread &?; pluma a soft feather.] (Zoöl.) A
hairlike feather; a father with a slender scape and without a web in
most or all of its length.
Fi"lose` (?), a. [L. filum a
thread.] Terminating in a threadlike process.
Fil"ter (?), n. [F. filtre, the
same word as feutre felt, LL. filtrum, feltrum,
felt, fulled wool, this being used for straining liquors. See
Feuter.] Any porous substance, as cloth, paper, sand, or
charcoal, through which water or other liquid may passed to cleanse
it from the solid or impure matter held in suspension; a chamber or
device containing such substance; a strainer; also, a similar device
for purifying air.
Filter bed, a pond, the bottom of which is a
filter composed of sand gravel. -- Filter
gallery, an underground gallery or tunnel, alongside of
a stream, to collect the water that filters through the intervening
sand and gravel; -- called also infiltration gallery.
Fil"ter, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Filtered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Filtering] [Cf. F. filter. See Filter,
n., and cf. Filtrate.] To purify or
defecate, as water or other liquid, by causing it to pass through a
filter.
Filtering paper, or Filter
paper, a porous unsized paper, for filtering.
Fil"ter, v. i. To pass through a
filter; to percolate.
Fil"ter, n. Same as
Philter.
Filth (?), n. [OE. filthe,
fulðe, AS. f&?;lð, fr. fūl foul;
akin to OHG. fūlida. See Foul, and cf.
File.] 1. Foul matter; anything that
soils or defiles; dirt; nastiness.
2. Anything that sullies or defiles the moral
character; corruption; pollution.
To purify the soul from the dross and filth of
sensual delights.
Tillotson.
Filth disease (Med.), a disease
supposed to be due to pollution of the soil or water.
Filth"i*ly (?), adv. In a filthy
manner; foully.
Filth"i*ness, n. 1.
The state of being filthy.
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit.
2 Cor. vii. 1.
2. That which is filthy, or makes filthy;
foulness; nastiness; corruption; pollution; impurity.
Carry forth the filthiness out of the holy
place.
2 Chron. xxix. 5.
Filth"y (?), a.
[Compar. Filthier (?);
superl. Filthiest.] Defiled with filth,
whether material or moral; nasty; dirty; polluted; foul; impure;
obscene. "In the filthy-mantled pool." Shak.
He which is filthy let him be filthy
still.
Rev. xxii. 11.
Syn. -- Nasty; foul; dirty; squalid; unclean; sluttish;
gross; vulgar; licentious. See Nasty.
Fil"trate (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Filtrated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Filtrating. (&?;)] [Cf. LL. filtrare. See
Filter.] To filter; to defecate; as liquid, by straining
or percolation. Arbuthnot.
Fil"trate (?), n. That which has
been filtered; the liquid which has passed through the filter in the
process of filtration.
Fil*tra"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
filtration.] The act or process of filtering; the
mechanical separation of a liquid from the undissolved particles
floating in it.
{ Fim"ble, n., or Fim"ble
hemp` (f&ibreve;m"b'l h&ebreve;mp`). }[Corrupted from female
hemp.] Light summer hemp, that bears no seed.
||Fim"bri*a (?), n.; pl.
Fimbriæ (#). [L., fringe. See
Fringle.] (Anat.) (a) pl. A
fringe, or fringed border. (b) A band of
white matter bordering the hippocampus in the brain. --
Fim"bri*al (#), a.
Fim*bri*ate (?), a. [L.
fimbriatus fibrous, fringed, fr. fimbria fiber, fringe.
See Fringe.] Having the edge or extremity bordered by
filiform processes thicker than hairs; fringed; as, the
fimbriate petals of the pink; the fimbriate end of the
Fallopian tube.
Fim"bri*ate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fimbriated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fimbriating.] To hem; to fringe.
Fuller.
Fim"bri*a`ted (?), a.
1. Having a fringed border; fimbriate.
2. (Her.) Having a very narrow border
of another tincture; -- said esp. of an ordinary or
subordinary.
Fim"bri*cate (?), a. 1.
Fringed; jagged; fimbriate.
2. (Zoöl.) fringed, on one side
only, by long, straight hairs, as the antennæ of certain
insects.
Fin (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Finned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Finning.] [Cf. Fin of a fish.] To carve or cut up,
as a chub.
Fin, n. [See Fine,
n.] End; conclusion; object. [Obs.] "She
knew eke the fin of his intent." Chaucer.
Fin, n.[OE. finne, fin,
AS. finn; akin to D. vin, G. & Dan. finne, Sw.
fena, L. pinna, penna, a wing, feather. Cf.
pen a feather.] 1. (Zoöl.) An
organ of a fish, consisting of a membrane supported by rays, or
little bony or cartilaginous ossicles, and serving to balance and
propel it in the water.
&fist; Fishes move through the water chiefly by means of the
caudal fin or tail, the principal office of the other fins being to
balance or direct the body, though they are also, to a certain
extent, employed in producing motion.
2. (Zoöl.) A membranous, finlike,
swimming organ, as in pteropod and heteropod mollusks.
3. A finlike organ or attachment; a part of
an object or product which protrudes like a fin, as:
(a) The hand. [Slang] (b)
(Com.) A blade of whalebone. [Eng.]
McElrath.
(c) (Mech.) A mark or ridge left on a
casting at the junction of the parts of a mold.
(d) (Mech.) The thin sheet of metal
squeezed out between the collars of the rolls in the process of
rolling. Raymond.
(e) (Mech.) A feather; a
spline.
4. A finlike appendage, as to submarine
boats.
Apidose fin. (Zoöl.) See under
Adipose, a. -- Fin
ray (Anat.), one of the hornlike, cartilaginous,
or bony, dermal rods which form the skeleton of the fins of
fishes. -- Fin whale (Zoöl.),
a finback. -- Paired fins
(Zoöl.), the pectoral and ventral fins, corresponding
to the fore and hind legs of the higher animals. --
Unpaired, or Median, fins
(Zoöl.), the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins.
Fin"a*ble (?), a. [From Fine.]
Liable or subject to a fine; as, a finable person or
offense. Bacon.
Fi"nal (fī"nal), a. [F.,
fr. L. finalis, fr. finis boundary, limit, end. See
Finish.] 1. Pertaining to the end or
conclusion; last; terminating; ultimate; as, the final day of
a school term.
Yet despair not of his final
pardon.
Milton.
2. Conclusive; decisive; as, a final
judgment; the battle of Waterloo brought the contest to a
final issue.
3. Respecting an end or object to be gained;
respecting the purpose or ultimate end in view.
Final cause. See under
Cause.
Syn. -- Final, Conclusive, Ultimate.
Final is now appropriated to that which brings with it an end;
as, a final adjustment; the final judgment, etc.
Conclusive implies the closing of all discussion, negotiation,
etc.; as, a conclusive argument or fact; a conclusive
arrangement. In using ultimate, we have always reference to
something earlier or proceeding; as when we say, a temporary reverse
may lead to an ultimate triumph. The statements which a man
finally makes at the close of a negotiation are usually
conclusive as to his ultimate intentions and
designs.
||Fi*na"le (f&esl;*nä"l&asl;), n.
[It. See Final.] Close; termination; as:
(a) (Mus.) The last movement of a
symphony, sonata, concerto, or any instrumental composition.
(b) The last composition performed in any act of
an opera. (c) The closing part, piece, or
scene in any public performance or exhibition.
Fi*nal"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Finalities (#). [L. finalitas the being
last.] 1. The state of being final, finished, or
complete; a final or conclusive arrangement; a settlement.
Baxter.
2. The relation of end or purpose to its
means. Janet.
Fi"nal*ly (?), adv. 1.
At the end or conclusion; ultimately; lastly; as, the contest
was long, but the Romans finally conquered.
Whom patience finally must crown.
Milton.
2. Completely; beyond recovery.
Not any house of noble English in Ireland was utterly
destroyed or finally rooted out.
Sir J.
Davies.
Fi*nance" (?), n. [F., fr. LL.
financia payment of money, money, fr. finare to pay a
fine or subsidy (cf. OF. finer to finish, pay), fr. L.
finis end. See Fine, n.,
Finish.] 1. The income of a ruler or of a
state; revenue; public money; sometimes, the income of an individual;
often used in the plural for funds; available money;
resources.
All the finances or revenues of the imperial
crown.
Bacon.
2. The science of raising and expending the
public revenue. "Versed in the details of finance."
Macaulay.
Fi*nan"cial (?), a. Pertaining to
finance. "Our financial and commercial system."
Macaulay.
Fi*nan"cial*ist, n. A
financier.
Fi*nan"cial*ly, adv. In a
financial manner. Burke.
Fin`an*cier" (?; 277), n. [Cf. F.
financier.] 1. One charged with the
administration of finance; an officer who administers the public
revenue; a treasurer. Burke.
2. One skilled in financial operations; one
acquainted with money matters.
Fin`an*cier", v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Financiered (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Financiering.] To conduct financial
operations.
Fin"a*ry (?), n. (Iron Works)
See Finery.
Fi"na*tive (?), a. Conclusive;
decisive; definitive; final. [Obs.] Greene (1593).
Fin"back` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any whale of the genera Sibbaldius,
Balænoptera, and allied genera, of the family
Balænopteridæ, characterized by a prominent fin on
the back. The common finbacks of the New England coast are
Sibbaldius tectirostris and S. tuberosus.
Finch (f&ibreve;nch), n.; pl.
Finches (-&ebreve;z). [AS. finc; akin to D.
vink, OHG. fincho, G. fink; cf. W. pinc a
finch; also E. spink.] (Zoöl.) A small
singing bird of many genera and species, belonging to the family
Fringillidæ.
&fist; The word is often used in composition, as in
chaffinch, goldfinch, grassfinch,
pinefinch, etc.
Bramble finch. See Brambling. --
Canary finch, the canary bird. --
Copper finch. See Chaffinch. --
Diamond finch. See under Diamond. -
- Finch falcon (Zoöl.), one of
several very small East Indian falcons of the genus
Hierax. -- To pull a finch, to
swindle an ignorant or unsuspecting person. [Obs.] "Privily a
finch eke could he pull." Chaucer.
Finch"backed` (?), a. Streaked or
spotted on the back; -- said of cattle.
Finched (?), a. Same as
Finchbacked.
Find (fīnd), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Found (found); p. pr. & vb.
n. Finding.] [AS. findan; akin to D.
vinden, OS. & OHG. findan, G. finden, Dan.
finde, icel. & Sw. finna, Goth. finþan;
and perh. to L. petere to seek, Gr. pi`ptein to
fall, Skr. pat to fall, fly, E. petition.]
1. To meet with, or light upon, accidentally; to
gain the first sight or knowledge of, as of something new, or
unknown; hence, to fall in with, as a person.
Searching the window for a flint, I found
This paper, thus sealed up.
Shak.
In woods and forests thou art
found.
Cowley.
2. To learn by experience or trial; to
perceive; to experience; to discover by the intellect or the
feelings; to detect; to feel. "I find you passing
gentle." Shak.
The torrid zone is now found
habitable.
Cowley.
3. To come upon by seeking; as, to
find something lost. (a) To
discover by sounding; as, to find bottom.
(b) To discover by study or experiment direct to
an object or end; as, water is found to be a compound
substance. (c) To gain, as the object of
desire or effort; as, to find leisure; to find
means. (d) To attain to; to arrive at; to
acquire.
Seek, and ye shall find.
Matt.
vii. 7.
Every mountain now hath found a
tongue.
Byron.
4. To provide for; to supply; to furnish; as,
to find food for workemen; he finds his nephew in
money.
Wages £14 and all found.
London Times.
Nothing a day and find yourself.
Dickens.
5. To arrive at, as a conclusion; to
determine as true; to establish; as, to find a verdict; to
find a true bill (of indictment) against an accused
person.
To find his title with some shows of
truth.
Shak.
To find out, to detect (a thief); to
discover (a secret) -- to solve or unriddle (a parable or enigma); to
understand. "Canst thou by searching find out God?"
Job. xi. 7. "We do hope to find out all your tricks."
Milton. -- To find fault with, to blame;
to censure. -- To find one's self, to be;
to fare; -- often used in speaking of health; as, how do you find
yourself this morning?
Find (?), v. i. (Law) To
determine an issue of fact, and to declare such a determination to a
court; as, the jury find for the plaintiff.
Burrill.
Find, n. Anything found; a
discovery of anything valuable; especially, a deposit, discovered by
archæologists, of objects of prehistoric or unknown
origin.
Find"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being found; discoverable. Fuller.
Find"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, finds; specifically (Astron.), a small telescope of low
power and large field of view, attached to a larger telescope, for
the purpose of finding an object more readily.
Find"fault` (?), n. A censurer or
caviler. [Obs.]
Find"fault`ing, a. Apt to censure
or cavil; faultfinding; captious. [Obs.] Whitlock.
Find"ing, n. 1.
That which is found, come upon, or provided; esp. (pl.),
that which a journeyman artisan finds or provides for himself; as
tools, trimmings, etc.
When a man hath been laboring . . . in the deep mines
of knowledge, hath furnished out his findings in all their
equipage.
Milton.
2. Support; maintenance; that which is
provided for one; expence; provision.
3. (Law) The result of a judicial
examination or inquiry, especially into some matter of fact; a
verdict; as, the finding of a jury. Burrill.
After his friends finding and his
rent.
Chaucer.
Fin"dy (?), a. [AS. finding
heavy; cf. Dan. fyndig strong, energetical, fynd
strength, energy, emphasis.] Full; heavy; firm; solid;
substantial. [Obs.]
A cold May and a windy
Makes the barn fat amd findy.
Old
Proverb.
Fine (fīn), a.
[Compar. Finer (?);
superl. Finest.] [F. fin, LL.
finus fine, pure, fr. L. finire to finish; cf.
finitus, p. p., finished, completed (hence the sense
accomplished, perfect.) See Finish, and cf.
Finite.] 1. Finished; brought to
perfection; refined; hence, free from impurity; excellent; superior;
elegant; worthy of admiration; accomplished; beautiful.
The gain thereof [is better] than fine
gold.
Prov. iii. 14.
A cup of wine that's brisk and
fine.
Shak.
Not only the finest gentleman of his time, but
one of the finest scholars.
Felton.
To soothe the sick bed of so fine a being
[Keats].
Leigh Hunt.
2. Aiming at show or effect; loaded with
ornament; overdressed or overdecorated; showy.
He gratified them with occasional . . . fine
writing.
M. Arnold.
3. Nice; delicate; subtle; exquisite; artful;
skillful; dexterous.
The spider's touch, how exquisitely
fine!
Pope.
The nicest and most delicate touches of satire consist
in fine raillery.
Dryden.
He has as fine a hand at picking a pocket as a
woman.
T. Gray.
4. Not coarse, gross, or heavy; as:
(a) Not gross; subtile; thin; tenous.
The eye standeth in the finer medium and the
object in the grosser.
Bacon.
(b) Not coarse; comminuted; in small
particles; as, fine sand or flour. (c)
Not thick or heavy; slender; filmy; as, a fine
thread. (d) Thin; attenuate; keen; as, a
fine edge. (e) Made of fine
materials; light; delicate; as, fine linen or silk.
5. Having (such) a proportion of pure metal
in its composition; as, coins nine tenths fine.
6. (Used ironically.)
Ye have made a fine hand, fellows.
Shak.
&fist; Fine is often compounded with participles and
adjectives, modifying them adverbially; a, fine-drawn,
fine-featured, fine-grained, fine-spoken,
fine-spun, etc.
Fine arch (Glass Making), the smaller
fritting furnace of a glasshouse. Knight. -- Fine
arts. See the Note under Art. --
Fine cut, fine cut tobacco; a kind of chewing
tobacco cut up into shreds. -- Fine goods,
woven fabrics of fine texture and quality. McElrath.
-- Fine stuff, lime, or a mixture of lime,
plaster, etc., used as material for the finishing coat in
plastering. -- To sail fine (Naut.),
to sail as close to the wind as possible.
Syn. -- Fine, Beautiful. When used as a word
of praise, fine (being opposed to coarse) denotes no
"ordinary thing of its kind." It is not as strong as
beautiful, in reference to the single attribute implied in the
latter term; but when we speak of a fine woman, we include a
greater variety of particulars, viz., all the qualities which become
a woman, -- breeding, sentiment, tact, etc. The term is equally
comprehensive when we speak of a fine garden, landscape,
horse, poem, etc.; and, though applied to a great variety of objects,
the word has still a very definite sense, denoting a high degree of
characteristic excellence.
Fine, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fined (fīnd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fining.] [From Fine, a.]
1. To make fine; to refine; to purify, to
clarify; as, to fine gold.
It hath been fined and refined by . . . learned
men.
Hobbes.
2. To make finer, or less coarse, as in bulk,
texture, etc.; as. to fine the soil. L. H.
Bailey.
3. To change by fine gradations; as
(Naut.), to fine down a ship's lines, to diminish her
lines gradually.
I often sate at home
On evenings, watching how they fined themselves
With gradual conscience to a perfect night.
Browning.
Fine (?), n. [OE. fin, L.
finis end, also in LL., a final agreement or concord
between the lord and his vassal; a sum of money paid at the
end, so as to make an end of a transaction, suit, or
prosecution; mulct; penalty; cf. OF. fin end, settlement, F.
fin end. See Finish, and cf. Finance.]
1. End; conclusion; termination;
extinction. [Obs.] "To see their fatal fine."
Spenser.
Is this the fine of his fines?
Shak.
2. A sum of money paid as the settlement of a
claim, or by way of terminating a matter in dispute; especially, a
payment of money imposed upon a party as a punishment for an offense;
a mulct.
3. (Law) (a) (Feudal
Law) A final agreement concerning lands or rents between
persons, as the lord and his vassal. Spelman.
(b) (Eng. Law) A sum of money or price
paid for obtaining a benefit, favor, or privilege, as for admission
to a copyhold, or for obtaining or renewing a lease.
Fine for alienation (Feudal Law), a
sum of money paid to the lord by a tenant whenever he had occasion to
make over his land to another. Burrill. -- Fine
of lands, a species of conveyance in the form of a
fictitious suit compromised or terminated by the acknowledgment of
the previous owner that such land was the right of the other
party. Burrill. See Concord, n.,
4. -- In fine, in conclusion; by way of
termination or summing up.
Fine, v. t. [From Fine,
n.] To impose a pecuniary penalty upon for an
offense or breach of law; to set a fine on by judgment of a court; to
punish by fine; to mulct; as, the trespassers were fined ten
dollars.
Fine, v. i. To pay a fine. See
Fine, n., 3 (b).
[R.]
Men fined for the king's good will; or that he
would remit his anger; women fined for leave to
marry.
Hallam.
Fine, v. t. & i. [OF. finer, F.
finir. See Finish, v. t.] To
finish; to cease; or to cause to cease. [Obs.]
Fine"draw` (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Finedrawn (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Finedrawing.] To sew up, so nicely that the
seam is not perceived; to renter. Marryat.
Fine"draw`er (?), n. One who
finedraws.
Fine"drawn` (?), a. Drawn out with
too much subtilty; overnice; as, finedrawn
speculations.
Fi*neer" (?), v. i. To run in debt
by getting goods made up in a way unsuitable for the use of others,
and then threatening not to take them except on credit. [R.]
Goldsmith.
Fi*neer", v. t. To
veneer.
Fine"less (?), a. [Fine end +
-less.] Endless; boundless. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fine"ly, adv. In a fine or
finished manner.
Fine"ness, n. [From Fine,
a.] 1. The quality or
condition of being fine.
2. Freedom from foreign matter or alloy;
clearness; purity; as, the fineness of liquor.
The fineness of the gold, and chargeful
fashion.
Shak.
3. The proportion of pure silver or gold in
jewelry, bullion, or coins.
&fist; The fineness of United States coin is nine tenths, that of
English gold coin is eleven twelfths, and that of English silver coin
is &frac925x1000;.
4. Keenness or sharpness; as, the
fineness of a needle's point, or of the edge of a
blade.
Fin"er (?), n. One who fines or
purifies.
Fin"er*y (?), n. 1.
Fineness; beauty. [Obs.]
Don't choose your place of study by the finery
of the prospects.
I. Watts.
2. Ornament; decoration; especially,
excecially decoration; showy clothes; jewels.
Her mistress' cast-off finery.
F. W. Robertson.
3. [Cf. Refinery.] (Iron Works)
A charcoal hearth or furnace for the conversion of cast iron
into wrought iron, or into iron suitable for puddling.
Fine"spun` (?), a. Spun so as to
be fine; drawn to a fine thread; attenuated; hence, unsubstantial;
visionary; as, finespun theories.
Fi`nesse" (? or ?), n. [F., fr.
fin fine. See Fine, a.]
1. Subtilty of contrivance to gain a point;
artifice; stratagem.
This is the artificialest piece of finesse to
persuade men into slavery.
Milton.
2. (Whist Playing) The act of
finessing. See Finesse, v. i., 2.
Fi*nesse" (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Finessed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Finessing.] 1. To use artifice or
stratagem. Goldsmith.
2. (Whist Playing) To attempt, when
second or third player, to make a lower card answer the purpose of a
higher, when an intermediate card is out, risking the chance of its
being held by the opponent yet to play.
Fine"still` (?), v. t. To distill,
as spirit from molasses or some saccharine preparation.
Fine"still`er (?), n. One who
finestills.
Fin"ew (?), n. [See Fenowed.]
Moldiness. [R.]
Fin"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) A finback whale. (b)
(pl.) True fish, as distinguished from
shellfish.
Fin"foot` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A South American bird (Heliornis fulica) allied to the
grebes. The name is also applied to several related species of the
genus Podica.
Fin"-foot`ed, a. (Zoöl.)
(a) Having palmate feet.
(b) Having lobate toes, as the coot and
grebe.
Fin"ger (f&ibreve;&nsm;"g&etilde;r), n.
[AS. finger; akin to D. vinger, OS. & OHG.
fingar, G. finger, Icel. fingr, Sw. & Dan.
finger, Goth. figgrs; of unknown origin; perh. akin to
E. fang.] 1. One of the five terminating
members of the hand; a digit; esp., one of the four extremities of
the hand, other than the thumb.
2. Anything that does the work of a finger;
as, the pointer of a clock, watch, or other registering machine;
especially (Mech.) a small projecting rod, wire, or piece,
which is brought into contact with an object to effect, direct, or
restrain a motion.
3. The breadth of a finger, or the fourth
part of the hand; a measure of nearly an inch; also, the length of
finger, a measure in domestic use in the United States, of about four
and a half inches or one eighth of a yard.
A piece of steel three fingers
thick.
Bp. Wilkins.
4. Skill in the use of the fingers, as in
playing upon a musical instrument. [R.]
She has a good finger.
Busby.
Ear finger, the little finger. --
Finger alphabet. See Dactylology. -
- Finger bar, the horizontal bar, carrying
slotted spikes, or fingers, through which the vibratory knives of
mowing and reaping machines play. -- Finger
board (Mus.), the part of a stringed instrument
against which the fingers press the strings to vary the tone; the
keyboard of a piano, organ, etc.; manual. --
Finger bowl or glass, a bowl
or glass to hold water for rinsing the fingers at table. --
Finger flower (Bot.), the foxglove.
-- Finger grass (Bot.), a kind of grass
(Panicum sanguinale) with slender radiating spikes; common
crab grass. See Crab grass, under Crab. --
Finger nut, a fly nut or thumb nut. --
Finger plate, a strip of metal, glass, etc., to
protect a painted or polished door from finger marks. --
Finger post, a guide post bearing an index
finger. -- Finger reading, reading printed
in relief so as to be sensible to the touch; -- so made for the
blind. -- Finger shell (Zoöl.),
a marine shell (Pholas dactylus) resembling a finger in
form. -- Finger sponge (Zoöl.),
a sponge having finger-shaped lobes, or branches. --
Finger stall, a cover or shield for a
finger. -- Finger steel, a steel
instrument for whetting a currier's knife.
To burn one's fingers. See under
Burn. -- To have a finger in, to be
concerned in. [Colloq.] -- To have at one's fingers'
ends, to be thoroughly familiar with.
[Colloq.]
Fin"ger (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fingered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fingering.] 1. To touch with the fingers;
to handle; to meddle with.
Let the papers lie;
You would be fingering them to anger me.
Shak.
2. To touch lightly; to toy with.
3. (Mus.) (a) To
perform on an instrument of music. (b) To
mark the notes of (a piece of music) so as to guide the fingers in
playing.
4. To take thievishly; to pilfer; to
purloin. Shak.
5. To execute, as any delicate
work.
Fin"ger, v. i. (Mus.) To
use the fingers in playing on an instrument. Busby.
Fin"gered (?), a. 1.
Having fingers.
2. (Bot.) Having leaflets like
fingers; digitate.
3. (Mus.) Marked with figures
designating which finger should be used for each note.
Fin"ger*er (?), n. One who
fingers; a pilferer.
Fin"ger*ing, n. 1.
The act or process of handling or touching with the
fingers.
The mere sight and fingering of
money.
Grew.
2. The manner of using the fingers in playing
or striking the keys of an instrument of music; movement or
management of the fingers in playing on a musical instrument, in
typewriting, etc.
3. The marking of the notes of a piece of
music to guide or regulate the action or use of the
fingers.
4. Delicate work made with the fingers.
Spenser.
Fin"ger*ling (?), n. [Finger +
-ling.] (Zoöl.) A young salmon. See
Parr.
Fin"gle-fan`gle (?), n. [From
fangle.] A trifle. [Low] Hudibras.
||Fin"gri*go (?), n.; pl.
Fingrigos (#). [So called in Jamaica.]
(Bot.) A prickly, climbing shrub of the genus
Pisonia. The fruit is a kind of berry.
Fin"i*al (?), n. [L. finire to
finish, end. See Finish.] (Arch.) The knot or
bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper
extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture; sometimes, the
pinnacle itself.
Fin"i*cal (?), a. [From Fine,
a.] Affectedly fine; overnice; unduly
particular; fastidious. "Finical taste."
Wordsworth.
The gross style consists in giving no detail, the
finical in giving nothing else.
Hazlitt.
Syn. -- Finical, Spruce, Foppish.
These words are applied to persons who are studiously desirous to
cultivate finery of appearance. One who is spruce is
elaborately nice in dress; one who is finical shows his
affectation in language and manner as well as in dress; one who is
foppish distinguishes himself by going to the extreme of the
fashion in the cut of his clothes, by the tawdriness of his
ornaments, and by the ostentation of his manner. "A finical
gentleman clips his words and screws his body into as small a compass
as possible, to give himself the air of a delicate person; a
spruce gentleman strives not to have a fold wrong in his frill
or cravat, nor a hair of his head to lie amiss; a foppish
gentleman seeks . . . to render himself distinguished for finery."
Crabb.
-- Fin"i*cal*ly, adv. --
Fin"i*cal*ness, n.
Fin`i*cal"i*ty (?), n. The quality
of being finical; finicalness.
{ Fin"ick*ing (?), Fin"ick*y,
a. } Finical; unduly particular.
[Colloq.]
Fi*nif"ic (? or ?), n. [L. finis
end + facere to make.] A limiting element or
quality. [R.]
The essential finific in the form of the
finite.
Coleridge.
Fin"i*fy (? or ?), v. t. [Fine,
a. + -fy.] To make fine; to dress
finically. [Obs.]
Hath so pared and finified them [his
feet.]
B. Jonson.
Fin"i*kin (?), a. [Fine,
a. + -kin.] Precise in trifles; idly
busy. [Colloq.] Smart.
Fin"ing (?), n. 1.
The act of imposing a fin&?;.
2. The process of fining or refining;
clarification; also (Metal.), the conversion of cast iron into
suitable for puddling, in a hearth or charcoal fire.
3. That which is used to refine; especially,
a preparation of isinglass, gelatin, etc., for clarifying
beer.
Fining pot, a vessel in which metals are
refined. Prov. xvii. 3.
||Fi"nis (?), n. [L.] An end;
conclusion. It is often placed at the end of a book.
Fin"ish (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Finished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Finishing.] [F. finir (with a stem finiss- in
several forms, whence E. -ish: see -ish.),fr. L.
finire to limit, finish, end, fr. finis boundary,
limit, end; perh. for fidnis, and akin findere to
cleave, E. fissure.] 1. To arrive at the
end of; to bring to an end; to put an end to; to make an end of; to
terminate.
And heroically hath finished
A life heroic.
Milton.
2. To bestow the last required labor upon; to
complete; to bestow the utmost possible labor upon; to perfect; to
accomplish; to polish.
Syn. -- To end; terminate; close; conclude; complete;
accomplish; perfect.
Fin"ish, v. i. 1.
To come to an end; to terminate.
His days may finish ere that hapless
time.
Shak.
2. To end; to die. [R.]
Shak.
Fin"ish, n. 1.
That which finishes, puts an end to&?; or perfects.
2. (Arch.) The joiner work and other
finer work required for the completion of a building, especially of
the interior. See Inside finish, and Outside
finish.
3. (Fine Arts) (a) The
labor required to give final completion to any work; hence, minute
detail, careful elaboration, or the like. (b)
See Finishing coat, under Finishing.
4. The result of completed labor, as on the
surface of an object; manner or style of finishing; as, a rough,
dead, or glossy finish given to cloth, stone, metal,
etc.
5. Completion; -- opposed to start, or
beginning.
Fin"ished (?), a. Polished to the
highest degree of excellence; complete; perfect; as, a
finished poem; a finished education.
Finished work (Mach.), work that is
made smooth or polished, though not necessarily completed.
Fin"ish*er (?), n. 1.
One who finishes, puts an end to, completes, or perfects; esp.
used in the trades, as in hatting, weaving, etc., for the workman who
gives a finishing touch to the work, or any part of it, and brings it
to perfection.
O prophet of glad tidings, finisher
Of utmost hope!
Milton.
2. Something that gives the finishing touch
to, or settles, anything. [Colloq.]
Fin"ish*ing, n. The act or process
of completing or perfecting; the final work upon or ornamentation of
a thing.
Fin"ish*ing, a. Tending to
complete or to render fit for the market or for use.
Finishing coat. (a)
(Plastering) the final coat of plastering applied to walls
and ceilings, usually white and rubbed smooth.
(b) (Painting) The final coat of paint,
usually differently mixed applied from the others. --
Finishing press, a machine for pressing
fabrics. -- Finishing rolls (Iron
Working), the rolls of a train which receive the bar from
roughing rolls, and reduce it to its finished shape.
Raymond.
Fi"nite (?), a. [L. finitus, p.
p. of finire. See Finish, and cf. Fine,
a.] Having a limit; limited in quantity,
degree, or capacity; bounded; -- opposed to infinite; as,
finite number; finite existence; a finite being;
a finite mind; finite duration.
Fi"nite*less, a. Infinite.
[Obs.] Sir T. browne.
Fi"nite*ly, adv. In a finite
manner or degree.
Fi"nite*ness, n. The state of
being finite.
Fin"i*tude (?), n. [L. finire.
See Finish.] Limitation. Cheyne.
Fin"land*er (?), n. A native or
inhabitant of Finland.
Fin"less, a. (Zoöl.)
destitute of fins.
Fin"let (?), n. [Fin + -
let.] A little fin; one of the parts of a divided
fin.
Fin"like` (?), a. Resembling a
fin.
Finn (?), a. A native of Finland;
one of the Finn&?; in the ethnological sense. See
Finns.
Fin"nan had"die (?). [See Haddock.] Haddock
cured in peat smoke, originally at Findon (pron.
f&ibreve;n"an), Scotland. the name is also applied to other
kinds of smoked haddock. [Written also finnan
haddock.]
Finned (?), a. Having a fin, or
fins, or anything resembling a fin. Mortimer.
Fin"ner (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A finback whale.
Finn"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining
to the Finns.
Fin"ni*kin (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A variety of pigeon, with a crest somewhat resembling the mane
of a horse. [Written also finikin.]
Finn"ish (?), a. Of or pertaining
to Finland, to the Finns, or to their language. --
n. A Northern Turanian group of languages; the
language of the Finns.
Finns (?), n. pl.; sing.
Finn. (Ethnol.) (a)
Natives of Finland; Finlanders. (b) A
branch of the Mongolian race, inhabiting Northern and Eastern Europe,
including the Magyars, Bulgarians, Permians, Lapps, and
Finlanders. [Written also Fins.]
Fin"ny (?), a. 1.
(Zoöl.) Having, or abounding in, fins, as fishes;
pertaining to fishes.
2. Abounding in fishes.
With patient angle trolls the finny
deep.
Goldsmoth.
||Fi*no"chi*o (?; 277), n. [It.
finocchio fennel, LL. fenuclum. See Fennel.]
(Bot.) An umbelliferous plant (Fœniculum
dulce) having a somewhat tuberous stem; sweet fennel. The
blanched stems are used in France and Italy as a culinary
vegetable.
||Fi"nos (?), n. pl. [Sp., pl., fr.
fino fine.] Second best wool from Merino sheep.
Gardner.
Fin"pike` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The bichir. See Crossopterygii.
Fint (?), 3d pers. sing. pr. of
Find, for findeth. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fin"-toed` (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Having toes connected by a membrane; palmiped; palmated; also,
lobate.
||Fiord (fy&?;rd; i or y consonant, §
272), n. [Dan. & Norw. fiord. See
Frith.] A narrow inlet of the sea, penetrating between
high banks or rocks, as on the coasts of Norway and Alaska.
[Written also fjord.]
Fi"o*rin (?), n. [Cf. Ir.
fiothran a sort of grass.] (Bot.) A species of
creeping bent grass (Agrostis alba); -- called also fiorin
grass.
Fi"o*rite (?), n. (Min.) A
variety of opal occuring in the cavities of volcanic tufa, in smooth
and shining globular and botryoidal masses, having a pearly luster; -
- so called from Fiora, in Ischia.
||Fio`ri*tu"re (?), n. pl. [It., pl. of
fioritura a flowering.] (Mus.) Little flowers of
ornament introduced into a melody by a singer or player.
Fip"pen*ny bit` (? or ?). [Corruption of five penny
bit.] The Spanish half real, or one sixteenth of a dollar, -
- so called in Pennsylvania and the adjacent States. [Obs.]
&fist; Before the act of Congress, Feb. 21, 1857, caused the
adoption of decimal coins and the withdrawal of foreign coinage from
circulation, this coin passed currently for 6¼ cents, and was
called in New England a fourpence ha'penny or
fourpence; in New York a sixpence; in Pennsylvania,
Virginia, etc., a fip; and in Louisiana, a
picayune.
Fip"ple (f&etilde;r), n. [perh. fr. L.
fibula a clasp, a pin; cf. Prov. E. fible a stick used
to stir pottage.] A stopper, as in a wind instrument of
music. [Obs.] Bacon.
Fir (f&etilde;r), n. [Dan. fyr,
fyrr; akin to Sw. furu, Icel. fura, AS.
furh in furhwudu fir wood, G. föhre, OHG.
forha pine, vereheih a sort of oak, L. quercus
oak.] (Bot.) A genus (Abies) of coniferous trees,
often of large size and elegant shape, some of them valued for their
timber and others for their resin. The species are distinguished as
the balsam fir, the silver fir, the red fir,
etc. The Scotch fir is a Pinus.
&fist; Fir in the Bible means any one of several coniferous
trees, including, cedar, cypress, and probably three species of pine.
J. D. Hooker.
Fire (fīr), n. [OE. fir,
fyr, fur AS. f&ymacr;r; akin to D. vuur,
OS. & OHG. fiur, G. feuer, Icel. f&ymacr;ri,
fūrr, Gr. py^r, and perh. to L. purus
pure, E. pure Cf. Empyrean, Pyre.]
1. The evolution of light and heat in the
combustion of bodies; combustion; state of ignition.
&fist; The form of fire exhibited in the combustion of
gases in an ascending stream or current is called flame.
Anciently, fire, air, earth, and water were regarded as the
four elements of which all things are composed.
2. Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a
hearth, or in a stove or a furnace.
3. The burning of a house or town; a
conflagration.
4. Anything which destroys or affects like
fire.
5. Ardor of passion, whether love or hate;
excessive warmth; consuming violence of temper.
he had fire in his temper.
Atterbury.
6. Liveliness of imagination or fancy;
intellectual and moral enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and
zeal.
And bless their critic with a poet's
fire.
Pope.
7. Splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a
star.
Stars, hide your fires.
Shak.
As in a zodiac
representing the heavenly fires.
Milton.
8. Torture by burning; severe trial or
affliction.
9. The discharge of firearms; firing; as, the
troops were exposed to a heavy fire.
Blue fire, Red fire,
Green fire (Pyrotech.), compositions of
various combustible substances, as sulphur, niter, lampblack, etc.,
the flames of which are colored by various metallic salts, as those
of antimony, strontium, barium, etc. -- Fire
alarm (a) A signal given on the
breaking out of a fire. (b) An apparatus for
giving such an alarm. -- Fire annihilator,
a machine, device, or preparation to be kept at hand for
extinguishing fire by smothering it with some incombustible vapor or
gas, as carbonic acid. -- Fire balloon.
(a) A balloon raised in the air by the buoyancy
of air heated by a fire placed in the lower part.
(b) A balloon sent up at night with fireworks
which ignite at a regulated height. Simmonds. --
Fire bar, a grate bar. -- Fire
basket, a portable grate; a cresset.
Knight. -- Fire beetle. (Zoöl.)
See in the Vocabulary. -- Fire blast,
a disease of plants which causes them to appear as if burnt by
fire. -- Fire box, the chamber of a
furnace, steam boiler, etc., for the fire. -- Fire
brick, a refractory brick, capable of sustaining
intense heat without fusion, usually made of fire clay or of
siliceous material, with some cementing substance, and used for
lining fire boxes, etc. -- Fire brigade,
an organized body of men for extinguished fires. --
Fire bucket. See under Bucket. --
Fire bug, an incendiary; one who, from malice
or through mania, persistently sets fire to property; a
pyromaniac. [U.S.] -- Fire clay. See under
Clay. -- Fire company, a company of
men managing an engine in extinguishing fires. -- Fire
cross. See Fiery cross. [Obs.]
Milton. -- Fire damp. See under
Damp. -- Fire dog. See
Firedog, in the Vocabulary. -- Fire
drill. (a) A series of evolutions
performed by fireman for practice. (b) An
apparatus for producing fire by friction, by rapidly twirling a
wooden pin in a wooden socket; -- used by the Hindoos during all
historic time, and by many savage peoples. -- Fire
eater. (a) A juggler who pretends to
eat fire. (b) A quarrelsome person who seeks
affrays; a hotspur. [Colloq.] -- Fire engine,
a portable forcing pump, usually on wheels, for throwing water to
extinguish fire. -- Fire escape, a
contrivance for facilitating escape from burning buildings. --
Fire gilding (Fine Arts), a mode of
gilding with an amalgam of gold and quicksilver, the latter metal
being driven off afterward by heat. -- Fire
gilt (Fine Arts), gold laid on by the process of
fire gilding. -- Fire insurance, the act
or system of insuring against fire; also, a contract by which an
insurance company undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a
premium or small percentage -- usually made periodically -- to
indemnify an owner of property from loss by fire during a specified
period. -- Fire irons, utensils for a
fireplace or grate, as tongs, poker, and shovel. -- Fire
main, a pipe for water, to be used in putting out
fire. -- Fire master (Mil),
an artillery officer who formerly supervised the composition of
fireworks. -- Fire office, an office at
which to effect insurance against fire. -- Fire
opal, a variety of opal giving firelike
reflections. -- Fire ordeal, an ancient
mode of trial, in which the test was the ability of the accused to
handle or tread upon red-hot irons. Abbot. --
Fire pan, a pan for holding or conveying fire,
especially the receptacle for the priming of a gun. --
Fire plug, a plug or hydrant for drawing water
from the main pipes in a street, building, etc., for extinguishing
fires. -- Fire policy, the writing or
instrument expressing the contract of insurance against loss by
fire. -- Fire pot. (a)
(Mil.) A small earthen pot filled with combustibles,
formerly used as a missile in war. (b) The
cast iron vessel which holds the fuel or fire in a furnace.
(c) A crucible. (d) A
solderer's furnace. -- Fire raft, a raft
laden with combustibles, used for setting fire to an enemy's
ships. -- Fire roll, a peculiar beat of
the drum to summon men to their quarters in case of fire. --
Fire setting (Mining), the process of
softening or cracking the working face of a lode, to facilitate
excavation, by exposing it to the action of fire; -- now generally
superseded by the use of explosives. Raymond. --
Fire ship, a vessel filled with combustibles,
for setting fire to an enemy's ships. -- Fire
shovel, a shovel for taking up coals of fire. --
Fire stink, the stench from decomposing iron
pyrites, caused by the formation of sulphureted hydrogen.
Raymond. -- Fire surface, the surfaces
of a steam boiler which are exposed to the direct heat of the fuel
and the products of combustion; heating surface. -- Fire
swab, a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun in
action and clearing away particles of powder, etc.
Farrow. -- Fire teaser, in England, the
fireman of a steam emgine. -- Fire water,
ardent spirits; -- so called by the American Indians. --
Fire worship, the worship of fire, which
prevails chiefly in Persia, among the followers of Zoroaster, called
Chebers, or Guebers, and among the Parsees of
India. -- Greek fire. See under
Greek. -- On fire, burning; hence,
ardent; passionate; eager; zealous. -- Running
fire, the rapid discharge of firearms in succession by
a line of troops. -- St. Anthony's fire,
erysipelas; -- an eruptive fever which St. Anthony was supposed
to cure miraculously. Hoblyn. -- St. Elmo's
fire. See under Saint Elmo. -- To
set on fire, to inflame; to kindle. -- To
take fire, to begin to burn; to fly into a
passion.
Fire (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fired (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fring.] 1. To set on fire; to kindle; as,
to fire a house or chimney; to fire a pile.
2. To subject to intense heat; to bake; to
burn in a kiln; as, to fire pottery.
3. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions;
as, to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge.
Love had fired my mind.
Dryden.
4. To animate; to give life or spirit to; as,
to fire the genius of a young man.
5. To feed or serve the fire of; as, to
fire a boiler.
6. To light up as if by fire; to
illuminate.
[The sun] fires the proud tops of the eastern
pines.
Shak.
7. To cause to explode; as, to fire a
torpedo; to disharge; as, to fire a musket or cannon; to
fire cannon balls, rockets, etc.
8. To drive by fire. [Obs.]
Till my bad angel fire my good one
out.
Shak.
9. (Far.) To cauterize.
To fire up, to light up the fires of, as of
an engine.
Fire, v. i. 1. To
take fire; to be kindled; to kindle.
2. To be irritated or inflamed with
passion.
3. To discharge artillery or firearms; as,
they fired on the town.
To fire up, to grow irritated or angry.
"He . . . fired up, and stood vigorously on his defense."
Macaulay.
Fire"arm` (-ärm`), n. A gun,
pistol, or any weapon from which a shot is discharged by the force of
an explosive substance, as gunpowder.
Fire"back` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of several species of pheasants of the genus
Euplocamus, having the lower back a bright, fiery red. They
inhabit Southern Asia and the East Indies.
Fire"ball` (?), n. (a)
(Mil.) A ball filled with powder or other combustibles,
intended to be thrown among enemies, and to injure by explosion;
also, to set fire to their works and light them up, so that movements
may be seen. (b) A luminous meteor,
resembling a ball of fire passing rapidly through the air, and
sometimes exploding.
Fire"bare` (?), n. A beacon.
[Obs.] Burrill.
Fire" bee`tle (?). (Zoöl.) A very
brilliantly luminous beetle (Pyrophorus noctilucus), one of
the elaters, found in Central and South America; -- called also
cucujo. The name is also applied to other species. See
Firefly.
Fire"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The Baltimore oriole.
Fire"board` (?), n. A chimney
board or screen to close a fireplace when not in use.
Fire"bote` (?), n. (O. Eng. Law)
An allowance of fuel. See Bote.
Fire"brand` (?), n. 1.
A piece of burning wood. L'Estrange.
2. One who inflames factions, or causes
contention and mischief; an incendiary. Bacon.
Fire"crack`er (?), n. See
Cracker., n., 3.
Fire"crest` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A small European kinglet (Regulus ignicapillus), having a
bright red crest; -- called also fire-crested wren.
Fire"dog` (?), n. A support for
wood in a fireplace; an andiron.
Fire"drake` (?), n. [AS.
f&ymacr;rdraca; f&ymacr;r fire + draca a dragon.
See Fire, and Drake a dragon.] [Obs.]
1. A fiery dragon. Beau. & Fl.
2. A fiery meteor; an ignis fatuus; a
rocket.
3. A worker at a furnace or fire.
B. Jonson.
Fire"-fanged` (?), a. [Fire +
fanged seized.] Injured as by fire; burned; -- said of
manure which has lost its goodness and acquired an ashy hue in
consequence of heat generated by decomposition.
Fire"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A singular marine fish of the genus Pterois, family
Scorpænidæ, of several species, inhabiting the
Indo-Pacific region. They are usually red, and have very large
spinose pectoral and dorsal fins.
Fire"flaire` (?), n. [Fire +
Prov. E. flaire a ray.] (Zoöl.) A European
sting ray of the genus Trygon (T. pastinaca); -- called
also fireflare and fiery flaw.
Fire"flame` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The European band fish (Cepola rubescens).
Fire"fly` (?), n.; pl.
Fireflies (&?;). (Zoöl.) Any
luminous winged insect, esp. luminous beetles of the family
Lampyridæ.
&fist; The common American species belong to the genera
Photinus and Photuris, in which both sexes are winged.
The name is also applied to luminous species of
Elateridæ. See Fire beetle.
Fire"less, a. Destitute of
fire.
Fire"lock`, n. An old form of
gunlock, as the flintlock, which ignites the priming by a spark;
perhaps originally, a matchlock. Hence, a gun having such a
lock.
Fire"man (?), n.; pl.
Firemen (-men). 1. A
man whose business is to extinguish fires in towns; a member of a
fire company.
2. A man who tends the fires, as of a steam
engine; a stocker.
Fire"-new` (?), a. Fresh from the
forge; bright; quite new; brand-new. Charles reade.
Your fire-new stamp of honor is scarce
current.
Shak.
Fire"place` (?), n. The part a
chimney appropriated to the fire; a hearth; -- usually an open recess
in a wall, in which a fire may be built.
Fire"proof` (?), a. Proof against
fire; incombustible.
Fire"proof`ing (?), n. The act or
process of rendering anything incombustible; also, the materials used
in the process.
Fir"er (?), n. One who fires or
sets fire to anything; an incendiary. [R.] R.
Carew.
Fire"-set` (?), n. A set of fire
irons, including, commonly, tongs, shovel, and poker.
Fire"side` (?), n. A place near
the fire or hearth; home; domestic life or retirement.
Fire"stone` (?; 110), n. [AS.
f&ymacr;rstān flint; f&ymacr;r fire +
stān stone.] 1. Iron pyrites,
formerly used for striking fire; also, a flint.
2. A stone which will bear the heat of a
furnace without injury; -- especially applied to the sandstone at the
top of the upper greensand in the south of England, used for lining
kilns and furnaces. Ure.
Fire"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The European redstart; -- called also fireflirt.
[prov. Eng.]
Fire"ward`en (?), n. An officer
who has authority to direct in the extinguishing of fires, or to
order what precautions shall be taken against fires; -- called also
fireward.
Fire"weed` (?), n. (Bot.)
(a) An American plant (Erechthites
hiercifolia), very troublesome in spots where brushwood has been
burned. (b) The great willow-herb
(Epilobium spicatum).
Fire"wood` (?), n. Wood for
fuel.
Fire"work` (?), n. 1.
A device for producing a striking display of light, or a figure
or figures in plain or colored fire, by the combustion of materials
that burn in some peculiar manner, as gunpowder, sulphur, metallic
filings, and various salts. The most common feature of fireworks is a
paper or pasteboard tube filled with the combustible material. A
number of these tubes or cases are often combined so as to make, when
kindled, a great variety of figures in fire, often variously colored.
The skyrocket is a common form of firework. The name is also
given to various combustible preparations used in war.
[1913 Webster]
2. pl. A pyrotechnic exhibition.
[Obs. in the sing.]
Night before last, the Duke of Richmond gave a
firework.
Walpole.
Fire"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The larva of a small tortricid moth which eats the leaves of the
cranberry, so that the vines look as if burned; -- called also
cranberry worm.
Fir"ing, n. 1. The
act of discharging firearms.
2. The mode of introducing fuel into the
furnace and working it. Knight.
3. The application of fire, or of a
cautery. Dunglison.
4. The process of partly vitrifying pottery
by exposing it to intense heat in a kiln.
5. Fuel; firewood or coal. [Obs.]
Mortimer.
Firing iron, an instrument used in
cauterizing.
Firk (?), v. t. [Cf. OE. ferken
to proceed, hasten, AS. fercian to bring, assist; perh. akin
to faran to go, E. fare.] To beat; to strike; to
chastise. [Obs.]
I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret
him.
Shak.
Firk, v. i. To fly out; to turn
out; to go off. [Obs.]
A wench is a rare bait, with which a
man
No sooner's taken but he straight firks
mad.B.Jonson.
Firk, n. A freak; trick;
quirk. [Obs.] Ford.
Fir"kin (?), n. [From AS.
feówer four (or an allied word, perh. Dutch or Danish)
+ -kin. See Four.] 1. A varying
measure of capacity, usually being the fourth part of a barrel;
specifically, a measure equal to nine imperial gallons.
[Eng.]
2. A small wooden vessel or cask of
indeterminate size, -- used for butter, lard, etc. [U.S.]
Fir"lot (?), n. [Scot., the fourth part
of a boll of grain, from a word equiv. to E. four + lot part,
portion. See Firkin.] A dry measure formerly used in
Scotland; the fourth part of a boll of grain or meal. The Linlithgow
wheat firlot was to the imperial bushel as 998 to 1000; the barley
firlot as 1456 to 1000. Brande & C.
Firm (?), a. [Compar.
Firmer (?); superl. Firmest.] [OE.
ferme, F. ferme, fr.L. firmus; cf. Skr.
dharman support, law, order, dh&?; to hold fast, carry.
Cf. Farm, Throne.] 1. Fixed;
hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid; --
applied to the matter of bodies; as, firm flesh; firm
muscles, firm wood.
2. Not easily excited or disturbed;
unchanging in purpose; fixed; steady; constant; stable; unshaken; not
easily changed in feelings or will; strong; as, a firm
believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent.
Under spread ensigns, moving nigh, in slow
But firm battalion.
Milton.
By one man's firm obediency fully
tried.
Milton.
3. Solid; -- opposed to fluid; as,
firm land.
4. Indicating firmness; as, a firm
tread; a firm countenance.
Syn. -- Compact; dense; hard; solid; stanch; robust;
strong; sturdly; fixed; steady; resolute; constant.
Firm, n. [It. firma the (firm,
sure, or confirming) signature or subscription, or Pg. firma
signature, firm, cf. Sp. firma signature; all fr. L.
firmus, adj., firm. See Firm, a.]
The name, title, or style, under which a company transacts
business; a partnership of two or more persons; a commercial house;
as, the firm of Hope & Co.
Firm, v. t. [OE. fermen to make
firm, F. fermer, fr. L. firmare to make firm. See
Firm, a.] 1. To fix; to
settle; to confirm; to establish. [Obs.]
And Jove has firmed it with an awful
nod.
Dryden.
2. To fix or direct with firmness.
[Obs.]
He on his card and compass firms his
eye.
Spenser.
Fir"ma*ment (?), n. [L.
firmamentum, fr. firmare to make firm: cf. F.
firmament. See Firm, v. & a.]
1. Fixed foundation; established basis.
[Obs.]
Custom is the . . . firmament of the
law.
Jer. Taylor.
2. The region of the air; the sky or
heavens.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the
waters.
Gen. i. 6.
And God said, Let there be lights in the
firmament.
Gen. i. 14.
&fist; In Scripture, the word denotes an expanse, a wide extent;
the great arch or expanse over out heads, in which are placed the
atmosphere and the clouds, and in which the stars appear to be
placed, and are really seen.
3. (Old Astron.) The orb of the fixed
stars; the most rmote of the celestial spheres.
Fir`ma*men"tal (?), a. Pertaining
to the firmament; celestial; being of the upper regions.
Dryden.
Fir"man (? or ?), n.; pl.
Firmans (#) or (#). [Pers.
fermān.] In Turkey and some other Oriental
countries, a decree or mandate issued by the sovereign; a royal order
or grant; -- generally given for special objects, as to a traveler to
insure him protection and assistance. [Written also
firmaun.]
Firm"er-chis"el (?), n. A chisel,
thin in proportion to its width. It has a tang to enter the handle
instead of a socket for receiving it. Knight.
Firm"i*tude (?), n. [L.
firmitudo. See Firm.] Strength; stability.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Firm"i*ty (?), n. [L. firmitas.]
Strength; firmness; stability. [Obs.]
Chillingworth.
Firm"less, a. 1.
Detached from substance. [Obs.]
Does passion still the firmless mind
control?
Pope.
2. Infirm; unstable. "Firmless
sands." Sylvester.
Firm"ly, adv. In a firm
manner.
Firm"ness, n. The state or quality
of being firm.
Syn. -- Firmness, Constancy. Firmness
belongs to the will, and constancy to the affections and
principles; the former prevents us from yielding, and the latter from
fluctuating. Without firmness a man has no character; "without
constancy," says Addison, "there is neither love, friendship,
nor virtue in the world."
Firms (?), n. pl. [From Firm,
a.] (Arch.) The principal rafters of a
roof, especially a pair of rafters taken together. [Obs.]
Fir"ring (?), n. (Arch.)
See Furring.
Fir"ry (?), a. Made of fir;
abounding in firs.
In firry woodlands making moan.
Tennyson.
First (?), a. [OE. first,
furst, AS. fyrst; akin to Icel. fyrstr, Sw. &
Dan. förste, OHG. furist, G. fürst
prince; a superlatiye form of E. for, fore. See
For, Fore, and cf. Formeer, Foremost.]
1. Preceding all others of a series or kind; the
ordinal of one; earliest; as, the first day of a month; the
first year of a reign.
2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of,
all others.
3. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent;
chief; highest; as, Demosthenes was the first orator of
Greece.
At first blush. See under Blush.
-- At first hand, from the first or original
source; without the intervention of any agent.
It is the intention of the person to reveal it at
first hand, by way of mouth, to yourself.
Dickens.
--
First coat (Plastering), the solid
foundation of coarse stuff, on which the rest is placed; it is thick,
and crossed with lines, so as to give a bond for the next coat.
-- First day, Sunday; -- so called by the
Friends. -- First floor. (a)
The ground floor. [U.S.] (b) The floor
next above the ground floor. [Eng.] -- First
fruit or fruits. (a) The fruits
of the season earliest gathered. (b) (Feudal
Law) One year's profits of lands belonging to the king on the
death of a tenant who held directly from him.
(c) (Eng. Eccl. Law) The first year's
whole profits of a benefice or spiritual living.
(d) The earliest effects or results.
See, Father, what first fruits on earth are
sprung
From thy implanted grace in man!
Milton.
--
First mate, an officer in a merchant
vessel next in rank to the captain. -- First
name, same as Christian name. See under
Name, n. -- First
officer (Naut.), in the merchant service, same
as First mate (above). -- First
sergeant (Mil.), the ranking non-commissioned
officer in a company; the orderly sergeant. Farrow. --
First watch (Naut.), the watch from
eight to twelve at midnight; also, the men on duty during that
time. -- First water, the highest quality
or purest luster; -- said of gems, especially of diamond and
pearls.
Syn. -- Primary; primordial; primitive; primeval; pristine;
highest; chief; principal; foremost.
First (?), adv. Before any other
person or thing in time, space, rank, etc.; -- much used in
composition with adjectives and participles.
Adam was first formed, then Eve.
1 Tim. ii. 13.
At first, At the first,
at the beginning or origin. -- First or
last, at one time or another; at the beginning or
end.
And all are fools and lovers first or
last.
Dryden.
First, n. (Mus.) The upper
part of a duet, trio, etc., either vocal or instrumental; -- so
called because it generally expresses the air, and has a
preëminence in the combined effect.
First"born` (?), a. First brought
forth; first in the order of nativity; eldest; hence, most excellent;
most distinguished or exalted.
First"-class` (?), a. Of the best
class; of the highest rank; in the first division; of the best
quality; first-rate; as, a first-class telescope.
First-class car or First-class railway
carriage, any passenger car of the highest regular
class, and intended for passengers who pay the highest regular rate;
-- distinguished from a second-class car.
First"-hand` (?), a. Obtained
directly from the first or original source; hence, without the
intervention of an agent.
One sphere there is . . . where the apprehension of
him is first-hand and direct; and that is the sphere of our
own mind.
J. Martineau.
First"ling (?), n. [First + -
ling.] 1. The first produce or offspring; --
said of animals, especially domestic animals; as, the
firstlings of his flock. Milton.
2. The thing first thought or done.
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand.
Shak.
First"ling, a.
Firstborn.
All the firstling males.
Deut.
xv. 19.
First"ly, adv. In the first place;
before anything else; -- sometimes improperly used for
first.
First"-rate` (?), a. Of the
highest excellence; preëminent in quality, size, or
estimation.
Our only first-rate body of contemporary poetry
is the German.
M. Arnold.
Hermocrates . . . a man of first-rate
ability.
Jowett (Thucyd).
First"-rate`, n. (Naut.) A
war vessel of the highest grade or the most powerful class.
Firth (?), n. [Scot. See Frith.]
(geog.) An arm of the sea; a frith.
Fir" tree` (?). See Fir.
Fisc (?), n. [F. fisc, fr. L.
fiscus basket, money basket, treasury; prob. akin to
fascis bundle. See Fasces.] A public or state
treasury. Burke.
Fis"cal (?), a. [F. fiscal, L.
fiscalis, fr. fiscus. See Fisc.] Pertaining
to the public treasury or revenue.
The fiscal arreangements of
government.
A>Hamilton.
Fis"cal, n. 1. The
income of a prince or a state; revenue; exhequer. [Obs.]
Bacon.
2. A treasurer. H.
Swinburne.
3. A public officer in Scotland who
prosecutes in petty criminal cases; -- called also procurator
fiscal.
4. The solicitor in Spain and Portugal; the
attorney-general.
Fi*set"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to fustet or fisetin.
Fis"e*tin (?), n. [G. fisettholz
a species of fustic.] (Chem.) A yellow crystalline
substance extracted from fustet, and regarded as its essential
coloring principle; -- called also fisetic acid.
Fish (?), n. [F. fiche peg,
mark, fr. fisher to fix.] A counter, used in various
games.
Fish, n.; pl.
Fishes (#), or collectively,
Fish. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis,
AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G.
fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth.
fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf.
Piscatorial. In some cases, such as fish joint,
fish plate, this word has prob. been confused with
fish, fr. F. fichea peg.] 1. A
name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse
characteristics, living in the water.
2. (Zoöl.) An oviparous,
vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or
plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in
the water. See Pisces.
&fist; The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes),
Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and
skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also
included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct
classes, below the fishes.
3. pl. The twelfth sign of the zodiac;
Pisces.
4. The flesh of fish, used as food.
5. (Naut.) (a) A
purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A
piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a
mast or yard.
&fist; Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound
word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear,
fish-bellied.
Age of Fishes. See under Age,
n., 8. -- Fish ball,
fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed
potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [U.S.] --
Fish bar. Same as Fish plate
(below). -- Fish beam (Mech.), a
beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the
belly of a fish. Francis. -- Fish crow
(Zoöl.), a species of crow (Corvus
ossifragus), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It
feeds largely on fish. -- Fish culture,
the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. --
Fish davit. See Davit. --
Fish day, a day on which fish is eaten; a fast
day. -- Fish duck (Zoöl.), any
species of merganser. -- Fish fall, the
tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor
to the gunwale of a ship. -- Fish garth, a
dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. -
- Fish glue. See Isinglass. --
Fish joint, a joint formed by a plate or pair
of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their
junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads.
-- Fish kettle, a long kettle for boiling fish
whole. -- Fish ladder, a dam with a series
of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a
river. -- Fish line, or Fishing
line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in
angling. -- Fish louse (Zoöl.),
any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda,
belonging to Caligus, Argulus, and other related
genera. See Branchiura. -- Fish maw
(Zoöl.), the stomach of a fish; also, the air
bladder, or sound. -- Fish meal, fish
desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. --
Fish oil, oil obtained from the bodies of fish
and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers,
etc. -- Fish owl (Zoöl.), a
fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and
Ketupa, esp. a large East Indian species (K.
Ceylonensis). -- Fish plate, one of
the plates of a fish joint. -- Fish pot, a
wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs,
lobsters, etc. -- Fish pound, a net
attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir.
[Local, U.S.] Bartlett. -- Fish slice, a
broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. --
Fish slide, an inclined box set in a stream at
a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current.
Knight. -- Fish sound, the air bladder
of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in
the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. -- Fish
story, a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or
incredible narration. [Colloq. U.S.] Bartlett. --
Fish strainer. (a) A metal
colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler.
(b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom
of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. --
Fish trowel, a fish slice. --
Fish weir or wear, a weir set
in a stream, for catching fish. -- Neither fish nor
flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.
Fish (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fishing.] 1. To attempt to catch fish; to
be employed in taking fish, by any means, as by angling or drawing a
net.
2. To seek to obtain by artifice, or
indirectly to seek to draw forth; as, to fish for
compliments.
Any other fishing question.
Sir
W. Scott.
Fish, v. t. [OE. fischen,
fisken, fissen, AS. fiscian; akin to G.
fischen, OHG. fisc&?;n, Goth. fisk&?;n. See
Fish the animal.] 1. To catch; to draw
out or up; as, to fish up an anchor.
2. To search by raking or sweeping.
Swift.
3. To try with a fishing rod; to catch fish
in; as, to fish a stream. Thackeray.
4. To strengthen (a beam, mast, etc.), or
unite end to end (two timbers, railroad rails, etc.) by bolting a
plank, timber, or plate to the beam, mast, or timbers, lengthwise on
one or both sides. See Fish joint, under Fish,
n.
To fish the anchor. (Naut.) See under
Anchor.
Fish"-bel`lied (?), a. Bellying or
swelling out on the under side; as, a fish-bellied rail.
Knight.
Fish"-block` (?), n. See Fish-
tackle.
Fish"er (?), n. [AS. fiscere.]
1. One who fishes.
2. (Zoöl.) A carnivorous animal
of the Weasel family (Mustela Canadensis); the pekan; the
"black cat."
Fish"er*man (?), n.; pl.
Fishermen (&?;). 1. One whose
occupation is to catch fish.
2. (Naut.) A ship or vessel employed
in the business of taking fish, as in the cod fishery.
Fish"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Fisheries (&?;). 1. The
business or practice of catching fish; fishing.
Addison.
2. A place for catching fish.
3. (Law) The right to take fish at a
certain place, or in particular waters. Abbott.
Fish"ful (?), a. Abounding with
fish. [R.] "My fishful pond." R. Carew.
Fish"gig` (?), n. A spear with
barbed prongs used for harpooning fish. Knight.
Fish"hawk` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The osprey (Pandion haliaëtus), found both in Europe
and America; -- so called because it plunges into the water and
seizes fishes in its talons. Called also fishing eagle, and
bald buzzard.
Fish"hook` (?), n. 1.
A hook for catching fish.
2. (Naut.) A hook with a pendant, to
the end of which the fish-tackle is hooked. Dana.
Fish"i*fy (?), v. t. To change to
fish. [R.] Shak.
Fish"i*ness, n. The state or
quality of being fishy or fishlike. Pennant.
Fish"ing, n. 1.
The act, practice, or art of one who fishes.
2. A fishery. Spenser.
Fish"ing, a. [From Fishing,
n.] Pertaining to fishing; used in fishery;
engaged in fishing; as, fishing boat; fishing tackle;
fishing village.
Fishing fly, an artificial fly for
fishing. -- Fishing line, a line used in
catching fish. -- Fishing net, a net of
various kinds for catching fish; including the bag net, casting net,
drag net, landing net, seine, shrimping net, trawl, etc. --
Fishing rod, a long slender rod, to which is
attached the line for angling. -- Fishing
smack, a sloop or other small vessel used in sea
fishing. -- Fishing tackle, apparatus used
in fishing, as hook, line, rod, etc. -- Fishing
tube (Micros.), a glass tube for selecting a
microscopic object in a fluid.
Fish"like (?), a. Like fish;
suggestive of fish; having some of the qualities of fish.
A very ancient and fishlike smell.
Shak.
Fish"mon`ger (?), n. A dealer in
fish.
Fish"skin` (?), n. 1.
The skin of a fish (dog fish, shark, etc.)
2. (Med.) See
Ichthyosis.
Fish"-tac`kle (?), n. A tackle or
purchase used to raise the flukes of the anchor up to the gunwale.
The block used is called the fish-block.
Fish"-tail` (?), a. Like the of a
fish; acting, or producing something, like the tail of a
fish.
Fish-tail burner, a gas burner that gives a
spreading flame shaped somewhat like the tail of a fish. --
Fish-tail propeller (Steamship), a
propeller with a single blade that oscillates like the tail of a fish
when swimming.
Fish"wife` (?), n. A
fishwoman.
Fish"wom`an (?), n.; pl.
Fishwomen (&?;). A woman who retails
fish.
Fish"y (?), a. 1.
Consisting of fish; fishlike; having the qualities or taste of
fish; abounding in fish. Pope.
2. Extravagant, like some stories about
catching fish; improbable; also, rank or foul. [Colloq.]
Fisk (?), v. i. [Cf. Sw. fjeska
to bustle about.] To run about; to frisk; to whisk.
[Obs.]
He fisks abroad, and stirreth up erroneous
opinions.
Latimer.
Fis`si*gem*ma"tion (?), n. [L.
fissus (p. p. of findere to split) + E.
gemmation.] (Biol.) A process of reproduction
intermediate between fission and gemmation.
Fis"sile (?), a. [L. fissilis,
fr. fissus, p. p. of findere to split. See
Fissure.] Capable of being split, cleft, or divided in
the direction of the grain, like wood, or along natural planes of
cleavage, like crystals.
This crystal is a pellucid, fissile
stone.
Sir I. Newton.
Fis`si*lin"gual (?), a. [L.
fissus (p. p. of findere to split) + E.
lingual.] (Zoöl.) Having the tongue
forked.
||Fis`si*lin"gui*a (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. L. fissus (p. p. o f findere to split) +
lingua tongue.] (Zoöl.) A group of Lacertilia
having the tongue forked, including the common lizards.
[Written also Fissilingues.]
Fis*sil"i*ty (?), n. Quality of
being fissile.
Fis"sion (?), n. [L. fissio. See
Fissure.] 1. A cleaving, splitting, or
breaking up into parts.
2. (Biol.) A method of asexual
reproduction among the lowest (unicellular) organisms by means of a
process of self-division, consisting of gradual division or cleavage
of the into two parts, each of which then becomes a separate and
independent organisms; as when a cell in an animal or plant, or its
germ, undergoes a spontaneous division, and the parts again
subdivide. See Segmentation, and Cell division, under
Division.
3. (Zoöl.) A process by which
certain coral polyps, echinoderms, annelids, etc., spontaneously
subdivide, each individual thus forming two or more new ones. See
Strobilation.
Fis`si*pal"mate (?), a. [L.
fissus (p. p. of findere to split) + palma
palm.] (Zoöl.) Semipalmate and loboped, as a grebe's
foot. See Illust. under Aves.
||Fis*sip"a*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Fissiparous.] (Zoöl.) Animals which reproduce
by fission.
Fis*sip"a*rism (?), n. [See
Fissiparous.] (Biol.) Reproduction by spontaneous
fission.
Fis`si*par"i*ty (?), n. (Biol.)
Quality of being fissiparous; fissiparism.
Fis*sip"a*rous (?), a. [L.
fissus (p. p. of findere to split) + parere to
bring forth: cf. F. fissipare.] (Biol.)
Reproducing by spontaneous fission. See Fission. --
Fis*sip"a*rous*ly, adv.
Fis`si*pa"tion (?), n. (Biol.)
Reproduction by fission; fissiparism.
{ Fis"si*ped (?), Fis*sip"e*dal (?) },
a. [Cf. F. fissipède.]
(Zoöl.) Having the toes separated to the base. [See
Aves.]
Fis"si*ped, n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Fissipedia.
||Fis`si*pe"di*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
L. fissus (p. p. of findere to cleave) + pes,
pedis, a foot.] (Zoöl.) A division of the
Carnivora, including the dogs, cats, and bears, in which the feet are
not webbed; -- opposed to Pinnipedia.
Fis`si*ros"tral (?), a. [Cf. F.
fissirostre.] (Zoöl.) Having the bill cleft
beyond the horny part, as in the case of swallows and
goatsuckers.
||Fis`si*ros"tres (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.
L. fissus (p. p. of findere to cleave) + rostrum
beak.] (Zoöl.) A group of birds having the bill
deeply cleft.
Fis"sur*al (?), a. Pertaining to a
fissure or fissures; as, the fissural pattern of a
brain.
Fis`su*ra"tion (?), n. (Anat.)
The act of dividing or opening; the state of being
fissured.
Fis"sure (?), n. [L. fissura,
fr. findere, fissum, to cleave, split; akin to E.
bite: cf. F. fissure.] A narrow opening, made by
the parting of any substance; a cleft; as, the fissure of a
rock.
Cerebral fissures (Anat.), the
furrows or clefts by which the surface of the cerebrum is divided;
esp., the furrows first formed by the infolding of the whole wall of
the cerebrum. -- Fissure needle
(Surg.), a spiral needle for catching together the gaping
lips of wounds. Knight. -- Fissure of
rolando (Anat.), the furrow separating the
frontal from the parietal lobe in the cerebrum. --
Fissure of Sylvius (Anat.), a deep
cerebral fissure separating the frontal from the temporal lobe. See
Illust. under Brain. -- Fissure
vein (Mining), a crack in the earth's surface
filled with mineral matter. Raymond.
Fis"sure (?), v. t. To cleave; to
divide; to crack or fracture.
||Fis`su*rel"la (?), n. [NL., dim. of
L. fissura a fissure.] (Zoöl.) A genus of
marine gastropod mollusks, having a conical or limpetlike shell, with
an opening at the apex; -- called also keyhole
limpet.
Fist (f&ibreve;st), n. [OE.
fist, fust, AS. f&ymacr;st; akin to D.
vuist, OHG. fūst, G. faust, and prob. to
L. pugnus, Gr. pygmh` fist, py`x with
the fist. Cf. Pugnacious, Pigmy.] 1.
The hand with the fingers doubled into the palm; the closed
hand, especially as clinched tightly for the purpose of striking a
blow.
Who grasp the earth and heaven with my
fist.
Herbert.
2. The talons of a bird of prey.
[Obs.]
More light than culver in the falcon's
fist.
Spenser.
3. (print.) the index mark [&fist;],
used to direct special attention to the passage which
follows.
Hand over fist (Naut.), rapidly; hand
over hand.
Fist, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fisted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fisting.] 1. To strike with the
fist. Dryden.
2. To gripe with the fist. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fist"ic (?), a. [From Fist.]
Pertaining to boxing, or to encounters with the fists;
puglistic; as, fistic exploits; fistic heroes.
[Colloq.]
Fist"i*cuff (?), n. A cuff or blow
with the fist or hand; (pl.) a fight with the
fists; boxing. Swift.
Fis"ti*nut (?), n. [Cf. Fr.
fistinq, fistuq. See Pistachio.] A
pistachio nut. [Obs.] Johnson.
||Fis*tu"ca (?), n. [L.] An
instrument used by the ancients in driving piles.
||Fis"tu*la (?; 135), n.; pl.
Fistulæ (#). [L.] 1. A
reed; a pipe.
2. A pipe for convejing water. [Obs.]
Knight.
3. (Med.) A permanent abnormal opening
into the soft parts with a constant discharge; a deep, narrow,
chronic abscess; an abnormal opening between an internal cavity and
another cavity or the surface; as, a salivary fistula; an anal
fistula; a recto-vaginal fistula.
Incomplete fistula (Med.), a fistula
open at one end only.
Fis"tu*lar (?), a. [L.
fistularis: cf. F. fistulaire.] Hollow and
cylindrical, like a pipe or reed. Johnson.
||Fis`tu*la"ri*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
fistula pipe.] (Zoöl.) A genus of fishes,
having the head prolonged into a tube, with the mouth at the
extremity.
Fis`tu*la"ri*oid (?), a.
[Fistularia + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or
pertaining to the genus Fistularia.
Fis"tu*late (?; 135), v. t. & i. [Cf.
L. fistulatus furnished with pipes.] To make hollow or
become hollow like a fistula, or pipe. [Obs.] "A
fistulated ulcer." Fuller.
Fis"tule (?; 135), n. A
fistula.
Fis"tu*li*form (? or ?), a.
[Fistula + -form.] Of a fistular form; tubular;
pipe-shaped.
Stalactite often occurs
fistuliform.
W. Philips.
Fis"tu*lose` (?; 135), a. [L.
fistulosus.] Formed like a fistula; hollow;
reedlike. Craig.
Fis"tu*lous (?), a. [Cf. F.
fistuleux.] 1. Having the form or nature
of a fistula; as, a fistulous ulcer.
2. Hollow, like a pipe or reed;
fistulose. Lindley.
Fit (?), imp. & p. p. of
Fight. [Obs. or Colloq.]
Fit, n. [AS. fitt a song.]
In Old English, a song; a strain; a canto or portion of a
ballad; a passus. [Written also fitte, fytte,
etc.]
To play some pleasant fit.
Spenser.
Fit, a. [Compar.
Fitter (?); superl. Fittest (?).]
[OE. fit, fyt; cf. E. feat neat, elegant, well
made, or icel. fitja to web, knit, OD. vitten to suit,
square, Goth. fētjan to adorn. √77.]
1. Adapted to an end, object, or design;
suitable by nature or by art; suited by character, qualitties,
circumstances, education, etc.; qualified; competent;
worthy.
That which ordinary men are fit for, I am
qualified in.
Shak.
Fit audience find, though few.
Milton.
2. Prepared; ready. [Obs.]
So fit to shoot, she singled forth among
her foes who first her quarry's strength should feel.
Fairfax.
3. Conformed to a standart of duty,
properiety, or taste; convenient; meet; becoming; proper.
Is it fit to say a king, Thou art
wicked?
Job xxxiv. 18.
Syn. -- Suitable; proper; appropriate; meet; becoming;
expedient; congruous; correspondent; apposite; apt; adapted;
prepared; qualified; competent; adequate.
Fit (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fitted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fitting (?).] 1. To make fit or suitable;
to adapt to the purpose intended; to qualify; to put into a condition
of readiness or preparation.
The time is fitted for the duty.
Burke.
The very situation for which he was peculiarly
fitted by nature.
Macaulay.
2. To bring to a required form and size; to
shape aright; to adapt to a model; to adjust; -- said especially of
the work of a carpenter, machinist, tailor, etc.
The carpenter . . . marketh it out with a line; he
fitteth it with planes.
Is. xliv. 13.
3. To supply with something that is suitable
or fit, or that is shaped and adjusted to the use required.
No milliner can so fit his customers with
gloves.
Shak.
4. To be suitable to; to answer the
requirements of; to be correctly shaped and adjusted to; as, if the
coat fits you, put it on.
That's a bountiful answer that fits all
questions.
Shak.
That time best fits the work.
Shak.
To fit out, to supply with necessaries or
means; to furnish; to equip; as, to fit out a privateer.
-- To fit up, to furnish with things suitable;
to make proper for the reception or use of any person; to prepare;
as, to fit up a room for a guest.
Fit (?), v. i. 1.
To be proper or becoming.
Nor fits it to prolong the feast.
Pope.
2. To be adjusted to a particular shape or
size; to suit; to be adapted; as, his coat fits very
well.
Fit, n. 1. The
quality of being fit; adjustment; adaptedness; as of dress to the
person of the wearer.
2. (Mach.) (a) The
coincidence of parts that come in contact. (b)
The part of an object upon which anything fits
tightly.
Fit rod (Shipbuilding), a gauge rod
used to try the depth of a bolt hole in order to determine the length
of the bolt required. Knight.
Fit, n. [AS. fit strife, fight;
of uncertain origin. √ 77.] 1. A stroke or
blow. [Obs. or R.]
Curse on that cross, quoth then the Sarazin,
That keeps thy body from the bitter fit.
Spenser.
2. A sudden and violent attack of a disorder;
a stroke of disease, as of epilepsy or apoplexy, which produces
convulsions or unconsciousness; a convulsion; a paroxysm; hence, a
period of exacerbation of a disease; in general, an attack of
disease; as, a fit of sickness.
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake.
Shak.
3. A mood of any kind which masters or
possesses one for a time; a temporary, absorbing affection; a
paroxysm; as, a fit of melancholy, of passion, or of
laughter.
All fits of pleasure we balanced by an equal
degree of pain.
Swift.
The English, however, were on this subject prone to
fits of jealously.
Macaulay.
4. A passing humor; a caprice; a sudden and
unusual effort, activity, or motion, followed by relaxation or
inaction; an impulsive and irregular action.
The fits of the season.
Shak.
5. A darting point; a sudden emission.
[R.]
A tongue of light, a fit of flame.
Coleridge.
By fits, By fits and starts,
by intervals of action and repose; impulsively and irregularly;
intermittently.
Fitch (?; 224), n.; pl.
Fitches (#). [See Vetch.] 1.
(Bot.) A vetch. [Obs.]
2. pl. (Bot.) A word found in
the Authorized Version of the Bible, representing different Hebrew
originals. In Isaiah xxviii. 25, 27, it means the black aromatic
seeds of Nigella sativa, still used as a flavoring in the
East. In Ezekiel iv. 9, the Revised Version now reads
spelt.
Fitch, n. [Contr. of fitched.]
(Zoöl.) The European polecat; also, its
fur.
Fitch"é (?), a. [Cf. F.
fiché, lit. p. p. of ficher to fasten, OF.
fichier to pierce. Cf. 1st Fish.] (Her.)
Sharpened to a point; pointed.
Cross fitché, a cross having the
lower arm pointed.
Fitched (?), a. (her.)
Fitché. [Also fiched.]
{ Fitch"et (?), Fitch"ew (?) },
n. [Cf. OF. fisseau, fissel, OD.
fisse, visse, vitsche, D. vies nasty,
loathsome, E. fizz.] (Zoöl.) The European
polecat (Putorius fœtidus). See
Polecat.
Fitch"y (?), a. Having fitches or
vetches.
Fitch"y, a. [See Fitché.]
(Her.) Fitché.
Fit"ful (?), a. [From 7th Fit.]
Full of fits; irregularly variable; impulsive and
unstable.
After life's fitful fever, he sleeps
well.
Shak.
-- Fit"ful*ly, adv. --
Fit"ful*ness, n.
The victorious trumpet peal
Dies fitfully away.
Macaulay.
{ Fith"el (?), Fith"ul (?) },
n. [OE. See Fiddle.] A fiddle.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fit"ly (?), adv. In a fit manner;
suitably; properly; conveniently; as, a maxim fitly
applied.
Fit"ment (?), n. The act of
fitting; that which is proper or becoming; equipment. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fit"ness, n. The state or quality
of being fit; as, the fitness of measures or laws; a person's
fitness for office.
Fitt (?), n. See 2d
Fit.
Fit"ta*ble (?), a. Suitable;
fit. [Obs.] Sherwood.
Fit"ted*ness (?), n. The state or
quality of being fitted; adaptation. [Obs.] Dr. H.
More.
Fit"ter (?), n. 1.
One who fits or makes to fit; esp.: (a)
One who tries on, and adjusts, articles of dress.
(b) One who fits or adjusts the different parts
of machinery to each other.
2. A coal broker who conducts the sales
between the owner of a coal pit and the shipper. [Eng.]
Simmonds.
Fit"ter, n. A little piece; a
flitter; a flinder. [Obs.]
Where's the Frenchman? Alas, he's all
fitters.
Beau. & Fl.
Fit"ting (?), n. Anything used in
fitting up; especially (pl.), necessary fixtures or
apparatus; as, the fittings of a church or study; gas
fittings.
Fit"ting, a. Fit; appropriate;
suitable; proper. -- Fit"ting*ly,
adv. -- Fit"ting*ness,
n. Jer. Taylor.
Fit"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) A
plant (Eryngium fœtidum) supposed to be a remedy for
fits.
Fitz (?), n. [OF. fils,
filz, fiz, son, F. fils, L. filius. See
Filial.] A son; -- used in compound names, to indicate
paternity, esp. of the illegitimate sons of kings and princes of the
blood; as, Fitzroy, the son of the king; Fitzclarence,
the son of the duke of Clarence.
Five (?), a. [OE. fif,
five, AS. fīf, fīfe; akin to D.
vijf, OS. fīf, OHG. finf, funf, G.
fünf, Icel. fimm, Sw. & Sw. Dan. fem, Goth.
fimf, Lith. penki, W. pump, OIr.
cóic, L. quinque, Gr. &?;, Æol. &?;, Skr.
pa&?;can. √303. Cf. Fifth, Cinque,
Pentagon, Punch the drink, Quinary.] Four
and one added; one more than four.
Five nations (Ethnol.), a confederacy
of the Huron-Iroquois Indians, consisting of five tribes: Mohawks,
Onondagas, Cayugas, Oneidas, and Senecas. They inhabited the region
which is now the State of new York.
Five (fīv), n. 1.
The number next greater than four, and less than six; five units
or objects.
Five of them were wise, and five were
foolish.
Matt. xxv. 2.
2. A symbol representing this number, as 5,
or V.
Five"-fin`ger (?), n.
1. (Bot.) See
Cinquefoil.
2. (Zoöl.) A starfish with five
rays, esp. Asterias rubens.
Five"fold` (?), a. & adv. In
fives; consisting of five in one; five repeated; quintuple.
Five"-leaf` (?), n. Cinquefoil;
five-finger.
{ Five"-leafed` (?), Five"-leaved` (?) },
a. (Bot.) Having five leaflets, as the
Virginia creeper.
Five"ling (?), n. (Min.) A
compound or twin crystal consisting of five individuals.
Fives (fīvz), n. pl. A kind
of play with a ball against a wall, resembling tennis; -- so named
because three fives, or fifteen, are counted to the
game. Smart.
Fives court, a place for playing
fives.
Fives, n. [See Vives.] A
disease of the glands under the ear in horses; the vives.
Shak.
Five`-twen"ties (?), n. pl. Five-
twenty bonds of the United States (bearing six per cent interest),
issued in 1862, '64, and '65, redeemable after five and
payable in twenty years.
Fix (f&ibreve;ks), a. [OE., fr. L.
fixus, p. p. of figere to fix; cf. F. fixe.]
Fixed; solidified. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fix, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fixed (f&ibreve;kst); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fixing.] [Cf. F. fixer.]
1. To make firm, stable, or fast; to set or
place permanently; to fasten immovably; to establish; to implant; to
secure; to make definite.
An ass's nole I fixed on his head.
Shak.
O, fix thy chair of grace, that all my
powers
May also fix their reverence.
Herbert.
His heart is fixed, trusting in the
Lord.
Ps. cxii. 7.
And fix far deeper in his head their
stings.
Milton.
2. To hold steadily; to direct unwaveringly;
to fasten, as the eye on an object, the attention on a
speaker.
Sat fixed in thought the mighty
Stagirite.
Pope.
One eye on death, and one full fix'd on
heaven.
Young.
3. To transfix; to pierce. [Obs.]
Sandys.
4. (Photog.) To render (an impression)
permanent by treating with such applications as will make it
insensible to the action of light. Abney.
5. To put in order; to arrange; to dispose
of; to adjust; to set to rights; to set or place in the manner
desired or most suitable; hence, to repair; as, to fix the
clothes; to fix the furniture of a room. [Colloq.
U.S.]
6. (Iron Manuf.) To line the hearth of
(a puddling furnace) with fettling.
Syn. -- To arrange; prepare; adjust; place; establish;
settle; determine.
Fix, v. i. 1. To
become fixed; to settle or remain permanently; to cease from
wandering; to rest.
Your kindness banishes your fear,
Resolved to fix forever here.
Waller.
2. To become firm, so as to resist
volatilization; to cease to flow or be fluid; to congeal; to become
hard and malleable, as a metallic substance. Bacon.
To fix on, to settle the opinion or
resolution about; to determine regarding; as, the contracting parties
have fixed on certain leading points.
Fix, n. 1. A
position of difficulty or embarassment; predicament; dilemma.
[Colloq.]
Is he not living, then? No. is he dead, then? No, nor
dead either. Poor Aroar can not live, and can not die, -- so that he
is in an almighty fix.
De Quincey.
2. (Iron Manuf.) fettling.
[U.S.]
Fix"a*ble (-&adot;*b'l), a.
Capable of being fixed.
Fix*a"tion (f&ibreve;ks*ā"shŭn),
n. [Cf. F. fixation.] 1.
The act of fixing, or the state of being fixed.
An unalterable fixation of
resolution.
Killingbeck.
To light, created in the first day, God gave no proper
place or fixation.
Sir W. Raleigh.
Marked stiffness or absolute fixation of a
joint.
Quain.
A fixation and confinement of thought to a few
objects.
Watts.
2. The act of uniting chemically with a solid
substance or in a solid form; reduction to a non-volatile condition;
-- said of gaseous elements.
3. The act or process of ceasing to be fluid
and becoming firm. Glanvill.
4. A state of resistance to evaporation or
volatilization by heat; -- said of metals. Bacon.
Fix"a*tive (?), n. That which
serves to set or fix colors or drawings, as a mordant.
Fixed (f&ibreve;kst), a.
1. Securely placed or fastened; settled;
established; firm; imovable; unalterable.
2. (Chem.) Stable; non-
volatile.
Fixed air (Old Chem.), carbonic acid
or carbon dioxide; -- so called by Dr. Black because it can be
absorbed or fixed by strong bases. See Carbonic acid,
under Carbonic. -- Fixed alkali (Old
Chem.), a non-volatile base, as soda, or potash, in
distinction from the volatile alkali ammonia. -- Fixed
ammunition (Mil.), a projectile and powder
inclosed together in a case ready for loading. -- Fixed
battery (Mil.), a battery which contains heavy
guns and mortars intended to remain stationary; -- distinguished from
movable battery. -- Fixed bodies,
those which can not be volatilized or separated by a common
menstruum, without great difficulty, as gold, platinum, lime,
etc. -- Fixed capital. See the Note under
Capital, n., 4. -- Fixed
fact, a well established fact. [Colloq.] --
Fixed light, one which emits constant beams; --
distinguished from a flashing, revolving, or intermittent light.
-- Fixed oils (Chem.), non-volatile,
oily substances, as stearine and olein, which leave a permanent
greasy stain, and which can not be distilled unchanged; --
distinguished from volatile or essential oils. --
Fixed pivot (Mil.), the fixed point
about which any line of troops wheels. -- Fixed
stars (Astron.), such stars as always retain
nearly the same apparent position and distance with respect to each
other, thus distinguished from planets and comets.
Fix"ed*ly (f&ibreve;ks"&ebreve;d*l&ybreve;),
adv. In a fixed, stable, or constant
manner.
Fix"ed*ness, n. 1.
The state or quality of being fixed; stability;
steadfastness.
2. The quality of a body which resists
evaporation or volatilization by heat; solidity; cohesion of parts;
as, the fixedness of gold.
Fix*id"i*ty (f&ibreve;ks*&ibreve;d"&ibreve;*t&ybreve;),
n. Fixedness. [Obs.] Boyle.
Fix"ing (f&ibreve;ks"&ibreve;ng), n.
1. The act or process of making fixed.
2. That which is fixed; a fixture.
3. pl. Arrangements; embellishments;
trimmings; accompaniments. [Colloq. U.S.]
Fix"i*ty (-&ibreve;*t&ybreve;), n. [Cf.
F. fixité.] 1. Fixedness; as,
fixity of tenure; also, that which is fixed.
2. Coherence of parts. Sir I.
Newton.
Fix"ture (f&ibreve;ks"t&usl;r; 135), n.
[Cf. Fixure.] 1. That which is fixed or
attached to something as a permanent appendage; as, the
fixtures of a pump; the fixtures of a farm or of a
dwelling, that is, the articles which a tenant may not take
away.
2. State of being fixed; fixedness.
The firm fixture of thy foot.
Shak.
3. (Law) Anything of an accessory
character annexed to houses and lands, so as to constitute a part of
them. This term is, however, quite frequently used in the peculiar
sense of personal chattels annexed to lands and tenements, but
removable by the person annexing them, or his personal
representatives. In this latter sense, the same things may be
fixtures under some circumstances, and not fixtures
under others. Wharton (Law Dict.). Bouvier.
&fist; This word is frequently substituted for fixure
(formerly the word in common use) in new editions of old works.
Fix"ure (-&usl;r), n. [L. fixura
a fastening, fr. figere to fix. See Fix, and cf.
Fixture.] Fixed position; stable condition;
firmness. [Obs.] Shak.
Fiz"gig` (f&ibreve;z"g&ibreve;g), n.
A fishgig. [Obs.] Sandys.
Fiz"gig`, n. [Fizz + gig
whirling thing.] A firework, made of damp powder, which makes a
fizzing or hissing noise when it explodes.
Fiz"gig`, n. [See Gig a flirt.]
A gadding, flirting girl. Gosson.
Fizz (f&ibreve;z), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Fizzed (f&ibreve;zd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fizzing.] [Cf. Icel. fīsa to break
wind, Dan. fise to foist, fizzle, OSw. fisa, G.
fisten, feisten. Cf. Foist.] To make a
hissing sound, as a burning fuse.
Fizz, n. A hissing sound; as, the
fizz of a fly.
Fiz"zle (f&ibreve;z"z'l), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Fizzled (-z'ld); p.
pr. & vb. n. Fizzling (-zl&ibreve;ng).] [See
Fizz.] 1. To make a hissing
sound.
It is the easiest thing, sir, to be done,
As plain as fizzling.
B. Jonson.
2. To make a ridiculous failure in an
undertaking. [Colloq. or Low]
To fizzle out, to burn with a hissing noise
and then go out, like wet gunpowder; hence, to fail completely and
ridiculously; to prove a failure. [Colloq.]
Fiz"zle, n. A failure or abortive
effort. [Colloq.]
||Fjord (fyôrd), n. See
Fiord.
Flab"ber*gast (?), v. t. [Cf.
Flap, and Aghast.] To astonish; to strike with
wonder, esp. by extraordinary statements. [Jocular]
Beaconsfield.
Flab`ber*gas*ta"tion (?), n. The
state of being flabbergasted. [Jocular] London
Punch.
Flab"bi*ly (?), adv. In a flabby
manner.
Flab"bi*ness, n. Quality or state
of being flabby.
Flab"by (?), a. [See Flap.]
Yielding to the touch, and easily moved or shaken; hanging loose
by its own weight; wanting firmness; flaccid; as, flabby
flesh.
Fla"bel (?), n. [L. flabellum a
fan, dim. of flabrum a breeze, fr. flare to blow.]
A fan. [Obs.] Huloet.
Fla*bel"late (?), a. [L.
flabellatus, p. p. of flabellare to fan, fr.
flabellum. See Flabbel.] (Bot.)
Flabelliform.
Flab`el*la"tion (?), n. The act of
keeping fractured limbs cool by the use of a fan or some other
contrivance. Dunglison.
Fla*bel"li*form (?), a. [L.
flabellum a fan + -form: cf. F. flabeliforme.]
Having the form of a fan; fan-shaped; flabellate.
Fla*bel"li*nerved` (?), a. [L.
flabellum a fan + E. nerve.] (Bot.) Having
many nerves diverging radiately from the base; -- said of a
leaf.
||Fla*bel"lum (?), n. [L. See
Flabel.] (Eccl.) A fan; especially, the fan
carried before the pope on state occasions, made in ostrich and
peacock feathers. Shipley.
Flab"ile (?), a. [L. flabilis.]
Liable to be blown about. Bailey.
Flac"cid (?), a. [L. flaccidus,
fr. flaccus flabby: cf. OF. flaccide.] Yielding to
pressure for want of firmness and stiffness; soft and weak; limber;
lax; drooping; flabby; as, a flaccid muscle; flaccid
flesh.
Religious profession . . . has become
flacced.
I. Taylor.
-- Flac"cid*ly (#), adv. --
Flac"cid*ness, n.
Flac*cid"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
flaccidité.] The state of being flaccid.
Flack"er (?), v. i. [OE.
flakeren, fr. flacken to move quickly to and fro; cf.
icel. flakka to rove about, AS. flacor fluttering,
flying, G. flackern to flare, flicker.] To flutter, as a
bird. [Prov. Eng.] Grose.
Flack"et (?), n. [OF. flasquet
little flask, dim. of flasque a flask.] A barrel-shaped
bottle; a flagon.
Flag (flăg), v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Flagged (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flagging (?).] [Cf. Icel. flaka to droop,
hang loosely. Cf. Flacker, Flag an ensign.]
1. To hang loose without stiffness; to bend
down, as flexible bodies; to be loose, yielding, limp.
As loose it [the sail] flagged around the
mast.
T. Moore.
2. To droop; to grow spiritless; to lose
vigor; to languish; as, the spirits flag; the streugth
flags.
The pleasures of the town begin to
flag.
Swift.
Syn. -- To droop; decline; fail; languish; pine.
Flag (flăg), v. t.
1. To let droop; to suffer to fall, or let fall,
into feebleness; as, to flag the wings.
prior.
2. To enervate; to exhaust the vigor or
elasticity of.
Nothing so flags the spirits.
Echard.
Flag, n. [Cf. LG. & G. flagge,
Sw. flagg, Dan. flag, D. vlag. See Flag
to hang loose.] 1. That which flags or hangs
down loosely.
2. A cloth usually bearing a device or
devices and used to indicate nationality, party, etc., or to give or
ask information; -- commonly attached to a staff to be waved by the
wind; a standard; a banner; an ensign; the colors; as, the national
flag; a military or a naval flag.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) A
group of feathers on the lower part of the legs of certain hawks,
owls, etc. (b) A group of elongated wing
feathers in certain hawks. (c) The bushy
tail of a dog, as of a setter.
Black flag. See under Black. --
Flag captain, Flag leutenant,
etc., special officers attached to the flagship, as aids to the
flag officer. -- Flag officer, the
commander of a fleet or squadron; an admiral, or commodore. --
Flag of truse, a white flag carried or
displayed to an enemy, as an invitation to conference, or for the
purpose of making some communication not hostile. --
Flag share, the flag officer's share of prize
money. -- Flag station (Railroad),
a station at which trains do not stop unless signaled to do so,
by a flag hung out or waved. -- National flag,
a flag of a particular country, on which some national emblem or
device, is emblazoned. -- Red flag, a flag
of a red color, displayed as a signal of danger or token of defiance;
the emblem of anarchists. -- To dip, the flag,
to mlower it and quickly restore it to its place; -- done as a
mark of respect. -- To hang out the white
flag, to ask truce or quarter, or, in some cases, to
manifest a friendly design by exhibiting a white flag. --
To hang the flag half-mast high or half-
staff, to raise it only half way to the mast or
staff, as a token or sign of mourning. -- To
strike, or lower, the flag,
to haul it down, in token of respect, submission, or, in an
engagement, of surrender. -- Yellow flag,
the quarantine flag of all nations; also carried at a vessel's
fore, to denote that an infectious disease is on board.
Flag, v. t. [From Flag an
ensign.] 1. To signal to with a flag; as, to
flag a train.
2. To convey, as a message, by means of flag
signals; as, to flag an order to troops or vessels at a
distance.
Flag, n. [From Flag to hang
loose, to bend down.] (Bot.) An aquatic plant, with long,
ensiform leaves, belonging to either of the genera Iris and
Acorus.
Cooper's flag, the cat-tail (Typha
latifolia), the long leaves of which are placed between the
staves of barrels to make the latter water-tight. --
Corn flag. See under 2d Corn. --
Flag broom, a coarse of broom, originally made
of flags or rushes. -- Flag root, the root
of the sweet flag. -- Sweet flag. See
Calamus, n., 2.
Flag, v. t. To furnish or deck out
with flags.
Flag, n. [Icel. flaga, cf. Icel.
flag spot where a turf has been cut out, and E. flake
layer, scale. Cf. Floe.] 1. A flat stone
used for paving. Woodward.
2. (Geol.) Any hard, evenly stratified
sandstone, which splits into layers suitable for
flagstones.
Flag, v. t. To lay with flags of
flat stones.
The sides and floor are all flagged with . . .
marble.
Sandys.
Flag"el*lant (?), n. [L.
flagellans, p. p. of flagellare: cf.F.
flagellant. See Flagellate.] (Eccl. Hist.)
One of a fanatical sect which flourished in Europe in the 13th
and 14th centuries, and maintained that flagellation was of equal
virtue with baptism and the sacrament; -- called also
disciplinant.
||Flag`el*la"ta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr.L.
flagellatus, p. p. See Flagellate,
v. t.] (Zoöl.) An order of
Infusoria, having one or two long, whiplike cilia, at the anterior
end. It includes monads. See Infusoria, and
Monad.
Flag"el*late (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Flagellated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flagellating (?).] [L. flagellatus, p. p.
of flagellare to scoure, fr. flagellum whip, dim. of
flagrum whip, scoure; cf. fligere to strike. Cf.
Flall.] To whip; to scourge; to flog.
Fla*gel"late (?), a. 1.
Flagelliform.
2. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to
the Flagellata.
Flag`el*la"tion (?), n. [L.
flagellatio: cf. F. flagellation.] A beating or
flogging; a whipping; a scourging. Garth.
Flag"el*la`tor (?), n. One who
practices flagellation; one who whips or scourges.
Fla*gel"li*form (?), a. [L.
flagellum a whip + -form.] Shaped like a whiplash;
long, slender, round, flexible, and (comming) tapering.
||Fla*gel"lum (?), n.; pl. E.
Flagellums (#), L. Flagella (#).
[L., a whip. See Flagellate, v. t.]
1. (Bot.) A young, flexible shoot of a
plant; esp., the long trailing branch of a vine, or a slender branch
in certain mosses.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A
long, whiplike cilium. See Flagellata.
(b) An appendage of the reproductive apparatus
of the snail. (c) A lashlike appendage of
a crustacean, esp. the terminal ortion of the antennæ and the
epipodite of the maxilipeds. See Maxilliped.
Flag"eo*let` (?), n. [F.
flageolet, dim. of OF. flaj&?;l (as if fr. a LL.
flautio;us), of flaüte, flahute, F.
fl&?;te. See Flute.] (Mus.) A small wooden
pipe, having six or more holes, and a mouthpiece inserted at one end.
It produces a shrill sound, softer than of the piccolo flute, and is
said to have superseded the old recorder.
Flageolet tones (Mus.), the naturel
harmonics or overtones of stringed instruments.
Flag"gi*ness (?), n. The condition
of being flaggy; laxity; limberness. Johnson.
Flag"ging (?), n. A pavement or
sidewalk of flagstones; flagstones, collectively.
Flag"ging, a. Growing languid,
weak, or spiritless; weakening; delaying. --
Flag"ging*ly, adv.
Flag"gy (?), a. 1.
Weak; flexible; limber. "Flaggy wings."
Spenser.
2. Tasteless; insipid; as, a flaggy
apple. [Obs.] Bacon.
Flag"gy, a. [From 5th Flag.]
Abounding with the plant called flag; as, a flaggy
marsh.
Flag"i*tate (?), v. t. [L.
flagitatus, p. p. of flagitare to demand. See
Flagitious.] To importune; to demand fiercely or with
passion. [Archaic] Carcyle.
Flag`i*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
flagitatio.] Importunity; urgent demand. [Archaic]
Carlyle.
Fla*gi"tious (?), a. [L.
flagitiosus, fr. flagitium a shameful or disgraceful
act, orig., a burning desire, heat of passion, from flagitare
to demand hotly, fiercely; cf. flagrare to burn, E.
flagrant.] 1. Disgracefully or shamefully
criminal; grossly wicked; scandalous; shameful; -- said of acts,
crimes, etc.
Debauched principles and flagitious
practices.
I. Taylor.
2. Guilty of enormous crimes; corrupt;
profligate; -- said of persons. Pope.
3. Characterized by scandalous crimes or
vices; as, flagitious times. Pope.
Syn. -- Atrocious; villainous; flagrant; heinous; corrupt;
profligate; abandoned. See Atrocious.
-- Fla*gi"tious*ly, adv. --
Fla*gi"tious*ness, n.
A sentence so flagitiously unjust.
Macaulay.
Flag"man (?), n.; pl.
Flagmen (&?;). One who makes signals with a
flag.
Flag"on (?), n. [F. flacon, for
flascon, fr. OF. flasche, from LL. flasco. See
Flask.] A vessel with a narrow mouth, used for holding
and conveying liquors. It is generally larger than a bottle, and of
leather or stoneware rather than of glass.
A trencher of mutton chops, and a flagon of
ale.
Macaulay.
Fla"grance (?), n.
Flagrancy. Bp. Hall.
Fla"gran*cy (?), n.; pl.
Flagrancies (#). [L. flagrantia a burning.
See Flagrant.] 1. A burning; great heat;
inflammation. [Obs.]
Lust causeth a flagrancy in the
eyes.
Bacon.
2. The condition or quality of being
flagrant; atrocity; heiniousness; enormity; excess.
Steele.
Fla"grant (?), a. [L. flagrans,
-antis, p. pr. of flagrate to burn, akin to Gr. &?;:
cf. F. flagrant. Cf. Flame, Phlox.]
1. Flaming; inflamed; glowing; burning;
ardent.
The beadle's lash still flagrant on their
back.
Prior.
A young man yet flagrant from the lash of the
executioner or the beadle.
De Quincey.
Flagrant desires and affections.
Hooker.
2. Actually in preparation, execution, or
performance; carried on hotly; raging.
A war the most powerful of the native tribes was
flagrant.
Palfrey.
3. Flaming into notice; notorious; enormous;
heinous; glaringly wicked.
Syn. -- Atrocious; flagitious; glaring. See
Atrocious.
Fla"grant*ly, adv. In a flagrant
manner.
Fla"grate (?), v. t. [L.
flagrare, flagratum, v.i. & t., to burn.] To
burn. [Obs.] Greenhill.
Fla*gra"tion (?), n. A
conflagration. [Obs.]
Flag"ship` (?), n. (Naut.)
The vessel which carries the commanding officer of a fleet or
squadron and flies his distinctive flag or pennant.
Flag"staff` (?), n.; pl.
-staves (&?;) or -staffs (&?;).
A staff on which a flag is hoisted.
Flag"stone` (?), n. A flat stone
used in paving, or any rock which will split into such stones. See
Flag, a stone.
Flag"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A worm or grub found among flags and sedge.
Flail (?), n. [L. flagellum
whip, scourge, in LL., a threshing flail: cf. OF. flael,
flaiel, F. fléau. See Flagellum.]
1. An instrument for threshing or beating grain
from the ear by hand, consisting of a wooden staff or handle, at the
end of which a stouter and shorter pole or club, called a swipe, is
so hung as to swing freely.
His shadowy flail hath threshed the
corn.
Milton.
2. An ancient military weapon, like the
common flail, often having the striking part armed with rows of
spikes, or loaded. Fairholt.
No citizen thought himself safe unless he carried
under his coat a small flail, loaded with lead, to brain the
Popish assassins.
Macaulay.
Flail"y (?), a. Acting like a
flail. [Obs.] Vicars.
Flain (?), obs. p. p. of
Flay. Chaucer.
Flake (flāk), n. [Cf. Icel.
flaki, fleki, Dan. flage, D. vlaak.]
1. A paling; a hurdle. [prov. Eng.]
2. A platform of hurdles, or small sticks
made fast or interwoven, supported by stanchions, for drying codfish
and other things.
You shall also, after they be ripe, neither suffer
them to have straw nor fern under them, but lay them either upon some
smooth table, boards, or flakes of wands, and they will last
the longer.
English Husbandman.
3. (Naut.) A small stage hung over a
vessel's side, for workmen to stand on in calking, etc.
Flake (flāk), n. [Cf. Icel.
flakna to flake off, split, flagna to flake off, Sw.
flaga flaw, flake, flake plate, Dan. flage
snowflake. Cf. Flag a flat stone.] 1. A
loose filmy mass or a thin chiplike layer of anything; a film; flock;
lamina; layer; scale; as, a flake of snow, tallow, or
fish. "Lottle flakes of scurf." Addison.
Great flakes of ice encompassing our
boat.
Evelyn.
2. A little particle of lighted or
incandescent matter, darted from a fire; a flash.
With flakes of ruddy fire.
Somerville.
3. (Bot.) A sort of carnation with
only two colors in the flower, the petals having large stripes.
Flake knife (Archæol.), a
cutting instrument used by savage tribes, made of a flake or chip of
hard stone. Tylor. -- Flake stand,
the cooling tub or vessel of a still worm. Knight. --
Flake white. (Paint.) (a)
The purest white lead, in the form of flakes or scales.
(b) The trisnitrate of bismuth.
Ure.
Flake, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flaked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flaking.] To form into flakes. Pope.
Flake, v. i. To separate in
flakes; to peel or scale off.
Flak"i*ness (?), n. The state of
being flaky.
Flak"y (?), a. Consisting of
flakes or of small, loose masses; lying, or cleaving off, in flakes
or layers; flakelike.
What showers of mortal hail, what flaky
fires!
Watts.
A flaky weight of winter's purest
snows.
Wordsworth.
Flam (flăm), n. [Cf. AS.
fleám, fl&aemacr;m, flight. √ 84 . Cf.
Flimflam.] A freak or whim; also, a falsehood; a lie; an
illusory pretext; deception; delusion. [Obs.]
A perpetual abuse and flam upon
posterity.
South.
Flam, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flammed ; p. pr. & vb. n.
Flamming.] To deceive with a falsehood. [Obs.]
God is not to be flammed off with
lies.
South.
Flam"beau (?); n.; pl.
Flambeaux (#) or Flambeaus (#).
[F., fr. OF. flambe flame, for flamble, from L.
flammula a little flame, dim. of flamma flame. See
Flame.] A flaming torch, esp. one made by combining
together a number of thick wicks invested with a quick-burning
substance (anciently, perhaps, wax; in modern times, pitch or the
like); hence, any torch.
Flam*boy"ant (?), a. [F.]
(Arch.) Characterized by waving or flamelike curves, as
in the tracery of windows, etc.; -- said of the later (15th century)
French Gothic style.
Flam*boy"er (?), n. [F.
flamboyer to be bright.] (Bot.) A name given in
the East and West Indies to certain trees with brilliant blossoms,
probably species of Cæsalpinia.
Flame (flām), n. [OE.
flame, flaume, flaumbe, OF. flame,
flambe, F. flamme, fr. L. flamma, fr.
flamma, fr. flagrare to burn. See Flagrant, and
cf. Flamneau, Flamingo.] 1. A
stream of burning vapor or gas, emitting light and heat; darting or
streaming fire; a blaze; a fire.
2. Burning zeal or passion; elevated and
noble enthusiasm; glowing imagination; passionate excitement or
anger. "In a flame of zeal severe." Milton.
Where flames refin'd in breasts seraphic
glow.
Pope.
Smit with the love of sister arts we came,
And met congenial, mingling flame with
flame.
Pope.
3. Ardor of affection; the passion of
love. Coleridge.
4. A person beloved; a sweetheart.
Thackeray.
Syn. -- Blaze; brightness; ardor. See Blaze.
Flame bridge, a bridge wall. See
Bridge, n., 5. -- Flame
color, brilliant orange or yellow. B.
Jonson. -- Flame engine, an early name for
the gas engine. -- Flame manometer, an
instrument, invented by Koenig, to obtain graphic representation of
the action of the human vocal organs. See Manometer. --
Flame reaction (Chem.), a method of
testing for the presence of certain elements by the characteristic
color imparted to a flame; as, sodium colors a flame yellow,
potassium violet, lithium crimson, boracic acid green, etc. Cf.
Spectrum analysis, under Spectrum. --
Flame tree (Bot.), a tree with showy
scarlet flowers, as the Rhododendron arboreum in India, and
the Brachychiton acerifolium of Australia.
Flame, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flamed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flaming.] [OE. flamen, flaumben, F.
flamber, OF. also, flamer. See Flame,
n.] 1. To burn with a flame or
blaze; to burn as gas emitted from bodies in combustion; to
blaze.
The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would
make it flame again.
Shak.
2. To burst forth like flame; to break out in
violence of passion; to be kindled with zeal or ardor.
He flamed with indignation.
Macaulay.
Flame, v. t. To kindle; to
inflame; to excite.
And flamed with zeal of vengeance
inwardly.
Spenser.
Flame"-col`ored (?), a. Of the
color of flame; of a bright orange yellow color.
Shak.
Flame"less, a. Destitute of
flame. Sandys.
Flame"let (?), n. [Flame + -
let.] A small flame.
The flamelets gleamed and
flickered.
Longfellow.
Fla"men (?), n.; pl. E.
Flammens (#), L. Flamines (#).
[L.] (Rom. Antiq.) A priest devoted to the service of a
particular god, from whom he received a distinguishing epithet. The
most honored were those of Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus, called
respectively Flamen Dialis, Flamen Martialis, and
Flamen Quirinalis.
Affrights the flamens at their service
quaint.
Milton.
Fla*min"e*ous (?), a. Pertaining
to a flamen; flaminical.
Flam"ing (?), a. 1.
Emitting flames; afire; blazing; consuming;
illuminating.
2. Of the color of flame; high-colored;
brilliant; dazzling. "In flaming yellow bright."
Prior.
3. Ardent; passionate; burning with zeal;
irrepressibly earnest; as, a flaming proclomation or
harangue.
Flam"ing*ly, adv. In a flaming
manner.
Fla*min"go (?), n.; pl.
Flamingoes (#). [Sp. flamenco, cf. Pg.
flamingo, Prov. flammant, F. flamant; prop. a p.
pr. meaning flaming. So called in allusion to its color. See
Flame.] (Zoöl.) Any bird of the genus
Phœnicopterus. The flamingoes have webbed feet, very
long legs, and a beak bent down as if broken. Their color is usually
red or pink. The American flamingo is P. ruber; the European
is P. antiquorum.
Fla*min"i*cal (?), a. Pertaining
to a flamen. Milton.
Flam`ma*bil"ity (?), n. The
quality of being flammable; inflammability. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Flam"ma*ble (?), a.
Inflammable. [Obs.]
Flam*ma"tion (?), n. The act of
setting in a flame or blaze. [Obs.] Sir. T. Browne.
Flam"me*ous (?), a. [L. flammeus
from flamma flame.] Pertaining to, consisting of, or
resembling, flame. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Flam*mif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
flammifer; flamma flame + ferre to bear.]
Producing flame.
Flam*miv"o*mous (?), a. [L.
flammivomus; flamma flame + vomere to vomit.]
Vomiting flames, as a volcano. W. Thompson.
(1745).
Flam"mu*la`ted (?), a. [L.
flammula little flame, dim. fr. flamma flame.] Of
a reddish color.
Flam"y (?), a. [From Flame.]
Flaming; blazing; flamelike; flame-colored; composed of
flame. Pope.
Flanch (?), n.; pl.
Flanches (#). [Prov. E., a projection, OF.
flanche flank. See Flank.] 1. A
flange. [R.]. (Her.) A bearing consisting of a
segment of a circle encroaching on the field from the side.
&fist; Flanches are always in pairs. A pair of
flanches is considered one of the subordinaries.
Flanched (?), a. (Her.)
Having flanches; -- said of an escutcheon with those
bearings.
Flan`co*nade" (?), n. [F.]
(Fencing) A thrust in the side.
||Fla`neur" (?), n. [F., fr.
flâner to stroll.] One who strolls about aimlessly;
a lounger; a loafer.
Flang (?), n. A miner's two-
pointed pick.
Flange (flănj), n. [Prov. E.
flange to project, flanch a projection. See
Flanch, Flank.] 1. An external or
internal rib, or rim, for strength, as the flange of an iron
beam; or for a guide, as the flange of a car wheel (see Car
wheel.); or for attachment to another object, as the
flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc.
Knight.
2. A plate or ring to form a rim at the end
of a pipe when fastened to the pipe.
Blind flange, a plate for covering or
closing the end of a pipe. -- Flange joint,
a joint, as that of pipes, where the connecting pieces have
flanges by which the parts are bolted together. Knight. -
- Flange rail, a rail with a flange on one
side, to keep wheels, etc. from running off. -- Flange
turning, the process of forming a flange on a wrought
iron plate by bending and hammering it when hot.
Flange, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flanged (flănjd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flanging (flăn"j&ibreve;ng).]
(Mach.) To make a flange on; to furnish with a
flange.
Flange, v. i. To be bent into a
flange.
Flanged (flănjd), a. Having
a flange or flanges; as, a flanged wheel.
Flank (flă&nsm;k), n. [F.
flanc, prob. fr. L. flaccus flabby, with n
inserted. Cf. Flaccid, Flanch, Flange.]
1. The fleshy or muscular part of the side of an
animal, between the ribs and the hip. See Illust. of
Beef.
2. (Mil.) (a) The side
of an army, or of any division of an army, as of a brigade, regiment,
or battalion; the extreme right or left; as, to attack an enemy in
flank is to attack him on the side.
When to right and left the front
Divided, and to either flank retired.
Milton.
(b) (Fort.) That part of a bastion
which reaches from the curtain to the face, and defends the curtain,
the flank and face of the opposite bastion; any part of a work
defending another by a fire along the outside of its parapet.
See Illust. of Bastion.
3. (Arch.) The side of any
building. Brands.
4. That part of the acting surface of a gear
wheel tooth that lies within the pitch line.
Flank attack (Mil.), an attack upon
the side of an army or body of troops, distinguished from one upon
its front or rear. -- Flank company
(Mil.), a certain number of troops drawn up on the right
or left of a battalion; usually grenadiers, light infantry, or
riflemen. -- Flank defense (Fort.),
protection of a work against undue exposure to an enemy's direct
fire, by means of the fire from other works, sweeping the ground in
its front. -- Flank en potence (Mil.),
any part of the right or left wing formed at a projecting angle
with the line. -- Flank files, the first
men on the right, and the last on the left, of a company, battalion,
etc. -- Flank march, a march made parallel
or obliquely to an enemy's position, in order to turn it or to attack
him on the flank. -- Flank movement, a
change of march by an army, or portion of one, in order to turn one
or both wings of the enemy, or to take up a new position. --
Flanks of a frontier, salient points in a
national boundary, strengthened to protect the frontier against
hostile incursion. -- Flank patrol,
detachments acting independently of the column of an army, but
patrolling along its flanks, to secure it against surprise and to
observe the movements of the enemy.
Flank (flă&nsm;k), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flanked (flă&nsm;kt);
p. pr. & vb. n. Flanking.] [Cf. F.
flanquer. See Flank, n., and cf.
Flanker, v. t.] 1. To
stand at the flank or side of; to border upon.
Stately colonnades are flanked with
trees.
Pitt.
2. To overlook or command the flank of; to
secure or guard the flank of; to pass around or turn the flank of; to
attack, or threaten to attack; the flank of.
Flank, v. i. 1. To
border; to touch. Bp. Butler.
2. To be posted on the side.
Flank"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, flanks, as a skirmisher or a body of troops sent out upon the
flanks of an army toguard a line of march, or a fort projecting so as
to command the side of an assailing body.
They threw out flankers, and endeavored to
dislodge their assailants.
W. Irwing.
Flank"er, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flankered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flankering.] [See Flank, v. t.]
1. To defend by lateral fortifications.
[Obs.] Sir T. Herbert.
2. To attack sideways. [Obs.]
Evelyn.
Flan"nel (flăn"n&ebreve;l), n.
[F. flanelle, cf. OF. flaine a pillowcase, a mattress
(?); fr. W. gwlanen flannel, fr. gwlan wool; prob. akin
to E. wool. Cf. Wool.] A soft, nappy, woolen
cloth, of loose texture. Shak.
Adam's flannel. (Bot.) See under
Adam. -- Canton flannel, Cotton
flannel. See Cotton flannel, under
Cotton.
Flan"neled (?), a. Covered or
wrapped in flannel.
Flan"nen (?), a. Made or
consisting of flannel. [Obs.] "Flannen robes."
Dryden.
Flap (?), n. [OE. flappe,
flap, blow, bly-flap; cf. D. flap, and E. flap,
v.] Anything broad and limber that hangs
loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved;
as, the flap of a garment.
A cartilaginous flap upon the opening of the
larynx.
Sir T. Browne.
2. A hinged leaf, as of a table or
shutter.
3. The motion of anything broad and loose, or
a stroke or sound made with it; as, the flap of a sail or of a
wing.
4. pl. (Far.) A disease in the
lips of horses.
Flap tile, a tile with a bent up portion, to
turn a corner or catch a drip. -- Flap valve
(Mech.), a valve which opens and shuts upon one hinged
side; a clack valve.
Flap, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flapping (?).] [Prob. of imitative origin; cf. D.
flappen, E. flap, n., flop, flippant,
fillip.] 1. To beat with a flap; to
strike.
Yet let me flap this bug with gilded
wings.
Pope.
2. To move, as something broad and flaplike;
as, to flap the wings; to let fall, as the brim of a
hat.
To flap in the mouth, to taunt. [Obs.]
W. Cartwright.
Flap, v. i. 1. To
move as do wings, or as something broad or loose; to fly with wings
beating the air.
The crows flapped over by twos and
threes.
Lowell.
2. To fall and hang like a flap, as the brim
of a hat, or other broad thing. Gay.
Flap"drag`on (?), n. 1.
A game in which the players catch raisins out burning brandy,
and swallow them blazing. Johnson.
2. The thing thus caught and eaten.
Johnson.
Cakes and ale, and flapdragons and mummer's
plays, and all the happy sports of Christians night.
C. Kingsley.
Flap"drag`on, v. t. To swallow
whole, as a flapdragon; to devour. [Obs.]
See how the sea flapdragoned it.
Shak.
Flap"-eared` (?), a. Having broad,
loose, dependent ears. Shak.
Flap"jack` (?), n. 1.
A fklat cake turned on the griddle while cooking; a griddlecake
or pacake.
2. A fried dough cake containing fruit; a
turnover. [Prov. Eng.]
Flap"-mouthed` (?), a. Having
broad, hangling lips. [R.] Shak.
Flap"per (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, flaps.
2. See Flipper. "The
flapper of a porpoise." Buckley.
Flapper skate (Zoöl.), a
European skate (Raia intermedia).
Flare (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flared (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flaring.] [Cf. Norw. flara to blaze, flame, adorn with
tinsel, dial. Sw. flasa upp, and E. flash, or
flacker.] 1. To burn with an unsteady or
waving flame; as, the candle flares.
2. To shine out with a sudden and unsteady
light; to emit a dazzling or painfully bright light.
3. To shine out with gaudy colors; to flaunt;
to be offensively bright or showy.
With ribbons pendant, flaring about her
head.
Shak.
4. To be exposed to too much light.
[Obs.]
Flaring in sunshine all the day.
Prior.
5. To open or spread outwards; to project
beyond the perpendicular; as, the sides of a bowl flare; the
bows of a ship flare.
To flare up, to become suddenly heated or
excited; to burst into a passion. [Colloq.]
Thackeray.
Flare, n. 1. An
unsteady, broad, offensive light.
2. A spreading outward; as, the flare
of a fireplace.
Flare, n. Leaf of lard.
"Pig's flare." Dunglison.
Flare"-up` (?), n. A sudden burst
of anger or passion; an angry dispute. [Colloq.]
Flar"ing (?), a. 1.
That flares; flaming or blazing unsteadily; shining out with a
dazzling light.
His [the sun's] flaring beams.
Milton.
2. Opening or speading outwards.
Flar"ing*ly, adv. In a flaring
manner.
Flash (flăsh), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Flashed (flăsht);
p. pr. & vb. n. Flashing.] [Cf. OE.
flaskien, vlaskien to pour, sprinkle, dial. Sw.
flasa to blaze, E. flush, flare.]
1. To burst or break forth with a sudden and
transient flood of flame and light; as, the lighting flashes
vividly; the powder flashed.
2. To break forth, as a sudden flood of
light; to burst instantly and brightly on the sight; to show a
momentary brilliancy; to come or pass like a flash.
Names which have flashed and thundered as the
watch words of unnumbered struggles.
Talfourd.
The object is made to flash upon the eye of the
mind.
M. Arnold.
A thought flashed through me, which I clothed
in act.
Tennyson.
3. To burst forth like a sudden flame; to
break out violently; to rush hastily.
Every hour
He flashes into one gross crime or other.
Shak.
To flash in the pan, to fail of success.
[Colloq.] See under Flash, a burst of light.
Bartlett.
Syn. -- Flash, Glitter, Gleam,
Glisten, Glister. Flash differs from
glitter and gleam, denoting a flood or wide extent of
light. The latter words may express the issuing of light from a small
object, or from a pencil of rays. Flash differs from other
words, also, in denoting suddenness of appearance and disappearance.
Flashing differs from exploding or disploding in
not being accompanied with a loud report. To glisten, or
glister, is to shine with a soft and fitful luster, as eyes
suffused with tears, or flowers wet with dew.
Flash (flăsh), v. t.
1. To send out in flashes; to cause to burst
forth with sudden flame or light.
The chariot of paternal Deity,
Flashing thick flames.
Milton.
2. To convey as by a flash; to light up, as
by a sudden flame or light; as, to flash a message along the
wires; to flash conviction on the mind.
3. (Glass Making) To cover with a thin
layer, as objects of glass with glass of a different color. See
Flashing, n., 3
(b).
4. To trick up in a showy manner.
Limning and flashing it with various
dyes.
A. Brewer.
5. [Perh. due to confusion between flash of
light and plash, splash.] To strike and throw up
large bodies of water from the surface; to splash. [Obs.]
He rudely flashed the waves about.
Spenser.
Flashed glass. See Flashing,
n., 3.
Flash, n.; pl.
Flashes (&?;). 1. A sudden
burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously appearing and
disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash of
lightning.
2. A sudden and brilliant burst, as of wit or
genius; a momentary brightness or show.
The flash and outbreak of a fiery
mind.
Shak.
No striking sentiment, no flash of
fancy.
Wirt.
3. The time during which a flash is visible;
an instant; a very brief period.
The Persians and Macedonians had it for a
flash.
Bacon.
4. A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar,
etc., for coloring and giving a fictitious strength to
liquors.
Flash light, or Flashing
light, a kind of light shown by lighthouses, produced
by the revolution of reflectors, so as to show a flash of light every
few seconds, alternating with periods of dimness.
Knight. -- Flash in the pan, the
flashing of the priming in the pan of a flintlock musket without
discharging the piece; hence, sudden, spasmodic effort that
accomplishes nothing.
Flash, a. 1.
Showy, but counterfeit; cheap, pretentious, and vulgar; as,
flash jewelry; flash finery.
2. Wearing showy, counterfeit ornaments;
vulgarly pretentious; as, flash people; flash men or
women; -- applied especially to thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes
that dress in a showy way and wear much cheap jewelry.
Flash house, a house frequented by flash
people, as thieves and whores; hence, a brothel. "A gang of
footpads, reveling with their favorite beauties at a flash
house." Macaulay.
Flash, n. Slang or cant of thieves
and prostitutes.
Flash, n. [OE. flasche,
flaske; cf. OF. flache, F. flaque.]
1. A pool. [Prov. Eng.]
Haliwell.
2. (Engineering) A reservoir and
sluiceway beside a navigable stream, just above a shoal, so that the
stream may pour in water as boats pass, and thus bear them over the
shoal.
Flash wheel (Mech.), a paddle wheel
made to revolve in a breast or curved water way, by which water is
lifted from the lower to the higher level.
Flash"board` (?), n. A board
placed temporarily upon a milldam, to raise the water in the pond
above its usual level; a flushboard. [U.S.]
Flash"er (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, flashes.
2. A man of more appearance of wit than
reality.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) A
large sparoid fish of the Atlantic coast and all tropical seas
(Lobotes Surinamensis). (b) The
European red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio); -- called also
flusher.
Flash"i*ly (?), adv. In a flashy
manner; with empty show.
Flash"i*ness, n. The quality of
being flashy.
Flash"ing, n. 1.
(Engineering) The creation of an artifical flood by the
sudden letting in of a body of water; -- called also
flushing.
2. (Arch.) Pieces of metal, built into
the joints of a wall, so as to lap over the edge of the gutters or to
cover the edge of the roofing; also, similar pieces used to cover the
valleys of roofs of slate, shingles, or the like. By extension, the
metal covering of ridges and hips of roofs; also, in the United
States, the protecting of angles and breaks in walls of frame houses
with waterproof material, tarred paper, or the like. Cf.
Filleting.
3. (Glass Making) (a)
The reheating of an article at the furnace aperture during
manufacture to restore its plastic condition; esp., the reheating of
a globe of crown glass to allow it to assume a flat shape as it is
rotated. (b) A mode of covering
transparent white glass with a film of colored glass.
Knight.
Flashing point (Chem.), that degree
of temperature at which a volatile oil gives off vapor in sufficient
quantity to burn, or flash, on the approach of a flame, used as a
test of the comparative safety of oils, esp. kerosene; a flashing
point of 100° F. is regarded as a fairly safe standard. The
burning point of the oil is usually from ten to thirty degree above
the flashing point of its vapor.
Flash"y (?), a. 1.
Dazzling for a moment; making a momentary show of brilliancy;
transitorily bright.
A little flashy and transient
pleasure.
Barrow.
2. Fiery; vehement; impetuous.
A temper always flashy.
Burke.
3. Showy; gay; gaudy; as, a flashy
dress.
4. Without taste or spirit.
Lean and flashy songs.
Milton.
Flask (?), n. [AS. flasce,
flaxe; akin to D. flesch, OHG. flasca, G.
flasche, Icel. & Sw. flaska, Dan. flaske, OF.
flasche, LL. flasca, flasco; of uncertain
origin; cf. L. vasculum, dim. of vas a vessel, Gr. &?;,
&?;, &?;. Cf. Flagon, Flasket.] 1.
A small bottle-shaped vessel for holding fluids; as, a
flask of oil or wine.
2. A narrow-necked vessel of metal or glass,
used for various purposes; as of sheet metal, to carry gunpowder in;
or of wrought iron, to contain quicksilver; or of glass, to heat
water in, etc.
3. A bed in a gun carriage. [Obs.]
Bailey.
4. (Founding) The wooden or iron frame
which holds the sand, etc., forming the mold used in a foundry; it
consists of two or more parts; viz., the cope or top;
sometimes, the cheeks, or middle part; and the drag, or
bottom part. When there are one or more cheeks, the flask is called a
three part flask, four part flask, etc.
Erlenmeyer flask, a thin glass flask, flat-
bottomed and cone-shaped to allow of safely shaking its contents
laterally without danger of spilling; -- so called from
Erlenmeyer, a German chemist who invented it. --
Florence flask. [From Florence in Italy.]
(a) Same as Betty, n.,
3. (b) A glass flask, round or pear-shaped,
with round or flat bottom, and usually very thin to allow of heating
solutions. -- Pocket flask, a kind of
pocket dram bottle, often covered with metal or leather to protect it
from breaking.
Flask"et (?), n. [Cf. W.
fflasged a vessel of straw or wickerwork, fflasg flask,
basket, and E. flask.] 1. A long, shallow
basket, with two handles. [Eng.]
In which they gathered flowers to fill their
flasket.
Spenser.
2. A small flask.
3. A vessel in which viands are served.
[Obs.] Pope.
Flat (?), a. [Compar.
Flatter (?); superl. Flattest (?).]
[Akin to Icel. flatr, Sw. flat, Dan. flad, OHG.
flaz, and AS. flet floor, G. flötz stratum,
layer.] 1. Having an even and horizontal
surface, or nearly so, without prominences or depressions; level
without inclination; plane.
Though sun and moon
Were in the flat sea sunk.
Milton.
2. Lying at full length, or spread out, upon
the ground; level with the ground or earth; prostrate; as, to lie
flat on the ground; hence, fallen; laid low; ruined;
destroyed.
What ruins kingdoms, and lays cities
flat!
Milton.
I feel . . . my hopes all flat.
Milton.
3. (Fine Arts) Wanting relief;
destitute of variety; without points of prominence and striking
interest.
A large part of the work is, to me, very
flat.
Coleridge.
4. Tasteless; stale; vapid; insipid; dead;
as, fruit or drink flat to the taste.
5. Unanimated; dull; uninteresting; without
point or spirit; monotonous; as, a flat speech or
composition.
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world.
Shak.
6. Lacking liveliness of commercial exchange
and dealings; depressed; dull; as, the market is
flat.
7. Clear; unmistakable; peremptory; absolute;
positive; downright.
Flat burglary as ever was
committed.
Shak.
A great tobacco taker too, -- that's
flat.
Marston.
8. (Mus.) (a) Below
the true pitch; hence, as applied to intervals, minor, or lower by a
half step; as, a flat seventh; A flat.
(b) Not sharp or shrill; not acute; as, a
flat sound.
9. (Phonetics) Sonant; vocal; --
applied to any one of the sonant or vocal consonants, as
distinguished from a nonsonant (or sharp) consonant.
Flat arch. (Arch.) See under
Arch, n., 2. (b). --
Flat cap, cap paper, not folded. See under
Paper. -- Flat chasing, in fine art
metal working, a mode of ornamenting silverware, etc., producing
figures by dots and lines made with a punching tool.
Knight. -- Flat chisel, a sculptor's
chisel for smoothing. -- Flat file, a file
wider than its thickness, and of rectangular section. See
File. -- Flat nail, a small, sharp-
pointed, wrought nail, with a flat, thin head, larger than a
tack. Knight. -- Flat paper, paper
which has not been folded. -- Flat rail, a
railroad rail consisting of a simple flat bar spiked to a
longitudinal sleeper. -- Flat rods
(Mining), horizontal or inclined connecting rods, for
transmitting motion to pump rods at a distance. Raymond.
-- Flat rope, a rope made by plaiting instead
of twisting; gasket; sennit. Some flat hoisting ropes, as for
mining shafts, are made by sewing together a number of ropes, making
a wide, flat band. Knight. -- Flat space.
(Geom.) See Euclidian space. -- Flat
stitch, the process of wood engraving. [Obs.] --
Flat tint (Painting), a coat of water
color of one uniform shade. -- To fall flat
(Fig.), to produce no effect; to fail in the intended effect; as,
his speech fell flat.
Of all who fell by saber or by shot,
Not one fell half so flat as Walter Scott.
Lord Erskine.
Flat (?), adv. 1.
In a flat manner; directly; flatly.
Sin is flat opposite to the
Almighty.
Herbert.
2. (Stock Exchange) Without allowance
for accrued interest. [Broker's Cant]
Flat, n. 1. A
level surface, without elevation, relief, or prominences; an extended
plain; specifically, in the United States, a level tract along the
along the banks of a river; as, the Mohawk Flats.
Envy is as the sunbeams that beat hotter upon a bank,
or steep rising ground, than upon a flat.
Bacon.
2. A level tract lying at little depth below
the surface of water, or alternately covered and left bare by the
tide; a shoal; a shallow; a strand.
Half my power, this night
Passing these flats, are taken by the tide.
Shak.
3. Something broad and flat in form;
as: (a) A flat-bottomed boat, without keel, and
of small draught. (b) A straw hat, broad-
brimmed and low-crowned. (c) (Railroad
Mach.) A car without a roof, the body of which is a platform
without sides; a platform car. (d) A
platform on wheel, upon which emblematic designs, etc., are carried
in processions.
4. The flat part, or side, of anything; as,
the broad side of a blade, as distinguished from its edge.
5. (Arch.) A floor, loft, or story in
a building; especially, a floor of a house, which forms a complete
residence in itself.
6. (Mining) A horizontal vein or ore
deposit auxiliary to a main vein; also, any horizontal portion of a
vein not elsewhere horizontal. Raymond.
7. A dull fellow; a simpleton; a
numskull. [Colloq.]
Or if you can not make a speech,
Because you are a flat.
Holmes.
8. (Mus.) A character [♭] before
a note, indicating a tone which is a half step or semitone
lower.
9. (Geom.) A homaloid space or
extension.
Flat (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flatted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flatting (?).] 1. To make flat; to
flatten; to level.
2. To render dull, insipid, or spiritless; to
depress.
Passions are allayed, appetites are
flatted.
Barrow.
3. To depress in tone, as a musical note;
especially, to lower in pitch by half a tone.
Flat, v. i. 1. To
become flat, or flattened; to sink or fall to an even surface.
Sir W. Temple.
2. (Mus.) To fall form the
pitch.
To flat out, to fail from a promising
beginning; to make a bad ending; to disappoint expectations.
[Colloq.]
Flat"bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any bird of the genus Flatyrynchus. They belong to the
family of flycatchers.
Flat"boat` (?), n. A boat with a
flat bottom and square ends; -- used for the transportation of bulky
freight, especially in shallow waters.
Flat"-bot`tomed (?), a. Having an
even lower surface or bottom; as, a flat-bottomed
boat.
Flat"-cap` (?), n. A kind of low-
crowned cap formerly worn by all classes in England, and continued in
London after disuse elsewhere; -- hence, a citizen of London.
Marston.
Flat"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any fish of the family Pleuronectidæ; esp., the
winter flounder (Pleuronectes Americanus). The flatfishes have
the body flattened, swim on the side, and have eyes on one side, as
the flounder, turbot, and halibut. See Flounder.
Flat" foot` (?). (Med.) A foot in which the
arch of the instep is flattened so that the entire sole of the foot
rests upon the ground; also, the deformity, usually congential,
exhibited by such a foot; splayfoot.
Flat"-foot`ed, a. 1.
Having a flat foot, with little or no arch of the
instep.
2. Firm-footed; determined. [Slang,
U.S.]
Flat"head` (?), a. Characterized
by flatness of head, especially that produced by artificial means, as
a certain tribe of American Indians.
Flat"head`, n. (Ethnol.) A
Chinook Indian. See Chinook, n.,
1.
Flat"-head`ed (?), a. Having a
head with a flattened top; as, a flat-headed nail.
Flat"i`ron (?), n. An iron with a
flat, smooth surface for ironing clothes.
Fla"tive (?), a. [L. flare,
flatum to blow.] Producing wind; flatulent. [Obs.]
A. Brewer.
Flat"ling (?), adv. [Flat,
a. + adverbial suff. -ling.] With the
flat side, as of a sword; flatlong; in a prostrate position.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Flat"long (?; 115), adv. With the
flat side downward; not edgewise. Shak.
Flat"ly, adv. In a flat manner;
evenly; horizontally; without spirit; dully; frigidly; peremptorily;
positively; plainly. "He flatly refused his aid."
Sir P. Sidney.
He that does the works of religion slowly,
flatly, and without appetite.
Jer.
Taylor.
Flat"ness, n. 1.
The quality or state of being flat.
2. Eveness of surface; want of relief or
prominence; the state of being plane or level.
3. Want of vivacity or spirit; prostration;
dejection; depression.
4. Want of variety or flavor; dullness;
insipidity.
5. Depression of tone; the state of being
below the true pitch; -- opposed to sharpness or
acuteness.
Fla*tour" (?), n. [OF.] A
flatterer. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Flat"ten (flăt"t'n), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flattened (?); p. pr.
& vb. n. Flattening.] [From Flat,
a.] 1. To reduce to an even
surface or one approaching evenness; to make flat; to level; to make
plane.
2. To throw down; to bring to the ground; to
prostrate; hence, to depress; to deject; to dispirit.
3. To make vapid or insipid; to render
stale.
4. (Mus.) To lower the pitch of; to
cause to sound less sharp; to let fall from the pitch.
To flatten a sail (Naut.), to set it
more nearly fore-and-aft of the vessel. -- Flattening
oven, in glass making, a heated chamber in which split
glass cylinders are flattened for window glass.
Flat"ten, v. i. To become or grow
flat, even, depressed, dull, vapid, spiritless, or depressed below
pitch.
Flat"ter (flăt"t&etilde;r), n.
1. One who, or that which, makes flat or
flattens.
2. (Metal Working) (a)
A flat-faced fulling hammer. (b) A
drawplate with a narrow, rectangular orifice, for drawing flat
strips, as watch springs, etc.
Flat"ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flattered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flattering.] [OE. flateren, cf. OD. flatteren;
akin to G. flattern to flutter, Icel. fla&?;ra to fawn,
flatter: cf. F. flatter. Cf. Flitter, Flutter,
Flattery.] 1. To treat with praise or
blandishments; to gratify or attempt to gratify the self-love or
vanity of, esp. by artful and interested commendation or attentions;
to blandish; to cajole; to wheedle.
When I tell him he hates flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flattered.
Shak.
A man that flattereth his neighbor, spreadeth a
net for his feet.
Prov. xxix. 5.
Others he flattered by asking their
advice.
Prescott.
2. To raise hopes in; to encourage or
favorable, but sometimes unfounded or deceitful,
representations.
3. To portray too favorably; to give a too
favorable idea of; as, his portrait flatters him.
Flat"ter, v. i. To use flattery or
insincere praise.
If it may stand him more in stead to lie,
Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or adjure.
Milton.
Flat"ter*er (?), n. One who
flatters.
The most abject flaterers degenerate into the
greatest tyrants.
Addison.
Flat"ter*ing, a. That flatters (in
the various senses of the verb); as, a flattering
speech.
Lay not that flattering unction to your
soul.
Shak.
A flattering painter, who made it his care,
To draw men as they ought be, not as they are.
Goldsmith.
Flat"ter*ing*ly, adv. With
flattery.
Flat"ter*y (?), n.; pl.
Flatteries (#). [OE. flaterie, OF.
flaterie, F. flaterie, fr. flater to flatter, F.
flatter; of uncertain origin. See Flatter, v.
t.] The act or practice of flattering; the act of
pleasing by artful commendation or compliments; adulation; false,
insincere, or excessive praise.
Just praise is only a debt, but flattery is a
present.
Rambler.
Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the
giver.
Burke.
Syn. -- Adulation; compliment; obsequiousness. See
Adulation.
Flat"ting (?), n. 1.
The process or operation of making flat, as a cylinder of glass
by opening it out.
2. A mode of painting,in which the paint,
being mixed with turpentine, leaves the work without gloss.
Gwilt.
3. A method of preserving gilding
unburnished, by touching with size. Knolles.
4. The process of forming metal into sheets
by passing it between rolls.
Flatting coat, a coat of paint so put on as
to have no gloss. -- Flatting furnace.
Same as flattening oven, under Flatten. --
Flatting mill. (a) A rolling
mill producing sheet metal; esp., in mints, the ribbon from which the
planchets are punched. (b) A mill in which
grains of metal are flatted by steel rolls, and reduced to metallic
dust, used for purposes of ornamentation.
Flat"tish (?), a. Somewhat
flat. Woodward.
{ Flat"u*lence (?), Flat"u*len*cy (?) },
n. [Cf. F. flatulence.] The state or
quality of being flatulent.
Flat"u*lent (?), a. [L. flatus a
blowing, flatus ventris windiness, flatulence, fr.
flare to blow: cf. F. flatulent. See Blow.]
1. Affected with flatus or gases generated in
the alimentary canal; windy.
2. Generating, or tending to generate, wind
in the stomach.
Vegetables abound more with aërial particles than
animal substances, and therefore are more
flatulent.
Arbuthnot.
3. Turgid with flatus; as, a flatulent
tumor. Quincy.
4. Pretentious without substance or reality;
puffy; empty; vain; as, a flatulent vanity.
He is too flatulent sometimes, and sometimes
too dry.
Dryden.
Flat"u*lent*ly, adv. In a
flatulent manner; with flatulence.
Flat`u*os"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
flatuosité.] Flatulence. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Flat"u*ous (?), a. [Cf. F.
flatueux.] Windy; generating wind. [Obs.]
Bacon.
||Fla"tus (?), n.; pl. E.
Flatuses (#), L. Flatus. [L., fr.
flare to blow.] 1. A breath; a puff of
wind. Clarke.
2. Wind or gas generated in the stomach or
other cavities of the body. Quincy.
Flat"ware` (?), n. Articles for
the table, as china or silverware, that are more or less flat, as
distinguished from hollow ware.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Flat"wise` (?), a. or adv. With
the flat side downward, or next to another object; not
edgewise.
Flat"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Any worm belonging to the Plathelminthes; also, sometimes
applied to the planarians.
Flaun"drish (? or ?), a.
Flemish. [Obs.]
Flaunt (flänt or fl&add;nt; 277), v.
i. [imp. & p. p. Flaunted;
p. pr. & vb. n.. Flaunting.] [Cf. dial. G.
flandern to flutter, wave; perh. akin to E. flatter,
flutter.] To throw or spread out; to flutter; to move
ostentatiously; as, a flaunting show.
You flaunt about the streets in your new gilt
chariot.
Arbuthnot.
One flaunts in rags, one flutters in
brocade.
Pope.
Flaunt, v. t. To display
ostentatiously; to make an impudent show of.
Flaunt, n. Anything displayed for
show. [Obs.]
In these my borrowed flaunts.
Shak.
Flaunt"ing*ly, adv. In a flaunting
way.
Flau"tist (?), n. [It. flauto a
flute See Flute.] A player on the flute; a
flutist.
||Flau"to (flou"t&osl;), n. [It.]
A flute.
Flaute piccolo (&?;) [It., little flute], an
octave flute. -- Flauto traverso (&?;) [It.,
transverse flute], the German flute, held laterally, instead of
being played, like the old flûte à bec, with a
mouth piece at the end.
Fla*van"i*line (? or ?; 104), n. [L.
flavus yellow + E. aniline.] (Chem.) A
yellow, crystalline, organic dyestuff,
C16H14N2, of artifical production.
It is a strong base, and is a complex derivative of aniline and
quinoline.
Fla*ves"cent (?), a. [L.
flavescens, p. pr. of flavescere to turn yellow.]
Turning yellow; yellowish.
Fla*vic"o*mous (?), a. [L.
flavicomus; flavus yellow + coma hair.]
Having yellow hair. [R.]
Fla"vin (?), n. [L. flavus
yellow.] (Chem.) A yellow, vegetable dyestuff, resembling
quercitron.
Fla"vine (?; 104), n. (Chem.)
A yellow, crystalline, organic base,
C13H12N2O, obtained
artificially.
Fla"vol (?), n. [L. flavus
yellow + -oil.] (Chem.) A yellow, crystalline
substance, obtained from anthraquinone, and regarded as a hydroxyl
derivative of it.
Fla"vor (?), n. [OF. fleur,
flaur (two syllables), odor, cf. F. fleurer to emit an
odor, It. flatore a bad odor, prob. fr. L. flare to
bow, whence the sense of exhalation. Cf. Blow.]
[Written also flavour.] 1. That quality
of anything which affects the smell; odor; fragrances; as, the
flavor of a rose.
2. That quality of anything which affects the
taste; that quality which gratifies the palate; relish; zest; savor;
as, the flavor of food or drink.
3. That which imparts to anything a peculiar
odor or taste, gratifying to the sense of smell, or the nicer
perceptions of the palate; a substance which flavors.
4. That quality which gives character to any
of the productions of literature or the fine arts.
Fla"vor, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flavored (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flavoring.] To give flavor to; to add something (as salt
or a spice) to, to give character or zest.
Fla"vored (?), a. Having a
distinct flavor; as, high-flavored wine.
Fla"vor*less (?), a. Without
flavor; tasteless.
Fla"vor*ous (?), a. Imparting
flavor; pleasant to the taste or smell; sapid.
Dryden.
Fla"vous (?), a. [L. flavus.]
Yellow. [Obs.]
Flaw (fl&add;), n. [OE. flai,
flaw flake; cf. Sw. flaga flaw, crack, breach, flake,
D. vlaag gust of wind, Norw. flage, flaag, and
E. flag a flat stone.] 1. A crack or
breach; a gap or fissure; a defect of continuity or cohesion; as, a
flaw in a knife or a vase.
This heart
Shall break into a hundered thousand flaws.
Shak.
2. A defect; a fault; as, a flaw in
reputation; a flaw in a will, in a deed, or in a
statute.
Has not this also its flaws and its dark
side?
South.
3. A sudden burst of noise and disorder; a
tumult; uproar; a quarrel. [Obs.]
And deluges of armies from the town
Came pouring in; I heard the mighty flaw.
Dryden.
4. A sudden burst or gust of wind of short
duration.
Snow, and hail, and stormy gust and
flaw.
Milton.
Like flaws in summer laying lusty
corn.
Tennyson.
Syn. -- Blemish; fault; imperfection; spot; speck.
Flaw, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flawed (fl&add;d); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flawing.] 1. To crack; to
make flaws in.
The brazen caldrons with the frosts are
flawed.
Dryden.
2. To break; to violate; to make of no
effect. [Obs.]
France hath flawed the league.
Shak.
Flaw"less, a. Free from
flaws. Boyle.
Flawn (fl&add;n), n. [OF. flaon,
F. flan, LL. flado, fr. OHG. flado, G.
fladen, a sort of pancake; cf. Gr. &?; broad. See
Place.] A sort of flat custard or pie. [Obs.]
Tusser.
Flaw"ter (?), v. t. [Cf. Flay.]
To scrape or pare, as a skin. [Obs.] Johnson.
Flaw"y (?), a. 1.
Full of flaws or cracks; broken; defective; faulty.
Johnson.
2. Subject to sudden flaws or gusts of
wind.
Flax (flăks), n. [AS.
fleax; akin to D. vlas, OHG. flahs, G.
flachs, and prob. to flechten to braid, plait,m twist,
L. plectere to weave, plicare to fold, Gr. &?; to
weave, plait. See Ply.] 1. (Bot.)
A plant of the genus Linum, esp. the L.
usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot
and a half high, with blue flowers. The fiber of the bark is used for
making thread and cloth, called linen, cambric,
lawn, lace, etc. Linseed oil is expressed from the
seed.
2. The skin or fibrous part of the flax
plant, when broken and cleaned by hatcheling or combing.
Earth flax (Min.), amianthus. --
Flax brake, a machine for removing the woody
portion of flax from the fibrous. -- Flax
comb, a hatchel, hackle, or heckle. --
Flax cotton, the fiber of flax, reduced by
steeping in bicarbonate of soda and acidulated liquids, and prepared
for bleaching and spinning like cotton. Knight. --
Flax dresser, one who breaks and swingles flax,
or prepares it for the spinner. -- Flax mill,
a mill or factory where flax is spun or linen manufactured.
-- Flax puller, a machine for pulling flax
plants in the field. -- Flax wench.
(a) A woman who spins flax. [Obs.]
(b) A prostitute. [Obs.] Shak. --
Mountain flax (Min.), amianthus. --
New Zealand flax (Bot.) See Flax-
plant.
Flax"en (?), a. Made of flax;
resembling flax or its fibers; of the color of flax; of a light soft
straw color; fair and flowing, like flax or tow; as, flaxen
thread; flaxen hair.
Flax"-plant` (?), n. (Bot.)
A plant in new Zealand (Phormium tenax), allied to the
lilies and aloes. The leaves are two inches wide and several feet
long, and furnish a fiber which is used for making ropes, mats, and
coarse cloth.
Flax"seed` (?), n. The seed of the
flax; linseed.
Flax"weed` (?), n. (Bot.)
See Toadflax.
Flax"y (?), a. Like flax;
flaxen. Sir M. Sandys.
Flay (flā), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Flayed (flād); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flaying.] [OE. flean, flan, AS.
fleán; akin to D. vlaen, Icel. flā,
Sw. flå, Dan. flaae, cf. Lith. pleszti to
tear, plyszti, v.i., to burst, tear; perh. akin to E.
flag a flat stone, flaw.] To skin; to strip off
the skin or surface of; as, to flay an ox; to flay the
green earth.
With her nails
She 'll flay thy wolfish visage.
Shak.
Flay"er (?), n. One who strips off
the skin.
Flea (flē), v. t. [See
Flay.] To flay. [Obs.]
He will be fleaed first
And horse collars made of's skin.
J.
Fletcher.
Flea, n. [OE. fle, flee,
AS. fleá, fleáh; akin to D. vtoo,
OHG. flōh, G. floh, Icel. flō, Russ.
blocha; prob. from the root of E. flee. √84. See
Flee.] (Zoöl.) An insect belonging to the
genus Pulex, of the order Aphaniptera. Fleas are destitute of wings,
but have the power of leaping energetically. The bite is poisonous to
most persons. The human flea (Pulex irritans), abundant in
Europe, is rare in America, where the dog flea (P. canis)
takes its place. See Aphaniptera, and Dog flea. See
Illustration in Appendix.
A flea in the ear, an unwelcome hint or
unexpected reply, annoying like a flea; an irritating repulse; as, to
put a flea in one's ear; to go away with a flea in one's
ear. -- Beach flea, Black
flea, etc. See under Beach, etc.
Flea"bane` (?), n. (Bot.)
One of various plants, supposed to have efficacy in driving away
fleas. They belong, for the most part, to the genera Conyza,
Erigeron, and Pulicaria.
Flea"-bee`tle (?), n.
(Zoöl.) A small beetle of the family
Halticidæ, of many species. They have strong posterior
legs and leap like fleas. The turnip flea-beetle (Phyllotreta
vittata) and that of the grapevine (Graptodera chalybea)
are common injurious species.
Flea"-bite` (?), n. 1.
The bite of a flea, or the red spot caused by the
bite.
2. A trifling wound or pain, like that of the
bite of a flea. Harvey.
Flea"-bit`ten (?), a.
1. Bitten by a flea; as, a flea-bitten
face.
2. White, flecked with minute dots of bay or
sorrel; -- said of the color of a horse.
Fleagh (flē), obs. imp. of
Fly.
Fleak (flēk), n. A flake; a
thread or twist. [Obs.]
Little long fleaks or threads of
hemp.
Dr. H. More.
Fleak"ing, n. A light covering of
reeds, over which the main covering is laid, in thatching
houses. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.
Flea"-louse` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) A jumping plant louse of the family
Psyllidæ, of many species. That of the pear tree is
Psylla pyri.
Fleam (?), n. [F. flamme, OF.
flieme, fr. LL. flevotomum, phlebotomum; cf. D.
vlijm. See Phlebotomy.] (Surg. & Far.) A
sharp instrument used for opening veins, lancing gums, etc.; a kind
of lancet.
Fleam tooth, a tooth of a saw shaped like an
isosceles triangle; a peg tooth. Knight.
Fleam"y (?), a. Bloody;
clotted. [Obs. or Prov.]
Foamy bubbling of a fleamy brain.
Marston.
Flear (?), v. t. & i. See
Fleer.
Flea"wort` (?), n. (Bot.)
An herb used in medicine (Plantago Psyllium), named from
the shape of its seeds. Loudon.
||Flèche (?), n. [F.
flèche, prop., an arrow.] (Fort.) A simple
fieldwork, consisting of two faces forming a salient angle pointing
outward and open at the gorge.
Fleck (fl&ebreve;k), n. A flake;
also, a lock, as of wool. [Obs.] J. Martin.
Fleck (?), n. [Cf. Icel. flekkr;
akin to Sw. fläck, D. vlek, G. fleck, and
perh. to E. flitch.] A spot; a streak; a speckle.
"A sunny fleck." Longfellow.
Life is dashed with flecks of sin.
tennyson.
Fleck, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flecked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flecking.] [Cf. Icel. flekka, Sw. fläcka,
D. vlekken, vlakken, G. flecken. See
Fleck, n.] To spot; to streak or
stripe; to variegate; to dapple.
Both flecked with white, the true Arcadian
strain.
Dryden.
A bird, a cloud, flecking the sunny
air.
Trench.
Fleck"er (?), v. t. To
fleck. Johnson.
Fleck"less, a. Without spot or
blame. [R.]
My consnience will not count me
fleckless.
Tennyson.
Flec"tion (?), n. [See Flexion.]
1. The act of bending, or state of being
bent.
2. The variation of words by declension,
comparison, or conjugation; inflection.
Flec"tion*al (?), a. Capable of,
or pertaining to, flection or inflection.
A flectional word is a phrase in the
bud.
Earle.
Flec"tor (?), n. A
flexor.
Fled (?), imp. & p. p. of
Flee.
Fledge (?), a. [OE. flegge,
flygge; akin to D. vlug, G. flügge,
flücke, OHG. flucchi, Icel. fleygr, and to
E. fly. √84. See Fly, v. i.]
Feathered; furnished with feathers or wings; able to
fly.
His shoulders, fledge with wings.
Milton.
Fledge, v. t. & i. [imp. & p.
p. Fledged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fledging.] 1. To furnish with feathers;
to supply with the feathers necessary for flight.
The birds were not as yet fledged enough to
shift for themselves.
L'Estrange.
2. To furnish or adorn with any soft
covering.
Your master, whose chin is not yet
fledged.
Shak.
Fledge"ling (?), n. A young bird
just fledged.
Flee (flē), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Fled (fl&ebreve;d); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fleeing.] [OE. fleon, fleen, AS.
fleón (imperf. fleáh); akin to D.
vlieden, OHG. & OS. fliohan, G. fliehen, Icel.
fl&ymacr;ja (imperf. fl&ymacr;ði), Dan.
flye, Sw. fly (imperf. flydde), Goth.
þliuhan. √84. Cf. Flight.] To run
away, as from danger or evil; to avoid in an alarmed or cowardly
manner; to hasten off; -- usually with from. This is sometimes
omitted, making the verb transitive.
[He] cowardly fled, not having struck one
stroke.
Shak.
Flee fornication.
1 Cor. vi.
18.
So fled his enemies my warlike
father.
Shak.
&fist; When great speed is to be indicated, we commonly use
fly, not flee; as, fly hence to France with the
utmost speed. "Whither shall I fly to 'scape their hands?"
Shak. See Fly, v. i., 5.
Fleece (flēs), n. [OE.
flees, AS. fleós; akin to D. flies,
vlies .] 1. The entire coat of wool that
covers a sheep or other similar animal; also, the quantity shorn from
a sheep, or animal, at one time.
Who shore me
Like a tame wether, all my precious fleece.
Milton.
2. Any soft woolly covering resembling a
fleece.
3. (Manuf.) The fine web of cotton or
wool removed by the doffing knife from the cylinder of a carding
machine.
Fleece wool, wool shorn from the sheep.
-- Golden fleece. See under
Golden.
Fleece, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fleeced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fleecing.] 1. To deprive of a fleece, or
natural covering of wool.
2. To strip of money or other property
unjustly, especially by trickery or fraud; to bring to straits by
oppressions and exactions.
Whilst pope and prince shared the wool betwixt them,
the people were finely fleeced.
Fuller.
3. To spread over as with wool. [R.]
Thomson.
Fleeced (?), a. 1.
Furnished with a fleece; as, a sheep is well
fleeced. Spenser.
2. Stripped of a fleece; plundered;
robbed.
Fleece"less (?), a. Without a
fleece.
Flee"cer (?), n. One who fleeces
or strips unjustly, especially by trickery or fraund.
Prynne.
Flee"cy (?), a. Covered with, made
of, or resembling, a fleece. "Fleecy flocks."
Prior.
Fleen (?), n. pl. Obs.
pl. of Flea. Chaucer.
Fle"er (?), n. One who
flees. Ld. Berners.
Fleer (?), [imp. & p. p. Fleered
(&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Fleering.] [OE.
flerien; cf. Scot. fleyr, Norw. flira to titter,
giggle, laugh at nothing, MHG. vlerre, vlarre, a wide
wound.] 1. To make a wry face in contempt, or to
grin in scorn; to deride; to sneer; to mock; to gibe; as, to
fleer and flout.
To fleer and scorn at our
solemnity.
Shak.
2. To grin with an air of civility; to
leer. [Obs.]
Grinning and fleering as though they went to a
bear baiting.
Latimer.
Fleer, v. t. To mock; to flout
at. Beau. & Fl.
Fleer, n. 1. A
word or look of derision or mockery.
And mark the fleers, the gibes, and notable
scorn.
Shak.
2. A grin of civility; a leer.
[Obs.]
A sly, treacherous fleer on the face of
deceivers.
South.
Fleer"er (?), n. One who
fleers. Beau. & Fl.
Fleer"ing*ly, adv. In a fleering
manner.
Fleet (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fleeted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fleeting.] [OE. fleten, fleoten, to swim, AS.
fleótan to swim, float; akin to D. vlieten to
flow, OS. fliotan, OHG. fliozzan, G. fliessen,
Icel. fljōta to float, flow, Sw. flyta, D.
flyde, L. pluere to rain, Gr. &?; to sail, swim, float,
Skr. plu to swim, sail. √84. Cf. Fleet,
n. & a., Float, Pluvial,
Flow.] 1. To sail; to float.
[Obs.]
And in frail wood on Adrian Gulf doth
fleet.
Spenser.
2. To fly swiftly; to pass over quickly; to
hasten; to flit as a light substance.
All the unaccomplished works of Nature's hand, . . .
Dissolved on earth, fleet hither.
Milton.
3. (Naut.) To slip on the whelps or
the barrel of a capstan or windlass; -- said of a cable or
hawser.
Fleet, v. t. 1. To
pass over rapidly; to skin the surface of; as, a ship that
fleets the gulf. Spenser.
2. To hasten over; to cause to pass away
lighty, or in mirth and joy.
Many young gentlemen flock to him, and fleet
the time carelessly.
Shak.
3. (Naut.) (a) To draw
apart the blocks of; -- said of a tackle. Totten.
(b) To cause to slip down the barrel of a
capstan or windlass, as a rope or chain.
Fleet, a. [Compar.
Fleeter (?); superl. Fleetest.] [Cf.
Icel. flj&?;tr quick. See Fleet, v.
i.] 1. Swift in motion; moving with
velocity; light and quick in going from place to place;
nimble.
In mail their horses clad, yet fleet and
strong.
Milton.
2. Light; superficially thin; not penetrating
deep, as soil. [Prov. Eng.] Mortimer.
Fleet, n. [OE. flete,
fleote, AS. fleót ship, fr.
fleótan to float, swim. See Fleet, v.
i. and cf. Float.] A number of vessels in
company, especially war vessels; also, the collective naval force of
a country, etc.
Fleet captain, the senior aid of the admiral
of a fleet, when a captain. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Fleet, n. [AS. fleót a
place where vessels float, bay, river; akin to D. vliet rill,
brook, G. fliess. See Fleet, v. i.]
1. A flood; a creek or inlet; a bay or estuary;
a river; -- obsolete, except as a place name, -- as Fleet
Street in London.
Together wove we nets to entrap the fish
In floods and sedgy fleets.
Matthewes.
2. A former prison in London, which
originally stood near a stream, the Fleet (now filled
up).
Fleet parson, a clergyman of low character,
in, or in the vicinity of, the Fleet prison, who was ready to unite
persons in marriage (called Fleet marriage) at any hour,
without public notice, witnesses, or consent of parents.
Fleet (?), v. t. [AS. flēt
cream, fr. fleótan to float. See Fleet,
v. i.] To take the cream from; to skim.
[Prov. Eng.] Johnson.
Fleet"en (?), n. Fleeted or
skimmed milk. [Obs.]
Fleeten face, a face of the color of
fleeten, i. e., blanched; hence, a coward. "You know
where you are, you fleeten face." Beau. & Fl.
Fleet"-foot` (?), a. Swift of
foot. Shak.
Fleet"ing, a. Passing swiftly
away; not durable; transient; transitory; as, the fleeting
hours or moments.
Syn. -- Evanescent; ephemeral. See Transient.
Fleet"ing*ly, adv. In a fleeting
manner; swiftly.
Fleet"ings (?), n. pl. A mixture
of buttermilk and boiling whey; curds. [prov. Eng.]
Wright.
Fleet"ly, adv. In a fleet manner;
rapidly.
Fleet"ness, n. Swiftness;
rapidity; velocity; celerity; speed; as, the fleetness of a
horse or of time.
Fleigh (?), obs. imp. of
Fly. Chaucer.
Fleme (?), v. t. [AS.
flēman, fl&ymacr;man.] To banish; to drive
out; to expel. [Obs.] "Appetite flemeth discretion."
Chaucer.
Flem"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, banishes or expels. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Flem"ing (?), n. A native or
inhabitant of Flanders.
Flem"ish (?), a. Pertaining to
Flanders, or the Flemings. -- n. The
language or dialect spoken by the Flemings; also, collectively, the
people of Flanders.
Flemish accounts (Naut.), short or
deficient accounts. [Humorous] Ham. Nav. Encyc. --
Flemish beauty (Bot.), a well known
pear. It is one of few kinds which have a red color on one side.
-- Flemish bond. (Arch.) See
Bond, n., 8. -- Flemish
brick, a hard yellow paving brick. --
Flemish coil, a flat coil of rope with the end
in the center and the turns lying against, without riding over, each
other. -- Flemish eye (Naut.), an
eye formed at the end of a rope by dividing the strands and lying
them over each other. -- Flemish horse
(Naut.), an additional footrope at the end of a
yard.
Flench (?), v. t. Same as
Flence.
Flense (?), v. t. [Cf. Dan.
flense, D. vlensen, vlenzen, Scot.
flinch.] To strip the blubber or skin from, as from a
whale, seal, etc.
the flensed carcass of a fur seal.
U. S. Census (1880).
Flesh (?), n. [OE. flesch,
flesc, AS. fl&?;sc; akin to OFries. flāsk,
D. vleesch, OS. fl&?;sk, OHG. fleisc, G.
fleisch, Icel. & Dan. flesk lard, bacon, pork, Sw.
fläsk.] 1. The aggregate of the
muscles, fat, and other tissues which cover the framework of bones in
man and other animals; especially, the muscles.
&fist; In composition it is mainly albuminous, but contains in
adition a large number of crystalline bodies, such as creatin,
xanthin, hypoxanthin, carnin, etc. It is also rich in phosphate of
potash.
2. Animal food, in distinction from
vegetable; meat; especially, the body of beasts and birds used as
food, as distinguished from fish.
With roasted flesh, or milk, and wastel
bread.
Chaucer.
3. The human body, as distinguished from the
soul; the corporeal person.
As if this flesh, which walls about our
life,
Were brass impregnable.
Shak.
4. The human eace; mankind;
humanity.
All flesh had corrupted his way upon the
earth.
Gen. vi. 12.
5. Human nature: (a)
In a good sense, tenderness of feeling; gentleness.
There is no flesh in man's obdurate
heart.
Cowper.
(b) In a bad sense, tendency to transient or
physical pleasure; desire for sensual gratification; carnality.
(c) (Theol.) The character under the
influence of animal propensities or selfish passions; the soul
unmoved by spiritual influences.
6. Kindred; stock; race.
He is our brother and our flesh.
Gen. xxxvii. 27.
7. The soft, pulpy substance of fruit; also,
that part of a root, fruit, and the like, which is fit to be
eaten.
&fist; Flesh is often used adjectively or self-explaining
compounds; as, flesh broth or flesh-broth; flesh
brush or fleshbrush; flesh tint or flesh-tint;
flesh wound.
After the flesh, after the manner of man; in
a gross or earthly manner. "Ye judge after the flesh."
John viii. 15. -- An arm of flesh, human
strength or aid. -- Flesh and blood. See
under Blood. -- Flesh broth, broth
made by boiling flesh in water. -- Flesh fly
(Zoöl.), one of several species of flies whose
larvæ or maggots feed upon flesh, as the bluebottle fly; --
called also meat fly, carrion fly, and blowfly.
See Blowly. -- Flesh meat, animal
food. Swift. -- Flesh side, the
side of a skin or hide which was next to the flesh; -- opposed to
grain side. -- Flesh tint
(Painting), a color used in painting to imitate the hue of
the living body. -- Flesh worm
(Zoöl.), any insect larva of a flesh fly. See
Flesh fly (above). -- Proud flesh.
See under Proud. -- To be one
flesh, to be closely united as in marriage; to become
as one person. Gen. ii. 24.
Flesh, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fleshed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fleshing.] 1. To feed with flesh, as an
incitement to further exertion; to initiate; -- from the practice of
training hawks and dogs by feeding them with the first game they
take, or other flesh. Hence, to use upon flesh (as a murderous
weapon) so as to draw blood, especially for the first time.
Full bravely hast thou fleshed
Thy maiden sword.
Shak.
The wild dog
Shall flesh his tooth on every innocent.
Shak.
2. To glut; to satiate; hence, to harden, to
accustom. "Fleshed in triumphs." Glanvill.
Old soldiers
Fleshed in the spoils of Germany and France.
Beau. & Fl.
3. (Leather Manufacture) To remove
flesh, membrance, etc., from, as from hides.
Fleshed (?), a. 1.
Corpulent; fat; having flesh.
2. Glutted; satiated; initiated.
Fleshed with slaughter.
Dryden.
Flesh"er (?), n. 1.
A butcher.
A flesher on a block had laid his whittle
down.
Macaulay.
2. A two-handled, convex, blunt-edged knife,
for scraping hides; a fleshing knife.
Flesh"hood (?), n. The state or
condition of having a form of flesh; incarnation. [R.]
Thou, who hast thyself
Endured this fleshhood.
Mrs. Browning.
Flesh"i*ness (?), n. The state of
being fleshy; plumpness; corpulence; grossness.
Milton.
Flesh"ings (?), n. pl. Flesh-
colored tights, worn by actors and dancers. D.
Jerrold.
Flesh"less, a. Destitute of flesh;
lean. Carlyle.
Flesh"li*ness (?), n. The state of
being fleshly; carnal passions and appetites.
Spenser.
Flesh"ling (?), n. A person
devoted to fleshly things. [Obs.] Spenser.
Flesh"ly (-l&ybreve;), a. [AS.
fl&aemacr;sclīc.] 1. Of or
pertaining to the flesh; corporeal. "Fleshly bondage."
Denham.
2. Animal; not vegetable.
Dryden.
3. Human; not celestial; not spiritual or
divine. "Fleshly wisdom." 2 Cor. i. 12.
Much ostentation vain of fleshly arm
And fragile arms.
Milton.
4. Carnal; wordly; lascivious.
Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the
soul.
1 Pet. ii. 11.
Flesh"ly, adv. In a fleshly
manner; carnally; lasciviously. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Flesh"ment (?), n. The act of
fleshing, or the excitement attending a successful beginning.
[R.] Shak.
Flesh"mon`ger (?), n. [AS.
fl&aemacr;sc mangere.] One who deals in flesh; hence, a
pimp; a procurer; a pander. [R.] Shak.
Flesh"pot` (?), n. A pot or vessel
in which flesh is cooked; hence (pl.), plenty; high
living.
In the land of Egypt . . . we sat by the
fleshpots, and . . . did eat bread to the full.
Ex. xvi. 3.
Flesh"quake` (?), n. A quaking or
trembling of the flesh; a quiver. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Flesh"y (?), a.
[Compar. Fleshier (?);
superl. Fleshiest (?).] 1.
Full of, or composed of, flesh; plump; corpulent; fat;
gross.
The sole of his foot is fleshy.
Ray.
2. Human. [Obs.] "Fleshy
tabernacle." Milton.
3. (Bot.) Composed of firm pulp;
succulent; as, the houseleek, cactus, and agave are fleshy
plants.
Flet (?), p. p. of Fleet.
Skimmed. [Obs.]
Fletch (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fletched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fletching.] [F. flèche arrow.] To feather,
as an arrow. Bp. Warburton.
[Congress] fletched their complaint, by adding:
"America loved his brother."
Bancroft.
Fletch"er (?), n. [OF.
flechier.] One who fletches or feathers arrows; a
manufacturer of bows and arrows. [Obs.] Mortimer.
Flete (?), v. i. [See Fleet,
v. i.] To float; to swim. [Obs.]
"Whether I sink or flete." Chaucer.
Fle*tif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
fletifer; fletus a weeping (from flere,
fletum, to weep) + ferre to bear.] Producing
tears. [Obs.] Blount.
||Fleur`-de-lis` (?), n.; pl.
Fleurs-de-lis (#). [F., flower of the lily. Cf.
Flower-de-luce, Lily.] 1. (Bot.)
The iris. See Flower-de-luce.
2. A conventional flower suggested by the
iris, and having a form which fits it for the terminal decoration of
a scepter, the ornaments of a crown, etc. It is also a heraldic
bearing, and is identified with the royal arms and adornments of
France.
Fleur"y (?), a. [F. fleuri
covered with flowers, p. p. of fleurir. See Flourish.]
(Her.) Finished at the ends with fleurs-de-lis; -- said
esp. of a cross so decorated.
Flew (?), imp. of
Fly.
Flewed (?), a. Having large
flews. Shak.
Flews (?), n. pl. The pendulous or
overhanging lateral parts of the upper lip of dogs, especially
prominent in hounds; -- called also chaps. See Illust.
of Bloodhound.
Flex (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flexed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flexing.] [L. flexus, p. p. of flectere to bend,
perh. flectere and akin to falx sickle, E.
falchion. Cf. Flinch.] To bend; as, to
flex the arm.
Flex, n. Flax. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Flex*an"i*mous (?), a. [L.
flexanimus; flectere, flexum, to bend +
animus mind.] Having power to change the mind.
[Obs.] Howell.
Flex`i*bil"i*ty (?), n. [L.
flexibilitas: cf. F. flexibilite.] The state or
quality of being flexible; flexibleness; pliancy; pliability; as, the
flexibility of strips of hemlock, hickory, whalebone or metal,
or of rays of light. Sir I. Newton.
All the flexibility of a veteran
courtier.
Macaulay.
Flex"i*ble (?), a. [L.
flexibilis: cf. F. flexible.] 1.
Capable of being flexed or bent; admitting of being turned,
bowed, or twisted, without breaking; pliable; yielding to pressure;
not stiff or brittle.
When the splitting wind
Makes flexible the knees of knotted oaks.
Shak.
2. Willing or ready to yield to the influence
of others; not invincibly rigid or obstinate; tractable; manageable;
ductile; easy and compliant; wavering.
Phocion was a man of great severity, and no ways
flexible to the will of the people.
Bacon.
Women are soft, mild, pitiful, and
flexible.
Shak.
3. Capable or being adapted or molded;
plastic,; as, a flexible language.
This was a principle more flexible to their
purpose.
Rogers.
Syn. -- Pliant; pliable; supple; tractable; manageable;
ductile; obsequious; inconstant; wavering.
-- Flex"i*ble*ness, n. --
Flex"i*bly, adv.
Flex`i*cos"tate (?), a. [L.
flexus bent + E. costate.] (Anat.) Having
bent or curved ribs.
Flex"ile (?), a. [L. flexilis.]
Flexible; pliant; pliable; easily bent; plastic;
tractable. Wordsworth.
Flex"ion (?), n. [L. flexio: cf.
F. flexion.] 1. The act of flexing or
bending; a turning.
2. A bending; a part bent; a fold.
Bacon.
3. (Gram.) Syntactical change of form
of words, as by declension or conjugation; inflection.
Express the syntactical relations by
flexion.
Sir W. Hamilton.
4. (Physiol.) The bending of a limb or
joint; that motion of a joint which gives the distal member a
continually decreasing angle with the axis of the proximal part; --
distinguished from extension.
Flex"or (?), n. [NL.] (Anat.)
A muscle which bends or flexes any part; as, the flexors
of the arm or the hand; -- opposed to extensor.
Flex"u*ose` (?; 135), a.
Flexuous.
Flex"u*ous (?), a. [L.
flexuosus, fr. flexus a bending, turning.]
1. Having turns, windings, or
flexures.
2. (Bot.) Having alternate curvatures
in opposite directions; bent in a zigzag manner.
3. Wavering; not steady; flickering.
Bacon.
Flex"u*ral (?), a. [From
Flexure.] Of, pertaining to, or resulting from, flexure;
of the nature of, or characterized by, flexure; as, flexural
elasticity.
Flex"ure (?; 135), n. [L.
flexura.] 1. The act of flexing or
bending; a turning or curving; flexion; hence, obsequious bowing or
bending.
Will it give place to flexure and low
bending?
Shak.
2. A turn; a bend; a fold; a curve.
Varying with the flexures of the valley through
which it meandered.
British Quart. Rev.
3. (Zoöl.) The last joint, or
bend, of the wing of a bird.
4. (Astron.) The small distortion of
an astronomical instrument caused by the weight of its parts; the
amount to be added or substracted from the observed readings of the
instrument to correct them for this distortion.
The flexure of a curve (Math.), the
bending of a curve towards or from a straight line.
Flib"ber*gib (?), n. A
sycophant. [Obs. & Humorous.] "Flatterers and
flibbergibs." Latimer.
Flib"ber*ti*gib`bet (?), n. An
imp. Shak.
||Fli`bus`tier" (?), n. [F.] A
buccaneer; an American pirate. See Filibuster.
[Obs.]
Flick (fl&ibreve;k), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flicked (fl&ibreve;kt);
p. pr. & vb. n. Flicking.] [Cf.
Flicker.] To whip lightly or with a quick jerk; to flap;
as, to flick a horse; to flick the dirt from
boots. Thackeray.
Flick, n. A flitch; as, a
flick of bacon.
Flick"er (-&etilde;r), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Flickered (-&etilde;rd);
p. pr. & vb. n. Flickering.] [OE.
flikeren, flekeren, to flutter, AS. flicerian,
flicorian, cf. D. flikkeren to sparkle. √84. Cf.
Flacker.] 1. To flutter; to flap the
wings without flying.
And flickering on her nest made short essays to
sing.
Dryden.
2. To waver unsteadily, like a flame in a
current of air, or when about to expire; as, the flickering
light.
The shadows flicker to fro.
Tennyson.
Flick"er, n. 1.
The act of wavering or of fluttering; fluctuation; sudden and
brief increase of brightness; as, the last flicker of the
dying flame.
2. (Zoöl.) The golden-winged
woodpecker (Colaptes aurutus); -- so called from its spring
note. Called also yellow-hammer, high-holder, pigeon
woodpecker, and yucca.
The cackle of the flicker among the
oaks.
Thoureau.
Flick"ering*ly, adv. In a
flickering manner.
Flick"er*mouse` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) See Flittermouse.
Flidge (?), a. Fledged;
fledge. [Obs.] Holland.
Flidge, v. i. To become fledged;
to fledge. [Obs.]
Every day build their nests, every hour
flidge.
R. Greene.
Fli"er (flī"&etilde;r), n. [Form
Fly, v.; cf. Flyer]
1. One who flies or flees; a runaway; a
fugitive. Shak.
2. (Mach.) A fly. See Fly,
n., 9, and 13 (b).
3. (Spinning) See Flyer,
n., 5.
4. (Arch.) See Flyer,
n., 4.
Flight (flīt), n. [AS.
fliht, flyht, a flying, fr. fleógan to
fly; cf. flyht a fleeing, fr. fleón to flee, G.
flucht a fleeing, Sw. flykt, G. flug a flying,
Sw. flygt, D. vlugt a fleeing or flying, Dan.
flugt. √84. See Flee, Fly.]
1. The act of flying; a passing through the air
by the help of wings; volitation; mode or style of flying.
Like the night owl's lazy flight.
Shak.
2. The act of fleeing; the act of running
away, to escape danger or expected evil; hasty departure.
Pray ye that your flight be not in the
winter.
Matt. xxiv. 20.
Fain by flight to save themselves.
Shak.
3. Lofty elevation and excursion; a mounting;
a soaring; as, a flight of imagination, ambition,
folly.
Could he have kept his spirit to that
flight,
He had been happy.
Byron.
His highest flights were indeed far below those
of Taylor.
Macaulay.
4. A number of beings or things passing
through the air together; especially, a flock of birds flying in
company; the birds that fly or migrate together; the birds produced
in one season; as, a flight of arrows.
Swift.
Swift flights of angels
ministrant.
Milton.
Like a flight of fowl
Scattered winds and tempestuous gusts.
Shak.
5. A series of steps or stairs from one
landing to another. Parker.
6. A kind of arrow for the longbow; also, the
sport of shooting with it. See Shaft. [Obs.]
Challenged Cupid at the flight.
Shak.
Not a flight drawn home
E'er made that haste that they have.
Beau. &
Fl.
7. The husk or glume of oats. [Prov.
Eng.] Wright.
Flight feathers (Zoöl.), the
wing feathers of a bird, including the quills, coverts, and bastard
wing. See Bird. -- To put to flight,
To turn to flight, to compel to run away; to
force to flee; to rout.
Syn. -- Pair; set. See Pair.
Flight"ed (?), a. 1.
Taking flight; flying; -- used in composition. "Drowsy-
flighted steeds." Milton.
2. (Her.) Feathered; -- said of
arrows.
Flight"er (?), n. (Brewing)
A horizontal vane revolving over the surface of wort in a
cooler, to produce a circular current in the liquor.
Knight.
Flight"i*ly (?), adv. In a flighty
manner.
Flight"i*ness, n. The state or
quality of being flighty.
The flightness of her temper.
Hawthorne.
Syn. -- Levity; giddiness; volatility; lightness; wildness;
eccentricity. See Levity.
Flight"-shot` (?), n. The distance
to which an arrow or flight may be shot; bowshot, -- about the fifth
of a mile. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
Within a flight-shot it inthe
valley.
Evelyn.
Half a flight-shot from the king's
oak.
Sir W. Scott.
Flight"y (?), a. 1.
Fleeting; swift; transient.
The flighty purpose never is o'ertook,
Unless the deed go with it.
Shak.
2. Indulging in flights, or wild and
unrestrained sallies, of imagination, humor, caprice, etc.; given to
disordered fancies and extravagant conduct; volatile; giddy;
eccentric; slighty delirious.
Proofs of my flighty and paradoxical turn of
mind.
Coleridge.
A harsh disciplinarian and a flighty
enthusiast.
J. S. Harford.
Flim"flam (?), n. [Cf. Flam.]
A freak; a trick; a lie. Beau. & Fl.
Flim"si*ly (?), adv. In a flimsy
manner.
Flim"si*ness, n. The state or
quality of being flimsy.
Flim"sy (?), a.
[Compar. Flimsier (?);
superl. Flimsiest.] [Cf. W. llymsi
naked, bare, empty, sluggish, spiritless. Cf. Limsy.]
Weak; feeble; limp; slight; vain; without strength or solidity;
of loose and unsubstantial structure; without reason or plausibility;
as, a flimsy argument, excuse, objection.
Proud of a vast extent of flimsy
lines.
Pope.
All the flimsy furniture of a country miss's
brain.
Sheridan.
Syn. -- Weak; feeble; superficial; shallow; vain.
Flim"sy, n. 1.
Thin or transfer paper.
2. A bank note. [Slang, Eng.]
Flinch (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flinched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flinching.] [Prob. fr. OE. flecchen to waver, give way,
F. fléchir, fr. L. flectere to bend; but prob.
influenced by E. blench. Cf. Flex.] 1.
To withdraw from any suffering or undertaking, from pain or
danger; to fail in doing or perserving; to show signs of yielding or
of suffering; to shrink; to wince; as, one of the parties
flinched from the combat.
A child, by a constant course of kindness, may be
accustomed to bear very rough usage without flinching or
complaining.
Locke.
2. (Croquet) To let the foot slip from
a ball, when attempting to give a tight croquet.
Flinch, n. The act of
flinching.
Flinch"er (?), n. One who flinches
or fails.
Flinch"ing*ly, adv. In a flinching
manner.
Flin"der*mouse` (?), n.[OE.
vlindre moth (cf. D. vlinder butterfly) + E.
mouse. Cf. Flittermouse, Flinders.]
(Zoöl.) A bat; a flittermouse.
Flin"ders (?), n. pl. [Scot.
flenders, flendris; perh. akin to E. flutter;
cf. D. flenters rags, broken pieces.] Small pieces or
splinters; fragments.
The tough ash spear, so stout and true,
Into a thousand flinders flew.
Sir W.
Scott.
Fling (fl&ibreve;ng), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flung (flŭng);
p. pr. & vb. n. Flinging.] [OE.
flingen, flengen, to rush, hurl; cf. Icel.
flengia to whip, ride furiously, OSw. flenga to strike,
Sw. flänga to romp, Dan. flenge to slash.]
1. To cast, send, to throw from the hand; to
hurl; to dart; to emit with violence as if thrown from the hand; as,
to fing a stone into the pond.
'T is Fate that flings the dice: and, as she
flings,
Of kings makes peasants, and of peasants kings.
Dryden.
He . . . like Jove, his lighting
flung.
Dryden.
I know thy generous temper well.
Fling but the appearance of dishonor on it,
It straight takes fire.
Addison.
2. To shed forth; to emit; to
scatter.
The sun begins to fling
His flaring beams.
Milton.
Every beam new transient colors
flings.
Pope.
3. To throw; to hurl; to throw off or down;
to prostrate; hence, to baffle; to defeat; as, to fling a
party in litigation.
His horse started, flung him, and fell upon
him.
Walpole.
To fling about, to throw on all sides; to
scatter. -- To fling away, to reject; to
discard.
Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away
ambition.
Shak.
--
To fling down. (a) To
throw to the ground; esp., to throw in defiance, as formerly knights
cast a glove into the arena as a challenge.
This question so flung down before the guests,
. . .
Was handed over by consent of all
To me who had not spoken.
Tennyson.
(b) To overturn; to demolish; to ruin. --
To fling in, to throw in; not to charge in an
account; as, in settling accounts, one party flings in a small
sum, or a few days' work. -- To fling off,
to baffle in the chase; to defeat of prey; also, to get rid
of. Addison. -- To fling open, to
throw open; to open suddenly or with violence; as, to fling
open a door. -- To fling out, to
utter; to speak in an abrupt or harsh manner; as, to fling out
hard words against another. -- To fling up,
to relinquish; to abandon; as, to fling up a
design.
Fling (?), v. i. 1.
To throw; to wince; to flounce; as, the horse began to kick and
fling.
2. To cast in the teeth; to utter abusive
language; to sneer; as, the scold began to flout and
fling.
3. To throw one's self in a violent or hasty
manner; to rush or spring with violence or haste.
And crop-full, out of doors he
flings.
Milton.
I flung closer to his breast,
As sword that, after battle, flings to sheath.
Mrs. Browning.
To fling out, to become ugly and
intractable; to utter sneers and insinuations.
Fling, n. 1. A
cast from the hand; a throw; also, a flounce; a kick; as, the
fling of a horse.
2. A severe or contemptuous remark; an
expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm.
I, who love to have a fling,
Both at senate house and king.
Swift.
3. A kind of dance; as, the Highland
fling.
4. A trifing matter; an object of
contempt. [Obs.]
England were but a fling
Save for the crooked stick and the gray goose wing.
Old Proverb.
To have one's fling, to enjoy one's self to
the full; to have a season of dissipation. J. H. Newman.
"When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of
pleasure." D. Jerrold.
Fling"dust` (?), n. One who kicks
up the dust; a streetwalker; a low manner. [Obs.] Beau. &
Fl.
Fling"er (?), n. One who flings;
one who jeers.
Flint (?), n. [AS. flint, akin
to Sw. flinta, Dan. flint; cf. OHG. flins flint,
G. flinte gun (cf. E. flintlock), perh. akin to Gr. &?;
brick. Cf. Plinth.] 1. (Min.) A
massive, somewhat impure variety of quartz, in color usually of a
gray to brown or nearly black, breaking with a conchoidal fracture
and sharp edge. It is very hard, and strikes fire with
steel.
2. A piece of flint for striking fire; --
formerly much used, esp. in the hammers of gun locks.
3. Anything extremely hard, unimpressible,
and unyielding, like flint. "A heart of flint."
Spenser.
Flint age. (Geol.) Same as Stone
age, under Stone. -- Flint brick,
a fire made principially of powdered silex. -- Flint
glass. See in the Vocabulary. -- Flint
implements (Archæol.), tools, etc.,
employed by men before the use of metals, such as axes, arrows,
spears, knives, wedges, etc., which were commonly made of flint, but
also of granite, jade, jasper, and other hard stones. --
Flint mill. (a) (Pottery)
A mill in which flints are ground. (b)
(Mining) An obsolete appliance for lighting the miner at
his work, in which flints on a revolving wheel were made to produce a
shower of sparks, which gave light, but did not inflame the fire
damp. Knight. -- Flint stone, a
hard, siliceous stone; a flint. -- Flint wall,
a kind of wall, common in England, on the face of which are
exposed the black surfaces of broken flints set in the mortar, with
quions of masonry. -- Liquor of flints, a
solution of silica, or flints, in potash. -- To skin a
flint, to be capable of, or guilty of, any expedient or
any meanness for making money. [Colloq.]
Flint" glass` (?). (Chem.) A soft, heavy,
brilliant glass, consisting essentially of a silicate of lead and
potassium. It is used for tableware, and for optical instruments, as
prisms, its density giving a high degree of dispersive power; -- so
called, because formerly the silica was obtained from pulverized
flints. Called also crystal glass. Cf.
Glass.
&fist; The concave or diverging half on an achromatic lens is
usually made of flint glass.
Flint"-heart`ed (?), a. Hard-
hearted. Shak.
Flint"i*ness (?), n. The state or
quality of being flinty; hardness; cruelty. Beau. &
Fl.
Flint"lock` (?), n. 1.
A lock for a gun or pistol, having a flint fixed in the hammer,
which on striking the steel ignites the priming.
2. A hand firearm fitted with a flintlock;
esp., the old-fashioned musket of European and other
armies.
Flint"ware` (?), n. A superior
kind of earthenware into whose composition flint enters
largely. Knight.
Flint"wood` (?), n. (Bot.)
An Australian name for the very hard wood of the Eucalyptus
piluralis.
Flint"y (?), a.
[Compar. Flintier (?);
superl. Flintiest.] Consisting of,
composed of, abounding in, or resembling, flint; as, a flinty
rock; flinty ground; a flinty heart.
Flinty rock, or Flinty state,
a siliceous slate; -- basanite is here included. See
Basanite.
Flip (?), n. [Cf. Prov. E. flip
nimble, flippant, also, a slight blow. Cf. Flippant.] A
mixture of beer, spirit, etc., stirred and heated by a hot
iron.
Flip dog, an iron used, when heated, to warm
flip.
Flip, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flipping.] To toss or fillip; as, to flip up a
cent.
As when your little ones
Do 'twixt their fingers flip their cherry stones.
W. Browne.
Flipe (?), v. t. To turn inside
out, or with the leg part back over the foot, as a stocking in
pulling off or for putting on. [Scot.]
Flip"-flap` (?), n. [See Flip,
and Flap.] The repeated stroke of something long and
loose. Johnson.
Flip"-flap`, adv. With repeated
strokes and noise, as of something long and loose.
Ash.
Flip"pan*cy (?), n.[See
Flippant.] The state or quality of being
flippant.
This flippancy of language.
Bp.
Hurd.
Flip"pant (?), a. [Prov. E. flip
to move nimbly; cf. W. llipa soft, limber, pliant, or Icel.
fleipa to babble, prattle. Cf. Flip, Fillip,
Flap, Flipper.] 1. Of smooth,
fluent, and rapid speech; speaking with ease and rapidity; having a
voluble tongue; talkative.
It becometh good men, in such cases, to be
flippant and free in their speech.
Barrow.
2. Speaking fluently and confidently, without
knowledge or consideration; empty; trifling; inconsiderate; pert;
petulant. "Flippant epilogues." Thomson.
To put flippant scorn to the
blush.
I. Taylor.
A sort of flippant, vain
discourse.
Burke.
Flip"pant, n. A flippant
person. [R.] Tennyson.
Flip"pant*ly, adv. In a flippant
manner.
Flip"pant*ness, n. State or
quality of being flippant.
Flip"per (?), n. [Cf. Flip,
Flippant.] 1. (Zoöl.) A broad
flat limb used for swimming, as those of seals, sea turtles, whales,
etc.
2. (Naut.) The hand. [Slang]
Flirt (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flirted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Flirting.] [Cf. AS. fleard trifle, folly,
fleardian to trifle.] 1. To throw with a
jerk or quick effort; to fling suddenly; as, they flirt water
in each other's faces; he flirted a glove, or a
handkerchief.
2. To toss or throw about; to move playfully
to and fro; as, to flirt a fan.
3. To jeer at; to treat with contempt; to
mock. [Obs.]
I am ashamed; I am scorned; I am
flirted.
Beau. & Fl.
Flirt, v. i. 1. To
run and dart about; to act with giddiness, or from a desire to
attract notice; especially, to play the coquette; to play at
courtship; to coquet; as, they flirt with the young
men.
2. To utter contemptuous language, with an
air of disdain; to jeer or gibe. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
Flirt, n. 1. A
sudden jerk; a quick throw or cast; a darting motion; hence, a
jeer.
Several little flirts and
vibrations.
Addison.
With many a flirt and flutter.
E. A. Poe.
2. [Cf. LG. flirtje, G. flirtchen.
See Flirt, v. t.] One who flirts; esp.,
a woman who acts with giddiness, or plays at courtship; a coquette; a
pert girl.
Several young flirts about town had a design to
cast us out of the fashionable world.
Addison.
Flirt, a. Pert; wanton.
[Obs.]
Flir*ta"tion (?), n. 1.
Playing at courtship; coquetry.
The flirtations and jealousies of our ball
rooms.
Macaulay.
Flirt"-gill` (?), n. A woman of
light behavior; a gill-flirt. [Obs.] Shak.
You heard him take me up like a flirt-
gill.
Beau. & Fl.
Flirt"i*gig (?), n. A wanton, pert
girl. [Obs.]
Flirt"ing*ly, adv. In a flirting
manner.
Flisk (?), v. i. To frisk; to
skip; to caper. [Obs. Scot.] "The flisking flies."
Gosson.
Flisk, n. A caper; a spring; a
whim. [Scot.]
Flit (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flitted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flitting (?).] [OE. flitten, flutten, to carry
away; cf. Icel. flytja, Sw. flytta, Dan. flytte.
√84. Cf. Fleet, v. i.]
1. To move with celerity through the air; to fly
away with a rapid motion; to dart along; to fleet; as, a bird
flits away; a cloud flits along.
A shadow flits before me.
Tennyson.
2. To flutter; to rove on the wing.
Dryden.
3. To pass rapidly, as a light substance,
from one place to another; to remove; to migrate.
It became a received opinion, that the souls of men,
departing this life, did flit out of one body into some
other.
Hooker.
4. To remove from one place or habitation to
another. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] Wright. Jamieson.
5. To be unstable; to be easily or often
moved.
And the free soul to flitting air
resigned.
Dryden.
Flit, a. Nimble; quick; swift.
[Obs.] See Fleet.
Flitch (?), n.; pl.
Flitches (#). [OE. flicche, flikke,
AS. flicce, akin to Icel. flikki; cf. Icel.
flīk flap, tatter; perh. akin to E. fleck. Cf.
Flick, n.] 1. The side
of a hog salted and cured; a side of bacon. Swift.
2. One of several planks, smaller timbers, or
iron plates, which are secured together, side by side, to make a
large girder or built beam.
3. The outside piece of a sawed log; a
slab. [Eng.]
Flite (?), v. i. [AS.
flītan to strive, contend, quarrel; akin to G.
fleiss industry.] To scold; to quarrel. [Prov.
Eng.] Grose.
Flit"ter (?), v. i. To
flutter. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Flit"ter, v. t. To flutter; to
move quickly; as, to flitter the cards. [R.]
Lowell.
Flit"ter, n. [Cf. G. flitter
spangle, tinsel, flittern to make a tremulous motion, to
glitter. Cf. Flitter, v. i.] A rag; a
tatter; a small piece or fragment.
Flit"ter*mouse` (?), n.
[Flitter, v.i. + mouse; cf. G. fledermaus, OHG.
fledarmūs. Cf. Flickermouse,
Flindermouse.] (Zoöl.) A bat; -- called also
flickermouse, flindermouse, and
flintymouse.
Flit"tern (?), a. A term applied
to the bark obtained from young oak trees.
McElrath.
Flit"ti*ness (?), n. [From
Flitty.] Unsteadiness; levity; lightness. [Obs.]
Bp. Hopkins.
Flit"ting (?), n. 1.
A flying with lightness and celerity; a fluttering.
2. A removal from one habitation to
another. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
A neighbor had lent his cart for the flitting,
and it was now standing loaded at the door, ready to move
away.
Jeffrey.
Flit"ting*ly, adv. In a flitting
manner.
Flit"ty (?), a. [From Flit.]
Unstable; fluttering. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
Flix (?), n. [Cf. Flax.]
Down; fur. [Obs. or Eng.] J. Dyer.
Flix, n. The flux;
dysentery. [Obs.] Udall.
Flix weed (Bot.), the Sisymbrium
Sophia, a kind of hedge mustard, formerly used as a remedy for
dysentery.
Flo (flō), n.; pl.
Flon (flōn). [AS. flā,
flān.] An arrow. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Float (flōt), n.[OE. flote
ship, boat, fleet, AS. flota ship, fr. fleótan
to float; akin to D. vloot fleet, G. floss raft, Icel.
floti float, raft, fleet, Sw. flotta. √ 84. See
Fleet, v. i., and cf. Flotilla,
Flotsam, Plover.] 1. Anything
which floats or rests on the surface of a fluid, as to sustain
weight, or to indicate the height of the surface, or mark the place
of, something. Specifically: (a) A mass of
timber or boards fastened together, and conveyed down a stream by the
current; a raft. (b) The hollow, metallic
ball of a self-acting faucet, which floats upon the water in a
cistern or boiler. (c) The cork or quill
used in angling, to support the bait line, and indicate the bite of a
fish. (d) Anything used to buoy up
whatever is liable to sink; an inflated bag or pillow used by persons
learning to swim; a life preserver.
This reform bill . . . had been used as a float
by the conservative ministry.
J. P. Peters.
2. A float board. See Float board
(below).
3. (Tempering) A contrivance for
affording a copious stream of water to the heated surface of an
object of large bulk, as an anvil or die. Knight.
4. The act of flowing; flux; flow.
[Obs.] Bacon.
5. A quantity of earth, eighteen feet square
and one foot deep. [Obs.] Mortimer.
6. (Plastering) The trowel or tool
with which the floated coat of plastering is leveled and
smoothed.
7. A polishing block used in marble working;
a runner. Knight.
8. A single-cut file for smoothing; a tool
used by shoemakers for rasping off pegs inside a shoe.
9. A coal cart. [Eng.]
Simmonds.
10. The sea; a wave. See Flote,
n.
Float board, one of the boards fixed
radially to the rim of an undershot water wheel or of a steamer's
paddle wheel; -- a vane. -- Float case
(Naut.), a caisson used for lifting a ship. --
Float copper or gold
(Mining), fine particles of metallic copper or of gold
suspended in water, and thus liable to be lost. -- Float
ore, water-worn particles of ore; fragments of vein
material found on the surface, away from the vein outcrop.
Raymond. -- Float stone (Arch.),
a siliceous stone used to rub stonework or brickwork to a smooth
surface. -- Float valve, a valve or cock
acted upon by a float. See Float, 1
(b).
Float, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Floated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Floating.] [OE. flotien, flotten, AS.
flotian to float, swim, fr. fleótan. See
Float, n.] 1. To rest
on the surface of any fluid; to swim; to be buoyed up.
The ark no more now floats, but seems on
ground.
Milton.
Three blustering nights, borne by the southern
blast,
I floated.
Dryden.
2. To move quietly or gently on the water, as
a raft; to drift along; to move or glide without effort or impulse on
the surface of a fluid, or through the air.
They stretch their broad plumes and float upon
the wind.
Pope.
There seems a floating whisper on the
hills.
Byron.
Float, v. t. 1. To
cause to float; to cause to rest or move on the surface of a fluid;
as, the tide floated the ship into the harbor.
Had floated that bell on the Inchcape
rock.
Southey.
2. To flood; to overflow; to cover with
water.
Proud Pactolus floats the fruitful
lands.
Dryden.
3. (Plastering) To pass over and level
the surface of with a float while the plastering is kept
wet.
4. To support and sustain the credit of, as a
commercial scheme or a joint-stock company, so as to enable it to go
into, or continue in, operation.
Float"a*ble (?), a. That may be
floated.
Float"age (?; 48), n. Same as
Flotage.
Float*a"tion (?), n. See
Flotation.
Float"er (?), n. 1.
One who floats or swims.
2. A float for indicating the height of a
liquid surface.
Float"ing, a. 1.
Buoyed upon or in a fluid; a, the floating timbers of a
wreck; floating motes in the air.
2. Free or lose from the usual attachment;
as, the floating ribs in man and some other animals.
3. Not funded; not fixed, invested, or
determined; as, floating capital; a floating
debt.
Trade was at an end. Floating capital had been
withdrawn in great masses from the island.
Macaulay.
Floating anchor (Naut.), a drag or
sea anchor; drag sail. -- Floating battery
(Mil.), a battery erected on rafts or the hulls of ships,
chiefly for the defense of a coast or the bombardment of a
place. -- Floating bridge. (a)
A bridge consisting of rafts or timber, with a floor of plank,
supported wholly by the water; a bateau bridge. See
Bateau. (b) (Mil.) A kind of double
bridge, the upper one projecting beyond the lower one, and capable of
being moved forward by pulleys; -- used for carrying troops over
narrow moats in attacking the outworks of a fort.
(c) A kind of ferryboat which is guided and
impelled by means of chains which are anchored on each side of a
stream, and pass over wheels on the vessel, the wheels being driven
by stream power. (d) The landing platform of
a ferry dock. -- Floating cartilage
(Med.), a cartilage which moves freely in the cavity of a
joint, and often interferes with the functions of the latter. --
Floating dam. (a) An anchored
dam. (b) A caisson used as a gate for a dry
dock. -- Floating derrick, a derrick on a
float for river and harbor use, in raising vessels, moving stone for
harbor improvements, etc. -- Floating dock.
(Naut.) See under Dock. -- Floating
harbor, a breakwater of cages or booms, anchored and
fastened together, and used as a protection to ships riding at anchor
to leeward. Knight. -- Floating heart
(Bot.), a small aquatic plant (Limnanthemum
lacunosum) whose heart-shaped leaves float on the water of
American ponds. -- Floating island, a dish
for dessert, consisting of custard with floating masses of whipped
cream or white of eggs. -- Floating kidney.
(Med.) See Wandering kidney, under
Wandering. -- Floating light, a
light shown at the masthead of a vessel moored over sunken rocks,
shoals, etc., to warn mariners of danger; a light-ship; also, a light
erected on a buoy or floating stage. -- Floating
liver. (Med.) See Wandering liver, under
Wandering. -- Floating pier, a
landing stage or pier which rises and falls with the tide. --
Floating ribs (Anat.), the lower or
posterior ribs which are not connected with the others in front; in
man they are the last two pairs. -- Floating
screed (Plastering), a strip of plastering first
laid on, to serve as a guide for the thickness of the coat. --
Floating threads (Weaving), threads
which span several other threads without being interwoven with them,
in a woven fabric.
Float"ing (?), n. 1.
(Weaving) Floating threads. See Floating threads,
above.
2. The second coat of three-coat
plastering. Knight.
Float"ing*ly, adv. In a floating
manner.
Float"y (?), a. Swimming on the
surface; buoyant; light. Sir W. Raleigh.
Flo"bert (?), n. (Gun.) A
small cartridge designed for target shooting; -- sometimes called
ball cap.
Flobert rifle, a rifle adapted to the use of
floberts.
Floc`cil*la"tion (?), n. [L.
floccus a flock of wool. Cf. Flock of wool.]
(Med.) A delirious picking of bedclothes by a sick
person, as if to pick off flocks of wool; carphology; -- an alarming
symptom in acute diseases. Dunglison.
Floc*cose" (?), a. [L.
floccosus. Cf. 2d Flock, n.]
1. Spotted with small tufts like wool.
Wright.
2. (Bot.) Having tufts of soft hairs,
which are often deciduous.
Floc"cu*lar (?), a. (Anat.)
Of or pertaining to the flocculus.
Floc"cu*late (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Flocculated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Flocculating.] (Geol.) To aggregate into small
lumps.
Floc"cu*late (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Furnished with tufts of curly hairs, as some
insects.
Floc`cu*la"tion (?), n. (Geol.)
The process by which small particles of fine soils and sediments
aggregate into larger lumps.
Floc"cu*lence (?), n. The state of
being flocculent.
Floc"cu*lent (?), a. [See Flock
of wool.] 1. Clothed with small flocks or
flakes; woolly. Gray.
2. (Zoöl.) Applied to the down of
newly hatched or unfledged birds.
||Floc"cu*lus (?), n.; pl.
Flocculi (#). [NL., dim. of L. floccus a
lock or flock of wool.] (Anat.) A small lobe in the under
surface of the cerebellum, near the middle peduncle; the
subpeduncular lobe.
||Floc"cus (?), n.; pl.
Flocci (#). [L., a flock of wool.]
1. (Zoöl.) (a) The
tuft of hair terminating the tail of mammals.
(b) A tuft of feathers on the head of young
birds.
2. (Bot.) A woolly filament sometimes
occuring with the sporules of certain fungi.
Flock (?), n. [AS. flocc flock,
company; akin to Icel. flokkr crowd, Sw. flock, Dan.
flok; prob. orig. used of flows, and akin to E. fly.
See Fly.] 1. A company or collection of
living creatures; -- especially applied to sheep and birds, rarely to
persons or (except in the plural) to cattle and other large animals;
as, a flock of ravenous fowl. Milton.
The heathen . . . came to Nicanor by
flocks.
2 Macc. xiv. 14.
2. A Christian church or congregation;
considered in their relation to the pastor, or minister in
charge.
As half amazed, half frighted all his
flock.
Tennyson.
Flock, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flocked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flocking.] To gather in companies or crowds.
Friends daily flock.
Dryden.
Flocking fowl (Zoöl.), the
greater scaup duck.
Flock, v. t. To flock to; to
crowd. [Obs.]
Good fellows, trooping, flocked me
so.
Taylor (1609).
Flock, n. [OE. flokke; cf. D.
vlok, G. flocke, OHG. floccho, Icel.
flōki, perh. akin to E. flicker, flacker,
or cf. L. floccus, F. floc.] 1. A
lock of wool or hair.
I prythee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle, put a few
flocks in the point [pommel].
Shak.
2. Woolen or cotton refuse (sing. or
pl.), old rags, etc., reduced to a degree of fineness by
machinery, and used for stuffing unpholstered furniture.
3. Very fine, sifted, woolen refuse,
especially that from shearing the nap of cloths, used as a coating
for wall paper to give it a velvety or clothlike appearance; also,
the dust of vegetable fiber used for a similar purpose.
Flock bed, a bed filled with flocks or locks
of coarse wool, or pieces of cloth cut up fine. "Once a flock
bed, but repaired with straw." Pope. -- Flock
paper, paper coated with flock fixed with glue or
size.
Flock, v. t. To coat with flock,
as wall paper; to roughen the surface of (as glass) so as to give an
appearance of being covered with fine flock.
Flock"ling, n. A lamb.
[Obs.] Brome (1659).
Flock"ly, adv. In flocks; in
crowds. [Obs.]
Flock"mel (?), adv. [AS.
flocm&?;lum. See Meal part.] In a flock; in a
body. [Obs.]
That flockmel on a day they to him
went.
Chaucer.
Flock"y, a. Abounding with flocks;
floccose.
Floe (flō), n. [Cf. Dan.
flag af iis, iisflage, Sw. flaga, flake,
isflaga, isflake. See Flag a flat stone.] A
low, flat mass of floating ice.
Floe rat (Zoöl.), a seal
(Phoca fœtida).
Flog (fl&obreve;g), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Flogged (fl&obreve;gd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flogging (-g&ibreve;ng).] [Cf. Scot. fleg
blow, stroke, kick, AS. flocan to strike, or perh. fr. L.
flagellare to whip. Cf. Flagellate.] To beat or
strike with a rod or whip; to whip; to lash; to chastise with
repeated blows.
Flog"ger (?), n. 1.
One who flogs.
2. A kind of mallet for beating the bung
stave of a cask to start the bung. Knight.
Flog"ging (?), a. & n. from
Flog, v. t.
Flogging chisel (Mach.), a large cold
chisel, used in chipping castings. -- Flogging
hammer, a small sledge hammer used for striking a
flogging chisel.
Flon (?), n. pl. See
Flo. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Flong (? or ?), obs. imp. & p. p.
of Fling.
Flood (?), n. [OE. flod a
flowing, stream, flood, AS. flōd; akin to D.
vloed, OS. flōd, OHG. fluot, G.
flut, Icel. flōð, Sw. & Dan. flod,
Goth. flōdus; from the root of E. flow.
√80. See Flow, v. i.]
1. A great flow of water; a body of moving
water; the flowing stream, as of a river; especially, a body of
water, rising, swelling, and overflowing land not usually thus
covered; a deluge; a freshet; an inundation.
A covenant never to destroy
The earth again by flood.
Milton.
2. The flowing in of the tide; the
semidiurnal swell or rise of water in the ocean; -- opposed to
ebb; as, young flood; high flood.
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
Shak.
3. A great flow or stream of any fluid
substance; as, a flood of light; a flood of lava;
hence, a great quantity widely diffused; an overflowing; a
superabundance; as, a flood of bank notes; a flood of
paper currency.
4. Menstrual disharge; menses.
Harvey.
Flood anchor (Naut.) , the anchor by
which a ship is held while the tide is rising. -- Flood
fence, a fence so secured that it will not be swept
away by a flood. -- Flood gate, a gate for
shutting out, admitting, or releasing, a body of water; a tide
gate. -- Flood mark, the mark or line to
which the tide, or a flood, rises; high-water mark. --
Flood tide, the rising tide; -- opposed to
ebb tide. -- The Flood, the deluge
in the days of Noah.
Flood, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flooded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Flooding.] 1. To overflow; to inundate;
to deluge; as, the swollen river flooded the valley.
2. To cause or permit to be inundated; to
fill or cover with water or other fluid; as, to flood arable
land for irrigation; to fill to excess or to its full capacity; as,
to flood a country with a depreciated currency.
Flood"age (?; 48), n.
Inundation. [R.] Carlyle.
Flood"er (?), n. One who floods
anything.
Flood"ing, n. The filling or
covering with water or other fluid; overflow; inundation; the filling
anything to excess.
2. (Med.) An abnormal or excessive
discharge of blood from the uterus. Dunglison.
Flook (?), n. A fluke of an
anchor.
{ Flook"an (?), Flu"kan (?) },
n. (Mining) See
Flucan.
Flook"y (?), a. Fluky.
Floor (?), n. [AS. fl&?;r; akin
to D. vloer, G. flur field, floor, entrance hall, Icel.
fl&?;r floor of a cow stall, cf. Ir. & Gael. lar floor,
ground, earth, W. llawr, perh. akin to L. planus level.
Cf. Plain smooth.] 1. The bottom or lower
part of any room; the part upon which we stand and upon which the
movables in the room are supported.
2. The structure formed of beams, girders,
etc., with proper covering, which divides a building horizontally
into stories. Floor in sense 1 is, then, the upper surface of
floor in sense 2.
3. The surface, or the platform, of a
structure on which we walk or travel; as, the floor of a
bridge.
4. A story of a building. See
Story.
5. (Legislative Assemblies)
(a) The part of the house assigned to the
members. (b) The right to speak.
[U.S.]
&fist; Instead of he has the floor, the English say, he
is in possession of the house.
6. (Naut.) That part of the bottom of
a vessel on each side of the keelson which is most nearly
horizontal.
7. (Mining) (a) The
rock underlying a stratified or nearly horizontal deposit.
(b) A horizontal, flat ore body.
Raymond.
Floor cloth, a heavy fabric, painted,
varnished, or saturated, with waterproof material, for covering
floors; oilcloth. -- Floor cramp, an
implement for tightening the seams of floor boards before nailing
them in position. -- Floor light, a frame
with glass panes in a floor. -- Floor plan.
(a) (Shipbuilding) A longitudinal section,
showing a ship as divided at the water line. (b)
(Arch.) A horizontal section, showing the thickness of the
walls and partitions, arrangement of passages, apartments, and
openings at the level of any floor of a house.
Floor, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Floored (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flooring.] 1. To cover with a floor; to
furnish with a floor; as, to floor a house with pine
boards.
2. To strike down or lay level with the
floor; to knock down; hence, to silence by a conclusive answer or
retort; as, to floor an opponent.
Floored or crushed by him.
Coleridge.
3. To finish or make an end of; as, to
floor a college examination. [Colloq.]
I've floored my little-go work.
T. Hughes.
Floor"age (?; 48), n. Floor
space.
Floor"er (?), n. Anything that
floors or upsets a person, as a blow that knocks him down; a
conclusive answer or retort; a task that exceeds one's
abilities. [Colloq.]
Floor"heads`, n. pl. (Naut.)
The upper extermities of the floor of a vessel.
Floor"ing, n. A platform; the
bottom of a room; a floor; pavement. See Floor,
n. Addison.
2. Material for the construction of a floor
or floors.
Floor"less, a. Having no
floor.
Floor"walk`er (?), n. One who
walks about in a large retail store as an overseer and
director. [U.S.]
Flop (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flopped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flopping.] [A variant of flap.] 1.
To clap or strike, as a bird its wings, a fish its tail, etc.;
to flap.
2. To turn suddenly, as something broad and
flat. [Colloq.] Fielding.
Flop (?), v. i. 1.
To strike about with something broad and flat, as a fish with
its tail, or a bird with its wings; to rise and fall; as, the brim of
a hat flops.
2. To fall, sink, or throw one's self,
heavily, clumsily, and unexpectedly on the ground. [Colloq.]
Dickens.
Flop, n. Act of flopping.
[Colloq.] W. H. Russell.
Flop"py (?), n. Having a tendency
to flop or flap; as, a floppy hat brim. G.
Eliot.
Flop"wing` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The lapwing.
Flo"ra (?), n. [L., the goddess of
flowers, from flos, floris, flower. See Flower.]
1. (Rom. Myth.) The goddess of flowers
and spring.
2. (Bot.) The complete system of
vegetable species growing without cultivation in a given locality,
region, or period; a list or description of, or treatise on, such
plants.
Flo"ral (?), a. [L. Floralis
belonging to Flora: cf. F. floral. See Flora.]
1. Pertaining to Flora, or to flowers; made of
flowers; as, floral games, wreaths.
2. (Bot.) Containing, or belonging to,
a flower; as, a floral bud; a floral leaf;
floral characters. Martyn.
Floral envelope (Bot.), the calyx and
corolla, one or the other of which (mostly the corolla) may be
wanting.
Flo"ral*ly, adv. In a floral
manner.
Flo"ra*mour (?), n.[L. flos,
floris, flower + amorlove.] The plant love-lies-
bleeding. [Obs.] Prior.
Flo"ran (?), n. (Mining)
Tin ore scarcely perceptible in the stone; tin ore stamped very
fine. Pryce.
||Flo`réal" (?), n. [F.
floréal, fr. L. flos, floris, flower.]
The eight month of the French republican calendar. It began
April 20, and ended May 19. See Vendémiare.
Flor"en (?), n. [LL. florenus.
See Florin.] A cerain gold coin; a Florence. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Flor"ence (?), n. [From the city of
Florence: cf. F. florence a kind of cloth, OF.
florin.] 1. An ancient gold coin of the
time of Edward III., of six shillings sterling value.
Camden.
2. A kind of cloth.
Johnson.
Florence flask. See under Flask.
-- Florence oil, olive oil prepared in
Florence.
Flor"en*tine (? or ?; 277), a. [L.
Florentinus, fr. Florentia Florence: cf. F.
florentin.] Belonging or relating to Florence, in
Italy.
Florentine mosaic, a mosaic of hard or
semiprecious stones, often so chosen and arranged that their natural
colors represent leaves, flowers, and the like, inlaid in a
background, usually of black or white marble.
Flor"en*tine, n. 1.
A native or inhabitant of Florence, a city in Italy.
2. A kind of silk. Knight.
3. A kind of pudding or tart; a kind of meat
pie. [Obs.]
Stealing custards, tarts, and
florentines.
Beau. & Fl.
Flo*res"cence (?), n. [See
Florescent.] (Bot.) A bursting into flower; a
blossoming. Martyn.
Flo*res"cent (?), a. [L.
florescens, p. pr. of florescere begin to blossom,
incho. fr. florere to blossom, fr. flos, floris,
flower. See Flower.] Expanding into flowers;
blossoming.
Flo"ret (?), n. [OF. florete, F.
fleurette, dim. of OF. lor, F. fleur. See
Flower, and cf. Floweret, 3d Ferret.]
1. (Bot.) A little flower; one of the
numerous little flowers which compose the head or anthodium in such
flowers as the daisy, thistle, and dandelion. Gray.
2. [F. fleuret.] A foil; a blunt sword
used in fencing. [Obs.] Cotgrave.
Flo"ri*age (?), n. [L. flos,
floris, flower.] Bloom; blossom. [Obs.] J.
Scott.
Flo"ri*a`ted (?), a. (Arch.)
Having floral ornaments; as, floriated capitals of Gothic
pillars.
Flo*ric"o*mous (?), a. [L. flos,
floris, flower + coma hair.] Having the head
adorned with flowers. [R.]
Flo`ri*cul"tur*al (? or ?; 135), a.
Pertaining to the cultivation of flowering plants.
Flo"ri*cul`ture (? or ?; 135, 277), n.
[L. flos, floris, flower + cultura culture.]
The cultivation of flowering plants.
Flo`ri*cul"tur*ist (?), n. One
skilled in the cultivation of flowers; a florist.
Flor"id (?), a. [L. floridus,
fr. flos, floris, flower. See Flower.]
1. Covered with flowers; abounding in flowers;
flowery. [R.]
Fruit from a pleasant and florid
tree.
Jer. Taylor.
2. Bright in color; flushed with red; of a
lively reddish color; as, a florid countenance.
3. Embellished with flowers of rhetoric;
enriched to excess with figures; excessively ornate; as, a
florid style; florid eloquence.
4. (Mus.) Flowery; ornamental; running
in rapid melodic figures, divisions, or passages, as in variations;
full of fioriture or little ornamentations.
Flor"i*da bean" (?). (Bot.) (a)
The large, roundish, flattened seed of Mucuna urens. See
under Bean. (b) One of the very
large seeds of the Entada scandens.
||Flo*rid"e*æ (?), n. pl. [NL.,
from L. flos, floris, a flower.] (Bot.) A
subclass of algæ including all the red or purplish seaweeds;
the Rhodospermeæ of many authors; -- so called from the rosy or
florid color of most of the species.
Flo*rid"i*ty (?), n. The quality
of being florid; floridness. Floyer.
Flor"id*ly (?), adv. In a florid
manner.
Flor"id*ness, n. The quality of
being florid. Boyle.
Flo*rif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
florifer; flos, floris, flower + ferre to
bear; cf. F. florifère.] Producing flowers.
Blount.
Flo`ri*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
flos, floris, flower + facere to make.] The
act, process, or time of flowering; florescence.
Flo"ri*form (? or ?), a. [L.
flos, floris, flower + -form: cf. F.
floriforme.] Having the form of a flower; flower-
shaped.
Flo"ri*ken (?), n. (Zoöl.)
An Indian bustard (Otis aurita). The Bengal floriken is
Sypheotides Bengalensis. [Written also florikan,
florikin, florican.]
Flo"ri*lege (?), n. [L.
florilegus flower-culling; flos, floris, flower
+ legere to gather: cf. F. florilège.] The
act of gathering flowers.
Flo"ri*mer (?), n. (Bot.)
See Floramour. [Obs.]
Flor"in (?), n. [F. florin, It.
florino, orig., a Florentine coin, with a lily on it, fr.
flore a flower, fr. L. flos. See Flower, and cf.
Floren.] A silver coin of Florence, first struck in the
twelfth century, and noted for its beauty. The name is given to
different coins in different countries. The florin of England, first
minted in 1849, is worth two shillings, or about 48 cents; the florin
of the Netherlands, about 40 cents; of Austria, about 36
cents.
Flo"rist (? or ?; 277), n. [Cf. F.
fleuriste, floriste, fr. F. fleur flower. See
Flower.] 1. A cultivator of, or dealer
in, flowers.
2. One who writes a flora, or an account of
plants.
Flo*roon" (?), n. [F. fleuron.
See Flower.] A border worked with flowers.
Wright.
Flor"u*lent (?), a. [L.
florulentus, fr. flos, floris, flower.]
Flowery; blossoming. [Obs.] Blount.
Flos"cu*lar (?), a. (Bot.)
Flosculous.
Flos`cu*la"ri*an (?), n. [From L.
flosculus a floweret.] (Zoöl.) One of a group
of stalked rotifers, having ciliated tentacles around the lobed
disk.
Flos*cule (?), n. [L. flosculus,
dim. of flos flower: cf. F. floscule.] (Bot.)
A floret.
Flos"cu*lous (?), a. (Bot.)
Consisting of many gamopetalous florets.
||Flos`-fer"ri (?), n.[L., flower of
iron.] (Min.) A variety of aragonite, occuring in
delicate white coralloidal forms; -- common in beds of iron
ore.
Flosh (?), n. [Cf. G.
flösse a trough in which tin ore is washed.]
(Metallurgy) A hopper-shaped box or &?;nortar in which
ore is placed for the action of the stamps. Knight.
Floss (?; 195), n. [It. floscio
flabby, soft, fr. L. fluxus flowing, loose, slack. See
Flux, n.] 1. (Bot.)
The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also
called silk.
2. Untwisted filaments of silk, used in
embroidering.
Floss silk, silk that has been twisted, and
which retains its loose and downy character. It is much used in
embroidery. Called also floxed silk. -- Floss
thread, a kind of soft flaxen yarn or thread, used for
embroidery; -- called also linen floss, and floss
yarn. McElrath.
Floss, n. [Cf. G. floss a
float.] 1. A small stream of water.
[Eng.]
2. Fluid glass floating on iron in the
puddling furnace, produced by the vitrification of oxides and earths
which are present.
Floss hole. (a) A hole at
the back of a puddling furnace, at which the slags pass out.
(b) The tap hole of a melting furnace.
Knight.
Flos`si*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf.
Florification.] A flowering; florification. [R.]
Craig.
Floss"y (?; 115), a. Pertaining
to, made of, or resembling, floss; hence, light; downy.
||Flo"ta (?), n. [Sp. See
Flotilla.] A fleet; especially, a &?;eet of Spanish ships
which formerly sailed every year from Cadiz to Vera Cruz, in Mexico,
to transport to Spain the production of Spanish America.
Flo"tage (?), n. [OF. flotage,
F. flottage, fr. flotter to float.] 1.
The state of floating.
2. That which floats on the sea or in
rivers. [Written also floatage.]
Flo"tant (?), a. [OF. flotant,
F. flottant, p. pr. of flotter to float.] (Her.)
Represented as flying or streaming in the air; as, a banner
flotant.
Flo*ta"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
flottation a floating, flottaison water line, fr.
flotter to float. See Flotilla.] 1.
The act, process, or state of floating.
2. The science of floating bodies.
Center of flotation. (Shipbuilding)
(a) The center of any given plane of
flotation. (b) More commonly, the middle of
the length of the load water line. Rankine. --
Plane, or Line, of flotation,
the plane or line in which the horizontal surface of a fluid cuts
a body floating in it. See Bearing, n., 9
(c). -- Surface of flotation
(Shipbuilding), the imaginary surface which all the planes
of flotation touch when a vessel rolls or pitches; the envelope of
all such planes.
Flote (?), v. t. To fleet; to
skim. [Obs.] Tusser.
Flote, n. [Cf. F. flot, L.
fluctus; also cf. Float, n.] A
wave. [Obs.] "The Mediterranean flote."
Shak.
Flot"er*y (?), a. Wavy;
flowing. [Obs.]
With flotery beard.
Chaucer.
Flo*til"la (?), n. [Sp.
flotilla, dim. of flota fleet; akin to F.
flotte, It. flotta, and F. flot wave, fr. L.
fluctus, but prob. influenced by words akin to E.
float. See Fluctuate, and cf. Float,
n.] A little fleet, or a fleet of small
vessels.
{ Flot"sam (?), Flot"son (?) },
n. [F. flotter to float. See
FFlotilla, and cf. Jetsam.] (Law) Goods
lost by shipwreck, and floating on the sea; -- in distinction from
jetsam or jetson. Blackstone.
Flot"ten (?), p. p. of Flote,
v. t. Skimmed. [Obs.]
Flounce (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flounced (flounst); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flouncing (?).] [Cf. OSw. flunsa to
immerge.] To throw the limbs and body one way and the other; to
spring, turn, or twist with sudden effort or violence; to struggle,
as a horse in mire; to flounder; to throw one's self with a jerk or
spasm, often as in displeasure.
To flutter and flounce will do nothing but
batter and bruise us.
Barrow.
With his broad fins and forky tail he laves
The rising sirge, and flounces in the waves.
Addison.
Flounce (?), n. The act of
floucing; a sudden, jerking motion of the body.
Flounce, n. [Cf. G. flaus,
flausch, a tuft of wool or hair; akin to vliess, E.
fleece; or perh. corrupted fr. rounce.] An
ornamental appendage to the skirt of a woman's dress, consisting of a
strip gathered and sewed on by its upper edge around the skirt, and
left hanging.
Flounce, v. t. To deck with a
flounce or flounces; as, to flounce a petticoat or a
frock.
Floun"der (?), n. [Cf. Sw.
flundra; akin to Dan. flynder, Icel. fly&?;ra,
G. flunder, and perh. to E. flounder, v.i.]
1. (Zoöl.) A flatfish of the family
Pleuronectidæ, of many species.
&fist; The common English flounder is Pleuronectes flesus.
There are several common American species used as food; as the smooth
flounder (P. glabra); the rough or winter flounder (P.
Americanus); the summer flounder, or plaice (Paralichthys
dentatus), Atlantic coast; and the starry flounder
(Pleuronectes stellatus).
2. (Bootmaking) A tool used in
crimping boot fronts.
Floun"der, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Floundered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Floundering.] [Cf. D. flodderen to flap, splash through
mire, E. flounce, v.i., and flounder the fish.] To
fling the limbs and body, as in making efforts to move; to struggle,
as a horse in the mire, or as a fish on land; to roll, toss, and
tumble; to flounce.
They have floundered on from blunder to
blunder.
Sir W. Hamilton.
Floun"der, n. The act of
floundering.
Flour (?), n. [F. fleur de
farine the flower (i.e., the best) of meal, cf. Sp.
flor de la harina superfine flour, Icel. flür
flower, flour. See Flower.] The finely ground meal of
wheat, or of any other grain; especially, the finer part of meal
separated by bolting; hence, the fine and soft powder of any
substance; as, flour of emery; flour of
mustard.
Flour bolt, in milling, a gauze-covered,
revolving, cylindrical frame or reel, for sifting the flour from the
refuse contained in the meal yielded by the stones. --
Flour box a tin box for scattering flour; a
dredging box. -- Flour dredge or
dredger, a flour box. -- Flour
dresser, a mashine for sorting and distributing flour
according to grades of fineness. -- Flour
mill, a mill for grinding and sifting flour.
Flour, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Floured (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flouring.] 1. To grind and bolt; to
convert into flour; as, to flour wheat.
2. To sprinkle with flour.
Floured (?), p. a. Finely
granulated; -- said of quicksilver which has been granulated by
agitation during the amalgamation process. Raymond.
Flour"ish (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flourished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flourishing.] [OE. florisshen, flurisshen, OF.
flurir, F. fleurir, fr. L. florere to bloom, fr.
flos, floris, flower. See Flower, and -
ish.] 1. To grow luxuriantly; to increase
and enlarge, as a healthy growing plant; a thrive.
A tree thrives and flourishes in a kindly . . .
soil.
Bp. Horne.
2. To be prosperous; to increase in wealth,
honor, comfort, happiness, or whatever is desirable; to thrive; to be
prominent and influental; specifically, of authors, painters, etc.,
to be in a state of activity or production.
When all the workers of iniquity do
flourish.
Ps. xcii 7
Bad men as frequently prosper and flourish, and
that by the means of their wickedness.
Nelson.
We say
Of those that held their heads above the crowd,
They flourished then or then.
Tennyson.
3. To use florid language; to indulge in
rhetorical figures and lofty expressions; to be flowery.
They dilate . . . and flourish long on little
incidents.
J. Watts.
4. To make bold and sweeping, fanciful, or
wanton movements, by way of ornament, parade, bravado, etc.; to play
with fantastic and irregular motion.
Impetuous spread
The stream, and smoking flourished o'er his head.
Pope.
5. To make ornamental strokes with the pen;
to write graceful, decorative figures.
6. To execute an irregular or fanciful strain
of music, by way of ornament or prelude.
Why do the emperor's trumpets flourish
thus?
Shak.
7. To boast; to vaunt; to brag.
Pope.
Flour"ish, v. t. 1.
To adorn with flowers orbeautiful figures, either natural or
artificial; to ornament with anything showy; to embellish.
[Obs.] Fenton.
2. To embellish with the flowers of diction;
to adorn with rhetorical figures; to grace with ostentatious
eloquence; to set off with a parade of words. [Obs.]
Sith that the justice of your title to him
Doth flourish the deceit.
Shak.
3. To move in bold or irregular figures; to
swing about in circles or vibrations by way of show or triumph; to
brandish.
And flourishes his blade in spite of
me.
Shak.
4. To develop; to make thrive; to
expand. [Obs.]
Bottoms of thread . . . which with a good needle,
perhaps may be flourished into large works.
Bacon.
Flour"ish (?), n.; pl.
Flourishes (&?;). 1. A
flourishing condition; prosperity; vigor. [Archaic]
The Roman monarchy, in her highest flourish,
never had the like.
Howell.
2. Decoration; ornament; beauty.
The flourish of his sober youth
Was the pride of naked truth.
Crashaw.
3. Something made or performed in a fanciful,
wanton, or vaunting manner, by way of ostentation, to excite
admiration, etc.; ostentatious embellishment; ambitious copiousness
or amplification; parade of words and figures; show; as, a
flourish of rhetoric or of wit.
He lards with flourishes his long
harangue.
Dryden.
4. A fanciful stroke of the pen or graver; a
merely decorative figure.
The neat characters and flourishes of a Bible
curiously printed.
Boyle.
5. A fantastic or decorative musical passage;
a strain of triumph or bravado, not forming part of a regular musical
composition; a cal; a fanfare.
A flourish, trumpets! strike alarum,
drums!
Shak.
6. The waving of a weapon or other thing; a
brandishing; as, the flourish of a sword.
Flour"ish*er (?), n. One who
flourishes.
Flour"ish*ing*ly, adv. In a
flourishing manner; ostentatiously.
Flour"y (?), a. Of or resembling
flour; mealy; covered with flour. Dickens.
Flout (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flouted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Flouting.] [OD. fluyten to play the flute, to jeer, D.
fluiten, fr. fluit, fr. French. See Flute.]
To mock or insult; to treat with contempt.
Phillida flouts me.
Walton.
Three gaudy standards flout the pale blue
sky.
Byron.
Flout, v. i. To practice mocking;
to behave with contempt; to sneer; to fleer; -- often with
at.
Fleer and gibe, and laugh and
flout.
Swift.
Flout, n. A mock; an
insult.
Who put your beauty to this flout and
scorn.
Tennyson.
Flout"er (?), n. One who flouts; a
mocker.
Flout"ing*ly, adv. With flouting;
insultingly; as, to treat a lover floutingly.
Flow (flō), obs. imp. sing.
of Fly, v. i. Chaucer.
Flow (flō), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Flowed (flōd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flowing.] [AS. flōwan; akin to D.
vloeijen, OHG. flawen to wash, Icel. flōa
to deluge, Gr. plw`ein to float, sail, and prob.
ultimately to E. float, fleet. √80. Cf.
Flood.] 1. To move with a continual
change of place among the particles or parts, as a fluid; to change
place or circulate, as a liquid; as, rivers flow from springs
and lakes; tears flow from the eyes.
2. To become liquid; to melt.
The mountains flowed down at thy
presence.
Is. lxiv. 3.
3. To proceed; to issue forth; as, wealth
flows from industry and economy.
Those thousand decencies that daily flow
From all her words and actions.
Milton.
4. To glide along smoothly, without harshness
or asperties; as, a flowing period; flowing numbers; to
sound smoothly to the ear; to be uttered easily.
Virgil is sweet and flowingin his
hexameters.
Dryden.
5. To have or be in abundance; to abound; to
full, so as to run or flow over; to be copious.
In that day . . . the hills shall flow with
milk.
Joel iii. 18.
The exhilaration of a night that needed not the
influence of the flowing bowl.
Prof.
Wilson.
6. To hang loose and waving; as, a
flowing mantle; flowing locks.
The imperial purple flowing in his
train.
A. Hamilton.
7. To rise, as the tide; -- opposed to
ebb; as, the tide flows twice in twenty-four
hours.
The river hath thrice flowed, no ebb
between.
Shak.
8. To discharge blood in excess from the
uterus.
Flow, v. t. 1. To
cover with water or other liquid; to overflow; to inundate; to
flood.
2. To cover with varnish.
Flow, n. 1. A
stream of water or other fluid; a current; as, a flow of
water; a flow of blood.
2. A continuous movement of something
abundant; as, a flow of words.
3. Any gentle, gradual movement or procedure
of thought, diction, music, or the like, resembling the quiet, steady
movement of a river; a stream.
The feast of reason and the flow of
soul.
Pope.
4. The tidal setting in of the water from the
ocean to the shore. See Ebb and flow, under
Ebb.
5. A low-lying piece of watery land; --
called also flow moss and flow bog. [Scot.]
Jamieson.
Flow"age (?; 48), n. An
overflowing with water; also, the water which thus
overflows.
Flow"en (?), obs. imp. pl. of
Fly, v. i. Chaucer.
Flow"er (?), n. [OE. flour, OF.
flour, flur, flor, F. fleur, fr. L.
flos, floris. Cf. Blossom, Effloresce,
Floret, Florid, Florin, Flour,
Flourish.] 1. In the popular sense, the
bloom or blossom of a plant; the showy portion, usually of a
different color, shape, and texture from the foliage.
2. (Bot.) That part of a plant
destined to produce seed, and hence including one or both of the
sexual organs; an organ or combination of the organs of reproduction,
whether inclosed by a circle of foliar parts or not. A complete
flower consists of two essential parts, the stamens and the
pistil, and two floral envelopes, the corolla and callyx. In mosses
the flowers consist of a few special leaves surrounding or subtending
organs called archegonia. See Blossom, and
Corolla.
&fist; If we examine a common flower, such for instance as a
geranium, we shall find that it consists of: First, an outer envelope
or calyx, sometimes tubular, sometimes consisting of separate
leaves called sepals; secondly, an inner envelope or
corolla, which is generally more or less colored, and which,
like the calyx, is sometimes tubular, sometimes composed of separate
leaves called petals; thirdly, one or more stamens,
consisting of a stalk or filament and a head or anther,
in which the pollen is produced; and fourthly, a
pistil, which is situated in the center of the flower, and
consists generally of three principal parts; one or more compartments
at the base, each containing one or more seeds; the stalk or
style; and the stigma, which in many familiar instances
forms a small head, at the top of the style or ovary, and to which
the pollen must find its way in order to fertilize the flower.
Sir J. Lubbock.
3. The fairest, freshest, and choicest part
of anything; as, the flower of an army, or of a family; the
state or time of freshness and bloom; as, the flower of life,
that is, youth.
The choice and flower of all things profitable
the Psalms do more briefly contain.
Hooker.
The flower of the chivalry of all
Spain.
Southey.
A simple maiden in her flower
Is worth a hundred coats of arms.
Tennyson.
4. Grain pulverized; meal; flour.
[Obs.]
The flowers of grains, mixed with water, will
make a sort of glue.
Arbuthnot.
5. pl. (Old Chem.) A substance
in the form of a powder, especially when condensed from sublimation;
as, the flowers of sulphur.
6. A figure of speech; an ornament of
style.
7. pl. (Print.) Ornamental type
used chiefly for borders around pages, cards, etc. W.
Savage.
8. pl. Menstrual discharges.
Lev. xv. 24.
Animal flower (Zoöl.) See under
Animal. -- Cut flowers, flowers cut
from the stalk, as for making a bouquet. -- Flower
bed, a plat in a garden for the cultivation of
flowers. -- Flower beetle (Zoöl.),
any beetle which feeds upon flowers, esp. any one of numerous
small species of the genus Meligethes, family
Nitidulidæ, some of which are injurious to crops. -
- Flower bird (Zoöl.), an
Australian bird of the genus Anthornis, allied to the honey
eaters. -- Flower bud, an unopened
flower. -- Flower clock, an assemblage of
flowers which open and close at different hours of the day, thus
indicating the time. -- Flower head
(Bot.), a compound flower in which all the florets are
sessile on their receptacle, as in the case of the daisy. --
Flower pecker (Zoöl.), one of a
family (Dicæidæ) of small Indian and Australian
birds. They resemble humming birds in habits. -- Flower
piece. (a) A table ornament made of cut
flowers. (b) (Fine Arts) A picture of
flowers. -- Flower stalk (Bot.),
the peduncle of a plant, or the stem that supports the flower or
fructification.
Flow"er (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flowered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flowering.] [From the noun. Cf. Flourish.]
1. To blossom; to bloom; to expand the petals,
as a plant; to produce flowers; as, this plant flowers in
June.
2. To come into the finest or fairest
condition.
Their lusty and flowering age.
Robynson (More's Utopia).
When flowered my youthful spring.
Spenser.
3. To froth; to ferment gently, as new
beer.
That beer did flower a little.
Bacon.
4. To come off as flowers by
sublimation. [Obs.]
Observations which have flowered
off.
Milton.
Flow"er, v. t. To embellish with
flowers; to adorn with imitated flowers; as, flowered
silk.
Flow"er*age (?; 48), n. State of
flowers; flowers, collectively or in general.
Tennyson.
Flow"er-de-luce" (?), n. [Corrupted fr.
fleur-de-lis.] (Bot.) A genus of perennial herbs
(Iris) with swordlike leaves and large three-petaled flowers
often of very gay colors, but probably white in the plant first
chosen for the royal French emblem.
&fist; There are nearly one hundred species, natives of the north
temperate zone. Some of the best known are Iris Germanica,
I. Florentina, I. Persica, I. sambucina, and the
American I. versicolor, I. prismatica, etc.
Flow"er*er (?), n. A plant which
flowers or blossoms.
Many hybrids are profuse and persistent
flowerers.
Darwin.
Flow"er*et (?), n. A small flower;
a floret. Shak.
Flow"er-fence` (?), n. (Bot.)
A tropical leguminous bush (Poinciana, or Cæsalpinia,
pulcherrima) with prickly branches, and showy yellow or red
flowers; -- so named from its having been sometimes used for hedges
in the West Indies. Baird.
Flow"er*ful (?), a. Abounding with
flowers. Craig.
Flow"er-gen`tle (?), n. (Bot.)
A species of amaranth (Amarantus
melancholicus).
Flow"er*i*ness (?), n. The state
of being flowery.
Flow"er*ing, a. (Bot.)
Having conspicuous flowers; -- used as an epithet with many
names of plants; as, flowering ash; flowering dogwood;
flowering almond, etc.
Flowering fern, a genus of showy ferns
(Osmunda), with conspicuous bivalvular sporangia. They usually
grow in wet places. -- Flowering plants,
plants which have stamens and pistils, and produce true seeds;
phenogamous plants; -- distinguished from flowerless
plants. -- Flowering rush, a European
rushlike plant (Butomus umbellatus), with an umbel of rosy
blossoms.
Flow"er*ing, n. 1.
The act of blossoming, or the season when plants blossom;
florification.
2. The act of adorning with
flowers.
Flow"er*less, a. Having no
flowers.
Flowerless plants, plants which have no true
flowers, and produce no seeds; cryptogamous plants.
Flow"er*less*ness, n. State of
being without flowers.
Flow"er*pot` (?), n. A vessel,
commonly or earthenware, for earth in which plants are
grown.
Flow"er*y (?), a. 1.
Full of flowers; abounding with blossoms.
2. Highly embellished with figurative
language; florid; as, a flowery style.
Milton.
The flowery kingdom, China.
Flow"er*y-kir`tled (?), a. Dressed
with garlands of flowers. [Poetic & Rare] Milton.
Flow"ing, a. That flows or for
flowing (in various sense of the verb); gliding along smoothly;
copious.
Flowing battery (Elec.), a battery
which is kept constant by the flowing of the exciting liquid through
the cell or cells. Knight. -- Flowing
furnace, a furnace from which molten metal, can be
drawn, as through a tap hole; a foundry cupola. --
Flowing sheet (Naut.), a sheet when
eased off, or loosened to the wind, as when the wind is abaft the
beam. Totten.
Flow"ing (?), a. & n. from
Flow, v. i. & t.
Flow"ing*ly, adv. In a flowing
manner.
Flow"ing*ness, n. Flowing tendency
or quality; fluency. [R.] W. Nichols.
Flowk (? or ?), n. (Zoöl.)
See 1st Fluke.
Flown (?), p. p. of Fly; --
often used with the auxiliary verb to be; as, the birds are
flown.
Flown, a. Flushed, inflated.
[Supposed by some to be a mistake for blown or swoln.]
Pope.
Then wander forth the sons
Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.
Milton.
Floxed" silk` (?). See Floss silk, under
Floss.
Floyte (?), n. & v. A variant of
Flute. [Obs.]
Flu"ate (?), n. [Cf. F. fluate.
See Fluor.] (Chem.) A fluoride. [Obs.]
Flu"a*vil (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
(Chem.) A hydrocarbon extracted from gutta-percha, as a
yellow, resinous substance; -- called also fluanil.
Flu"can (?), n. (Mining)
Soft clayey matter in the vein, or surrounding it.
[Written also flookan, flukan, and fluccan.]
Fluc*tif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
fluctus wave + -ferous.] Tending to produce
waves. Blount.
Fluc*tis"o*nous (?), a. [L.
fluctisonus; fluctus wave + sonus sound.]
Sounding like waves.
Fluc`tu*a*bil"i*ty (?; 135), n.
The capacity or ability to fluctuate. [R.] H.
Walpole.
Fluc"tu*ant (?; 135), a. [L.
fluctuans, p. pr. of fluctuare. See Fluctuate.]
1. Moving like a wave; wavering;
(Med.) showing undulation or fluctuation; as, a
fluctuant tumor.
2. Floating on the waves. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Fluc"tu*ate (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Fluctuated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fluctuating (?).] [L. fluctuatus, p. p. of
fluctuare, to wave, fr. fluctus wave, fr.
fluere, fluctum, to flow. See Fluent, and cf.
Flotilla.] 1. To move as a wave; to roll
hither and thither; to wave; to float backward and forward, as on
waves; as, a fluctuating field of air.
Blackmore.
2. To move now in one direction and now in
another; to be wavering or unsteady; to be irresolute or
undetermined; to vacillate.
Syn. -- To waver; vacillate; hesitate; scruple. -- To
Fluctuate, Vacillate, Waver. -- Fluctuate
is applied both to things and persons and denotes that they move as
they are acted upon. The stocks fluctuate; a man
fluctuates between conflicting influences. Vacillate
and waver are applied to persons to represent them as acting
themselves. A man vacillates when he goes backward and forward
in his opinions and purposes, without any fixity of mind or
principles. A man wavers when he shrinks back or hesitates at
the approach of difficulty or danger. One who is fluctuating
in his feelings is usually vacillating in resolve, and
wavering in execution.
Fluc"tu*ate, v. t. To cause to
move as a wave; to put in motion. [R.]
And fluctuate all the still
perfume.
Tennyson.
Fluc`tu*a"tion (?), n. [L.
fluctuatio; cf. F. fluctuation.] 1.
A motion like that of waves; a moving in this and that
direction; as, the fluctuations of the sea.
2. A wavering; unsteadiness; as,
fluctuations of opinion; fluctuations of
prices.
3. (Med.) The motion or undulation of
a fluid collected in a natural or artifical cavity, which is felt
when it is subjected to pressure or percussion.
Dunglison.
Flue (?), n. [Cf. OF. flue a
flowing, fr. fluer to flow, fr. L. fluere (cf.
Fluent); a perh. a corruption of E. flute.] An
inclosed passage way for establishing and directing a current of air,
gases, etc.; an air passage; esp.: (a) A
compartment or division of a chimney for conveying flame and smoke to
the outer air. (b) A passage way for
conducting a current of fresh, foul, or heated air from one place to
another. (c) (Steam Boiler) A pipe
or passage for conveying flame and hot gases through surrounding
water in a boiler; -- distinguished from a tube which holds water and
is surrounded by fire. Small flues are called fire tubes or
simply tubes.
Flue boiler. See under Boiler. -
- Flue bridge, the separating low wall between
the flues and the laboratory of a reverberatory furnace. --
Flue plate (Steam Boiler), a plate to
which the ends of the flues are fastened; -- called also flue
sheet, tube sheet, and tube plate. --
Flue surface (Steam Boiler), the
aggregate surface of flues exposed to flame or the hot
gases.
Flue (?), n. [Cf. F. flou light,
tender, G. flau weak, W. llwch dust. √84.]
Light down, such as rises from cotton, fur, etc.; very fine lint
or hair. Dickens.
Flu"ence (?), n. Fluency.
[Obs.] Milton.
Flu"en*cy (?), n. [L. fluentia:
cf. F. fluence. See Fluent.] The quality of being
fluent; smoothness; readiness of utterance; volubility.
The art of expressing with fluency and
perspicuity.
Macaulay.
Flu"ent (?), a. [L. fluens, -
entis, p. pr. of fluere to flow; cf. Gr. &?; to boil over.
Cf. Fluctuate, Flux.] 1. Flowing
or capable of flowing; liquid; glodding; easily moving.
2. Ready in the use of words; voluble;
copious; having words at command; and uttering them with facility and
smoothness; as, a fluent speaker; hence, flowing; voluble;
smooth; -- said of language; as, fluent speech.
With most fluent utterance.
Denham.
Fluent as the flight of a swallow is the
sultan's letter.
De Quincey.
Flu"ent, n. 1. A
current of water; a stream. [Obs.]
2. [Cf. F. fluente.] (Math.) A
variable quantity, considered as increasing or diminishing; --
called, in the modern calculus, the function or
integral.
Flu"ent*ly, adv. In a fluent
manner.
Flu"ent*ness, n. The quality of
being fluent.
Flue"work` (?), n. (Mus.) A
general name for organ stops in which the sound is caused by wind
passing through a flue or fissure and striking an edge above; -- in
distinction from reedwork.
Flue"y (?), a. [2d Flue.]
Downy; fluffy. [R.]
Fluff (?), n. [Cf. 2d Flue.
√84.] Nap or down; flue; soft, downy feathers.
Fluff"y (?), a.
[Compar. Fluffier (?);
superl. Fluffiest.] Pertaining to, or
resembling, fluff or nap; soft and downy. "The carpets were
fluffy." Thackeray.
The present Barnacle . . . had a youthful aspect, and
the fluffiest little whisker, perhaps, that ever was
seen.
Dickens.
-- Fluff"i*ness, n.
||Flü"gel (?), n. [G., a wing.]
(Mus.) A grand piano or a harpsichord, both being wing-
shaped.
Flu"gel*man (?), n. [G.
flügelman.] (Mil.) Same as
Fugleman.
Flu"id (flū&ibreve;d), a. [L.
fluidus, fr. fluere to flow: cf. F. fluide. See
Fluent.] Having particles which easily move and change
their relative position without a separation of the mass, and which
easily yield to pressure; capable of flowing; liquid or
gaseous.
Flu"id, n. A fluid substance; a
body whose particles move easily among themselves.
&fist; Fluid is a generic term, including liquids and gases
as species. Water, air, and steam are fluids. By analogy, the
term is sometimes applied to electricity and magnetism, as in phrases
electric fluid, magnetic fluid, though not strictly
appropriate.
Fluid dram, or Fluid drachm,
a measure of capacity equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce.
-- Fluid ounce. (a) In the
United States, a measure of capacity, in apothecaries' or wine
measure, equal to one sixteenth of a pint or 29.57 cubic centimeters.
This, for water, is about 1.04158 ounces avoirdupois, or 455.6
grains. (b) In England, a measure of
capacity equal to the twentieth part of an imperial pint. For water,
this is the weight of the avoirdupois ounce, or 437.5 grains. --
Fluids of the body. (Physiol.) The
circulating blood and lymph, the chyle, the gastric, pancreatic, and
intestinal juices, the saliva, bile, urine, aqueous humor, and muscle
serum are the more important fluids of the body. The tissues
themselves contain a large amount of combined water, so much, that an
entire human body dried in vacuo with a very moderate degree
of heat gives about 66 per cent of water. -- Burning
fluid, Elastic fluid, Electric
fluid, Magnetic fluid, etc. See under
Burning, Elastic, etc.
Flu"id*al (?), a. Pertaining to a
fluid, or to its flowing motion.
Fluidal structure (Geol.), the
structure characteristic of certain volcanic rocks in which the
arrangement of the minute crystals shows the lines of flow of thew
molten material before solidification; -- also called fluxion
structure.
Flu*id"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
fluidité.] The quality of being fluid or capable
of flowing; a liquid, aëriform, or gaseous state; -- opposed to
solidity.
It was this want of organization, this looseness and
fluidity of the new movement, that made it penetrate through
every class of society.
J. R. Green.
Flu"id*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fluidized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fluidizing.] To render fluid.
Flu"id*ness, n. The state of being
fluid; fluidity.
Flu"id*ounce`, n. See Fluid
ounce, under Fluid.
Flu"i*drachm` (?), n. See Fluid
dram, under Fluid. Pharm. of the U. S.
Flu"kan (?), n. (Mining)
Flucan.
Fluke (flūk), n. [Cf. AS.
flōc a kind of flatfish, Icel. flōki a kind
of halibut.] 1. (Zoöl.) The European
flounder. See Flounder. [Written also fleuk,
flook, and flowk].
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zoöl.) A parasitic trematode
worm of several species, having a flat, lanceolate body and two
suckers. Two species (Fasciola hepatica and Distoma
lanceolatum) are found in the livers of sheep, and produce the
disease called rot.
[1913 Webster]
Fluke (flūk), n. [Cf. LG.
flunk, flunka wing, the palm of an anchor; perh. akin
to E. fly.] 1. The part of an anchor
which fastens in the ground; a flook. See Anchor.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the lobes of a
whale's tail, so called from the resemblance to the fluke of an
anchor.
3. An instrument for cleaning out a hole
drilled in stone for blasting.
4. An accidental and favorable stroke at
billiards (called a scratch in the United States); hence, any
accidental or unexpected advantage; as, he won by a
fluke. [Cant, Eng.] A. Trollope.
Fluke"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as 1st Fluke, 2.
Fluk"y (?), a. Formed like, or
having, a fluke.
Flume (?), n. [Cf. OE. flum
river, OF, flum, fr. L. flumen, fr. fluere to
flow. √84. See Fluent.] A stream; especially, a
passage channel, or conduit for the water that drives a mill wheel;
or an artifical channel of water for hydraulic or placer mining;
also, a chute for conveying logs or lumber down a
declivity.
Flu"mi*nous (?), a. [L. flumen,
fluminis, river.] Pertaining to rivers; abounding in
streama.
Flum"mer*y (?), n. [W. llumru,
or llumruwd, a kind of food made of oatmeal steeped in water
until it has turned sour, fr. llumrig harsh, raw, crude, fr.
llum sharp, severe.] 1. A light kind of
food, formerly made of flour or meal; a sort of pap.
Milk and flummery are very fit for
children.
Locke.
2. Something insipid, or not worth having;
empty compliment; trash; unsubstantial talk of writing.
The flummery of modern criticism.
J. Morley.
Flung (?), imp. & p. p. of
Fling.
Flunk (flŭ&nsm;k), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Flunked (flŭ&nsm;kt);
p. pr. & vb. n. Flunking.] [Cf.
Funk.] To fail, as on a lesson; to back out, as from an
undertaking, through fear.
Flunk, v. t. To fail in; to shirk,
as a task or duty. [Colloq. U.S.]
Flunk, n. A failure or backing
out; specifically (College cant), a total failure in a
recitation. [U.S.]
Flun"ky (flŭ&nsm;"k&ybreve;),
n.; pl. Flunkies (-
k&ibreve;z). [Prob. fr. or akin to flank.] [Written also
flunkey.] 1. A contemptuous name for a
liveried servant or a footman.
2. One who is obsequious or cringing; a
snob.
3. One easily deceived in buying stocks; an
inexperienced and unwary jobber. [Cant, U.S.]
Flun"ky*dom (?), n. The place or
region of flunkies. C. Kingsley.
Flun"ly*ism (?), n. The quality or
characteristics of a flunky; readiness to cringe to those who are
superior in wealth or position; toadyism.
Thackeray.
Flu"o- (&?;). (Chem.) A combining form
indicating fluorine as an ingredient; as in
fluosilicate, fluobenzene.
Flu`o*bo"rate (?), n. [Cf. F.
fluoborate.] (Chem.) A salt of fluoboric acid; a
fluoboride.
Flu`o*bo"ric (?), a. [Fluo-
boric: cf. F. fluoborique.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, derived from, or consisting of, fluorine and
boron.
Fluoridic acid (Chem.), a double
fluoride, consisting essentially of a solution of boron fluoride, in
hydrofluoric acid. It has strong acid properties, and is the type of
the borofluorides. Called also borofluoric acid.
Flu`o*bo"ride (?), n. (Chem.)
See Borofluoride.
{ Flu`o*ce"rine (?), Flu`o*ce"rite (?) },
n. [Fluo- + cerium.] (Min.)
A fluoride of cerium, occuring near Fahlun in Sweden. Tynosite,
from Colorado, is probably the same mineral.
Flu`o*hy"dric (?), a. [Fluo- +
hydrogen.] (Chem.) See
Hydrofluoric.
Flu`o*phos"phate (?), n. [Fluo-
+ phosphate.] (Chem.) A double salt of fluoric and
phosphoric acids.
||Flu"or (?), n. [L., a flowing, fr.
fluere to flow. See Fluent.] 1. A
fluid state. [Obs.] Sir I. Newton.
2. Menstrual flux; catamenia; menses.
[Obs.]
3. (Min.) See
Fluorite.
||Flu"or albus (?). [L., white flow.] (Med.)
The whites; leucorrhæa.
Flu`or*an"thene (?), n.
[Fluorene + anthracene.] (Chem.) A white
crystalline hydrocarbon C15H10, of a complex
structure, found as one ingredient of the higher boiling portion of
coal tar.
Flu"or*a`ted (?), a. (Chem.)
Combined with fluorine; subjected to the action of
fluoride. [R.]
Flu`or*ene (?), n. (Chem.)
A colorless, crystalline hydrocarbon,
C13H10 having a beautiful violet
fluorescence; whence its name. It occurs in the higher boiling
products of coal tar, and is obtained artificially.
Flu`o*res"ce*in (?), n. (Chem.)
A yellowish red, crystalline substance,
C20H12O5, produced by heating
together phthalic anhydride and resorcin; -- so called, from the very
brilliant yellowish green fluorescence of its alkaline
solutions. It has acid properties, and its salts of the alkalies are
known to the trade under the name of uranin.
Flu`o*res"cence (?), n. [From
Fluor.] (Opt.) That property which some
transparent bodies have of producing at their surface, or within
their substance, light different in color from the mass of the
material, as when green crystals of fluor spar afford blue
reflections. It is due not to the difference in the color of a
distinct surface layer, but to the power which the substance has of
modifying the light incident upon it. The light emitted by
fluorescent substances is in general of lower refrangibility than the
incident light. Stockes.
Flu`o*res"cent (?), a. Having the
property of fluorescence.
Flu`o*res"cin (?), n. (Chem.)
A colorless, amorphous substance which is produced by the
reduction of fluoresceïn, and from which the latter may be
formed by oxidation.
Flu*or"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
fluorique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, obtained from,
or containing, fluorine.
Flu"or*ide (? or ?; 104), n. [Cf. F.
fluoride.] (Chem.) A binary compound of fluorine
with another element or radical.
Calcium fluoride (Min.), fluorite,
CaF2. See Fluorite.
Flu"or*ine (flū"&obreve;r*&ibreve;n or -ēn;
104), n. [NL. fluorina: cf. G.
fluorin, F. fluorine. So called from its occurrence in
the mineral fluorite.] (Chem.) A non-metallic,
gaseous element, strongly acid or negative, and associated with
chlorine, bromine, and iodine, in the halogen group of which it is
the first member. It always occurs combined, is very active
chemically, and possesses such an avidity for most elements, and
silicon especially, that it can neither be prepared nor kept in glass
vessels. If set free it immediately attacks the containing material,
so that it was not isolated until 1886. It is a pungent, corrosive,
colorless gas. Symbol F. Atomic weight 19.
&fist; Fluorine unites with hydrogen to form hydrofluoric
acid, which is the agent employed in etching glass. It occurs
naturally, principally combined as calcium fluoride in
fluorite, and as a double fluoride of aluminium and sodium in
cryolite.
Flu"or*ite (?), n. (Min.)
Calcium fluoride, a mineral of many different colors, white,
yellow, purple, green, red, etc., often very beautiful, crystallizing
commonly in cubes with perfect octahedral cleavage; also massive. It
is used as a flux. Some varieties are used for ornamental vessels.
Also called fluor spar, or simply fluor.
Flu"or*oid (?), n. [Fluor + -
oid.] (Crystallog.) A tetrahexahedron; -- so called
because it is a common form of fluorite.
Flu*or"o*scope (?), n.
[Fluorescence + -scope.] (Phys.) An
instrument for observing or exhibiting fluorescence.
Flu"or*ous (?), a. Pertaining to
fluor.
Flu"or spar` (?). (Min.) See
Fluorite.
Flu`o*sil"i*cate (?), n. [Cf. F.
fluosilicate.] (Chem.) A double fluoride of
silicon and some other (usually basic) element or radical, regarded
as a salt of fluosilicic acid; -- called also
silicofluoride.
Flu`o*si*lic"ic (?), a. [Fluo- +
silicic: cf. F. fluosilicique.] (Chem.)
Composed of, or derived from, silicon and fluorine.
Fluosilicic acid, a double fluoride of
hydrogen and silicon, H2F6Si, obtained in
solution in water as a sour fuming liquid, and regarded as the type
of the fluosilicates; -- called also silicofluoric acid, and
hydrofluosilicic acid.
Flur"ried (?), a. Agitated;
excited. -- Flur"ried*ly adv.
Flur"ry (?), n.; pl.
Flurries (#). [Prov. E. flur to ruffle.]
1. A sudden and brief blast or gust; a light,
temporary breeze; as, a flurry of wind.
2. A light shower or snowfall accompanied
with wind.
Like a flurry of snow on the whistling
wind.
Longfellow.
3. Violent agitation; commotion; bustle;
hurry.
The racket and flurry of London.
Blakw. Mag.
4. The violent spasms of a dying
whale.
Flur"ry, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flurried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flurrying.] To put in a state of agitation; to excite or
alarm. H. Swinburne.
Flurt (?), n. A flirt.
[Obs.] Quarles.
Flush (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Flushed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flushing.] [Cf. OE. fluschen to fly up, penetrate, F.
fluz a flowing, E. flux, dial. Sw. flossa to
blaze, and E. flash; perh. influenced by blush.
√84.] 1. To flow and spread suddenly; to
rush; as, blood flushes into the face.
The flushing noise of many waters.
Boyle.
It flushes violently out of the
cock.
Mortimer.
2. To become suddenly suffused, as the
cheeks; to turn red; to blush.
3. To snow red; to shine suddenly; to
glow.
In her cheek, distemper flushing
glowed.
Milton.
4. To start up suddenly; to take wing as a
bird.
Flushing from one spray unto
another.
W. Browne.
Flush, v. t. 1. To
cause to be full; to flood; to overflow; to overwhelm with water; as,
to flush the meadows; to flood for the purpose of cleaning;
as, to flush a sewer.
2. To cause the blood to rush into (the
face); to put to the blush, or to cause to glow with
excitement.
Nor flush with shame the passing virgin's
cheek.
Gay.
Sudden a thought came like a full-blown rose,
Flushing his brow.
Keats.
3. To make suddenly or temporarily red or
rosy, as if suffused with blood.
How faintly flushed. how phantom fair,
Was Monte Rosa, hanging there!
Tennyson.
4. To excite; to animate; to stir.
Such things as can only feed his pride and
flush his ambition.
South.
5. To cause to start, as a hunter a
bird. Nares.
To flush a joints (Masonry), to fill
them in; to point the level; to make them flush.
Flush, n. 1. A
sudden flowing; a rush which fills or overflows, as of water for
cleansing purposes.
In manner of a wave or flush.
Ray.
2. A suffusion of the face with blood, as
from fear, shame, modesty, or intensity of feeling of any kind; a
blush; a glow.
The flush of angered shame.
Tennyson.
3. Any tinge of red color like that produced
on the cheeks by a sudden rush of blood; as, the flush on the
side of a peach; the flush on the clouds at sunset.
4. A sudden flood or rush of feeling; a
thrill of excitement. animation, etc.; as, a flush of
joy.
5. A flock of birds suddenly started up or
flushed.
6. [From F. or Sp. flux. Cf. Flux.]
A hand of cards of the same suit.
Flush, a. 1. Full
of vigor; fresh; glowing; bright.
With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as
May.
Shak.
2. Affluent; abounding; well furnished or
suppled; hence, liberal; prodigal.
Lord Strut was not very flush in
ready.
Arbuthnot.
3. (Arch. & Mech.) Unbroken or even in
surface; on a level with the adjacent surface; forming a continuous
surface; as, a flush panel; a flush joint.
4. (Card Playing) Consisting of cards
of one suit.
Flush bolt. (a) A screw bolt
whose head is countersunk, so as to be flush with a surface.
(b) A sliding bolt let into the face or edge of a
door, so as to be flush therewith. -- Flush
deck. (Naut.) See under Deck,
n., 1. -- Flush tank, a
water tank which can be emptied rapidly for flushing drainpipes,
etc.
Flush (?), adv. So as to be level
or even.
Flush"board` (?), n. Same as
Flashboard.
Flush"er (?), n. 1.
A workman employed in cleaning sewers by flushing them with
water.
2. (Zoöl.) The red-backed shrike.
See Flasher.
Flush"ing, n. 1. A
heavy, coarse cloth manufactured from shoddy; -- commonly in the
&?; [Eng.]
2. (Weaving) A surface formed of
floating threads.
Flush"ing*ly, adv. In a flushing
manner.
Flush"ness, n. The state of being
flush; abundance.
Flus"ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flustered; p. pr. & vb. n.
Flustering.] [Cf. Icel. flaustra to be flustered,
flaustr a fluster.] To make hot and rosy, as with
drinking; to heat; hence, to throw into agitation and confusion; to
confuse; to muddle.
His habit or flustering himself daily with
claret.
Macaulay.
Flus"ter, v. i. To be in a heat or
bustle; to be agitated and confused.
The flstering, vainglorious
Greeks.
South.
Flus"ter, n. Heat or glow, as from
drinking; agitation mingled with confusion; disorder.
Flus`ter*a"tion (?), n. The act of
flustering, or the state of being flustered; fluster.
[Colloq.]
Flus"trate (?), v. t. [See
Fluster, v. t.] To fluster.
[Colloq.] Spectator.
Flus*tra"tion (?), n. The act of
flustrating; confusion; flurry. [Colloq.]
Richardson.
Flute (?), n. [OE. floute,
floite, fr. OF. flaüte, flahute,
flahuste, F. fl&?;te; cf. LL. flauta, D.
fluit. See Flute, v. i.]
1. A musical wind instrument, consisting of a
hollow cylinder or pipe, with holes along its length, stopped by the
fingers or by keys which are opened by the fingers. The modern flute
is closed at the upper end, and blown with the mouth at a lateral
hole.
The breathing flute's soft notes are heard
around.
Pope.
2. (Arch.) A channel of curved
section; -- usually applied to one of a vertical series of such
channels used to decorate columns and pilasters in classical
architecture. See Illust. under Base,
n.
3. A similar channel or groove made in wood
or other material, esp. in plaited cloth, as in a lady's
ruffle.
4. A long French breakfast roll.
Simonds.
5. A stop in an organ, having a flutelike
sound.
Flute bit, a boring tool for piercing ebony,
rosewood, and other hard woods. -- Flute pipe,
an organ pipe having a sharp lip or wind-cutter which imparts
vibrations to the column of air in the pipe. Knight.
[1913 Webster]
Flute (flūt), n. [Cf. F.
flûte a transport, D. fluit.] A kind of
flyboat; a storeship.
Armed en flûte (&?;) (Nav.),
partially armed.
Flute (?), v. i. [OE. flouten,
floiten, OF. flaüter, fleüter,
flouster, F. flûter, cf. D. fluiten;
ascribed to an assumed LL. flautare, flatuare, fr. L.
flatus a blowing, fr. flare to blow. Cf. Flout,
Flageolet, Flatulent.] To play on, or as on, a
flute; to make a flutelike sound.
Flute, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fluted (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fluting (?).] 1. To play, whistle, or
sing with a clear, soft note, like that of a flute.
Knaves are men,
That lute and flute fantastic tenderness.
Tennyson.
The redwing flutes his o-ka-lee.
Emerson.
2. To form flutes or channels in, as in a
column, a ruffle, etc.
||Flûte` à bec" (?). [F.] (Mus.)
A beak flute, an older form of the flute, played with a
mouthpiece resembling a beak, and held like a flageolet.
Flut"ed (?), a. 1.
Thin; fine; clear and mellow; flutelike; as, fluted
notes. Busby.
2. Decorated with flutes; channeled; grooved;
as, a fluted column; a fluted ruffle; a fluted
spectrum.
Flute"mouth` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) A fish of the genus Aulostoma, having
a much elongated tubular snout.
Flut"er (?), n. 1.
One who plays on the flute; a flutist or flautist.
2. One who makes grooves or
flutings.
Flut"ing, n. Decoration by means
of flutes or channels; a flute, or flutes collectively; as, the
fluting of a column or pilaster; the fluting of a
lady's ruffle.
Fluting iron, a laundry iron for fluting
ruffles; -- called also Italian iron, or gaufering
iron. Knight. -- Fluting lathe,
a machine for forming spiral flutes, as on balusters, table legs,
etc.
Flut"ist (?), n. [Cf. F.
flûtiste.] A performer on the flute; a
flautist. Busby.
2. To move with quick vibrations or
undulations; as, a sail flutters in the wind; a
fluttering fan.
3. To move about briskly, irregularly, or
with great bustle and show, without much result.
No rag, no scrap, of all the beau, or wit,
That once so fluttered, and that once so
writ.
Pope.
4. To be in agitation; to move irregularly;
to flucttuate; to be uncertainty.
Long we fluttered on the wings of doubtful
success.
Howell.
His thoughts are very fluttering and
wandering.
I. Watts.
Flut"ter (?), v. t. 1.
To vibrate or move quickly; as, a bird flutters its
wings.
2. To drive in disorder; to throw into
confusion.
Like an eagle in a dovecote, I
Fluttered your Volscians in Corioli.
Shak.
Flut"ter, n. 1.
The act of fluttering; quick and irregular motion; vibration;
as, the flutter of a fan.
The chirp and flutter of some single
bird
Milnes. .
2. Hurry; tumult; agitation of the mind;
confusion; disorder. Pope.
Flutter wheel, a water wheel placed below a
fall or in a chute where rapidly moving water strikes the tips of the
floats; -- so called from the spattering, and the fluttering noise it
makes.
Flut"ter*er (?), n. One who, or
that which, flutters.
Flut"ter*ing*ly, adv. In a
fluttering manner.
Flut"y (?), a. Soft and clear in
tone, like a flute.
Flu"vi*al (?), a. [L. fluvialis,
from fluvius river, fr. fluere to flow: cf.F.
fluvial. See Fluent.] Belonging to rivers; growing
or living in streams or ponds; as, a fluvial plant.
Flu"vi*al*ist, n. One who exlpains
geological phenomena by the action of streams. [R.]
Flu`vi*at"ic (?), a. [L.
fluviaticus. See Fluvial.] Belonging to rivers or
streams; fluviatile. Johnson.
Flu"vi*a*tile (?), a. [L.
fluviatilis, fr. fluvius river: cf. F.
fluviatile.] Belonging to rivers or streams; existing in
or about rivers; produced by river action; fluvial; as,
fluviatile starta, plants. Lyell.
Flu`vi*o-ma*rine" (?), a. [L.
fluvius river + E. marine.] (Geol.) Formed
by the joint action of a river and the sea, as deposits at the mouths
of rivers.
Flux (flŭks), n. [L.
fluxus, fr. fluere, fluxum, to flow: cf.F.
flux. See Fluent, and cf. 1st & 2d Floss,
Flush, n., 6.] 1. The
act of flowing; a continuous moving on or passing by, as of a flowing
stream; constant succession; change.
By the perpetual flux of the liquids, a great
part of them is thrown out of the body.
Arbuthnot.
Her image has escaped the flux of things,
And that same infant beauty that she wore
Is fixed upon her now forevermore.
Trench.
Languages, like our bodies, are in a continual
flux.
Felton.
2. The setting in of the tide toward the
shore, -- the ebb being called the reflux.
3. The state of being liquid through heat;
fusion.
4. (Chem. & Metal.) Any substance or
mixture used to promote the fusion of metals or minerals, as
alkalies, borax, lime, fluorite.
&fist; White flux is the residuum of the combustion of a
mixture of equal parts of niter and tartar. It consists chiefly of
the carbonate of potassium, and is white. -- Black flux is the
ressiduum of the combustion of one part of niter and two of tartar,
and consists essentially of a mixture of potassium carbonate and
charcoal.
5. (Med.) (a) A fluid
discharge from the bowels or other part; especially, an excessive and
morbid discharge; as, the bloody flux or dysentery. See
Bloody flux. (b) The matter thus
discharged.
6. (Physics) The quantity of a fluid
that crosses a unit area of a given surface in a unit of
time.
Flux, a. [L. fluxus, p. p. of
fluere. See Flux, n.] Flowing;
unstable; inconstant; variable.
The flux nature of all things
here.
Barrow.
Flux, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fluxed (flŭkst); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fluxing.] 1. To affect, or
bring to a certain state, by flux.
He might fashionably and genteelly . . . have been
dueled or
fluxed into another world.
South.
2. To cause to become fluid; to fuse.
Kirwan.
3. (Med.) To cause a discharge from;
to purge.
Flux*a"tion (?), n. The act of
fluxing.
Flux`i*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. LL.
fluxibilitas fluidity.] The quality of being
fluxible. Hammond.
Flux"i*ble (?), a. [Cf.LL.
fluxibilis fluid, OF. fluxible.] Capable of being
melted or fused, as a mineral. Holland.
-- Flux"i*ble*ness, n.
Flux"ile (?), a. [L. fluxilis,
a., fluid.] Fluxible. [R.]
Flux*il"i*ty (?), n. State of
being fluxible.[Obs.]
Flux"ion (?), n. [Cf. F.
fluxion.] The act of flowing. Cotgrave.
2. The matter that flows.
Wiseman.
3. Fusion; the running of metals into a fluid
state.
4. (Med.) An unnatural or excessive
flow of blood or fluid toward any organ; a determination.
5. A constantly varying indication.
Less to be counted than the fluxions of sun
dials.
De Quincey.
6. (Math.) (a) The
infinitely small increase or decrease of a variable or flowing
quantity in a certain infinitely small and constant period of time;
the rate of variation of a fluent; an incerement; a
differential. (b) pl. A method of
analysis developed by Newton, and based on the conception of all
magnitudes as generated by motion, and involving in their changes the
notion of velocity or rate of change. Its results are the same as
those of the differential and integral calculus, from which it
differs little except in notation and logical method.
Flux"ion*al (?), a. Pertaining to,
or having the nature of, fluxion or fluxions; variable;
inconstant.
The merely human,the temporary and
fluxional.
Coleridge.
Fluxional structure (Geol.), fluidal
structure.
Flux"ion*a*ry (?), a.
1. Fluxional. Berkeley.
2. (Med.) Pertaining to, or caused by,
an increased flow of blood to a part; congestive; as, a
fluxionary hemorrhage.
Flux"ion*ist, n. One skilled in
fluxions. Berkeley.
Flux"ions (?), n. pl. (Math.)
See Fluxion, 6(b).
Flux"ive (?), a. Flowing; also,
wanting solidity. B. Jonson.
Flux"ure (?; 138), n. [L.
fluxura a flowing.] 1. The quality of
being fluid. [Obs.] Fielding.
2. Fluid matter. [Obs.]
Drayton.
Fly (flī), v. i.
[imp. Flew (flū); p.
p. Flown (flōn); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flying.] [OE. fleen, fleen,
fleyen, flegen, AS. fleógan; akin to D.
vliegen, OHG. fliogan, G. fliegen, Icel.
fljūga, Sw. flyga, Dan. flyve, Goth.
us-flaugjan to cause to fly away, blow about, and perh. to L.
pluma feather, E. plume. √84. Cf. Fledge,
Flight, Flock of animals.] 1. To
move in or pass through the air with wings, as a bird.
2. To move through the air or before the
wind; esp., to pass or be driven rapidly through the air by any
impulse.
3. To float, wave, or rise in the air, as
sparks or a flag.
Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly
upward.
Job v. 7.
4. To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away;
to circulate rapidly; as, a ship flies on the deep; a top
flies around; rumor flies.
Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy
race.
Milton.
The dark waves murmured as the ships flew
on.
Bryant.
5. To run from danger; to attempt to escape;
to flee; as, an enemy or a coward flies. See Note under
Flee.
Fly, ere evil intercept thy
flight.
Milton.
Whither shall I fly to escape their hands
?
Shak.
6. To move suddenly, or with violence; to do
an act suddenly or swiftly; -- usually with a qualifying word; as, a
door flies open; a bomb flies apart.
To fly about (Naut.), to change
frequently in a short time; -- said of the wind. -- To
fly around, to move about in haste. [Colloq.] --
To fly at, to spring toward; to rush on; to
attack suddenly. -- To fly in the face of,
to insult; to assail; to set at defiance; to oppose with
violence; to act in direct opposition to; to resist. --
To fly off, to separate, or become detached
suddenly; to revolt. -- To fly on, to
attack. -- To fly open, to open suddenly,
or with violence. -- To fly out.
(a) To rush out. (b) To
burst into a passion; to break out into license. -- To
let fly. (a) To throw or drive with
violence; to discharge. "A man lets fly his arrow without
taking any aim." Addison. (b) (Naut.)
To let go suddenly and entirely; as, to let fly the
sheets.
Fly, v. t. 1. To
cause to fly or to float in the air, as a bird, a kite, a flag,
etc.
The brave black flag I fly.
W.
S. Gilbert.
2. To fly or flee from; to shun; to
avoid.
Sleep flies the wretch.
Dryden.
To fly the favors of so good a
king.
Shak.
3. To hunt with a hawk. [Obs.]
Bacon.
To fly a kite (Com.), to raise money
on commercial notes. [Cant or Slang]
Fly, n.; pl.
Flies (flīz). [OE. flie, flege,
AS. fl&ymacr;ge, fleóge, fr.
fleógan to fly; akin to D. vlieg, OHG.
flioga, G. fliege, Icel. & Sw. fluga, Dan.
flue. √ 84. See Fly, v. i.]
1. (Zoöl.) (a) Any
winged insect; esp., one with transparent wings; as, the Spanish
fly; firefly; gall fly; dragon fly.
(b) Any dipterous insect; as, the house
fly; flesh fly; black fly. See Diptera,
and Illust. in Append.
2. A hook dressed in imitation of a fly, --
used for fishing. "The fur-wrought fly." Gay.
3. A familiar spirit; a witch's
attendant. [Obs.]
A trifling fly, none of your great
familiars.
B. Jonson.
4. A parasite. [Obs.]
Massinger.
5. A kind of light carriage for rapid
transit, plying for hire and usually drawn by one horse.
[Eng.]
6. The length of an extended flag from its
staff; sometimes, the length from the "union" to the extreme
end.
7. The part of a vane pointing the direction
from which the wind blows.
8. (Naut.) That part of a compass on
which the points are marked; the compass card.
Totten.
9. (Mech.) (a) Two or
more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to
equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the
air, as in the striking part of a clock. (b)
A heavy wheel, or cross arms with weights at the ends on a
revolving axis, to regulate or equalize the motion of machinery by
means of its inertia, where the power communicated, or the resistance
to be overcome, is variable, as in the steam engine or the coining
press. See Fly wheel (below).
10. (Knitting Machine) The piece
hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while
the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch.
Knight.
11. The pair of arms revolving around the
bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the
yarn.
12. (Weaving) A shuttle driven through
the shed by a blow or jerk. Knight.
13. (a) Formerly, the person
who took the printed sheets from the press. (b)
A vibrating frame with fingers, attached to a power to a power
printing press for doing the same work.
14. The outer canvas of a tent with double
top, usually drawn over the ridgepole, but so extended as to touch
the roof of the tent at no other place.
15. One of the upper screens of a stage in a
theater.
16. The fore flap of a bootee; also, a lap on
trousers, overcoats, etc., to conceal a row of buttons.
17. (Baseball) A batted ball that
flies to a considerable distance, usually high in the air, also
called a fly ball; also, the flight of a ball so struck; as,
it was caught on the fly.
Black fly, Cheese fly,
Dragon fly, etc. See under Black,
Cheese, etc. -- Fly agaric
(Bot.), a mushroom (Agaricus muscarius), having a
narcotic juice which, in sufficient quantities, is poisonous. --
Fly block (Naut.), a pulley whose
position shifts to suit the working of the tackle with which it is
connected; -- used in the hoisting tackle of yards. --
Fly board (Printing Press), the board on
which printed sheets are deposited by the fly. -- Fly
book, a case in the form of a book for anglers'
flies. Kingsley. -- Fly cap, a cap
with wings, formerly worn by women. -- Fly
drill, a drill having a reciprocating motion controlled
by a fly wheel, the driving power being applied by the hand through a
cord winding in reverse directions upon the spindle as it rotates
backward and forward. Knight. -- Fly
fishing, the act or art of angling with a bait of
natural or artificial flies. Walton. -- Fly
flap, an implement for killing flies. --
Fly governor, a governor for regulating the
speed of an engine, etc., by the resistance of vanes revolving in the
air. -- Fly honeysuckle (Bot.), a
plant of the honeysuckle genus (Lonicera), having a bushy stem
and the flowers in pairs, as L. ciliata and L.
Xylosteum. -- Fly hook, a fishhook
supplied with an artificial fly. -- Fly leaf,
an unprinted leaf at the beginning or end of a book, circular,
programme, etc. -- Fly maggot, a maggot
bred from the egg of a fly. Ray. -- Fly
net, a screen to exclude insects. -- Fly
nut (Mach.), a nut with wings; a thumb nut; a
finger nut. -- Fly orchis (Bot.), a
plant (Ophrys muscifera), whose flowers resemble flies. -
- Fly paper, poisoned or sticky paper for
killing flies that feed upon or are entangled by it. --
Fly powder, an arsenical powder used to poison
flies. -- Fly press, a screw press for
punching, embossing, etc., operated by hand and having a heavy
fly. -- Fly rail, a bracket which turns
out to support the hinged leaf of a table. -- Fly
rod, a light fishing rod used in angling with a
fly. -- Fly sheet, a small loose
advertising sheet; a handbill. -- Fly snapper
(Zoöl.), an American bird (Phainopepla
nitens), allied to the chatterers and shrikes. The male is
glossy blue-black; the female brownish gray. -- Fly
wheel (Mach.), a heavy wheel attached to
machinery to equalize the movement (opposing any sudden acceleration
by its inertia and any retardation by its momentum), and to
accumulate or give out energy for a variable or intermitting
resistance. See Fly, n., 9. --
On the fly (Baseball), still in the air;
-- said of a batted ball caught before touching the ground..
Fly (?), a. Knowing; wide awake;
fully understanding another's meaning. [Slang]
Dickens.
flyaway adj. 1.
frivolous; -- of people. serious
Syn. -- flighty.
[WordNet 1.5]
2. Tending to move away from a center, rather
than remain in a compact group; -- used of hair or clothing or of
small particles of matter. Light objects or particles readily
taking a static electric charge may be moved apart by acquisition of
a charge, or by approach of a charged object. Such a property is
called flyaway.
Syn. -- fluttering.
[WordNet 1.5]
Fly"bane` (?), n. (Bot.) A
kind of catchfly of the genus Silene; also, a poisonous
mushroom (Agaricus muscarius); fly agaric.
Fly"-bit`ten (?), a. Marked by, or
as if by, the bite of flies. Shak.
Fly"blow` (?), v. t. To deposit
eggs upon, as a flesh fly does on meat; to cause to be maggoty;
hence, to taint or contaminate, as if with flyblows. Bp.
Srillingfleet.
Fly"blow`, n. (Zoöl.)
One of the eggs or young larvæ deposited by a flesh fly,
or blowfly.
Fly"blown` (?), a. Tainted or
contaminated with flyblows; damaged; foul.
Wherever flyblown reputations were
assembled.
Thackeray.
Fly"boat` (?), n. [Fly +
boat: cf. D. vlieboot.] 1.
(Naut.) A large Dutch coasting vessel.
Captain George Weymouth made a voyage of discovery to
the northwest with two flyboats.
Purchas.
2. A kind of passenger boat formerly used on
canals.
Fly"-case` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The covering of an insect, esp. the elytra of beetles.
Fly"catch`er (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of numerous species of birds that feed
upon insects, which they take on the wing.
&fist; The true flycatchers of the Old World are Oscines, and
belong to the family Muscicapidæ, as the spotted
flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola). The American flycatchers, or
tyrant flycatchers, are Clamatores, and belong to the family
Tyrannidæ, as the kingbird, pewee, crested flycatcher
(Myiarchus crinitus), and the vermilion flycatcher or
churinche (Pyrocephalus rubineus). Certain American
flycatching warblers of the family Sylvicolidæ are also
called flycatchers, as the Canadian flycatcher (Sylvania
Canadensis), and the hooded flycatcher (S. mitrata). See
Tyrant flycatcher.
Fly"-catch`ing, a. (Zoöl.)
Having the habit of catching insects on the wing.
Fly"er (?), n. [See Flier.]
1. One that uses wings.
2. The fly of a flag: See Fly,
n., 6.
3. Anything that is scattered abroad in great
numbers as a theatrical programme, an advertising leaf,
etc.
4. (Arch.) One in a flight of steps
which are parallel to each other(as in ordinary stairs), as
distinguished from a winder.
5. The pair of arms attached to the spindle
of a spinning frame, over which the thread passes to the bobbin; --
so called from their swift revolution. See Fly,
n., 11.
6. The fan wheel that rotates the cap of a
windmill as the wind veers. Internat. Cyc.
7. (Stock Jobbing) A small operation
not involving ? considerable part of one's capital, or not in the
line of one's ordinary business; a venture. [Cant]
Bartlett.
Fly"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A California scorpænoid fish (Sebastichthys
rhodochloris), having brilliant colors.
Fly"-fish, v. i. To angle, using
flies for bait. Walton.
Fly"ing (?), a. [From Fly,
v. i.] Moving in the air with, or as with,
wings; moving lightly or rapidly; intended for rapid
movement.
Flying army (Mil.) a body of cavalry
and infantry, kept in motion, to cover its own garrisons and to keep
the enemy in continual alarm. Farrow. --Flying
artillery (Mil.), artillery trained to rapid
evolutions, -- the men being either mounted or trained to spring upon
the guns and caissons when they change position. --
Flying bridge, Flying camp.
See under Bridge, and Camp. -- Flying
buttress (Arch.), a contrivance for taking up
the thrust of a roof or vault which can not be supported by ordinary
buttresses. It consists of a straight bar of masonry, usually
sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid pier or buttress sufficient
to receive the thrust. The word is generally applied only to the
straight bar with supporting arch. -- Flying
colors, flags unfurled and waving in the air;
hence: To come off with flying colors, to be
victorious; to succeed thoroughly in an undertaking. --
Flying doe (Zoöl.), a young female
kangaroo. -- Flying dragon.
(a) (Zoöl.) See Dragon,
6. (b) A meteor. See under
Dragon. -- Flying Dutchman.
(a) A fabled Dutch mariner condemned for his
crimes to sail the seas till the day of judgment.
(b) A spectral ship. -- Flying
fish. (Zoöl.) See Flying fish, in
the Vocabulary. -- Flying fox
(Zoöl.), the colugo. -- Flying
frog (Zoöl.), an East Indian tree frog of
the genus Rhacophorus, having very large and broadly webbed
feet, which serve as parachutes, and enable it to make very long
leaps. -- Flying gurnard (Zoöl.),
a species of gurnard of the genus Cephalacanthus or
Dactylopterus, with very large pectoral fins, said to be able
to fly like the flying fish, but not for so great a distance.
Three species are known; that of the Atlantic is Cephalacanthus
volitans. -- Flying jib (Naut.), a
sail extended outside of the standing jib, on the flying-jib
boom. -- Flying-jib boom (Naut.),
an extension of the jib boom. -- Flying
kites (Naut.), light sails carried only in fine
weather. -- Flying lemur. (Zoöl.)
See Colugo. -- Flying level
(Civil Engin.), a reconnoissance level over the course of
a projected road, canal, etc. -- Flying
lizard. (Zoöl.) See Dragon,
n. 6. -- Flying machine,
an apparatus for navigating the air; a form of balloon. --
Flying mouse (Zoöl.), the opossum
mouse (Acrobates pygmæus), of Australia. It has
lateral folds of skin, like the flying squirrels. -- Flying
party (Mil.), a body of soldiers detailed to
hover about an enemy. -- Flying phalanger
(Zoöl.), one of several species of small marsuupials
of the genera Petaurus and Belideus, of Australia and
New Guinea, having lateral folds like those of the flying squirrels.
The sugar squirrel (B. sciureus), and the ariel (B.
ariel), are the best known; -- called also squirrel
petaurus and flying squirrel. See Sugar
squirrel. -- Flying pinion, the fly of
a clock. -- Flying sap (Mil.), the
rapid construction of trenches (when the enemy's fire of case shot
precludes the method of simple trenching), by means of gabions placed
in juxtaposition and filled with earth. -- Flying
shot, a shot fired at a moving object, as a bird on the
wing. -- Flying spider. (Zoöl.)
See Ballooning spider. -- Flying
squid (Zoöl.), an oceanic squid
(Ommastrephes, or Sthenoteuthis, Bartramii), abundant in the
Gulf Stream, which is able to leap out of the water with such force
that it often falls on the deck of a vessel. -- Flying
squirrel (Zoöl.) See Flying
squirrel, in the Vocabulary. -- Flying
start, a start in a sailing race in which the signal is
given while the vessels are under way. -- Flying
torch (Mil.), a torch attached to a long staff
and used for signaling at night.
Fly"ing fish` (?). (Zoöl.) A fish which
is able to leap from the water, and fly a considerable distance by
means of its large and long pectoral fins. These fishes belong to
several species of the genus Exocœtus, and are found in
the warmer parts of all the oceans.
Fly"ing squir"rel (? or ?). (Zoöl.) One
of a group of squirrels, of the genera Pteromus and
Sciuropterus, having parachute-like folds of skin extending
from the fore to the hind legs, which enable them to make very long
leaps.
&fist; The species of Pteromys are large, with bushy tails, and
inhabit southern Asia and the East Indies; those of Sciuropterus are
smaller, with flat tails, and inhabit the northern parts of Europe,
Asia, and America. The American species (Sciuropterus
volucella) is also called Assapan. The Australian flying
squirrels, or flying phalangers, are marsupials. See Flying
phalanger (above).
Fly"man (?), n.; pl.
Flymen (-men). The driver of a fly, or
light public carriage.
Flysch (flēsh), n. [A Swiss word,
fr. G. fliessen to flow, melt.] (Geol.) A name
given to the series of sandstones and schists overlying the true
nummulitic formation in the Alps, and included in the Eocene
Tertiary.
Fly"speck (fl?'sp?k), n. A speck
or stain made by the excrement of a fly; hence, any insignificant
dot.
Fly"speck (?), v. t. To soil with
flyspecks.
Fly"trap (?), n. 1.
A trap for catching flies. 2.
(Bot.) A plant (Dionæa muscipula), called
also Venus's flytrap, the leaves of which are fringed with stiff
bristles, and fold together when certain hairs on their upper surface
are touched, thus seizing insects that light on them. The insects so
caught are afterwards digested by a secretion from the upper surface
of the leaves.
Fnese (?), v. i. [AS. fn&?;san,
gefn&?;san.] To breathe heavily; to snort. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fo (?), n. The Chinese name of
Buddha.
Foal (fōl), n. [OE. fole,
AS. fola; akin to OHG. folo, G. fohlen, Goth.
fula, Icel. foli, Sw. fåle, Gr.
pw^los, L. pullus a young animal. Cf.
Filly, Poultry, Pullet.] (Zoö.)
The young of any animal of the Horse family
(Equidæ); a colt; a filly.
Foal teeth (Zoöl.), the first
set of teeth of a horse. -- In foal,
With foal, being with young; pregnant; -- said
of a mare or she ass.
Foal, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Foaled (fōld); p. pr. & vb.
n. Foaling.] To bring forth (a colt); -- said
of a mare or a she ass.
Foal, v. i. To bring forth young,
as an animal of the horse kind.
Foal"foot` (-f&oocr;t`), n.
(Bot.) See Coltsfoot.
Foam (fōm), n. [OE. fam,
fom, AS. fām; akin to OHG. & G. feim.]
The white substance, consisting of an aggregation of bubbles,
which is formed on the surface of liquids, or in the mouth of an
animal, by violent agitation or fermentation; froth; spume; scum; as,
the foam of the sea.
Foam cock, in steam boilers, a cock at the
water level, to blow off impurities.
Foam, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Foamed (fōmd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Foaming.] [AS. f?man. See Foam,
n.] 1. To gather foam; to
froth; as, the billows foam.
He foameth, and gnasheth with his
teeth.
Mark ix. 18.
2. To form foam, or become filled with foam;
-- said of a steam boiler when the water is unduly agitated and
frothy, as because of chemical action.
Foam, v. t. To cause to foam; as,
to foam the goblet; also (with out), to throw out with rage or
violence, as foam. "Foaming out their own shame."
Jude 13.
Foam"ing*ly (?), adv. With foam;
frothily.
Foam"less, a. Having no
foam.
Foam"y (-&tcr;), a. Covered with
foam; frothy; spumy.
Behold how high the foamy billows
ride!
Dryden.
Fob (f&obreve;b), n. [Cf. Prov. G.
fuppe pocket.] A little pocket for a watch.
Fob chain, a short watch chain worn with a
watch carried in the fob.
Fob (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fobbed (#); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fobbing.] [Cf.Fop.]
1. To beat; to maul. [Obs.]
2. To cheat; to trick; to impose on.
Shak.
To fob off, to shift off by an artifice; to
put aside; to delude with a trick."A conspiracy of bishops could
prostrate and fob off the right of the people."
Milton.
Fo"cal (?), a. [Cf. F. focal.
See Focus.] Belonging to,or concerning, a focus; as, a
focal point.
Focal distance, or length, of a lens or mirror
(Opt.), the distance of the focus from the surface of the
lens or mirror, or more exactly, in the case of a lens, from its
optical center. --Focal distance of a
telescope, the distance of the image of an object from
the object glass.
Fo`cal*i*za"tion (?), n. The act
of focalizing or bringing to a focus, or the state of being
focalized.
Fo"cal*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Focalized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Focalizing (?).] To bring to a focus; to
focus; to concentrate.
Light is focalized in the eye, sound in the
ear.
De Quincey.
Foc"il*late (?), v. t. [L.
focilatus, p. p. of focillare.] To nourish. [Obs.]
Blount.
Foc`il*la"tion (?), n. Comfort;
support. [Obs.]
Fo*cim"e*ter (?), n. [Focus +
-meter.] (Photog.) An assisting instrument for
focusing an object in or before a camera. Knight.
Fo"cus (?), n.; pl. E.
Focuses (#), L. Foci (#). [L.
focus hearth, fireplace; perh. akin to E. bake. Cf.
Curfew, Fuel, Fusil the firearm.]
1. (Opt.) A point in which the rays of
light meet, after being reflected or refracted, and at which the
image is formed; as, the focus of a lens or mirror.
2. (Geom.) A point so related to a
conic section and certain straight line called the directrix
that the ratio of the distance between any point of the curve and the
focus to the distance of the same point from the directrix is
constant.
&fist; Thus, in the ellipse FGHKLM, A is the focus and CD the
directrix, when the ratios FA:FE, GA:GD, MA:MC, etc., are all equal.
So in the hyperbola, A is the focus and CD the directrix when the
ratio HA:HK is constant for all points of the curve; and in the
parabola, A is the focus and CD the directrix when the ratio BA:BC is
constant. In the ellipse this ratio is less than unity, in the
parabola equal to unity, and in the hyperbola greater than unity. The
ellipse and hyperbola have each two foci, and two corresponding
directrixes, and the parabola has one focus and one directrix.
In the ellipse the sum of the two lines from any point of
the curve to the two foci is constant; that is: AG+GB=AH+HB; and in
the hyperbola the difference of the corresponding lines is
constant. The diameter which passes through the foci of the ellipse
is the major axis. The diameter which being produced passes
through the foci of the hyperbola is the transverse axis. The
middle point of the major or the transverse axis is the center of the
curve. Certain other curves, as the lemniscate and the Cartesian
ovals, have points called foci, possessing properties similar
to those of the foci of conic sections.
In an ellipse, rays of light coming from one focus, and reflected
from the curve, proceed in lines directed toward the other; in
an hyperbola, in lines directed from the other; in a parabola,
rays from the focus, after reflection at the curve, proceed in lines
parallel to the axis. Thus rays from A in the ellipse are reflected
to B; rays from A in the hyperbola are reflected toward L and M away
from B.
3. A central point; a point of
concentration.
Aplanatic focus. (Opt.) See under
Aplanatic. -- Conjugate focus
(Opt.), the focus for rays which have a sensible
divergence, as from a near object; -- so called because the positions
of the object and its image are interchangeable. --
Focus tube (Phys.), a vacuum tube for
Rœntgen rays in which the cathode rays are focused upon the
anticathode, for intensifying the effect. -- Principal,
or Solar, focus (Opt.), the
focus for parallel rays.
Fo"cus (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Focused (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Focusing.] To bring to a focus; to focalize; as, to focus
a camera. R. Hunt.
Fod"der (f&obreve;d"d&etilde;r), n.
[See 1st Fother.] A weight by which lead and some other
metals were formerly sold, in England, varying from 19½ to 24
cwt.; a fother. [Obs.]
Fod"der, n. [AS. fōdder,
fōddor, fodder (also sheath case), fr. fōda food;
akin to D. voeder, OHG. fuotar, G. futter, Icel.
fōðr, Sw. & Dan. foder. √75. See
Food and cf. Forage, Fur.] That which is
fed out to cattle horses, and sheep, as hay, cornstalks, vegetables,
etc.
Fod"der, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Foddered (-d&etilde;rd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Foddering.] To feed, as cattle, with dry
food or cut grass, etc.; to furnish with hay, straw, oats,
etc.
Fod"der*er (?), n. One who fodders
cattle.
Fo"di*ent (?), a. [L. fodiens,
p. pr. of fodere to dig.] Fitted for, or pertaining to,
digging.
Fo"di*ent (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of the Fodientia.
Fo`di*en"ti*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
fodiens p. pr., digging.] (Zoöl.) A group of
African edentates including the aard-vark.
Foe (fō), n. [OE. fo,
fa, AS. fāh hostile; prob. akin to E.
fiend. √81. See Fiend, and cf. Feud a
quarrel.]
1. One who entertains personal enmity,
hatred, grudge, or malice, against another; an enemy.
A man's foes shall be they of his own
household.
Matt. x. 36
2. An enemy in war; a hostile army.
3. One who opposes on principle; an opponent;
an adversary; an ill-wisher; as, a foe to religion.
A foe to received doctrines.
I.
Watts
Foe (?), v. t. To treat as an
enemy. [Obs.] Spenser.
Foe"hood (?), n. Enmity.
Bp. Bedell.
Foe"man (fō"man), n.;
pl. Foemen (-men). [AS.
fāhman.] An enemy in war.
And the stern joy which warriors feel
In foemen worthy of their steel.
Sir W.
Scott
Fœ"tal (?), a. Same as
Fetal.
Fœ*ta"tion (?), n. Same as
Fetation.
Fœ"ti*cide (?), n. Same as
Feticide.
Fœ"tor (?), n. Same as
Fetor.
Fœ"tus (?), n. Same as
Fetus.
Fog (f&obreve;g), n. [Cf. Scot.
fog, fouge, moss, foggage rank grass, LL.
fogagium, W. ffwg dry grass.] (Agric.)
(a) A second growth of grass; aftergrass.
(b) Dead or decaying grass remaining on land
through the winter; -- called also foggage. [Prov.Eng.]
Halliwell. Sometimes called, in New England, old tore.
In Scotland, fog is a general name for moss.
Fog v. t. (Agric.) To
pasture cattle on the fog, or aftergrass, of; to eat off the fog
from.
Fog v. i. [Etymol. uncertain.] To
practice in a small or mean way; to pettifog. [Obs.]
Where wouldst thou fog to get a fee?
Dryden.
Fog n. [Dan. sneefog snow
falling thick, drift of snow, driving snow, cf. Icel. fok
spray, snowdrift, fjūk snowstorm, fjūka to
drift.] 1. Watery vapor condensed in the lower
part of the atmosphere and disturbing its transparency. It differs
from cloud only in being near the ground, and from mist in not
approaching so nearly to fine rain. See Cloud.
2. A state of mental confusion.
Fog alarm, Fog bell,
Fog horn, etc., a bell, horn, whistle or other
contrivance that sounds an alarm, often automatically, near places of
danger where visible signals would be hidden in thick weather. -
- Fog bank, a mass of fog resting upon the sea,
and resembling distant land. -- Fog ring,
a bank of fog arranged in a circular form, -- often seen on the
coast of Newfoundland.
Fog (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fogged (#); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fogging (#).] To envelop, as with fog; to befog; to
overcast; to darken; to obscure.
Fog (?), v. i. (Photog.) To
show indistinctly or become indistinct, as the picture on a negative
sometimes does in the process of development.
Foge (?), n. The Cornish name for
a forge used for smelting tin. Raymond
Fo'gey (?), n. See
Fogy.
Fog'gage (?; 48), n. (Agric.)
See 1st Fog.
Fog'ger (?), n. One who fogs; a
pettifogger. [Obs.]
A beggarly fogger.
Terence in
English(1614)
Fog"gi*ly (?), adv. In a foggy
manner; obscurely. Johnson.
Fog"gi*ness (?), n. The state of
being foggy. Johnson.
Fog"gy (?), a.
[Compar. Foggier (?);
superl. Foggiest.] [From 4th Fog.]
1. Filled or abounding with fog, or watery
exhalations; misty; as, a foggy atmosphere; a foggy
morning. Shak.
2. Beclouded; dull; obscure; as, foggy
ideas.
Your coarse, foggy, drowsy
conceit.
Hayward.
Fo"gie (?), n. See
Fogy.
Fog"less (?), a. Without fog;
clear. Kane.
Fo"gy (?), n.; pl.
Fogies (&?;). A dull old fellow; a person
behind the times, over-conservative, or slow; -- usually preceded by
old. [Written also fogie and fogey.]
[Colloq.]
Notorious old bore; regular old
fogy.
Thackeray.
&fist; The word is said to be connected with the German
vogt, a guard or protector. By others it is regarded as a
diminutive of folk (cf. D. volkje). It is defined by
Jamieson, in his Scottish Dictionary, as "an invalid or garrison
soldier," and is applied to the old soldiers of the Royal Hospital at
Dublin, which is called the Fogies' Hospital. In the fixed
habits of such persons we see the origin of the present use of the
term. Sir F. Head.
Fo"gy*ism (?), n. The principles
and conduct of a fogy. [Colloq.]
Foh (?), interj. [Cf. Faugh.]
An exclamation of abhorrence or contempt; poh; fie.
Shak.
Fo"hist (?), n. A Buddhist priest.
See Fo.
Foi"ble (?), a. [OF. foible. See
Feeble.] Weak; feeble. [Obs.] Lord
Herbert.
Foi"ble (?), n. 1.
A moral weakness; a failing; a weak point; a frailty.
A disposition radically noble and generous, clouded
and overshadowed by superficial foibles.
De
Quincey.
2. The half of a sword blade or foil blade
nearest the point; -- opposed to forte. [Written also
faible.]
Syn. -- Fault; imperfection; failing; weakness; infirmity;
frailty; defect. See Fault.
Foil (foil), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Foiled (foild); p. pr. & vb. n.
Foiling.] [F. fouler to tread or trample under one's
feet, to press, oppress. See Full, v. t.]
1. To tread under foot; to trample.
King Richard . . . caused the ensigns of Leopold to
be pulled down and foiled under foot.
Knoless.
Whom he did all to pieces breake and
foyle,
In filthy durt, and left so in the loathely soyle.
Spenser.
2. To render (an effort or attempt) vain or
nugatory; to baffle; to outwit; to balk; to frustrate; to
defeat.
And by &?; mortal man at length am
foiled.
Dryden.
Her long locks that foil the painter's
power.
Byron.
3. To blunt; to dull; to spoil; as, to
foil the scent in chase. Addison.
Foil, v. t. [See 6th File.]
To defile; to soil. [Obs.]
Foil, n. 1.
Failure of success when on the point of attainment; defeat;
frustration; miscarriage. Milton.
Nor e'er was fate so near a
foil.
Dryden.
2. A blunt weapon used in fencing, resembling
a smallsword in the main, but usually lighter and having a button at
the point.
Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but
hurt not.
Shak.
Isocrates contended with a foil against
Demosthenes with a word.
Mitford.
3. The track or trail of an animal.
To run a foil,to lead astray; to puzzle; --
alluding to the habits of some animals of running back over the same
track to mislead their pursuers. Brewer.
Foil, n. [OE. foil leaf, OF.
foil, fuil, fueil, foille,
fueille, F. feuille, fr. L. folium, pl.
folia; akin to Gr. &?; , and perh. to E. blade. Cf.
Foliage, Folio.] 1. A leaf or very
thin sheet of metal; as, brass foil; tin foil; gold
foil.
2. (Jewelry) A thin leaf of sheet
copper silvered and burnished, and afterwards coated with transparent
colors mixed with isinglass; -- employed by jewelers to give color or
brilliancy to pastes and inferior stones. Ure.
3. Anything that serves by contrast of color
or quality to adorn or set off another thing to advantage.
As she a black silk cap on him began
To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve.
Sir P. Sidney.
Hector has a foil to set him off.
Broome.
4. A thin coat of tin, with quicksilver, laid
on the back of a looking-glass, to cause reflection.
5. (Arch.) The space between the cusps
in Gothic architecture; a rounded or leaflike ornament, in windows,
niches, etc. A group of foils is called trefoil, quatrefoil,
quinquefoil, etc., according to the number of arcs of which it is
composed.
Foil stone, an imitation of a jewel or
precious stone.
Foil"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being foiled.
Foil"er (?), n. One who foils or
frustrates. Johnson.
Foil"ing, n. (Arch.) A
foil. Simmonds.
Foil"ing, n. [Cf. F.
foulées. See 1st Foil.] (Hunting)
The track of game (as deer) in the grass.
Foin (foin), n. [F. fouine a
marten.] 1. (Zoöl.) The beech marten
(Mustela foina). See Marten.
2. A kind of fur, black at the top on a
whitish ground, taken from the ferret or weasel of the same
name.[Obs.]
He came to the stake in a fair black gown furred and
faced with foins.
Fuller.
Foin, v. i. [OE. foinen,
foignen; of uncertain origin; cf. dial. F. fouiner to
push for eels with a spear, fr. F. fouine an eelspear, perh.
fr. L. fodere to dig, thrust.] To thrust with a sword or
spear; to lunge. [Obs.]
He stroke, he soused, he foynd, he hewed, he
lashed.
Spenser.
They lash, they foin, they pass, they strive to
bore
Their corselets, and the thinnest parts explore.
Dryden.
Foin, v. t. To prick; to
st?ng. [Obs.] Huloet.
Foin, n. A pass in fencing; a
lunge. [Obs.] Shak.
Foin"er*y (?), n. Thrusting with
the foil; fencing with the point, as distinguished from broadsword
play. [Obs.] Marston.
Foin"ing*ly (?), adv. With a push
or thrust. [Obs.]
Foi"son (?), n. [F. foison, fr.
L. fusio a pouring, effusion. See Fusion.] Rich
harvest; plenty; abundance. [Archaic] Lowell.
That from the seedness the bare fallow
brings
To teeming foison.
Shak.
Foist (foist), n. [OF. fuste
stick, boat, fr. L. fustis cudgel. Cf. 1st Fust.]
A light and fast-sailing ship. [Obs.] Beau. &
Fl.
Foist, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Foisted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Foisting.] [Cf. OD. vysten to fizzle, D.
veesten, E. fizz, fitchet, bullfist.]
To insert surreptitiously, wrongfully, or without warrant; to
interpolate; to pass off (something spurious or counterfeit) as
genuine, true, or worthy; -- usually followed by in.
Lest negligence or partiality might admit or
foist in abuses and corruption.
R.
Carew.
When a scripture has been corrupted . . . by a
supposititious foisting of some words in.
South.
Foist, n. 1. A
foister; a sharper. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
2. A trick or fraud; a swindle. [Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Foist"er (?), n. One who foists
something surreptitiously; a falsifier. Mir. for
Mag.
Foist"ied (?), a. [See 2d Fust.]
Fusty. [Obs.]
Foist"i*ness (?), n. Fustiness;
mustiness. [Obs.]
Foist"y (?), a. Fusty;
musty. [Obs.] Johnson.
Fold (fōld), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Folded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Folding.] [OE. folden, falden, AS.
fealdan; akin to OHG. faltan, faldan, G.
falten, Icel. falda, Dan. folde, Sw.
fålla, Goth. falþan, cf. Gr. di-
pla`sios twofold, Skr. pu&tsdot;a a fold. Cf.
Fauteuil.] 1. To lap or lay in plaits or
folds; to lay one part over another part of; to double; as, to
fold cloth; to fold a letter.
[1913 Webster]
As a vesture shalt thou fold them
up.
Heb. i. 12.
2. To double or lay together, as the arms or
the hands; as, he folds his arms in despair.
3. To inclose within folds or plaitings; to
envelop; to infold; to clasp; to embrace.
A face folded in sorrow.
J.
Webster.
We will descend and fold him in our
arms.
Shak.
4. To cover or wrap up; to conceal.
Nor fold my fault in cleanly coined
excuses.
Shak.
Fold, v. i. To become folded,
plaited, or doubled; to close over another of the same kind; to
double together; as, the leaves of the door fold. 1
Kings vi. 34.
Fold, n. [From Fold,
v. In sense 2 AS. -feald, akin to
fealdan to fold.] 1. A doubling,esp. of
any flexible substance; a part laid over on another part; a plait; a
plication.
Mummies . . . shrouded in a number of folds of
linen.
Bacon.
Folds are most common in the rocks of
mountainous regions.
J. D. Dana.
2. Times or repetitions; -- used with
numerals, chiefly in composition, to denote multiplication or
increase in a geometrical ratio, the doubling, tripling, etc., of
anything; as, fourfold, four times, increased in a quadruple
ratio, multiplied by four.
3. That which is folded together, or which
infolds or envelops; embrace.
Shall from your neck unloose his amorous
fold.
Shak.
Fold net, a kind of net used in catching
birds.
Fold, n. [OE. fald, fold,
AS. fald, falod.] 1. An inclosure
for sheep; a sheep pen.
Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the
fold.
Milton.
2. A flock of sheep; figuratively, the Church
or a church; as, Christ's fold.
There shall be one fold and one
shepherd.
John x. 16.
The very whitest lamb in all my
fold.
Tennyson.
3. A boundary; a limit. [Obs.]
Creech.
Fold yard, an inclosure for sheep or
cattle.
Fold, v. t. To confine in a fold,
as sheep.
Fold, v. i. To confine sheep in a
fold. [R.]
The star that bids the shepherd
fold.
Milton.
Fold"age, (&?;) n. [See Fold
inclosure, Faldage.] (O.Eng.Law.) See
Faldage.
Fold"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, folds; esp., a flat, knifelike instrument used for folding
paper.
Fol"de*rol` (?), n.
Nonsense. [Colloq.]
Fold"ing (?), n. 1.
The act of making a fold or folds; also, a fold; a doubling; a
plication.
The lower foldings of the vest.
Addison.
2. (Agric.) The keepig of sheep in
inclosures on arable land, etc.
Folding boat, a portable boat made by
stretching canvas, etc., over jointed framework, used in campaigning,
and by tourists, etc. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Folding chair, a chair which may be shut up
compactly for carriage or stowage; a camp chair. --
Folding door, one of two or more doors filling
a single and hung upon hinges.
Fold"less, a. Having no
fold. Milman.
Fo`li*a"ceous (?), a. [L.
foliaceus, fr. folium leaf.] 1.
(Bot.) Belonging to, or having the texture or nature of,
a leaf; having leaves intermixed with flowers; as, a
foliaceous spike.
2. (Min.) Consisting of leaves or thin
laminæ; having the form of a leaf or plate; as,
foliaceous spar.
3. (Zoöl.) Leaflike in form or
mode of growth; as, a foliaceous coral.
Fo"li*age (?), n. [OF. foillage,
fueillage, F. feuillage, fr. OF. foille,
fueille, fueil, F. feulle, leaf, L.
folium. See 3d Foil, and cf. Foliation,
Filemot.]
1. Leaves, collectively, as produced or
arranged by nature; leafage; as, a tree or forest of beautiful
foliage.
2. A cluster of leaves, flowers, and
branches; especially, the representation of leaves, flowers, and
branches, in architecture, intended to ornament and enrich capitals,
friezes, pediments, etc.
Foliage plant (Bot.), any plant
cultivated for the beauty of its leaves, as many kinds of
Begonia and Coleus.
Fo"li*age (?), v. t. To adorn with
foliage or the imitation of foliage; to form into the representation
of leaves. [R.] Drummond.
Fo"li*aged (?), a. Furnished with
foliage; leaved; as, the variously foliaged
mulberry.
Fo"li*ar (?), a. (Bot.)
Consisting of, or pertaining to, leaves; as, foliar
appendages.
Foliar gap (Bot.), an opening in the
fibrovascular system of a stem at the point of origin of a leaf.
-- Foliar trace (Bot.), a particular
fibrovascular bundle passing down into the stem from a leaf.
Fo"li*ate (&?;), a. [L. foliatus
leaved, leafy, fr. folium leaf. See Foliage.]
(Bot.) Furnished with leaves; leafy; as, a foliate
stalk.
Foliate curve. (Geom.) Same as
Folium.
Fo"li*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Foliated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Foliating (?).] 1. To beat into a leaf,
or thin plate. Bacon.
2. To spread over with a thin coat of tin and
quicksilver; as, to foliate a looking-glass.
Fo"li*a`ted (?), a. 1.
Having leaves, or leaflike projections; as, a foliated
shell.
2. (Arch.) Containing, or consisting
of, foils; as, a foliated arch.
3. (Min.) Characterized by being
separable into thin plates or folia; as, graphite has a
foliated structure.
4. (Geol.) Laminated, but restricted
to the variety of laminated structure found in crystalline schist, as
mica schist, etc.; schistose.
5. Spread over with an amalgam of tin and
quicksilver.
Foliated telluium. (Min.) See
Nagyagite.
Fo"li*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
foliation.] 1. The process of forming
into a leaf or leaves.
2. The manner in which the young leaves are
dispo&?;ed within the bud.
The . . . foliation must be in relation to the
stem.
De Quincey.
3. The act of beating a metal into a thin
plate, leaf, foil, or lamina.
4. The act of coating with an amalgam of tin
foil and quicksilver, as in making looking-glasses.
5. (Arch.) The enrichment of an
opening by means of foils, arranged in trefoils, quatrefoils, etc.;
also, one of the ornaments. See Tracery.
6. (Geol.) The property, possessed by
some crystalline rocks, of dividing into plates or slabs, which is
due to the cleavage structure of one of the constituents, as mica or
hornblende. It may sometimes include slaty structure or cleavage,
though the latter is usually independent of any mineral constituent,
and transverse to the bedding, it having been produced by
pressure.
Fo"li*a*ture (?), n. [L.
foliatura foliage.] 1. Foliage;
leafage. [Obs.] Shuckford.
2. The state of being beaten into foil.
Johnson.
Fo"li*er (?), n. Goldsmith's
foil. [R.] Sprat.
Fo*lif"er*ous (?), a. [L. folium
leaf+ -ferous: cf. F. foliifère.] Producing
leaves. [Written also foliiferous.]
Fol"i*ly (?), a. Foolishly.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fol"io (?), n.; pl.
Folios (#). [Ablative of L. folium leaf. See
4th Foil.] 1. A leaf of a book or
manuscript.
2. A sheet of paper once folded.
3. A book made of sheets of paper each folded
once (four pages to the sheet); hence, a book of the largest kind.
See Note under Paper.
4. (Print.) The page number. The even
folios are on the left-hand pages and the odd folios on the right-
hand.
5. A page of a book; (Bookkeeping) a
page in an account book; sometimes, two opposite pages bearing the
same serial number.
6. (Law) A leaf containing a certain
number of words, hence, a certain number of words in a writing, as in
England, in law proceedings 72, and in chancery, 90; in New York, 100
words.
Folio post, a flat writing paper, usually
17 by 24 inches.
Fol"io, v. t. To put a serial
number on each folio or page of (a book); to page.
Fol"io, a. Formed of sheets each
folded once, making two leaves, or four pages; as, a folio
volume. See Folio, n., 3.
Fo"li*o*late (?), a. Of or
pertaining to leaflets; -- used in composition; as, bi-
foliolate. Gray.
Fo"li*ole (?), n. [Dim. of L.
folium leaf: cf. F. foliole.] (Bot.) One of
the distinct parts of a compound leaf; a leaflet.
Fo`li*o*mort" (?), a. See
Feuillemort.
Fo`li*ose" (?), a. [L. foliosus,
fr. folium leaf.] (Bot.) Having many leaves;
leafy.
Fo`li*os"i*ty (?), n. The
ponderousness or bulk of a folio; voluminousness. [R.] De
Quincey.
Fo"li*ous (&?;), a. [See
Foliose.] 1. Like a leaf; thin;
unsubstantial. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
2. (Bot.) Foliose. [R.]
Fo"li*um (?), n.; pl. E.
Foliums (#), L. Folia (#). [L., a
leaf.] 1. A leaf, esp. a thin leaf or
plate.
2. (Geom.) A curve of the third order,
consisting of two infinite branches, which have a common asymptote.
The curve has a double point, and a leaf-shaped loop; whence the
name. Its equation is x3 + y3 =
axy.
{ Folk (fōk), Folks (fōks) },
n. collect. & pl. [AS. folc; akin to D.
volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel.
fōlk, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd,
and perh. to E. follow.] 1. (Eng.
Hist.) In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of
townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [Obs.]
The organization of each folk, as such, sprang
mainly from war.
J. R. Green.
2. People in general, or a separate class of
people; -- generally used in the plural form, and often with a
qualifying adjective; as, the old folks; poor
folks. [Colloq.]
In winter's tedious nights, sit by the fire
With good old folks, and let them tell thee
tales.
Shak.
3. The persons of one's own family; as, our
folks are all well. [Colloq. New Eng.]
Bartlett.
Folk song, one of a class of songs long
popular with the common people. -- Folk
speech, the speech of the common people, as
distinguished from that of the educated class.
Folk"land` (?), n. [AS.
folcland.] (O.Eng. Law) Land held in villenage,
being distributed among the folk, or people, at the pleasure
of the lord of the manor, and resumed at his discretion. Not being
held by any assurance in writing, it was opposed to bookland
or charter land, which was held by deed. Mozley &
W.
{ Folk"lore` (?), n., or Folk"
lore` }. Tales, legends, or superstitions long current
among the people. Trench.
Folk"mote` (?), n. [AS.
folcmōt folk meeting.] An assembly of the
people; esp. (Sax. Law), a general assembly of the
people to consider and order matters of the commonwealth; also, a
local court. [Hist.]
To which folkmote they all with one consent
Agreed to travel.
Spenser.
Folk"mot`er (?), n. One who takes
part in a folkmote, or local court. [Obs.] Milton.
Fol"li*cle (?), n. [L.
folliculus a small bag, husk, pod, dim of follis
bellows, an inflated ball, a leathern money bag, perh. akin to E.
bellows: cf. F. follicule. Cf. 2d Fool.]
1. (Bot.) A simple podlike pericarp which
contains several seeds and opens along the inner or ventral suture,
as in the peony, larkspur and milkweed.
2. (Anat.) (a) A small
cavity, tubular depression, or sac; as, a hair follicle.
(b) A simple gland or glandular cavity; a
crypt. (c) A small mass of adenoid tissue;
as, a lymphatic follicle.
Fol*lic"u*lar (?), a.
1. Like, pertaining to, or consisting of, a
follicles or follicles.
2. (Med.) Affecting the follicles; as,
follicular pharyngitis.
Fol*lic"u*la`ted (?), a. Having
follicles.
Fol*lic"u*lous (?), a. [L.
folliculosus full of husks: cf. F. folliculeux.]
Having or producing follicles.
Fol"li*ful (?), a. Full of
folly. [Obs.]
Fol"low (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Followed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Following.][OE. foluwen, folwen, folgen,
AS. folgian, fylgean, fylgan; akin to D.
volgen, OHG. folg&?;n, G. folgen, Icel.
fylgja, Sw. följa, Dan. fölge, and
perh. to E. folk.] 1. To go or come
after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go
with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.
It waves me forth again; I'll follow
it.
Shak.
2. To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit
of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.
I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they
shall follow them.
Ex. xiv. 17.
3. To accept as authority; to adopt the
opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as,
to follow good advice.
Approve the best, and follow what I
approve
. Milton.
Follow peace with all men.
Heb.
xii. 14.
It is most agreeable to some men to follow
their reason; and to others to follow their
appetites.
J. Edwards.
4. To copy after; to take as an
example.
We had rather follow the perfections of them
whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we
love.
Hooker.
5. To succeed in order of time, rank, or
office.
6. To result from, as an effect from a cause,
or an inference from a premise.
7. To watch, as a receding object; to keep
the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in
progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up
with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a
course of thought or argument.
He followed with his eyes the flitting
shade.
Dryden.
8. To walk in, as a road or course; to attend
upon closely, as a profession or calling.
O, had I but followed the arts!
Shak.
O Antony! I have followed thee to
this.
Shak.
Follow board (Founding), a board on
which the pattern and the flask lie while the sand is rammed into the
flask. Knight. -- To follow the hounds,
to hunt with dogs. -- To follow suit
(Card Playing), to play a card of the same suit as the
leading card; hence, colloquially, to follow an example set. --
To follow up, to pursue indefatigably.
Syn.- To pursue; chase; go after; attend; accompany;
succeed; imitate; copy; embrace; maintain. - To Follow,
Pursue. To follow (v.t.) denotes simply to go after; to
pursue denotes to follow with earnestness, and with a view to
attain some definite object; as, a hound pursues the deer. So
a person follows a companion whom he wishes to overtake on a
journey; the officers of justice pursue a felon who has
escaped from prison.
Fol"low, v. i. To go or come
after; -- used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To
pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to
imitate.
Syn.- To Follow, Succeed, Ensue. To
follow (v.i.) means simply to come after; as, a crowd
followed. To succeed means to come after in some
regular series or succession; as, day succeeds to day, and
night to night. To ensue means to follow by some established
connection or principle of sequence. As wave follows wave,
revolution succeeds to revolution; and nothing ensues
but accumulated wretchedness.
Fol"low*er (?), n. [OE. folwere,
AS. folgere.] 1. One who follows; a
pursuer; an attendant; a disciple; a dependent associate; a
retainer.
2. A sweetheart; a beau. [Colloq.]
A. Trollope.
3. (Steam Engine) (a)
The removable flange, or cover, of a piston. See Illust.
of Piston. (b) A gland. See
Illust. of Stuffing box.
4. (Mach.) The part of a machine that
receives motion from another part. See Driver.
5. Among law stationers, a sheet of parchment
or paper which is added to the first sheet of an indenture or other
deed.
Syn. -- Imitator; copier; disciple; adherent; partisan;
dependent; attendant.
Fol"low*ing (?), n. 1.
One's followers, adherents, or dependents, collectively.
Macaulay.
2. Vocation; business; profession.
Fol"low*ing, a. 1.
Next after; succeeding; ensuing; as, the assembly was held on
the following day.
2. (Astron.) (In the field of a
telescope) In the direction from which stars are apparently moving
(in consequence of the earth's rotation); as, a small star, north
following or south following. In the direction toward
which stars appear to move is called preceding.
&fist; The four principal directions in the field of a telescope
are north, south, following,
preceding.
Fol"ly (?), n.; pl.
Follies (#). [OE. folie, foli, F.
folie, fr. fol, fou, foolish, mad. See
Fool.] 1. The state of being foolish;
want of good sense; levity, weakness, or derangement of
mind.
2. A foolish act; an inconsiderate or
thoughtless procedure; weak or light-minded conduct;
foolery.
What folly 'tis to hazard life for
ill.
Shak.
3. Scandalous crime; sin; specifically, as
applied to a woman, wantonness.
[Achan] wrought folly in Israel.
Josh. vii. 15.
When lovely woman stoops to folly.
Goldsmith.
4. The result of a foolish action or
enterprise.
It is called this man's or that man's "folly,"
and name of the foolish builder is thus kept alive for long after
years.
Trench.
Fol"we (?), v. t. To follow.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fo"mal*haut` (?), n. [Ar., prop., mouth
of the large fish: cf. F. Fomalhaut.] (Astron.) A
star of the first magnitude, in the constellation Piscis
Australis, or Southern Fish.
Fo*ment" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fomented; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fomenting.] [F. fomenter, fr. L. fomentare, fr.
fomentum (for fovimentum) a warm application or lotion,
fr. fovere to warm or keep warm; perh. akin to Gr. &?; to
roast, and E. bake.] 1. To apply a warm
lotion to; to bathe with a cloth or sponge wet with warm water or
medicated liquid.
2. To cherish with heat; to foster.
[Obs.]
Which these soft fires . . . foment and
warm.
Milton.
3. To nurse to life or activity; to cherish
and promote by excitements; to encourage; to abet; to instigate; --
used often in a bad sense; as, to foment ill humors.
Locke.
But quench the choler you foment in
vain.
Dryden.
Exciting and fomenting a religious
rebellion.
Southey.
Fo`men*ta"tion (?), n. [&?;.
fomentatio: cf. F. fomentation.] 1.
(Med.) (a) The act of fomenting; the
application of warm, soft, medicinal substances, as for the purpose
of easing pain, by relaxing the skin, or of discussing tumors.
(b) The lotion applied to a diseased
part.
2. Excitation; instigation;
encouragement.
Dishonest fomentation of your
pride.
Young.
Fo*ment"er (?), n. One who
foments; one who encourages or instigates; as, a fomenter of
sedition.
||Fo"mes (fō"mēz), n.;
pl. Fomites (f&obreve;m"&ibreve;*tēz).
[L. fomes, -itis, touch-wood, tinder.] (Med.)
Any substance supposed to be capable of absorbing, retaining,
and transporting contagious or infectious germs; as, woolen clothes
are said to be active fomites.
Fon (f&obreve;n), n. [Of Scand. origin;
cf. Icel. fāni silly, fāna to act silly,
Sw. fåne fool. Cf. Fond, a.]
A fool; an idiot. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fond (?), obs. imp. of
Find. Found. Chaucer.
Fond, a. [Compar.
Fonder (?); superl. Fondest.] [For
fonned, p. p. of OE. fonnen to be foolish. See
Fon.] 1. Foolish; silly; simple;
weak. [Archaic]
Grant I may never prove so fond
To trust man on his oath or bond.
Shak.
2. Foolishly tender and loving; weakly
indulgent; over-affectionate.
3. Affectionate; loving; tender; -- in a good
sense; as, a fond mother or wife. Addison.
4. Loving; much pleased; affectionately
regardful, indulgent, or desirous; longing or yearning; -- followed
by of (formerly also by on).
More fond on her than she upon her
love.
Shak.
You are as fond of grief as of your
child.
Shak.
A great traveler, and fond of telling his
adventures.
Irving.
5. Doted on; regarded with affection.
[R.]
Nor fix on fond abodes to circumscribe thy
prayer.
Byron.
6. Trifling; valued by folly; trivial.
[Obs.] Shak.
Fond, v. t. To caress; to
fondle. [Obs.]
The Tyrian hugs and fonds thee on her
breast.
Dryden.
Fond, v. i. To be fond; to
dote. [Obs.] Shak.
Fond"e (?), v. t. & i. [AS.
fandian to try.] To endeavor; to strive; to try.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fon"dle (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fondled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fondling (?).] [From Fond, v.]
To treat or handle with tenderness or in a loving manner; to
caress; as, a nurse fondles a child.
Syn. -- See Caress.
Fon"dler (?), n. One who
fondles. Johnson.
Fon"dling (?), n. [From Fondle.]
The act of caressing; manifestation of tenderness.
Cyrus made no . . . amorous
fondling
To fan her pride, or melt her guardless heart.
Mickle.
Fond"ling (?), n. [Fond + -
ling.] 1. A person or thing fondled or
caressed; one treated with foolish or doting affection.
Fondlings are in danger to be made
fools.
L'Estrange.
2. A fool; a simpleton; a ninny. [Obs.]
Chapman.
Fond"ly (?), adv. 1.
Foolishly. [Archaic] Verstegan (1673).
Make him speak fondly like a frantic
man.
Shak.
2. In a fond manner; affectionately;
tenderly.
My heart, untraveled, fondly turns to
thee.
Goldsmith.
Fond"ness, n. 1.
The quality or state of being fond; foolishness.
[Obs.]
Fondness it were for any, being free,
To covet fetters, though they golden be.
Spenser.
2. Doting affection; tender liking; strong
appetite, propensity, or relish; as, he had a fondness for
truffles.
My heart had still some foolish fondness
for thee.
Addison.
Syn. -- Attachment; affection; love; kindness.
Fon"don (?), n. [Cf. F. fondant
flux.] (Metal.) A large copper vessel used for hot
amalgamation.
||Fon`dus" (?), n. [F. fondu,
prop. p. p. of fondre to melt, blend. See Found to
cast.] A style of printing calico, paper hangings, etc., in
which the colors are in bands and graduated into each other.
Ure.
Fone (?), n.;
pl. of Foe. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Fong"e (?), v. t. [See Fang,
v. t.] To take; to receive. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fon"ly (?), adv. [See Fon.]
Foolishly; fondly. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fon"ne (?), n. A fon. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Font (?), n. [F. fonte, fr.
fondre to melt or cast. See Found to cast, and cf.
Fount a font.] (Print.) A complete assortment of
printing type of one size, including a due proportion of all the
letters in the alphabet, large and small, points, accents, and
whatever else is necessary for printing with that variety of types; a
fount.
Font, n. [AS. font, fant,
fr. L. fons, fontis, spring, fountain; cf. OF.
font, funt, F. fonts, fonts baptismaux,
pl. See Fount.] 1. A fountain; a spring;
a source.
Bathing forever in the font of
bliss.
Young.
2. A basin or stone vessel in which water is
contained for baptizing.
That name was given me at the
font.
Shak.
Font"al (?), a. Pertaining to a
font, fountain, source, or origin; original; primitive.
[R.]
From the fontal light of ideas only
can a man draw intellectual power.
Coleridge.
Fon"ta*nel` (?), n. [F.
fontanelle, prop., a little fountain, fr. fontaine
fountain. See Fountain.] 1. (Med.)
An issue or artificial ulcer for the discharge of humors from
the body.[Obs.] Wiseman.
2. (Anat.) One of the membranous
intervals between the incompleted angles of the parietal and
neighboring bones of a fetal or young skull; -- so called because it
exhibits a rhythmical pulsation.
&fist; In the human fetus there are six fontanels, of which the
anterior, or bregmatic, situated at the junction of the coronal and
sagittal sutures, is much the largest, and remains open a
considerable time after birth.
||Fon`ta`nelle" (?), n. [F.]
(Anat.) Same as Fontanel, 2.
||Fon`tange" (?), n. [F., from the name
of the first wearer, Mlle. de Fontanges, about 1679.] A
kind of tall headdress formerly worn. Addison.
Food (?), n. [OE. fode, AS.
fōda; akin to Icel. fæða,
fæði, Sw. föda, Dan. & LG.
föde, OHG. fatunga, Gr. patei^sthai to
eat, and perh. to Skr. pā to protect, L. pascere
to feed, pasture, pabulum food, E. pasture. √75.
Cf. Feed, Fodder food, Foster to cherish.]
1. What is fed upon; that which goes to support
life by being received within, and assimilated by, the organism of an
animal or a plant; nutriment; aliment; especially, what is eaten by
animals for nourishment.
&fist; In a physiological sense, true aliment is to be
distinguished as that portion of the food which is capable of being
digested and absorbed into the blood, thus furnishing nourishment, in
distinction from the indigestible matter which passes out through the
alimentary canal as fæces.
&fist; Foods are divided into two main groups: nitrogenous,
or proteid, foods, i.e., those which contain nitrogen,
and nonnitrogenous, i.e., those which do not contain
nitrogen. The latter group embraces the fats and carbohydrates, which
collectively are sometimes termed heat producers or
respiratory foods, since by oxidation in the body they
especially subserve the production of heat. The proteids, on the
other hand, are known as plastic foods or tissue
formers, since no tissue can be formed without them. These
latter terms, however, are misleading, since proteid foods may also
give rise to heat both directly and indirectly, and the fats and
carbohydrates are useful in other ways than in producing heat.
2. Anything that instructs the intellect,
excites the feelings, or molds habits of character; that which
nourishes.
This may prove food to my
displeasure.
Shak.
In this moment there is life and food
For future years.
Wordsworth.
&fist; Food is often used adjectively or in self-explaining
compounds, as in food fish or food-fish, food
supply.
Food vacuole (Zoöl.), one of the
spaces in the interior of a protozoan in which food is contained,
during digestion. -- Food yolk. (Biol.)
See under Yolk.
Syn. -- Aliment; sustenance; nutriment; feed; fare;
victuals; provisions; meat.
Food, v. t. To supply with
food. [Obs.] Baret.
Food"ful (?), a. Full of food;
supplying food; fruitful; fertile. "The foodful earth."
Dryden.
Bent by its foodful burden [the
corn].
Glover.
Food"less, a. Without food;
barren. Sandys.
Food"y (?), a. Eatable;
fruitful. [R.] Chapman.
Fool (?), n. [Cf. F. fouler to
tread, crush. Cf. 1st Foil.] A compound of gooseberries
scalded and crushed, with cream; -- commonly called gooseberry
fool.
Fool, n. [OE. fol, n. & adj., F.
fol, fou, foolish, mad; a fool, prob. fr. L.
follis a bellows, wind bag, an inflated ball; perh. akin to E.
bellows. Cf. Folly, Follicle.]
1. One destitute of reason, or of the common
powers of understanding; an idiot; a natural.
2. A person deficient in intellect; one who
acts absurdly, or pursues a course contrary to the dictates of
wisdom; one without judgment; a simpleton; a dolt.
Extol not riches, then, the toil of
fools.
Milton.
Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will
learn in no other.
Franklin.
3. (Script.) One who acts contrary to
moral and religious wisdom; a wicked person.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is
no God.
Ps. xiv. 1.
4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional
jester or buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed
fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments.
Can they think me . . . their fool or
jester?
Milton.
April fool, Court fool, etc.
See under April, Court, etc. -- Fool's
cap, a cap or hood to which bells were usually
attached, formerly worn by professional jesters. --
Fool's errand, an unreasonable, silly,
profitless adventure or undertaking. -- Fool's
gold, iron or copper pyrites, resembling gold in
color. -- Fool's paradise, a name applied
to a limbo (see under Limbo) popularly believed to be the
region of vanity and nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or
condition of vain self-satistaction. -- Fool's
parsley (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant
(Æthusa Cynapium) resembling parsley, but nauseous and
poisonous. -- To make a fool of, to render
ridiculous; to outwit; to shame. [Colloq.] -- To play
the fool, to act the buffoon; to act a foolish
part. "I have played the fool, and have erred
exceedingly." 1 Sam. xxvi. 21.
Fool, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fooled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fooling.] To play the fool; to trifle; to toy; to spend
time in idle sport or mirth.
Is this a time for fooling?
Dryden.
Fool, v. t. 1. To
infatuate; to make foolish. Shak.
For, fooled with hope, men favor the
deceit.
Dryden.
2. To use as a fool; to deceive in a shameful
or mortifying manner; to impose upon; to cheat by inspiring foolish
confidence; as, to fool one out of his money.
You are fooled, discarded, and shook off
By him for whom these shames ye underwent.
Shak.
To fool away, to get rid of foolishly; to
spend in trifles, idleness, folly, or without advantage.
Foo"lahs` (?), n. pl.; sing.
Foolah. (Ethnol.) Same as
Fulahs.
Fool"-born` (?), a. Begotten by a
fool. Shak.
Fool"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Fooleries (&?;). 1. The
practice of folly; the behavior of a fool; absurdity.
Folly in fools bears not so strong a note,
As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote.
Shak.
2. An act of folly or weakness; a foolish
practice; something absurd or nonsensical.
That Pythagoras, Plato, or Orpheus, believed in any of
these fooleries, it can not be suspected.
Sir
W. Raleigh.
Fool"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) The orange filefish. See
Filefish. (b) The winter flounder.
See Flounder.
Fool"-hap`py (?), a. Lucky,
without judgment or contrivance. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fool"har`di*hood (?), n. The state
of being foolhardy; foolhardiness.
Fool"har`di*ly, adv. In a
foolhardy manner.
Fool"har`di*ness, n. Courage
without sense or judgment; foolish rashness; recklessness.
Dryden.
Fool"har`dise (?), n. [Fool, F.
fol, fou + F. hardiesse boldness.]
Foolhardiness. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fool"har`dy (?), a. [OF.
folhardi. See Fool idiot, and Hardy.]
Daring without judgment; foolishly adventurous and bold.
Howell.
Syn. -- Rash; venturesome; venturous; precipitate;
reckless; headlong; incautious. See Rash.
Fool"-has`ty (?), a. Foolishly
hasty. [R.]
Fool"i*fy (?), v. t. [Fool +
-fy.] To make a fool of; to befool. [R.]
Holland.
Fool"ish, a. 1.
Marked with, or exhibiting, folly; void of understanding; weak
in intellect; without judgment or discretion; silly;
unwise.
I am a very foolish fond old
man.
Shak.
2. Such as a fool would do; proceeding from
weakness of mind or silliness; exhibiting a want of judgment or
discretion; as, a foolish act.
3. Absurd; ridiculous; despicable;
contemptible.
A foolish figure he must
make.
Prior.
Syn. -- Absurd; shallow; shallow-brained; brainless;
simple; irrational; unwise; imprudent; indiscreet; incautious; silly;
ridiculous; vain; trifling; contemptible. See Absurd.
Fool"ish*ly, adv. In a foolish
manner.
Fool"ish*ness, n. 1.
The quality of being foolish.
2. A foolish practice; an
absurdity.
The preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness.
1 Cor. i. 18.
Fool"-large` (?), a. [OF.
follarge. See Fool, and Large.] Foolishly
liberal. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fool"-lar*gesse` (?), n. [See Fool-
large, Largess.] Foolish expenditure; waste.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fools"cap` (?), n. [So called from the
watermark of a fool's cap and bells used by old paper makers.
See Fool's cap, under Fool.] A writing paper made
in sheets, ordinarily 16 x 13 inches, and folded so as to make a page
13 x 8 inches. See Paper.
Foot (f&oocr;t), n.; pl.
Feet (fēt). [OE. fot, foot, pl.
fet, feet. AS. fōt, pl. fēt;
akin to D. voet, OHG. fuoz, G. fuss, Icel.
fōtr, Sw. fot, Dan. fod, Goth.
fōtus, L. pes, Gr. poy`s, Skr.
pād, Icel. fet step, pace measure of a foot,
feta to step, find one's way. √77, 250. Cf.
Antipodes, Cap-a-pie, Expedient, Fet to
fetch, Fetlock, Fetter, Pawn a piece in chess,
Pedal.] 1. (Anat.) The terminal
part of the leg of man or an animal; esp., the part below the ankle
or wrist; that part of an animal upon which it rests when standing,
or moves. See Manus, and Pes.
2. (Zoöl.) The muscular
locomotive organ of a mollusk. It is a median organ arising from the
ventral region of body, often in the form of a flat disk, as in
snails. See Illust. of Buccinum.
3. That which corresponds to the foot of a
man or animal; as, the foot of a table; the foot of a
stocking.
4. The lowest part or base; the ground part;
the bottom, as of a mountain or column; also, the last of a row or
series; the end or extremity, esp. if associated with inferiority;
as, the foot of a hill; the foot of the procession; the
foot of a class; the foot of the bed.
And now at
foot
Of heaven's ascent they lift their feet.
Milton.
5. Fundamental principle; basis; plan; --
used only in the singular.
Answer directly upon the foot of dry
reason.
Berkeley.
6. Recognized condition; rank; footing; --
used only in the singular. [R.]
As to his being on the foot of a
servant.
Walpole.
7. A measure of length equivalent to twelve
inches; one third of a yard. See Yard.
&fist; This measure is supposed to be taken from the length of a
man's foot. It differs in length in different countries. In the
United States and in England it is 304.8 millimeters.
8. (Mil.) Soldiers who march and fight
on foot; the infantry, usually designated as the foot, in
distinction from the cavalry. "Both horse and foot."
Milton.
9. (Pros.) A combination of syllables
consisting a metrical element of a verse, the syllables being
formerly distinguished by their quantity or length, but in modern
poetry by the accent.
10. (Naut.) The lower edge of a
sail.
&fist; Foot is often used adjectively, signifying of or
pertaining to a foot or the feet, or to the base or lower
part. It is also much used as the first of compounds.
Foot artillery. (Mil.)
(a) Artillery soldiers serving in foot.
(b) Heavy artillery. Farrow. --
Foot bank (Fort.), a raised way within a
parapet. -- Foot barracks (Mil.),
barracks for infantery. -- Foot bellows,
a bellows worked by a treadle. Knight. --
Foot company (Mil.), a company of
infantry. Milton. -- Foot gear,
covering for the feet, as stocking, shoes, or boots. --
Foot hammer (Mach.), a small tilt hammer
moved by a treadle. -- Foot iron.
(a) The step of a carriage.
(b) A fetter. -- Foot jaw.
(Zoöl.) See Maxilliped. -- Foot
key (Mus.), an organ pedal. -- Foot
level (Gunnery), a form of level used in giving
any proposed angle of elevation to a piece of ordnance.
Farrow. -- Foot mantle, a long garment
to protect the dress in riding; a riding skirt. [Obs.] --
Foot page, an errand boy; an attendant.
[Obs.] -- Foot passenger, one who passes on
foot, as over a road or bridge. -- Foot
pavement, a paved way for foot passengers; a footway; a
trottoir. -- Foot poet, an inferior poet;
a poetaster. [R.] Dryden. -- Foot post.
(a) A letter carrier who travels on foot.
(b) A mail delivery by means of such
carriers. -- Fot pound, ∧ Foot
poundal. (Mech.) See Foot pound and
Foot poundal, in the Vocabulary. -- Foot
press (Mach.), a cutting, embossing, or printing
press, moved by a treadle. -- Foot race, a
race run by persons on foot. Cowper. -- Foot
rail, a railroad rail, with a wide flat flange on the
lower side. -- Foot rot, an ulcer in the
feet of sheep; claw sickness. -- Foot rule,
a rule or measure twelve inches long. -- Foot
screw, an adjusting screw which forms a foot, and
serves to give a machine or table a level standing on an uneven
place. -- Foot secretion. (Zoöl.)
See Sclerobase. -- Foot soldier,
a soldier who serves on foot. -- Foot
stick (Printing), a beveled piece of furniture
placed against the foot of the page, to hold the type in place.
-- Foot stove, a small box, with an iron pan,
to hold hot coals for warming the feet. -- Foot
tubercle. (Zoöl.) See
Parapodium. -- Foot valve (Steam
Engine), the valve that opens to the air pump from the
condenser. -- Foot vise, a kind of vise
the jaws of which are operated by a treadle. -- Foot
waling (Naut.), the inside planks or lining of a
vessel over the floor timbers. Totten. -- Foot
wall (Mining), the under wall of an inclosed
vein.
By foot, or On foot, by
walking; as, to pass a stream on foot. -- Cubic
foot. See under Cubic. -- Foot and
mouth disease, a contagious disease (Eczema
epizoötica) of cattle, sheep, swine, etc., characterized by
the formation of vesicles and ulcers in the mouth and about the
hoofs. -- Foot of the fine (Law),
the concluding portion of an acknowledgment in court by which,
formerly, the title of land was conveyed. See Fine of land,
under Fine, n.; also Chirograph.
(b). -- Square foot. See under
Square. -- To be on foot, to be in
motion, action, or process of execution. -- To keep the
foot (Script.), to preserve decorum.
"Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God." Eccl.
v. 1. -- To put one's foot down, to take a
resolute stand; to be determined. [Colloq.] -- To put
the best foot foremost, to make a good appearance; to
do one's best. [Colloq.] -- To set on foot,
to put in motion; to originate; as, to set on foot a
subscription. -- To put, or
set, one on his feet, to put one in a
position to go on; to assist to start. -- Under
foot. (a) Under the feet; (Fig.) at
one's mercy; as, to trample under foot. Gibbon.
(b) Below par. [Obs.] "They would be forced
to sell . . . far under foot." Bacon.
Foot (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Footed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Footing.] 1. To tread to measure or
music; to dance; to trip; to skip. Dryden.
2. To walk; -- opposed to ride or
fly. Shak.
Foot, v. t. 1. To
kick with the foot; to spurn. Shak.
2. To set on foot; to establish; to
land. [Obs.]
What confederacy have you with the traitors
Late footed in the kingdom?
Shak.
3. To tread; as, to foot the
green. Tickell.
4. To sum up, as the numbers in a column; --
sometimes with up; as, to foot (or foot up) an
account.
5. To seize or strike with the talon.
[Poet.] Shak.
6. To renew the foot of, as of a
stocking. Shak.
To foot a bill, to pay it. [Colloq.] --
To foot it, to walk; also, to dance.
If you are for a merry jaunt, I'll try, for once, who
can foot it farthest.
Dryden.
Foot"ball` (?), n. An inflated
ball to be kicked in sport, usually made in India rubber, or a
bladder incased in Leather. Waller.
2. The game of kicking the football by
opposing parties of players between goals.
Arbuthnot.
Foot"band` (?), n. A band of foot
soldiers. [Obs.]
Foot"bath` (?), n. A bath for the
feet; also, a vessel used in bathing the feet.
Foot"board` (?), n. 1.
A board or narrow platfrom upon which one may stand or brace his
feet; as: (a) The platform for the
engineer and fireman of a locomotive. (b)
The foot-rest of a coachman's box.
2. A board forming the foot of a
bedstead.
3. A treadle.
Foot"boy` (?), n. A page; an
attendant in livery; a lackey. Shak.
Foot"breadth` (?), n. The breadth
of a foot; -- used as a measure. Longfellow.
Not so much as a footbreadth.
Deut. ii. 5.
Foot"bridge` (?), n. A narrow
bridge for foot passengers only.
Foot"cloth` (?), n. Formerly, a
housing or caparison for a horse. Sir W. Scott.
Foot"ed, a. 1.
Having a foot or feet; shaped in the foot. "Footed
like a goat." Grew.
&fist; Footed is often used in composition in the sense of
having (such or so many) feet; as,
fourfooted beasts.
2. Having a foothold; established.
Our king . . . is footed in this land
already.
Shak.
Foot"fall` (?), n. A setting down
of the foot; a footstep; the sound of a footstep.
Shak.
Seraphim, whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted
floor.
Poe.
Foot"fight` (?), n. A conflict by
persons on foot; -- distinguished from a fight on horseback.
Sir P. Sidney.
Foot"glove` (?), n. A kind of
stocking. [Obs.]
Foot" Guards` (?), pl. Infantry
soldiers belonging to select regiments called the Guards.
[Eng.]
Foot"halt` (?), n. A disease
affecting the feet of sheep.
Foot"hill` (?), n. A low hill at
the foot of higher hills or mountains.
Foot"hold` (?), n. A holding with
the feet; firm standing; that on which one may tread or rest
securely; footing. L'Estrange.
Foot"hook` (?), n. (Naut.)
See Futtock.
Foot"hot` (?), adv. Hastily;
immediately; instantly; on the spot; hotfoot.
Gower.
Custance have they taken anon,
foothot.
Chaucer.
Foot"ing, n. 1.
Ground for the foot; place for the foot to rest on; firm
foundation to stand on.
In ascent, every step gained is a footing and
help to the next.
Holder.
2. Standing; position; established place;
basis for operation; permanent settlement; foothold.
As soon as he had obtained a footing at court,
the charms of his manner . . . made him a favorite.
Macaulay.
3. Relative condition; state.
Lived on a footing of equality with
nobles.
Macaulay.
4. Tread; step; especially, measured
tread.
Hark, I hear the footing of a man.
Shak.
5. The act of adding up a column of figures;
the amount or sum total of such a column.
6. The act of putting a foot to anything;
also, that which is added as a foot; as, the footing of a
stocking.
7. A narrow cotton lace, without
figures.
8. The finer refuse part of whale blubber,
not wholly deprived of oil. Simmonds.
9. (Arch. & Enging.) The thickened or
sloping portion of a wall, or of an embankment at its foot.
Footing course (Arch.), one of the
courses of masonry at the foot of a wall, broader than the courses
above. -- To pay one's footing, to pay a
fee on first doing anything, as working at a trade or in a shop.
Wright. -- Footing beam, the tie beam of
a roof.
Foot"less, a. Having no
feet.
Foot"lick`er (?), n. A sycophant;
a fawner; a toady. Cf. Bootlick. Shak.
Foot"light` (?), n. One of a row
of lights in the front of the stage in a theater, etc., and on a
level therewith.
Before the footlights, upon the stage; --
hence, in the capacity of an actor.
Foot"man (?), n.; pl.
Footmen (&?;). 1. A soldier
who marches and fights on foot; a foot soldier.
2. A man in waiting; a male servant whose
duties are to attend the door, the carriage, the table,
etc.
3. Formerly, a servant who ran in front of
his master's carriage; a runner. Prior.
4. A metallic stand with four feet, for
keeping anything warm before a fire.
5. (Zoöl.) A moth of the family
Lithosidæ; -- so called from its livery-like
colors.
Foot"man*ship, n. Art or skill of
a footman.
Foot"mark` (?), n. A footprint; a
track or vestige. Coleridge.
Foot"note` (?), n. A note of
reference or comment at the foot of a page.
Foot"pace` (?), n. 1.
A walking pace or step.
2. A dais, or elevated platform; the highest
step of the altar; a landing in a staircase.
Shipley.
Foot"pad` (?), n. A highwayman or
robber on foot.
Foot"path` (?), n.; pl.
Footpaths (&?;). A narrow path or way for
pedestrains only; a footway.
Foot"plate` (?), n.
(Locomotives) See Footboard
(a).
Foot" pound` (?). (Mech.) A unit of energy,
or work, being equal to the work done in raising one pound
avoirdupois against the force of gravity the height of one
foot.
Foot" pound`al (?). (Mech.) A unit of energy
or work, equal to the work done in moving a body through one foot
against the force of one poundal.
Foot"print` (?), n. The impression
of the foot; a trace or footmark; as, "Footprints of the
Creator."
Foot"rope` (?), n. (Aut.)
(a) The rope rigged below a yard, upon which men
stand when reefing or furling; -- formerly called a
horse. (b) That part of the
boltrope to which the lower edge of a sail is sewed.
Foots (?), n. pl. The settlings of
oil, molasses, etc., at the bottom of a barrel or hogshead.
Simmonds.
Foot"-sore` (?), a. Having sore or
tender feet, as by reason of much walking; as, foot-sore
cattle.
Foot"stalk` (?), n. 1.
(Bot.) The stalk of a leaf or of flower; a petiole,
pedicel, or reduncle.
2. (Zoöl.) (a)
The peduncle or stem by which various marine animals are
attached, as certain brachiopods and goose barnacles.
(b) The stem which supports which supports the
eye in decapod Crustacea; eyestalk.
3. (Mach.) The lower part of a
millstone spindle. It rests in a step. Knight.
Foot"stall` (?), n. [Cf.
Pedestal.] 1. The stirrup of a woman's
saddle.
2. (Arch.) The plinth or base of a
pillar.
Foot"step` (?), n. 1.
The mark or impression of the foot; a track; hence, visible sign
of a course pursued; token; mark; as, the footsteps of divine
wisdom.
How on the faltering footsteps of decay
Youth presses.
Bryant.
2. An inclined plane under a hand printing
press.
Foot"stone` (?; 110), n. The stone
at the foot of a grave; -- opposed to headstone.
Foot"stool` (?), n. A low stool to
support the feet of one when sitting.
Foot"way` (?), n. A passage for
pedestrians only.
Foot"worn` (?), a. Worn by, or
weared in, the feet; as, a footworn path; a footworn
traveler.
Foot"y (?), a. 1.
Having foots, or settlings; as, footy oil,
molasses, etc. [Eng.]
2. Poor; mean. [Prov. Eng.] C.
Kingsley.
Fop (?), n. [OE. foppe,
fop, fool; cf. E. fob to cheat, G. foppen to
make a fool of one, jeer, D. foppen.] One whose ambition
it is to gain admiration by showy dress; a coxcomb; an inferior
dandy.
Fop"-doo`dle (?), n. A stupid or
insignificant fellow; a fool; a simpleton. [R.]
Hudibras.
Fop"ling (?), n. A petty
fop. Landor.
Fop"per*y (?), n.; pl.
Fopperies (#). [From Fop.]
1. The behavior, dress, or other indication of a
fop; coxcombry; affectation of show; showy folly.
2. Folly; foolery.
Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
My sober house.
Shak.
Fop"pish (?), a. Foplike;
characteristic of a top in dress or manners; making an ostentatious
display of gay clothing; affected in manners.
Syn. -- Finical; spruce; dandyish. See Finical.
-- Fop"pish*ly, adv. --
Fop"pish*ness, n.
For- (&?;). [AS. for-; akin to D. & G. ver-
, OHG. fir-, Icel. for-, Goth. fra-, cf. Skr.
parā- away, Gr. &?; beside, and E. far, adj. Cf.
Fret to rub.] A prefix to verbs, having usually the force
of a negative or privative. It often implies also loss,
detriment, or destruction, and sometimes it is
intensive, meaning utterly, quite thoroughly, as in
forbathe.
For (?), prep. [AS. for,
fore; akin to OS. for, fora, furi, D.
voor, OHG. fora, G. vor, OHG. furi, G.
für, Icel. fyrir, Sw. för, Dan.
for, adv. för, Goth. faúr,
faúra, L. pro, Gr. &?;, Skr. pra-.
√ 202. Cf. Fore, First, Foremost,
Forth, Pro-.] In the most general sense,
indicating that in consideration of, in view of, or with reference
to, which anything is done or takes place.
1. Indicating the antecedent cause or
occasion of an action; the motive or inducement accompanying and
prompting to an act or state; the reason of anything; that on account
of which a thing is or is done.
With fiery eyes sparkling for very
wrath.
Shak.
How to choose dogs for scent or
speed.
Waller.
Now, for so many glorious actions done,
For peace at home, and for the public wealth,
I mean to crown a bowl for Cæsar's health.
Dryden.
That which we, for our unworthiness, are afraid
to crave, our prayer is, that God, for the worthiness of his
Son, would, notwithstanding, vouchsafe to grant.
Hooker.
2. Indicating the remoter and indirect object
of an act; the end or final cause with reference to which anything
is, acts, serves, or is done.
The oak for nothing ill,
The osier good for twigs, the poplar for the
mill.
Spenser.
It was young counsel for the persons, and
violent counsel for the matters.
Bacon.
Shall I think the worls was made for one,
And men are born for kings, as beasts for men,
Not for protection, but to be devoured?
Dryden.
For he writes not for money, nor for
praise.
Denham.
3. Indicating that in favor of which, or in
promoting which, anything is, or is done; hence, in behalf of; in
favor of; on the side of; -- opposed to against.
We can do nothing against the truth, but for
the truth.
2 Cor. xiii. 8.
It is for the general good of human society,
and consequently of particular persons, to be true and just; and it
is for men's health to be temperate.
Tillotson.
Aristotle is for poetical justice.
Dennis.
4. Indicating that toward which the action of
anything is directed, or the point toward which motion is made;
&?;ntending to go to.
We sailed from Peru for China and
Japan.
Bacon.
5. Indicating that on place of or instead of
which anything acts or serves, or that to which a substitute, an
equivalent, a compensation, or the like, is offered or made; instead
of, or place of.
And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life
for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand
for hand, foot for foot.
Ex. xxi. 23,
24.
6. Indicating that in the character of or as
being which anything is regarded or treated; to be, or as
being.
We take a falling meteor for a
star.
Cowley.
If a man can be fully assured of anything for a
truth, without having examined, what is there that he may not embrace
for tru&?;?
Locke.
Most of our ingenious young men take up some cried-
up English poet for their model.
Dryden.
But let her go for an ungrateful
woman.
Philips.
7. Indicating that instead of which something
else controls in the performing of an action, or that in spite of
which anything is done, occurs, or is; hence, equivalent to
notwithstanding, in spite of; -- generally followed by
all, aught, anything, etc.
The writer will do what she please for all
me.
Spectator.
God's desertion shall, for aught he knows, the
next minute supervene.
Dr. H. More.
For anything that legally appears to the
contrary, it may be a contrivance to fright us.
Swift.
8. Indicating the space or time through which
an action or state extends; hence, during; in or through the space or
time of.
For many miles about
There 's scarce a bush.
Shak.
Since, hired for life, thy servile muse
sing.
prior.
To guide the sun's bright chariot for a
day.
Garth.
9. Indicating that in prevention of which, or
through fear of which, anything is done. [Obs.]
We 'll have a bib, for spoiling of thy
doublet.
Beau. & Fl.
For, or As for, so far as
concerns; as regards; with reference to; -- used parenthetically or
independently. See under As.
As for me and my house, we will serve the
Lord.
Josh. xxiv. 15.
For me, my stormy voyage at an end,
I to the port of death securely tend.
Dryden.
--
For all that, notwithstanding; in spite
of. -- For all the world, wholly;
exactly. "Whose posy was, for all the world, like
cutlers' poetry." Shak. -- For as much as,
or Forasmuch as, in consideration that; seeing
that; since. -- For by. See Forby,
adv. -- For ever,
eternally; at all times. See Forever. -- For
me, or For all me, as far as regards
me. -- For my life, or For the life of
me, if my life depended on it. [Colloq.] T.
Hook. -- For that, For the reason
that, because; since. [Obs.] "For that I
love your daughter." Shak. -- For thy, or
Forthy [AS. for&?;&?;.], for this; on
this account. [Obs.] "Thomalin, have no care for thy."
Spenser. -- For to, as sign of
infinitive, in order to; to the end of. [Obs., except as
sometimes heard in illiterate speech.] -- "What went ye out for
to see?" Luke vii. 25. See To,
prep., 4. -- O for, would
that I had; may there be granted; -- elliptically expressing desire
or prayer. "O for a muse of fire." Shak. --
Were it not for, or If it were not
for, leaving out of account; but for the presence or
action of. "Moral consideration can no way move the sensible
appetite, were it not for the will." Sir M. Hale.
For (?), conj. 1.
Because; by reason that; for that; indicating, in Old English,
the reason of anything.
And for of long that way had walkéd
none,
The vault was hid with plants and bushes hoar.
Fairfax.
And Heaven defend your good souls, that you think
I will your serious and great business scant,
For she with me.
Shak.
2. Since; because; introducing a reason of
something before advanced, a cause, motive, explanation,
justification, or the like, of an action related or a statement made.
It is logically nearly equivalent to since, or because,
but connects less closely, and is sometimes used as a very general
introduction to something suggested by what has gone
before.
Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good;
for his mercy endureth forever.
Ps. cxxxvi.
1.
Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,
Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 't were all alike
As if we had them not.
Shak.
For because, because. [Obs.] "Nor
for because they set less store by their own citizens."
Robynson (More's Utopia). -- For why.
(a) Why; for that reason; wherefore. [Obs.]
(b) Because. [Obs.] See Forwhy.
Syn. -- See Because.
For, n. One who takes, or that
which is said on, the affrimative side; that which is said in favor
of some one or something; -- the antithesis of against, and
commonly used in connection with it.
The fors and against. those in favor and
those opposed; the pros and the cons; the advantages and the
disadvantages. Jane Austen.
For"age (?; 48), n. [OF.
fourage, F. fourrage, fr. forre, fuerre,
fodder, straw, F. feurre, fr. LL. foderum,
fodrum, of German or Scand, origin; cf. OHG. fuotar, G.
futter. See Fodder food, and cf. Foray.]
1. The act of foraging; search for provisions,
etc.
He [the lion] from forage will incline to
play.
Shak.
One way a band select from forage drives
A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine.
Milton.
Mawhood completed his forage
unmolested.
Marshall.
2. Food of any kind for animals, especially
for horses and cattle, as grass, pasture, hay, corn, oats.
Dryden.
Forage cap. See under Cap. --
Forage master (Mil.), a person charged
with providing forage and the means of transporting it.
Farrow.
For"age, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Foraged ; p. pr. & vb. n.
Foraging (?).] To wander or rove in search of food; to
collect food, esp. forage, for horses and cattle by feeding on or
stripping the country; to ravage; to feed on spoil.
His most mighty father on a hill
Stood smiling to behold his lion's whelp
Forage in blood of French nobility.
Shak.
Foraging ant (Zoöl.), one of
several species of ants of the genus Eciton, very abundant in
tropical America, remarkable for marching in vast armies in search of
food. -- Foraging cap, a forage cap.
-- Foraging party, a party sent out after
forage.
For"age (?), v. t. To strip of
provisions; to supply with forage; as, to forage steeds.
Pope.
For"a*ger (?), n. One who
forages.
For"a*lite (?), n. [L. forare to
bore + -lite.] (Geol.) A tubelike marking,
occuring in sandstone and other strata.
||Fo*ra"men (?), n.; pl. L.
Foramina (#), E. Foramines (#).
[L., fr. forare to bore, pierce.] A small opening,
perforation, or orifice; a fenestra.
Foramen of Monro (Anat.), the opening
from each lateral into the third ventricle of the brain. --
Foramen of Winslow (Anat.), the opening
connecting the sac of the omentum with the general cavity of the
peritoneum.
Fo*ram"i*na`ted (?), a. [L.
foraminatus.] Having small opening, or
foramina.
For`a*min"i*fer (?), n.
(Zoöl.) One of the Foraminifera.
||Fo*ram`i*nif"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL.,
fr. L. foramen, -aminis, a foramen + ferre to
bear.] (Zoöl.) An extensive order of rhizopods which
generally have a chambered calcareous shell formed by several united
zooids. Many of them have perforated walls, whence the name. Some
species are covered with sand. See Rhizophoda.
Fo*ram`i*nif"er*ous (?), a.
1. Having small openings, or foramina.
2. Pertaining to, or composed of,
Foraminifera; as, foraminiferous mud.
Fo*ram"i*nous (?), a. [L.
foraminosus.] Having foramina; full of holes;
porous. Bacon.
For`as*much" (?), conj. In
consideration that; seeing that; since; because that; -- followed by
as. See under For,
prep.
For"ay (f&obreve;r"&asl; or f&osl;*rā";
277), n. [Another form of forahe. Cf.
Forray.] A sudden or irregular incursion in border
warfare; hence, any irregular incursion for war or spoils; a
raid. Spenser.
The huge Earl Doorm, . . .
Bound on a foray, rolling eyes of prey.
Tennyson.
For"ay, v. t. To pillage; to
ravage.
He might foray our lands.
Sir
W. Scott.
For"ay*er (? or ?), n. One who
makes or joins in a foray.
They might not choose the lowland road,
For the Merse forayers were abroad.
Sir W.
Scott.
For*bade" (?), imp. of
Forbid.
For*bathe", v. t. To bathe.
[Obs.]
For*bear" (f&obreve;r*bâr"), n.
[See Fore, and Bear to produce.] An ancestor; a
forefather; -- usually in the plural. [Scot.] "Your
forbears of old." Sir W. Scott.
For*bear" (f&obreve;r*bâr"), v.
i. [imp. Forbore (?)
(Forbare (&?;), [Obs.]); p. p.
Forborne (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Forbearing.] [OE. forberen, AS. forberan; pref.
for- + beran to bear. See Bear to support.]
1. To refrain from proceeding; to pause; to
delay.
Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I
forbear?
1 Kings xxii. 6.
2. To refuse; to decline; to give no
heed.
Thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will
hear, or whether they will forbear.
Ezek. ii.
7.
3. To control one's self when
provoked.
The kindest and the happiest pair
Will find occasion to forbear.
Cowper.
Both bear and forbear.
Old
Proverb.
For*bear", v. t. 1.
To keep away from; to avoid; to abstain from; to give up; as, to
forbear the use of a word of doubtful propriety.
But let me that plunder forbear.
Shenstone.
The King
In open battle or the tilting field
Forbore his own advantage.
Tennyson.
2. To treat with consideration or
indulgence.
Forbearing one another in love.
Eph. iv. 2.
3. To cease from bearing. [Obs.]
Whenas my womb her burden would
forbear.
Spenser.
For*bear"ance (?), n. The act of
forbearing or waiting; the exercise of patience.
He soon shall find
Forbearance no acquittance ere day end.
Milton.
2. The quality of being forbearing;
indulgence toward offenders or enemies; long-suffering.
Have a continent forbearance, till the speed of
his rage goes slower.
Shak.
Syn. -- Abstinence; refraining; lenity; mildness.
For*bear"ant (?), a.
Forbearing. [R.] Carlyle.
For*bear"er (?), n. One who
forbears. Tusser.
For*bear"ing, a. Disposed or
accustomed to forbear; patient; long-suffering. --
For*bear"ing*ly, adv.
For*bid" (f&obreve;r*b&ibreve;d"), v.
t. [imp. Forbade (-băd");
p. p. Forbidden (-b&ibreve;d"d'n)
(Forbid, [Obs.]); p. pr. & vb. n.
Forbidding (?).] [OE. forbeden, AS.
forbeódan; pref. for- + beódan to
bid; akin to D. verbieden, G. verbieten, Icel.
fyrirbjōða, forboða, Sw.
förbjuda, Dan. forbyde. See Bid, v.
t.] 1. To command against, or contrary
to; to prohibit; to interdict.
More than I have said . . .
The leisure and enforcement of the time
Forbids to dwell upon.
Shak.
2. To deny, exclude from, or warn off, by
express command; to command not to enter.
Have I not forbid her my house?
Shak.
3. To oppose, hinder, or prevent, as if by an
effectual command; as, an impassable river forbids the
approach of the army.
A blaze of glory that forbids the
sight.
Dryden.
4. To accurse; to blast. [Obs.]
He shall live a man forbid.
Shak.
5. To defy; to challenge. [Obs.] L.
Andrews.
Syn. -- To prohibit; interdict; hinder; preclude; withhold;
restrain; prevent. See Prohibit.
For*bid" (?), v. i. To utter a
prohibition; to prevent; to hinder. "I did not or
forbid." Milton.
For*bid"dance (?), n. The act of
forbidding; prohibition; command or edict against a thing.
[Obs.]
How hast thou yield to transgress
The strict forbiddance.
Milton.
For*bid"den (?), a. Prohibited;
interdicted.
I know no spells, use no forbidden
arts.
Milton.
Forbidden fruit. (a) Any
coveted unlawful pleasure, -- so called with reference to the
forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. (b)
(Bot.) A small variety of shaddock (Citrus
decumana). The name is given in different places to several
varieties of Citrus fruits.
For*bid"den*ly, adv. In a
forbidden or unlawful manner. Shak.
For*bid"der (?), n. One who
forbids. Milton.
For*bid"ding (?), a. Repelling
approach; repulsive; raising abhorrence, aversion, or dislike;
disagreeable; prohibiting or interdicting; as, a forbidding
aspect; a forbidding formality; a forbidding
air.
Syn. -- Disagreeable; unpleasant; displeasing; offensive;
repulsive; odious; abhorrent.
-- For*bid"ding*ly, adv. --
For*bid"ding*ness, n.
For*black" (?), a. Very
black. [Obs.]
As any raven's feathers it shone
forblack.
Chaucer.
For*bo"den (?), obs. p. p. of
Forbid. Chaucer.
For*bore" (?), imp. of
Forbear.
For*borne" (?), p. p. of
Forbear.
For*bruise" (?), v. t. To bruise
sorely or exceedingly. [Obs.]
All forbrosed, both back and side.
Chaucer.
For*by" (?), adv. & prep. [See
Foreby.] Near; hard by; along; past. [Obs.]
To tell her if her child went ought
forby.
Chaucer.
To the intent that ships may pass along forby
all the sides of the city without let.
Robynson
(More's Utopia).
For*carve" (?), v. t. To cut
completely; to cut off. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Force (?), v. t. [See Farce to
stuff.] To stuff; to lard; to farce. [R.]
Wit larded with malice, and malice forced with
wit.
Shak.
Force, n. [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel.
fors, foss, Dan. fos.] A waterfall; a
cascade. [Prov. Eng.]
To see the falls for force of the river
Kent.
T. Gray.
Force, n. [F. force, LL.
forcia, fortia, fr. L. fortis strong. See
Fort, n.] 1. Strength
or energy of body or mind; active power; vigor; might; often, an
unusual degree of strength or energy; capacity of exercising an
influence or producing an effect; especially, power to persuade, or
convince, or impose obligation; pertinency; validity; special
signification; as, the force of an appeal, an argument, a
contract, or a term.
He was, in the full force of the words, a good
man.
Macaulay.
2. Power exerted against will or consent;
compulsory power; violence; coercion.
Which now they hold by force, and not by
right.
Shak.
3. Strength or power for war; hence, a body
of land or naval combatants, with their appurtenances, ready for
action; -- an armament; troops; warlike array; -- often in the
plural; hence, a body of men prepared for action in other ways; as,
the laboring force of a plantation.
Is Lucius general of the forces?
Shak.
4. (Law) (a) Strength
or power exercised without law, or contrary to law, upon persons or
things; violence. (b) Validity;
efficacy. Burrill.
5. (Physics) Any action between two
bodies which changes, or tends to change, their relative condition as
to rest or motion; or, more generally, which changes, or tends to
change, any physical relation between them, whether mechanical,
thermal, chemical, electrical, magnetic, or of any other kind; as,
the force of gravity; cohesive force; centrifugal
force.
Animal force (Physiol.), muscular
force or energy. -- Catabiotic force [Gr. &?;
down (intens.) + &?; life.] (Biol.), the influence exerted
by living structures on adjoining cells, by which the latter are
developed in harmony with the primary structures. --
Centrifugal force, Centripetal
force, Coercive force, etc. See under
Centrifugal, Centripetal, etc. --
Composition of forces, Correlation of
forces, etc. See under Composition,
Correlation, etc. -- Force and arms
[trans. of L. vi et armis] (Law), an expression in
old indictments, signifying violence. -- In
force, or Of force, of unimpaired
efficacy; valid; of full virtue; not suspended or reversed. "A
testament is of force after men are dead." Heb. ix. 17.
-- Metabolic force (Physiol.), the
influence which causes and controls the metabolism of the body.
-- No force, no matter of urgency or
consequence; no account; hence, to do no force, to make no
account of; not to heed. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- Of
force, of necessity; unavoidably; imperatively.
"Good reasons must, of force, give place to better."
Shak. -- Plastic force (Physiol.),
the force which presumably acts in the growth and repair of the
tissues. -- Vital force (Physiol.),
that force or power which is inherent in organization; that form
of energy which is the cause of the vital phenomena of the body, as
distinguished from the physical forces generally
known.
Syn. -- Strength; vigor; might; energy; stress; vehemence;
violence; compulsion; coaction; constraint; coercion. --
Force, Strength. Strength looks rather to power
as an inward capability or energy. Thus we speak of the
strength of timber, bodily strength, mental
strength, strength of emotion, etc. Force, on
the other hand, looks more to the outward; as, the
force of gravitation, force of circumstances,
force of habit, etc. We do, indeed, speak of strength
of will and force of will; but even here the former may lean
toward the internal tenacity of purpose, and the latter toward the
outward expression of it in action. But, though the two words do in a
few cases touch thus closely on each other, there is, on the whole, a
marked distinction in our use of force and strength.
"Force is the name given, in mechanical science, to whatever
produces, or can produce, motion." Nichol.
Thy tears are of no force to mollify
This flinty man.
Heywood.
More huge in strength than wise in works he
was.
Spenser.
Adam and first matron Eve
Had ended now their orisons, and found
Strength added from above, new hope to spring
Out of despair.
Milton.
Force (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Forced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Forcing (?).] [OF. forcier, F. forcer, fr. LL.
forciare, fortiare. See Force,
n.] 1. To constrain to do or
to forbear, by the exertion of a power not resistible; to compel by
physical, moral, or intellectual means; to coerce; as, masters
force slaves to labor.
2. To compel, as by strength of evidence; as,
to force conviction on the mind.
3. To do violence to; to overpower, or to
compel by violence to one's will; especially, to ravish; to violate;
to commit rape upon.
To force their monarch and insult the
court.
Dryden.
I should have forced thee soon wish other
arms.
Milton.
To force a spotless virgin's
chastity.
Shak.
4. To obtain or win by strength; to take by
violence or struggle; specifically, to capture by assault; to storm,
as a fortress.
5. To impel, drive, wrest, extort, get, etc.,
by main strength or violence; -- with a following adverb, as
along, away, from, into, through,
out, etc.
It stuck so fast, so deeply buried lay
That scarce the victor forced the steel away.
Dryden.
To force the tyrant from his seat by
war.
Sahk.
Ethelbert ordered that none should be forced
into religion.
Fuller.
6. To put in force; to cause to be executed;
to make binding; to enforce. [Obs.]
What can the church force more?
J. Webster.
7. To exert to the utmost; to urge; hence, to
strain; to urge to excessive, unnatural, or untimely action; to
produce by unnatural effort; as, to force a conceit or
metaphor; to force a laugh; to force fruits.
High on a mounting wave my head I bore,
Forcing my strength, and gathering to the shore.
Dryden.
8. (Whist) To compel (an adversary or
partner) to trump a trick by leading a suit of which he has
none.
9. To provide with forces; to reënforce;
to strengthen by soldiers; to man; to garrison. [Obs.]
Shak.
10. To allow the force of; to value; to care
for. [Obs.]
For me, I force not argument a
straw.
Shak.
Syn. -- To compel; constrain; oblige; necessitate; coerce;
drive; press; impel.
Force, v. i. [Obs. in all the senses.]
1. To use violence; to make violent effort; to
strive; to endeavor.
Forcing with gifts to win his wanton
heart.
Spenser.
2. To make a difficult matter of anything; to
labor; to hesitate; hence, to force of, to make much account
of; to regard.
Your oath once broke, you force not to
forswear.
Shak.
I force not of such fooleries.
Camden.
3. To be of force, importance, or weight; to
matter.
It is not sufficient to have attained the name and
dignity of a shepherd, not forcing how.
Udall.
Forced (?), a. Done or produced
with force or great labor, or by extraordinary exertion; hurried;
strained; produced by unnatural effort or pressure; as, a
forced style; a forced laugh.
Forced draught. See under
Draught. -- Forced march (Mil.),
a march of one or more days made with all possible
speed.
-- For"ced*ly (#), adv. --
For"ced*ness, n.
Force"ful (?), a. Full of or
processing force; exerting force; mighty. --
Force"ful*ly, adv.
Against the steed he threw
His forceful spear.
Dryden.
Force"less, a. Having little or no
force; feeble.
These forceless flowers like sturdy trees
support me.
Shak.
Force"meat` (?), n. [Corrupt. for
farce-meat, fr. F. farce stuffing. See Farce,
n.] (Cookery) Meat chopped fine and
highly seasoned, either served up alone, or used as a stuffing.
[Written also forced meat.]
Force"ment (?), n. The act of
forcing; compulsion. [Obs.]
It was imposed upon us by constraint;
And will you count such forcement treachery?
J. Webster.
For"ceps (?), n. [L. forceps,
-cipis, from the root of formus Hot + capere to
take; akin to E. heave. Cf. Furnace.]
1. A pair of pinchers, or tongs; an instrument
for grasping, holding firmly, or exerting traction upon, bodies which
it would be inconvenient or impracticable to seize with the fingers,
especially one for delicate operations, as those of watchmakers,
surgeons, accoucheurs, dentists, etc.
2. (Zoöl.) The caudal forceps-
shaped appendage of earwigs and some other insects. See
Earwig.
Dressing forceps. See under
Dressing.
Force" pump` (?). (Mach.) (a)
A pump having a solid piston, or plunger, for drawing and
forcing a liquid, as water, through the valves; in distinction from a
pump having a bucket, or valved piston. (b)
A pump adapted for delivering water at a considerable height
above the pump, or under a considerable pressure; in distinction from
one which lifts the water only to the top of the pump or delivers it
through a spout. See Illust. of Plunger pump, under
Plunger.
For"cer (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, forces or drives.
2. (Mech.) (a) The
solid piston of a force pump; the instrument by which water is forced
in a pump. (b) A small hand pump for
sinking pits, draining cellars, etc.
For"ci*ble (?), a. [Cf. OF.
forcible forcible, forceable that may be forced.]
1. Possessing force; characterized by force,
efficiency, or energy; powerful; efficacious; impressive;
influential.
How forcible are right words!
Job. vi. 2&?;.
Sweet smells are most forcible in dry
substances, when broken.
Bacon.
But I have reasons strong and
forcible.
Shak.
That punishment which hath been sometimes
forcible to bridle sin.
Hooker.
He is at once elegant and sublime, forcible and
ornamented.
Lowth (Transl. )
2. Violent; impetuous.
Like mingled streams, more forcible when
joined.
Prior.
3. Using force against opposition or
resistance; obtained by compulsion; effected by force; as,
forcible entry or abduction.
In embraces of King James . . . forcible and
unjust.
Swift.
Forcible entry and detainer (Law),
the entering upon and taking and withholding of land and
tenements by actual force and violence, and with a strong hand, to
the hindrance of the person having the right to enter.
Syn. -- Violent; powerful; strong; energetic; mighty;
potent; weighty; impressive; cogent; influential.
For"ci*ble-fee`ble (?), a. [From
Feeble, a character in the Second Part of Shakespeare's "King
Henry IV.," to whom Falstaff derisively applies the epithet
"forcible."] Seemingly vigorous, but really weak or
insipid.
He [Prof. Ayton] would purge his book of much
offensive matter, if he struck out epithets which are in the bad
taste of the forcible-feeble school.
N. Brit.
Review.
For"ci*ble*ness, n. The quality of
being forcible.
For"ci*bly, adv. In a forcible
manner.
For"cing (?), n. 1.
The accomplishing of any purpose violently, precipitately,
prematurely, or with unusual expedition.
2. (Gardening) The art of raising
plants, flowers, and fruits at an earlier season than the natural
one, as in a hitbed or by the use of artificial heat.
Forcing bed or pit, a
plant bed having an under layer of fermenting manure, the
fermentation yielding bottom heat for forcing plants; a hotbed.
-- Forcing engine, a fire engine. --
Forcing fit (Mech.), a tight fit, as of
one part into a hole in another part, which makes it necessary to use
considerable force in putting the two parts together. --
Forcing house, a greenhouse for the forcing of
plants, fruit trees, etc. -- Forcing machine,
a powerful press for putting together or separating two parts
that are fitted tightly one into another, as for forcing a crank on a
shaft, or for drawing off a car wheel from the axle. --
Forcing pump. See Force pump
(b).
For"ci*pal (?), a. Forked or
branched like a pair of forceps; constructed so as to open and shut
like a pair of forceps. Sir T. Browne.
{ For"ci*pate (?), For"ci*pa`ted (?) },
a. Like a pair of forceps; as, a
forcipated mouth.
For`ci*pa"tion (?), n. Torture by
pinching with forceps or pinchers. Bacon.
For*cut" (?), v. t. To cut
completely; to cut off. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Ford (fōrd), n. [AS. ford;
akin to G. furt, Icel. fjörðr bay, and to E.
fare. √ 78. See Fare, v. i.,
and cf. Frith arm of the sea.] 1. A place
in a river, or other water, where it may be passed by man or beast on
foot, by wading.
He swam the Esk river where ford there was
none.
Sir W. Scott.
2. A stream; a current.
With water of the ford
Or of the clouds.
Spenser.
Permit my ghost to pass the Stygian
ford.
Dryden.
Ford, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Forded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fording.] To pass or cross, as a river or other water, by
wading; to wade through.
His last section, which is no deep one, remains only
to be forted.
Milton.
Ford"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being forded. -- Ford"a*ble*ness,
n.
Ford"less, a. Without a
ford.
A deep and fordless river.
Mallock.
For*do" (?), v. t. [OE. fordon,
AS. ford&?;n; pref. for- + d&?;n to do. See
For-, and Do, v. i.]
1. To destroy; to undo; to ruin.
[Obs.]
This is the night
That either makes me or fordoes me quite.
Shak.
2. To overcome with fatigue; to
exhaust. M. Arnold.
All with weary task fordone.
Shak.
For*done" (?), a. [See Fordo.]
Undone; ruined. [Obs.] Spenser.
For*drive" (?), v. t. To drive
about; to drive here and there. [Obs.] Rom. of R.
For*drunk"en (?), a. Utterly
drunk; very drunk. [Obs.] Chaucer.
For*dry" (?), a. Entirely dry;
withered. [Obs.] "A tree fordry." Chaucer.
For*dwine" (?), v. i. To dwindle
away; to disappear. [Obs.] Rom of R.
Fore, n. [AS. f&?;r, fr.
faran to go. See Fare, v. i.]
Journey; way; method of proceeding. [Obs.] "Follow him and
his fore." Chaucer.
Fore, adv. [AS. fore, adv. &
prep., another form of for. See For, and cf.
Former, Foremost.] 1. In the part
that precedes or goes first; -- opposed to aft, after,
back, behind, etc.
2. Formerly; previously; afore. [Obs.
or Colloq.]
The eyes, fore duteous, now converted
are.
Shak.
3. (Naut.) In or towards the bows of a
ship.
Fore and aft (Naut.), from stem to
stern; lengthwise of the vessel; -- in distinction from
athwart. R. H. Dana, Jr. -- Fore-and-aft
rigged (Naut.), not rigged with square sails
attached to yards, but with sails bent to gaffs or set on stays in
the midship line of the vessel. See Schooner, Sloop,
Cutter.
Fore (?), a. [See Fore,
adv.] Advanced, as compared with something
else; toward the front; being or coming first, in time, place, order,
or importance; preceding; anterior; antecedent; earlier; forward; --
opposed to back or behind; as, the fore part of
a garment; the fore part of the day; the fore and of a
wagon.
The free will of the subject is preserved, while it is
directed by the fore purpose of the state.
Southey.
&fist; Fore is much used adjectively or in composition.
Fore bay, a reservoir or canal between a
mill race and a water wheel; the discharging end of a pond or mill
race. -- Fore body (Shipbuilding),
the part of a ship forward of the largest cross-section,
distinguished from middle body and after body. --
Fore boot, a receptacle in the front of a
vehicle, for stowing baggage, etc. -- Fore
bow, the pommel of a saddle. Knight. --
Fore cabin, a cabin in the fore part of a ship,
usually with inferior accommodations. -- Fore
carriage. (a) The forward part of the
running gear of a four-wheeled vehicle. (b)
A small carriage at the front end of a plow beam. --
Fore course (Naut.), the lowermost sail
on the foremost of a square-rigged vessel; the foresail. See
Illust. under Sail. -- Fore
door. Same as Front door. -- Fore
edge, the front edge of a book or folded sheet,
etc. -- Fore elder, an ancestor.
[Prov. Eng.] -- Fore end. (a)
The end which precedes; the earlier, or the nearer, part; the
beginning.
I have . . . paid
More pious debts to heaven, than in all
The fore end of my time.
Shak.
(b) In firearms, the wooden stock under the
barrel, forward of the trigger guard, or breech frame. --
Fore girth, a girth for the fore part (of a
horse, etc.); a martingale. -- Fore hammer,
a sledge hammer, working alternately, or in time, with the hand
hammer. -- Fore leg, one of the front legs
of a quadruped, or multiped, or of a chair, settee, etc. --
Fore peak (Naut.), the angle within a
ship's bows; the portion of the hold which is farthest forward.
-- Fore piece, a front piece, as the flap in
the fore part of a sidesaddle, to guard the rider's dress. --
Fore plane, a carpenter's plane, in size and
use between a jack plane and a smoothing plane. Knight.
-- Fore reading, previous perusal. [Obs.]
Hales. -- Fore rent, in Scotland, rent
payable before a crop is gathered. -- Fore
sheets (Naut.), the forward portion of a
rowboat; the space beyond the front thwart. See Stern
sheets. -- Fore shore. (a)
A bank in advance of a sea wall, to break the force of the
surf. (b) The seaward projecting, slightly
inclined portion of a breakwater. Knight.
(c) The part of the shore between high and low
water marks. -- Fore sight, that one of
the two sights of a gun which is near the muzzle. --
Fore tackle (Naut.), the tackle on the
foremast of a ship. -- Fore topmast.
(Naut.) See Fore-topmast, in the Vocabulary. -
- Fore wind, a favorable wind. [Obs.]
Sailed on smooth seas, by fore winds
borne.
Sandys.
--
Fore world, the antediluvian world.
[R.] Southey.
Fore, n. The front; hence, that
which is in front; the future.
At the fore (Naut.), at the fore
royal masthead; -- said of a flag, so raised as a signal for sailing,
etc. -- To the fore. (a)
In advance; to the front; to a prominent position; in plain
sight; in readiness for use. (b) In
existence; alive; not worn out, lost, or spent, as money, etc.
[Irish] "While I am to the fore." W. Collins. "How many
captains in the regiment had two thousand pounds to the fore?"
Thackeray.
Fore, prep. Before; -- sometimes
written 'fore as if a contraction of afore or
before. [Obs.]
Fore`ad*mon"ish (?), v. t. To
admonish beforehand, or before the act or event. Bp.
Hall.
Fore`ad*vise" (?), v. t. To advise
or counsel before the time of action, or before the event.
Shak.
Fore`al*lege" (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Forealleged (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Forealleging (?).] To allege or cite
before. Fotherby.
Fore`ap*point" (?), v. t. To set,
order, or appoint, beforehand. Sherwood.
Fore`ap*point"ment (?), n.
Previous appointment; preordinantion.
Sherwood.
Fore*arm" (?), v. t. To arm or
prepare for attack or resistance before the time of need.
South.
Fore"arm` (?), n. (Anat.)
That part of the arm or fore limb between the elbow and wrist;
the antibrachium.
Fore"beam` (?), n. The breast beam
of a loom.
Fore*bear" (?), n. An ancestor.
See Forbear.
Fore*bode" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Foreboded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Foreboding.] [AS. forebodian; fore + bodian to
announce. See Bode v. t.] 1.
To foretell.
2. To be prescient of (some ill or
misfortune); to have an inward conviction of, as of a calamity which
is about to happen; to augur despondingly.
His heart forebodes a mystery.
Tennyson.
Sullen, desponding, and foreboding nothing but
wars and desolation, as the certain consequence of Cæsar's
death.
Middleton.
I have a sort of foreboding about
him.
H. James.
Syn. -- To foretell; predict; prognosticate; augur;
presage; portend; betoken.
Fore*bode", v. i. To foretell; to
presage; to augur.
If I forebode aright.
Hawthorne.
Fore*bode", n. Prognostication;
presage. [Obs.]
Fore*bode"ment (?), n. The act of
foreboding; the thing foreboded.
Fore*bod"er (?), n. One who
forebodes.
Fore*bod"ing, n. Presage of coming
ill; expectation of misfortune.
Fore*bod"ing*ly, adv. In a
foreboding manner.
Fore"brace` (?), n. (Naut.)
A rope applied to the fore yardarm, to change the position of
the foresail.
Fore"brain` (?), n. (Anat.)
The anterior of the three principal divisions of the brain,
including the prosencephalon and thalamencephalon. Sometimes
restricted to the prosencephalon only. See Brain.
Fore*by" (?), prep. [Fore +
by.] Near; hard by; along; past. See Forby.
Spenser.
Fore*cast" (?), v. t.
1. To plan beforehand; to scheme; to
project.
He shall forecast his devices against the
strongholds.
Dan. xi. 24.
2. To foresee; to calculate beforehand, so as
to provide for.
It is wisdom to consider the end of things before we
embark, and to forecast consequences.
L'Estrange.
Fore*cast", v. i. To contrive or
plan beforehand.
If it happen as I did forecast.
Milton.
Fore"cast (?), n. Previous
contrivance or determination; predetermination.
He makes this difference to arise from the
forecast and predetermination of the gods
themselves.
Addison.
2. Foresight of consequences, and provision
against them; prevision; premeditation.
His calm, deliberate forecast better fitted him
for the council than the camp.
Prescott.
Fore*cast"er (?), n. One who
forecast. Johnson.
Fore"cas`tle (?; sailors say &?;),
n. (Naut.) (a) A short
upper deck forward, formerly raised like a castle, to command an
enemy's decks. (b) That part of the upper
deck of a vessel forward of the foremast, or of the after part of the
fore channels. (c) In merchant vessels,
the forward part of the vessel, under the deck, where the sailors
live.
Fore`cho"sen (?), a. Chosen
beforehand.
Fore"cit`ed (?), a. Cited or
quoted before or above. Arbuthnot.
Fore*close" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Foreclosed (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Foreclosing (?).] [F. forclos, p. p. of
forclore to exclude; OF. fors, F. hors, except,
outside (fr. L. foris outside) + F. clore to close. See
Foreign, and Close, v. t.] To
shut up or out; to preclude; to stop; to prevent; to bar; to
exclude.
The embargo with Spain foreclosed this
trade.
Carew.
To foreclose a mortgager (Law), to
cut him off by a judgment of court from the power of redeeming the
mortgaged premises, termed his equity of redemption. --
To foreclose a mortgage, (not technically
correct, but often used to signify) the obtaining a judgment for the
payment of an overdue mortgage, and the exposure of the mortgaged
property to sale to meet the mortgage debt. Wharton.
Fore*clo"sure (?; 135), n. The act
or process of foreclosing; a proceeding which bars or extinguishes a
mortgager's right of redeeming a mortgaged estate.
Fore`con*ceive" (?), v. t. To
preconceive; to imagine beforehand. [Obs.] Bacon.
Fore*date" (?), v. t. To date
before the true time; to antedate.
Fore"deck` (?), n. (Naut.)
The fore part of a deck, or of a ship.
Fore*deem" (?), v. t. To recognize
or judge in advance; to forebode. [Obs.] Udall.
Laugh at your misery, as foredeeming you
An idle meteor.
J. Webster.
Fore*deem", v. i. [Cf.
Foredoom.] To know or discover beforehand; to
foretell. [Obs.]
Which [maid] could guess and foredeem of things
past, present, and to come.
Genevan Test.
Fore`de*sign" (? or ?), v. t. To
plan beforehand; to intend previously. Cheyne.
Fore`de*ter"mine (?), v. t. To
determine or decree beforehand. Bp. Hopkins.
Fore`dis*pose" (?), v. t. To
bestow beforehand. [R.]
King James had by promise foredisposed the
place on the Bishop of Meath.
Fuller.
Fore*doom" (?), v. t. [Cf.
Foredeem.] To doom beforehand; to predestinate.
Thou art foredoomed to view the Stygian
state.
Dryden.
Fore"doom` (?), n. Doom or
sentence decreed in advance. "A dread foredoom ringing
in the ears of the guilty adult." Southey.
Fore"fa`ther (?; 277), n. One who
precedes another in the line of genealogy in any degree, but usually
in a remote degree; an ancestor.
Respecting your forefathers, you would have
been taught to respect yourselves.
Burke.
Forefathers' Day, the anniversary of the day
(December 21) on which the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth,
Massachusetts (1620). On account of a mistake in reckoning the change
from Old Style to New Style, it has generally been celebrated on the
22d.
Fore*feel" (?), v. t. To feel
beforehand; to have a presentiment of. [Obs.]
As when, with unwieldy waves, the great sea
forefeels winds.
Chapman.
Fore`fence" (?), n. Defense in
front. [Obs.]
Fore*fend" (?), v. t. [OE.
forfenden; pref. for- + fenden to fend. See
Fend, v. t.] To hinder; to fend off; to
avert; to prevent the approach of; to forbid or prohibit. See
Forfend.
God forefend it should ever be recorded in our
history.
Landor.
It would be a far better work . . . to forefend
the cruelty.
I. Taylor.
Fore"fin`ger (?), n. The finger
next to the thumb; the index.
Fore*flow" (?), v. t. To flow
before. [Obs.]
Fore"foot` (?), n. 1.
One of the anterior feet of a quadruped or multiped; -- usually
written fore foot.
2. (Shipbuilding) A piece of timber
which terminates the keel at the fore end, connecting it with the
lower end of the stem.
Fore"front` (?), n. Foremost part
or place.
Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest
battle.
2 Sam. xi. 15.
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, standing in the
forefront for all time, the masters of those who
know.
J. C. Shairp.
Fore"game` (?), n. A first game;
first plan. [Obs.] Whitlock.
Fore"gang`er (?), n. [Prop., a goer
before cf. G. voregänger. See Fore, and
Gang.] (Naut.) A short rope grafted on a harpoon,
to which a longer line may be attached. Totten.
Fore*gath"er (?), v. i. Same as
Forgather.
Fore"gift` (?), n. (Law) A
premium paid by a lessee when taking his lease.
Fore"gleam` (?), n. An antecedent
or premonitory gleam; a dawning light.
The foregleams of wisdom.
Whittier.
Fore*go" (?), v. t.
[imp. Forewent 2; p. p.
Foregone (?; 115); p. pr. & vb. n.
Foregoing.] [See Forgo.] 1. To
quit; to relinquish; to leave.
Stay at the third cup, or forego the
place.
Herbert.
2. To relinquish the enjoyment or advantage
of; to give up; to resign; to renounce; -- said of a thing already
enjoyed, or of one within reach, or anticipated.
All my patrimony,,
If need be, I am ready to forego.
Milton.
Thy lovers must their promised heaven
forego.
Keble.
[He] never forewent an opportunity of honest
profit.
R. L. Stevenson.
&fist; Forgo is the better spelling etymologically, but the
word has been confused with Forego, to go before.
Fore*go", v. t. [AS.
foregān; fore + gān to go; akin to
G. vorgehen to go before, precede. See Go, v.
i.] To go before; to precede; -- used especially in
the present and past participles.
Pleasing remembrance of a thought
foregone.
Wordsworth.
For which the very mother's face forewent
The mother's special patience.
Mrs. Browning.
Foregone conclusion, one which has preceded
argument or examination; one predetermined.
Fore*go"er (?), n. 1.
One who goes before another; a predecessor; hence, an ancestor;
a progenitor.
2. A purveyor of the king; -- so called,
formerly, from going before to provide for his
household. [Obs.]
Fore*go"er, n. [Etymologically
forgoer.] One who forbears to enjoy.
Fore"ground` (?), n. On a
painting, and sometimes in a bas-relief, mosaic picture, or the like,
that part of the scene represented, which is nearest to the
spectator, and therefore occupies the lowest part of the work of art
itself. Cf. Distance, n., 6.
Fore*guess" (?), v. t. To
conjecture. [Obs.]
Fore"gut` (?), n. (Anat.)
The anterior part of the alimentary canal, from the mouth to the
intestine, or to the entrance of the bile duct.
Fore"hand` (?), n. 1.
All that part of a horse which is before the rider.
Johnson.
2. The chief or most important part.
Shak.
3. Superiority; advantage; start;
precedence.
And, but for ceremony, such a wretch . . .
Had the forehand and vantage of a king.
Shak.
Fore"hand`, a. Done beforehand;
anticipative.
And so extenuate the forehand sin.
Shak.
Fore"hand`ed, a. 1.
Early; timely; seasonable. "Forehanded care."
Jer. Taylor.
2. Beforehand with one's needs, or having
resources in advance of one's necessities; in easy circumstances; as,
a forehanded farmer. [U.S.]
3. Formed in the forehand or fore
parts.
A substantial, true-bred beast, bravely
forehanded.
Dryden.
Fore"head (?; 277), n.
1. The front of that part of the head which
incloses the brain; that part of the face above the eyes; the
brow.
2. The aspect or countenance;
assurance.
To look with forehead bold and big enough
Upon the power and puissance of the king.
Shak.
3. The front or fore part of
anything.
Flames in the forehead of the morning
sky.
Milton.
So rich advantage of a promised glory
As smiles upon the forehead of this action.
Shak.
Fore*hear" (?), v. i. & t. To hear
beforehand.
Fore"hearth` (?), n. (Metal.)
The forward extension of the hearth of a blast furnace under the
tymp.
Fore*hend" (?), v. t. See
Forhend. [Obs.]
Fore*hew" (?), v. t. To hew or cut
in front. [Obs.] Sackville.
Fore"hold` (?), n. (Naut.)
The forward part of the hold of a ship.
Fore*hold"ing (?), n. Ominous
foreboding; superstitious prognostication. [Obs.]
L'Estrange.
Fore"hook` (?), n. (Naut.)
A piece of timber placed across the stem, to unite the bows and
strengthen the fore part of the ship; a breast hook.
For"eign (?), a. [OE. forein, F.
forain, LL. foraneus, fr. L. foras,
foris, out of doors, abroad, without; akin to fores
doors, and E. door. See Door, and cf. Foreclose,
Forfeit, Forest, Forum.] 1.
Outside; extraneous; separated; alien; as, a foreign
country; a foreign government. "Foreign worlds."
Milton.
2. Not native or belonging to a certain
country; born in or belonging to another country, nation,
sovereignty, or locality; as, a foreign language;
foreign fruits. "Domestic and foreign writers."
Atterbury.
Hail, foreign wonder!
Whom certain these rough shades did never breed.
Milton.
3. Remote; distant; strange; not belonging;
not connected; not pertaining or pertient; not appropriate; not
harmonious; not agreeable; not congenial; -- with to or
from; as, foreign to the purpose; foreign to
one's nature.
This design is not foreign from some people's
thoughts.
Swift.
4. Held at a distance; excluded;
exiled. [Obs.]
Kept him a foreign man still; which so grieved
him,
That he ran mad and died.
Shak.
Foreign attachment (Law), a process
by which the property of a foreign or absent debtor is attached for
the satisfaction of a debt due from him to the plaintiff; an
attachment of the goods, effects, or credits of a debtor in the hands
of a third person; -- called in some States trustee, in others
factorizing, and in others garnishee process.
Kent. Tomlins. Cowell. -- Foreign
bill, a bill drawn in one country, and payable in
another, as distinguished from an inland bill, which is one drawn and
payable in the same country. In this latter, as well as in several
other points of view, the different States of the United States are
foreign to each other. See Exchange, n.,
4. Kent. Story. -- Foreign body
(Med.), a substance occurring in any part of the body
where it does not belong, and usually introduced from without. -
- Foreign office, that department of the
government of Great Britain which has charge British interests in
foreign countries.
Syn. -- Outlandish; alien; exotic; remote; distant;
extraneous; extrinsic.
For"eign*er (?), n. A person
belonging to or owning allegiance to a foreign country; one not
native in the country or jurisdiction under consideration, or not
naturalized there; an alien; a stranger.
Joy is such a foreigner,
So mere a stranger to my thoughts.
Denham.
Nor could the majesty of the English crown appear in a
greater luster, either to foreigners or subjects.
Swift.
For"eign*ism (?), n. Anything
peculiar to a foreign language or people; a foreign idiom or
custom.
It is a pity to see the technicalities of the so-
called liberal professions distigured by
foreignisms.
Fitzed. Hall.
For"eign*ness, n. The quality of
being foreign; remoteness; want of relation or
appropriateness.
Let not the foreignness of the subject hinder
you from endeavoring to set me right.
Locke.
A foreignness of complexion.
G.
Eliot.
For"ein (?), a. Foreign.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fore*judge" (?), v. t. [Fore +
judge.] To judge beforehand, or before hearing the facts
and proof; to prejudge.
Fore*judge", v. t. [For
forjudge, fr. F. forjuger; OF. fors outside,
except + F. juger to judge.] (O. Eng. Law) To
expel from court for some offense or misconduct, as an attorney or
officer; to deprive or put out of a thing by the judgment of a
court. Burrill.
Fore*judg"er (?), n. (Eng. Law)
A judgment by which one is deprived or put out of a right or
thing in question.
Fore*judg"ment (?), n.
Prejudgment. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fore*know" (?), v. t.
[imp. Foreknew (?); p. p.
Foreknown (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Foreknowing.] To have previous knowledge of; to know
beforehand.
Who would the miseries of man
foreknow?
Dryden.
Fore*know"a*ble (?), a. That may
be foreknown. Dr. H. More.
Fore*know"er (?), n. One who
foreknows.
Fore*know"ing*ly, adv. With
foreknowledge.
He who . . . foreknowingly loses his
life.
Jer. Taylor.
Fore*knowl"edge (?), n. Knowledge
of a thing before it happens, or of whatever is to happen;
prescience.
If I foreknew,
Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault.
Milton.
For"el (?), n. [OE. forelcase,
sheath, OF. forel, fourel, F. fourreau, LL.
forellus, fr. OF. forre, fuerre, sheath, case,
of German origin; cf. OHG. fuotar, akin to Goth.
fōdr; prob. not the same word as E. fodder food.
Cf. Fur, Fodder food.] A kind of parchment for
book covers. See Forrill.
For"el, v. t. To bind with a
forel. [R.] Fuller.
Fore"land` (?), n. 1.
A promontory or cape; a headland; as, the North and South
Foreland in Kent, England.
2. (Fort.) A piece of ground between
the wall of a place and the moat. Farrow.
3. (Hydraul. Engin.) That portion of
the natural shore on the outside of the embankment which receives the
stock of waves and deadens their force. Knight.
Fore*lay" (?), v. t. 1.
To lay down beforehand.
These grounds being forelaid and
understood.
Mede.
2. To waylay. See Forlay.
[Obs.]
Fore*lead"er (?), n. One who leads
others by his example; a guide.
Fore*lend" (?), v. t. See
Forlend. [Obs.]
As if that life to losse they had
forelent.
Spenser.
Fore*let" (?), v. t. See
Forlet. [Obs.] Holland.
Fore*lie" (?), v. i. To lie in
front of. [Obs.]
Which forelay
Athwart her snowy breast.
Spenser.
Fore*lift" (?), v. t. To lift up
in front. [Obs.]
Fore"lock` (?), n. 1.
The lock of hair that grows from the forepart of the
head.
2. (Mech.) A cotter or split pin, as
in a slot in a bolt, to prevent retraction; a linchpin; a pin
fastening the cap-square of a gun.
Forelock bolt, a bolt retained by a key,
gib, or cotter passing through a slot. -- Forelock
hook (Rope Making), a winch or whirl by which a
bunch of three yarns is twisted into a standard. Knight.
-- To take time, or occasion,
by the forelock, to make prompt use of
anything; not to let slip an opportunity.
Time is painted with a lock before and bald behind,
signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for
when it is once past, there is no recalling it.
Swift.
On occasion's forelock watchful
wait.
Milton.
Fore*look" (?), v. i. To look
beforehand or forward. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fore"man (?), n.; pl.
Foremen (&?;). The first or chief man;
as: (a) The chief man of a jury, who acts as
their speaker. (b) The chief of a set of
hands employed in a shop, or on works of any kind, who superintends
the rest; an overseer.
Fore"mast` (?), n. (Naut.)
The mast nearest the bow.
Foremast hand or man
(Naut.), a common sailor; also, a man stationed to attend
to the gear of the foremast.
Fore*meant" (?), a. Intended
beforehand; premeditated. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fore"men`tioned (?), a. Mentioned
before; already cited; aforementioned. Addison.
Fore"milk` (?), n. (Physiol.)
The milk secreted just before, or directly after, the birth of a
child or of the young of an animal; colostrum.
Fore"most` (?), a. [OE. formest
first, AS. formest, fyrmest, superl. of forma
first, which is a superl. fr. fore fore; cf. Goth.
frumist, fruma, first. See Fore,
adv., and cf. First, Former,
Frame, v. t., Prime,
a.] First in time or place; most advanced;
chief in rank or dignity; as, the foremost troops of an
army.
THat struck the foremost man of all this
world.
Shak.
Fore"most`ly, adv. In the foremost
place or order; among the foremost. J. Webster.
Fore"moth`er (?), n. A female
ancestor.
Fore"name` (?), n. A name that
precedes the family name or surname; a first name.
Selden.
Fore"name`, v. t. To name or
mention before. Shak.
Fore"named` (?), a. Named before;
aforenamed.
Fore*nenst" (?), prep. [See
Fore, and Anent.] Over against; opposite to.
[Now dialectic]
The land forenenst the Greekish
shore.
Fairfax.
Fore"-night` (?), n. The evening
between twilight and bedtime. [Scot.]
Fore"noon" (?), n. The early part
of the day, from morning to meridian, or noon.
Fore"no`tice (?), n. Notice or
information of an event before it happens; forewarning. [R.]
Rymer.
Fo*ren"sal (?), a. Forensic.
[R.]
Fo*ren"sic (?), a. [L. forensis,
fr. forum a public place, market place. See Forum.]
Belonging to courts of judicature or to public discussion and
debate; used in legal proceedings, or in public discussions;
argumentative; rhetorical; as, forensic eloquence or
disputes.
Forensic medicine, medical jurisprudence;
medicine in its relations to law.
Fo*ren"sic, n. (Amer. Colleges)
An exercise in debate; a forensic contest; an argumentative
thesis.
Fo*ren"sic*al (?), a.
Forensic. Berkley.
Fore`or*dain" (?), v. t. To ordain
or appoint beforehand; to preordain; to predestinate; to
predetermine. Hooker.
Fore*or"di*nate (?), v. t. To
foreordain.
Fore*or`di*na"tion (?), n.
Previous ordination or appointment; predetermination;
predestination.
{ Fore" part` (?), or Fore"part` },
n. The part most advanced, or first in time or
in place; the beginning.
Fore"past` (?), a. Bygone.
[Obs.] Shak.
Fore`pos*sessed" (?), a.
1. Holding or held formerly in possession.
[Obs.]
2. Preoccupied; prepossessed;
preëngaged. [Obs.]
Not extremely forepossessed with
prejudice.
Bp. Sanderson.
Fore*prize" (?), v. t. To prize or
rate beforehand. [Obs.] Hooker.
Fore`prom"ised (?), a. Promised
beforehand; preëngaged. Bp. Hall.
Fore"quot`ed (?), a. Cited before;
quoted in a foregoing part of the treatise or essay.
Fore*ran" (?), imp. of
Forerun.
Fore"rank` (?), n. The first rank;
the front.
Fore*reach" (?), v. t. (Naut.)
To advance or gain upon; -- said of a vessel that gains upon
another when sailing closehauled.
Fore*reach", v. i. (Naut.)
To shoot ahead, especially when going in stays. R. H.
Dana, Jr.
Fore*read" (?), v. t. To tell
beforehand; to signify by tokens; to predestine. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Fore`re*cit"ed (?), a. Named or
recited before. "The forerecited practices."
Shak.
Fore`re*mem"bered (?), a. Called
to mind previously. Bp. Montagu.
Fore"right` (?), a. Ready;
directly forward; going before. [Obs.] "A foreright
wind." Chapman.
Fore"right`, adv. Right forward;
onward. [Obs.]
Fore*run" (?), v. t. 1.
To turn before; to precede; to be in advance of (something
following).
2. To come before as an earnest of something
to follow; to introduce as a harbinger; to announce.
These signs forerun the death or fall of
kings.
Shak.
Fore*run"ner (?), n. 1.
A messenger sent before to give notice of the approach of
others; a harbinger; a sign foreshowing something; a prognostic; as,
the forerunner of a fever.
Whither the forerunner in for us entered, even
Jesus.
Heb. vi. 20.
My elder brothers, my forerunners,
came.
Dryden.
2. A predecessor; an ancestor. [Obs.]
Shak.
3. (Naut.) A piece of rag terminating
the log line.
Fore"said` (?), a. Mentioned
before; aforesaid.
Fore"sail` (?), n. (Naut.)
(a) The sail bent to the foreyard of a square-
rigged vessel, being the lowest sail on the foremast.
(b) The gaff sail set on the foremast of a
schooner. (c) The fore staysail of a
sloop, being the triangular sail next forward of the mast.
Fore*say" (?), v. t. [AS.
foresecgan; fore + secgan to say. See Say,
v. t.] To foretell. [Obs.]
Her danger nigh that sudden change
foresaid.
Fairfax.
Fore*see" (?), v. t. [AS.
foreseón; fore + seón to see. See
See, v. t.] 1. To see
beforehand; to have prescience of; to foreknow.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil.
Prov. xxii. 3.
2. To provide. [Obs.]
Great shoals of people, which go on to populate,
without foreseeing means of life.
Bacon.
Fore*see", v. i. To have or
exercise foresight. [Obs.]
Fore*seen" (?), conj., or (strictly)
p. p. Provided; in case that; on condition
that. [Obs.]
One manner of meat is most sure to every complexion,
foreseen that it be alway most commonly in conformity of
qualities, with the person that eateth.
Sir T.
Elyot.
Fore*se"er (?), n. One who
foresees or foreknows.
Fore*seize" (?), v. t. To seize
beforehand.
Fore*shad"ow (?), v. t. To shadow
or typi&?;y beforehand; to prefigure. Dryden.
Fore*shew" (?), v. t. See
Foreshow.
Fore"ship` (?), n. The fore part
of a ship. [Obs.]
Fore*short"en (?), v. t.
1. (Fine Art) To represent on a plane
surface, as if extended in a direction toward the spectator or nearly
so; to shorten by drawing in perspective.
2. Fig.: To represent pictorially to the
imagination.
Songs, and deeds, and lives that lie
Foreshortened in the tract of time.
Tennyson.
Fore*short"en*ing, n. (Fine
Arts) Representation in a foreshortened mode or
way.
Fore"shot` (?), n. In distillation
of low wines, the first portion of spirit that comes over, being a
fluid abounding in fusel oil. Knight.
Fore*show" (?), v. t. [AS.
foresceáwian to foresee, provide; fore +
sceáwian to see. See Show, v. t.]
To show or exhibit beforehand; to give foreknowledge of; to
prognosticate; to foretell.
Your looks foreshow
You have a gentle heart.
Shak.
Next, like Aurora, Spenser rose,
Whose purple blush the day foreshows.
Denham.
Fore*show"er (?), n. One who
predicts.
Fore"side (?), n. 1.
The front side; the front; esp., a stretch of country fronting
the sea.
2. The outside or external covering.
Spenser.
Fore"sight` (?), n. 1.
The act or the power of foreseeing; prescience;
foreknowledge. Milton.
2. Action in reference to the future;
provident care; prudence; wise forethought.
This seems an unseasonable
foresight.
Milton.
A random expense, without plan or
foresight.
Burke.
3. (Surv.) Any sight or reading of the
leveling staff, except the backsight; any sight or bearing taken by a
compass or theodolite in a forward direction.
4. (Gun.) Muzzle sight. See Fore
sight, under Fore, a.
Fore"sight`ed (?), a. Sagacious;
prudent; provident for the future. Bartram.
Fore"sight`ful (?), a.
Foresighted. [Obs.]
Fore*sig"ni*fy (?), v. t. To
signify beforehand; to foreshow; to typify. Milton.
Fore"skin (?), n. (Anat.)
The fold of skin which covers the glans of the penis; the
prepuce.
Fore"skirt` (?), n. The front
skirt of a garment, in distinction from the train.
Honor's train
Is longer than his foreskirt.
Shak.
Fore*slack" (?), v. t. [Obs.] See
Forslack.
Fore"sleeve` (?), n. The sleeve
below the elbow.
Fore*slow" (?), v. t. [See
Forslow.] To make slow; to hinder; to obstruct. [Obs.]
See Forslow, v. t.
No stream, no wood, no mountain could
foreslow
Their hasty pace.
Fairfax.
Fore*slow", v. i. To loiter.
[Obs.] See Forslow, v. i.
Fore*speak" (?), v. t. [Obs.] See
Forspeak.
Fore*speak", v. t. To foretell; to
predict. [Obs.]
My mother was half a witch; never anything that she
forespake but came to pass.
Beau. &
Fl.
Fore"speak`ing, n. A prediction;
also, a preface. [Obs.] Camden. Huloet.
Fore"speech` (?), n. A
preface. [Obs.] Sherwood.
Fore*spent" (?), a. [Fore +
spent.] Already spent; gone by; past. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fore*spent", a. [Obs.] See
Forspent.
Fore*spur"rer (?), n. One who
rides before; a harbinger. [Obs.] Shak.
For"est (?), n. [OF. forest, F.
forêt, LL. forestis, also, forestus,
forestum, foresta, prop., open ground reserved for the
chase, fr. L. foris, foras, out of doors, abroad. See
Foreign.] 1. An extensive wood; a large
tract of land covered with trees; in the United States, a wood of
native growth, or a tract of woodland which has never been
cultivated.
2. (Eng. Law) A large extent or
precinct of country, generally waste and woody, belonging to the
sovereign, set apart for the keeping of game for his use, not
inclosed, but distinguished by certain limits, and protected by
certain laws, courts, and officers of its own.
Burrill.
For"est, a. Of or pertaining to a
forest; sylvan.
Forest fly. (Zoöl.)
(a) One of numerous species of blood-sucking
flies, of the family Tabanidæ, which attack both men and
beasts. See Horse fly. (b) A fly of
the genus Hippobosca, esp. H. equina. See Horse
tick. -- Forest glade, a grassy space
in a forest. Thomson. -- Forest laws,
laws for the protection of game, preservation of timber, etc., in
forests. -- Forest tree, a tree of the
forest, especially a timber tree, as distinguished from a fruit
tree.
For"est, v. t. To cover with trees
or wood.
Fore"staff` (?), n. (Naut.)
An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the altitudes of
heavenly bodies, now superseded by the sextant; -- called also
cross-staff. Brande & C.
For"est*age (?), n. [Cf. F.
forestage.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) A
duty or tribute payable to the king's foresters.
(b) A service paid by foresters to the
king.
For"est*al (?), a. Of or
pertaining to forests; as, forestal rights.
Fore*stall" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Forestalled (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Forestalling.] [OE. forstallen to stop, to
obstruct; to stop (goods) on the way to the market by buying them
beforehand, from forstal obstruction, AS. forsteal,
foresteall, prop., a placing one's self before another. See
Fore, and Stall.] 1. To take
beforehand, or in advance; to anticipate.
What need a man forestall his date of
grief,
And run to meet what he would most avoid?
Milton.
2. To take possession of, in advance of some
one or something else, to the exclusion or detriment of the latter;
to get ahead of; to preoccupy; also, to exclude, hinder, or prevent,
by prior occupation, or by measures taken in advance.
An ugly serpent which forestalled their
way.
Fairfax.
But evermore those damsels did forestall
Their furious encounter.
Spenser.
To be forestalled ere we come to
fall.
Shak.
Habit is a forestalled and obstinate
judge.
Rush.
3. To deprive; -- with of.
[R.]
All the better; may
This night forestall him of the coming day!
Shak.
4. (Eng. Law) To obstruct or stop up,
as a way; to stop the passage of on highway; to intercept on the
road, as goods on the way to market.
To forestall the market, to buy or contract
for merchandise or provision on its way to market, with the intention
of selling it again at a higher price; to dissuade persons from
bringing their goods or provisions there; or to persuade them to
enhance the price when there. This was an offense at law in England
until 1844. Burrill.
Syn. -- To anticipate; monopolize; engross.
Fore*stall"er (?), n. One who
forestalls; esp., one who forestalls the market.
Locke.
Fore"stay` (?), n. (Naut.)
A large, strong rope, reaching from the foremast head to the
bowsprit, to support the mast. See Illust. under
Ship.
For"est*er (?), n. [F.
forestier, LL. forestarius.] 1.
One who has charge of the growing timber on an estate; an
officer appointed to watch a forest and preserve the game.
2. An inhabitant of a forest.
Wordsworth.
3. A forest tree. [R.]
Evelyn.
4. (Zoöl.) A lepidopterous insect
belonging to Alypia and allied genera; as, the eight-spotted
forester (A. octomaculata), which in the larval state
is injurious to the grapevine.
Fore"stick` (?), n. Front stick of
a hearth fire.
For"est*ry (?), n. [Cf. OF.
foresterie.] The art of forming or of cultivating
forests; the management of growing timber.
{ Fore"swart` (?), Fore"swart` (?), }
a. [Obs.] See Forswat.
Fore"taste` (?), n. A taste
beforehand; enjoyment in advance; anticipation.
Fore*taste" (?), v. t.
1. To taste before full possession; to have
previous enjoyment or experience of; to anticipate.
2. To taste before another.
"Foretasted fruit." Milton.
Fore"tast`er (? or ?), n. One who
tastes beforehand, or before another.
Fore*teach" (?), v. t. To teach
beforehand. [Obs.]
Fore*tell" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Foretold (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Foretelling.] To predict; to tell before
occurence; to prophesy; to foreshow.
Deeds then undone my faithful tongue
foretold.
Pope.
Prodigies, foretelling the future eminence and
luster of his character.
C. Middleton.
Syn. -- To predict; prophesy; prognosticate; augur.
Fore*tell", v. i. To utter
predictions. Acts iii. 24.
Fore*tell"er (?), n. One who
predicts. Boyle.
Fore*think" (?), v. t.
1. To think beforehand; to anticipate in the
mind; to prognosticate. [Obs.]
The soul of every man
Prophetically doth forethink thy fall.
Shak.
2. To contrive (something) beforehend.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Fore*think", v. i. To contrive
beforehand. [Obs.]
Fore"thought` (?), a. Thought of,
or planned, beforehand; aforethought; prepense; hence,
deliberate. "Forethought malice." Bacon.
Fore"thought`, n. A thinking or
planning beforehand; prescience; premeditation; forecast; provident
care.
A sphere that will demand from him forethought,
courage, and wisdom.
I. Taylor.
Fore"thought`ful (?), a. Having
forethought. [R.]
Fore"time` (?), n. The past; the
time before the present. "A very dim foretime." J.
C. Shairp.
Fore"to`ken (?), n. [AS.
foretācen. See Token.] Prognostic; previous
omen. Sir P. Sidney.
Fore*to"ken (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Foretokened (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Foretokening (?).] [AS. foretācnian;
fore + tācnian.] To foreshow; to presignify; to
prognosticate.
Whilst strange prodigious signs foretoken
blood.
Daniel.
Fore" tooth` (?), pl. Fore teeth
(&?;). (Anat.) One of the teeth in the forepart of the
mouth; an incisor.
Fore"top` (?), n. 1.
The hair on the forepart of the head; esp., a tuft or lock of
hair which hangs over the forehead, as of a horse.
2. That part of a headdress that is in front;
the top of a periwig.
3. (Naut.) The platform at the head of
the foremast.
Fore`-top*gal"lant (? or ?), a.
(Naut.) Designating the mast, sail, yard, etc., above the
topmast; as, the fore-topgallant sail. See
Sail.
Fore`-top"mast (?), n. (Naut.)
The mast erected at the head of the foremast, and at the head of
which stands the fore-topgallant mast. See Ship.
Fore`-top"sail (? or ?), n.
(Naut.) See Sail.
For*ev"er (f&obreve;r*&ebreve;v"&etilde;r),
adv. [For, prep. + ever.]
1. Through eternity; through endless ages;
eternally.
2. At all times; always.
&fist; In England, for and ever are usually written
and printed as two separate words; but, in the United States, the
general practice is to make but a single word of them.
Forever and ever, an emphatic
"forever."
Syn. -- Constantly; continually; invariably; unchangeably;
incessantly; always; perpetually; unceasingly; ceaselessly;
interminably; everlastingly; endlessly; eternally.
Fore*vouched" (fōr*voucht"), a.
Formerly vouched or avowed; affirmed in advance. [R.]
Shak.
Fore"ward` (fōr"w&add;rd`), n.
The van; the front. [Obs.]
My foreward shall be drawn out all in
length,
Consisting equally of horse and foot.
Shak.
Fore*warn" (fōr*w&add;rn"), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Forewarned (-w&add;rnd");
p. pr. & vb. n. Forewarning.] To warn
beforehand; to give previous warning, admonition, information, or
notice to; to caution in advance.
We were forewarned of your coming.
Shak.
Fore*waste" (?), v. t. See
Forewaste. Gascoigne.
Fore*wend" (?), v. t. [Fore +
wend.] To go before. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fore*wish" (?), v. t. To wish
beforehand.
Fore"wit` (?), n. 1.
A leader, or would-be leader, in matters of knowledge or
taste. [Obs.]
Nor that the forewits, that would draw the rest
unto their liking, always like the best.
B.
Jonson.
2. Foresight; prudence.
Let this forewit guide thy
thought.
Southwell.
Fore*wite" (?), v. t. [pres.
indic. sing., 1st & 3d pers. Forewot (?), 2d
person Forewost (&?;), pl.
Forewiten (&?;); imp. sing. Forewiste
(?), pl. Forewisten (&?;); p. pr. &
vb. n. Forewiting (?).] [AS. forewitan. See
Wit to know.] To foreknow. [Obs.] [Written also
forwete.] Chaucer.
Fore"wom`an (?), n.; pl.
Forewomen (&?;). A woman who is chief; a woman
who has charge of the work or workers in a shop or other place; a
head woman. Tatler. W. Besant.
Fore"word` (?), n. A
preface. Furnvall.
Fore*worn" (?), a. [See
Forworn.] Worn out; wasted; used up. [Archaic]
Old foreworn stories almost
forgotten.
Brydges.
Fore*wot" (?), pres. indic., 1st & 3d pers.
sing. of Forewite. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fore"yard` (?), n. (Naut.)
The lowermost yard on the foremast. [See Illust. of
Ship.]
For"fal*ture (?), n.
Forfeiture. [Obs.]
For"feit (?), n. [OE. forfet
crime, penalty, F. forfait crime (LL. forefactum,
forifactum), prop. p. p. of forfaire to forfeit,
transgress, fr. LL. forifacere, prop., to act beyond; L.
foris out of doors, abroad, beyond + facere to do. See
Foreign, and Fact.] 1. Injury;
wrong; mischief. [Obs. & R.]
To seek arms upon people and country that never did us
any forfeit.
Ld. Berners.
2. A thing forfeit or forfeited; what is or
may be taken from one in requital of a misdeed committed; that which
is lost, or the right to which is alienated, by a crime, offense,
neglect of duty, or breach of contract; hence, a fine; a mulct; a
penalty; as, he who murders pays the forfeit of his
life.
Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal
Remit thy other forfeits.
Shak.
3. Something deposited and redeemable by a
sportive fine; -- whence the game of forfeits.
Country dances and forfeits shortened the rest
of the day.
Goldsmith.
For"feit, a. [F. forfait, p. p.
of forfaire. See Forfeit, n.]
Lost or alienated for an offense or crime; liable to penal
seizure.
Thy wealth being forfeit to the
state.
Shak.
To tread the forfeit paradise.
Emerson.
For"feit, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Forfeited; p. pr. & vb. n.
Forfeiting.] [OE. forfeten. See Forfeit,
n.] To lose, or lose the right to, by some
error, fault, offense, or crime; to render one's self by misdeed
liable to be deprived of; to alienate the right to possess, by some
neglect or crime; as, to forfeit an estate by treason; to
forfeit reputation by a breach of promise; -- with to
before the one acquiring what is forfeited.
[They] had forfeited their property by their
crimes.
Burke.
Undone and forfeited to cares
forever!
Shak.
For"feit, v. i. 1.
To be guilty of a misdeed; to be criminal; to transgress.
[Obs.]
2. To fail to keep an obligation.
[Obs.]
I will have the heart of him if he
forfeit.
Shak.
For"feit, p. p. or a. In the
condition of being forfeited; subject to alienation.
Shak.
Once more I will renew
His lapsèd powers, though forfeite.
Milton.
For"feit*a*ble (?), a. Liable to
be forfeited; subject to forfeiture.
For the future, uses shall be subject to the statutes
of mortmain, and forfeitable, like the lands
themselves.
Blackstone.
For"feit*er (?), n. One who incurs
a penalty of forfeiture.
For"fei*ture (?; 135), n. [F.
forfeiture, LL. forisfactura.] 1.
The act of forfeiting; the loss of some right, privilege,
estate, honor, office, or effects, by an offense, crime, breach of
condition, or other act.
Under pain of foreiture of the said
goods.
Hakluyt.
2. That which is forfeited; a penalty; a fine
or mulct.
What should I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture?
Shak.
Syn. -- Fine; mulct; amercement; penalty.
For*fend" (?), v. t. [Pref. for-
+ fend. See Forewend.] To prohibit; to forbid; to
avert. [Archaic]
Which peril heaven forefend!
Shak.
&fist; This is etymologically the preferable spelling.
For*fer"ed (?), p. p. & a. [See For-
, and Fear.] Excessively alarmed; in great
fear. [Obs.] "Forfered of his death."
Chaucer.
For"fete (?), v. i. [See
Forfeit.] To incur a penalty; to transgress.
[Obs.]
And all this suffered our Lord Jesus Christ that never
forfeted.
Chaucer.
||For"fex (?), n. [L.] A pair of
shears. Pope.
For"fi*cate (?), a. [L. forfex,
forficis, shears.] (Zoöl.) Deeply forked, as
the tail of certain birds.
||For*fic"u*la (?), n. [L., small
shears, scissors, dim. of forfex shears.] (Zoöl.)
A genus of insects including the earwigs. See Earwig,
1.
For*gath"er (?), v. i. To convene;
to gossip; to meet accidentally. [Scot.] Jamieson.
Within that circle he forgathered with many a
fool.
Wilson.
For*gave" (?), imp. of
Forgive.
Forge (fōrj), n. [F.
forge, fr. L. fabrica the workshop of an artisan who
works in hard materials, fr. faber artisan, smith, as adj.,
skillful, ingenious; cf. Gr. &?; soft, tender. Cf. Fabric.]
1. A place or establishment where iron or other
metals are wrought by heating and hammering; especially, a furnace,
or a shop with its furnace, etc., where iron is heated and wrought; a
smithy.
In the quick forge and working house of
thought.
Shak.
2. The works where wrought iron is produced
directly from the ore, or where iron is rendered malleable by
puddling and shingling; a shingling mill.
3. The act of beating or working iron or
steel; the manufacture of metallic bodies. [Obs.]
In the greater bodies the forge was
easy.
Bacon.
American forge, a forge for the direct
production of wrought iron, differing from the old Catalan forge
mainly in using finely crushed ore and working continuously.
Raymond. -- Catalan forge. (Metal.)
See under Catalan. -- Forge cinder,
the dross or slag form a forge or bloomary. -- Forge
rolls, Forge train, the train of
rolls by which a bloom is converted into puddle bars. --
Forge wagon (Mil.), a wagon fitted up
for transporting a blackmith's forge and tools. --
Portable forge, a light and compact
blacksmith's forge, with bellows, etc., that may be moved from place
to place.
Forge, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Forged (fōrjd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Forging (?).] [F. forger, OF.
forgier, fr. L. fabricare, fabricari, to form,
frame, fashion, from fabrica. See Forge,
n., and cf. Fabricate.] 1.
To form by heating and hammering; to beat into any particular
shape, as a metal.
Mars's armor forged for proof
eterne.
Shak.
2. To form or shape out in any way; to
produce; to frame; to invent.
Those names that the schools forged, and put
into the mouth of scholars, could never get admittance into common
use.
Locke.
Do forge a life-long trouble for
ourselves.
Tennyson.
3. To coin. [Obs.] Chaucer.
4. To make falsely; to produce, as that which
is untrue or not genuine; to fabricate; to counterfeit, as, a
signature, or a signed document.
That paltry story is untrue,
And forged to cheat such gulls as you.
Hudibras.
Forged certificates of his . . . moral
character.
Macaulay.
Syn. -- To fabricate; counterfeit; feign; falsify.
Forge, v. i. [See Forge,
v. t., and for sense 2, cf. Forge compel.]
1. To commit forgery.
2. (Naut.) To move heavily and slowly,
as a ship after the sails are furled; to work one's way, as one ship
in outsailing another; -- used especially in the phrase to forge
ahead. Totten.
And off she [a ship] forged without a
shock.
De Quincey.
Forge, v. t. (Naut.) To
impel forward slowly; as, to forge a ship forward.
Forge"man (?), n.; pl.
Forgemen (&?;). A skilled smith, who has a
hammerer to assist him.
For"ger (?), n.[Cf. F. forgeur
metal worker, L. fabricator artificer. See Forge,
n. & v. t., and cf. Fabricator.] One
who forges, makes, of forms; a fabricator; a falsifier.
2. Especially: One guilty of forgery; one who
makes or issues a counterfeit document.
For"ger*y (?), n.; pl.
Forgeries (#). [Cf. F. forgerie.]
1. The act of forging metal into shape.
[Obs.]
Useless the forgery
Of brazen shield and spear.
Milton.
2. The act of forging, fabricating, or
producing falsely; esp., the crime of fraudulently making or altering
a writing or signature purporting to be made by another; the false
making or material alteration of or addition to a written instrument
for the purpose of deceit and fraud; as, the forgery of a
bond. Bouvier.
3. That which is forged, fabricated, falsely
devised, or counterfeited.
These are the forgeries of
jealously.
Shak.
The writings going under the name of Aristobulus were
a forgery of the second century.
Waterland.
Syn. -- Counterfeit; Forgery.
Counterfeit is chiefly used of imitations of coin, or of paper
money, or of securities depending upon pictorial devices and engraved
designs for identity or assurance of genuineness. Forgery is
more properly applied to making a false imitation of an instrument
depending on signatures to show genuineness and validity.
Abbott.
For*get" (?), v. t.
[imp. Forgot (?) (Forgat (&?;),
Obs.); p. p. Forgotten (?), Forgot;
p. pr. & vb. n. Forgetting.] [OE.
forgeten, foryeten, AS. forgietan,
forgitan; pref. for- + gietan, gitan
(only in comp.), to get; cf. D. vergeten, G. vergessen,
Sw. förgäta, Dan. forgiette. See For-,
and Get, v. t.] 1. To
lose the remembrance of; to let go from the memory; to cease to have
in mind; not to think of; also, to lose the power of; to cease from
doing.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all
his benefits.
Ps. ciii. 2.
Let my right hand forget her
cunning.
Ps. cxxxvii. 5.
Hath thy knee forget to bow?
Shak.
2. To treat with inattention or disregard; to
slight; to neglect.
Can a woman forget her sucking child? . . .
Yes, they may forget, yet will I not forget
thee.
Is. xlix. 15.
To forget one's self. (a) To
become unmindful of one's own personality; to be lost in
thought. (b) To be entirely unselfish.
(c) To be guilty of what is unworthy of one; to
lose one's dignity, temper, or self-control.
For*get"ful (?), a. 1.
Apt to forget; easily losing remembrance; as, a forgetful
man should use helps to strengthen his memory.
2. Heedless; careless; neglectful;
inattentive.
Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers.
Heb. xiii. 2.
3. Causing to forget; inducing oblivion;
oblivious. [Archaic or Poetic] "The forgetful wine."
J. Webster.
For*get"ful*ly, adv. In a
forgetful manner.
For*get"ful*ness, n. 1.
The quality of being forgetful; prononess to let slip from the
mind.
2. Loss of remembrance or recollection; a
ceasing to remember; oblivion.
A sweet forgetfulness of human
care.
Pope.
3. Failure to bear in mind; careless
omission; inattention; as, forgetfulness of duty.
Syn. -- Forgetfulnes, Oblivion.
Forgetfulness is Anglo-Saxon, and oblivion is Latin.
The former commonly has reference to persons, and marks a state of
mind; the latter commonly has reference to things, and indicates a
condition into which they are sunk. We blame a man for his
forgetfulness; we speak of some old custom as buried in
oblivion. But this discrimination is not strictly adhered
to.
For"ge*tive (?), a. [From
Forge.] Inventive; productive; capable. [Obs.]
Shak.
For*get"-me-not` (?), n. [Cf. G.
vergissmeinnicht.] (Bot.) A small herb, of the
genus Myosotis (M. palustris, incespitosa,
etc.), bearing a beautiful blue flower, and extensively considered
the emblem of fidelity.
&fist; Formerly the name was given to the Ajuga
Chamæpitus.
For*get"ta*ble (?), a. Liable to
be, or that may be, forgotten. Carlyle.
For*get"ter (?), n. One who
forgets; a heedless person. Johnson.
For*get"ting*ly, adv. By
forgetting.
For"ging (?), n. 1.
The act of shaping metal by hammering or pressing.
2. The act of counterfeiting.
3. (Mach.) A piece of forged work in
metal; -- a general name for a piece of hammered iron or
steel.
There are very few yards in the world at which such
forgings could be turned out.
London
Times.
For*giv"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being forgiven; pardonable; venial. Sherwood.
For*give" (?), v. t.
[imp. Forgave (?); p. p.
Forgiven (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Forgiving] [OE. forgiven, foryiven,
foryeven, AS. forgiefan, forgifan; perh. for-
+ giefan, gifan to give; cf. D. vergeven,
G. vergeben, Icel. fyrirgefa, Sw. f&?;rgifva,
Goth. fragiban to give, grant. See For-, and
Give, v. t.] 1. To give
wholly; to make over without reservation; to resign.
To them that list the world's gay shows I leave,
And to great ones such folly do forgive.
Spenser.
2. To give up resentment or claim to requital
on account of (an offense or wrong); to remit the penalty of; to
pardon; -- said in reference to the act forgiven.
And their sins should be forgiven
them.
Mark iv. 12.
He forgive injures so readily that he might be
said to invite them.
Macaulay.
3. To cease to feel resentment against, on
account of wrong committed; to give up claim to requital from or
retribution upon (an offender); to absolve; to pardon; -- said of the
person offending.
Father, forgive them; for they know not what
they do.
Luke xxiii. 34.
I as free forgive you, as I would be
fforgiven.
Shak.
&fist; Sometimes both the person and the offense follow as objects
of the verb, sometimes one and sometimes the other being the indirect
object. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors." Matt. vi. 12. "Be of good cheer; thy sins be
forgiven thee." Matt. ix. 2.
Syn. -- See excuse.
For*give"ness, n. [AS.
forgifnes.] 1. The act of forgiving; the
state of being forgiven; as, the forgiveness of sin or of
injuries.
To the Lord our God belong mercies and
forgivenesses.
Dan. ix. 9.
In whom we have . . . the forgiveness of
sin.
Eph. i. 7.
2. Disposition to pardon; willingness to
forgive.
If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who
shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou
mayest be feared.
Ps. cxxx. 3, 4.
Syn. -- Pardon, remission. -- Forgiveness,
Pardon. Forgiveness is Anglo-Saxon, and pardon
Norman French, both implying a giving back. The word
pardon, being early used in our Bible, has, in religious
matters, the same sense as forgiveness; but in the language of
common life there is a difference between them, such as we often find
between corresponding Anglo-Saxon and Norman words. Forgive
points to inward feeling, and suppose alienated affection; when we
ask forgiveness, we primarily seek the removal of anger.
Pardon looks more to outward things or consequences, and is
often applied to trifling matters, as when we beg pardon for
interrupting a man, or for jostling him in a crowd. The civil
magistrate also grants a pardon, and not forgiveness.
The two words are, therefore, very clearly distinguished from each
other in most cases which relate to the common concerns of life.
For*giv"er (?), n. One who
forgives. Johnson.
For*giv"ing, a. Disposed to
forgive; inclined to overlook offenses; mild; merciful;
compassionate; placable; as, a forgiving temper.
-- For*giv"ing*ly, adv. --
For*giv"ing*ness, n. J. C.
Shairp.
For*go" (?), v. t.
[imp. Forwent; p. p.
Forgone; p. pr. & vb. n. Forgoing.]
[OE. forgan, forgon, forgoon, AS. forgān,
prop., to go past, hence, to abstain from; pref. for- +
gān to go; akin to G. vergehen to pass away, to
transgress. See Go, v. i.] To pass by;
to leave. See 1st Forego.
For sith [since] I shall forgoon my liberty
At your request.
Chaucer.
And four [days] since Florimell the court
forwent.
Spenser.
&fist; This word in spelling has been confused with, and almost
superseded by, forego to go before. Etymologically the form
forgo is correct.
For*got" (?), imp. & p. p. of
Forget.
For*got"ten (?), p. p. of
Forget.
For*hall" (?), v. t. [Pref. for-
+ hale to draw.] To harass; to torment; to
distress. [Obs.] Spenser.
For*hend" (?), v. t. To seize
upon. [Obs.]
Fo*rin"se*cal (?), a. [L.
forinsecus from without.] Foreign; alien. [Obs.]
Bp. Burnet.
Fo`ris*fa*mil"i*ate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Forisfamiliated (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Forisfamiliating (?).] [LL.
forisfamiliatus, p. p. of forisfamiliater to
forisfamiliate; L. foris abroad, without + familia
family.] (LAw) Literally, to put out of a family; hence,
to portion off, so as to exclude further claim of inheritance; to
emancipate (as a with his own consent) from paternal authority.
Blackstone.
Fo`ris*fa*mil"i*ate, v. i. (Law)
To renounce a legal title to a further share of paternal
inheritance.
Fo`ris*fa*mil`i*a"tion (?), n.
(Law) The act of forisfamiliating.
Fork (fôrk), n. [AS. forc,
fr. L. furca. Cf. Fourché, Furcate.]
1. An instrument consisting of a handle with a
shank terminating in two or more prongs or tines, which are usually
of metal, parallel and slightly curved; -- used for piercing,
holding, taking up, or pitching anything.
2. Anything furcate or like a fork in shape,
or furcate at the extremity; as, a tuning fork.
3. One of the parts into which anything is
furcated or divided; a prong; a branch of a stream, a road, etc.; a
barbed point, as of an arrow.
Let it fall . . . though the fork invade
The region of my heart.
Shak.
A thunderbolt with three forks.
Addison.
4. The place where a division or a union
occurs; the angle or opening between two branches or limbs; as, the
fork of a river, a tree, or a road.
5. The gibbet. [Obs.] Bp.
Butler.
Fork beam (Shipbuilding), a half beam
to support a deck, where hatchways occur. -- Fork
chuck (Wood Turning), a lathe center having two
prongs for driving the work. -- Fork head.
(a) The barbed head of an arrow.
(b) The forked end of a rod which forms part of a
knuckle joint. -- In fork. (Mining)
A mine is said to be in fork, or an engine to "have the
water in fork," when all the water is drawn out of the
mine. Ure. -- The forks of a river or
a road, the branches into which it divides, or
which come together to form it; the place where separation or union
takes place.
Fork, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Forked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Forking.] 1. To shoot into blades, as
corn.
The corn beginneth to fork.
Mortimer.
2. To divide into two or more branches; as, a
road, a tree, or a stream forks.
Fork, v. t. To raise, or pitch
with a fork, as hay; to dig or turn over with a fork, as the
soil.
Forking the sheaves on the high-laden
cart.
Prof. Wilson.
To fork over or out, to
hand or pay over, as money. [Slang] G. Eliot.
Fork"beard` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) A European fish (Raniceps raninus),
having a large flat head; -- also called tadpole fish, and
lesser forked beard. (b) The
European forked hake or hake's-dame (Phycis blennoides); --
also called great forked beard.
Forked (?), a. 1.
Formed into a forklike shape; having a fork; dividing into two
or more prongs or branches; furcated; bifurcated; zigzag; as, the
forked lighting.
A serpent seen, with forked
tongue.
Shak.
2. Having a double meaning; ambiguous;
equivocal.
Cross forked (Her.), a cross, the
ends of whose arms are divided into two sharp points; -- called also
cross double fitché. A cross forked of three
points is a cross, each of whose arms terminates in three sharp
points. -- Forked counsel, advice pointing
more than one way; ambiguous advice. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
-- Fork"ed*ly (#), adv. --
Fork"ed*ness, n.
For*kerve (?), v. t. [Obs.] See
Forcarve, v. t.
Fork"i*ness (?), n. The quality or
state or dividing in a forklike manner.
Fork"less, a. Having no
fork.
Fork"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) One of several Asiatic and East Indian
passerine birds, belonging to Enucurus, and allied genera. The
tail is deeply forked. (b) A salmon in its
fourth year's growth. [Prov. Eng.]
Fork"-tailed` (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Having the outer tail feathers longer than
the median ones; swallow-tailed; -- said of many birds.
Fork-tailed flycatcher (Zoöl.),
a tropical American flycatcher (Milvulus tyrannus). -
- Fork-tailed gull (Zoöl.), a gull
of the genus Xema, of two species, esp. X. Sabinii of
the Arctic Ocean. -- Fork-tailed kite
(Zoöl.), a graceful American kite (Elanoides
forficatus); -- called also swallow-tailed kite.
Fork"y (?), a. Opening into two or
more parts or shoots; forked; furcated. "Forky tongues."
Pope.
For*laft" (?), obs. p. p. of
Forleave. Chaucer.
For*lay" (?), v. t. [Pref. for-
+ lay.] To lie in wait for; to ambush.
An ambushed thief forlays a
traveler.
Dryden.
For*leave" (?), v. t. [OE.
forleven; pref. for- + leven to leave.] To
leave off wholly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
For*lend" (?), v. t. To give up
wholly. [Obs.]
For*lese" (?), v. t. [p.
p. Forlore (?), Forlorn (&?;).] [OE.
forlesen. See Forlorn.] To lose utterly.
[Obs.] haucer.
For*let", v. t. [OE. forleten,
AS. forl&aemacr;tan; pref. for- + l&aemacr;tan
to allow; akin to G. verlassen to leave. See Let to
allow.] To give up; to leave; to abandon. [Obs.] "To
forlet sin." Chaucer.
For*lie" (?), v. i. See
Forelie.
For*lore" (?), imp. pl. & p. p. of
Forlese. [Obs.]
The beasts their caves, the birds their nests
forlore.
Fairfax.
For*lorn" (?), a. [OE., p. p. of
forlesen to lose utterly, AS. forleósan (p. p.
forloren); pref. for- + leósan (in comp.)
to lose; cf. D. verliezen to lose, G. verlieren, Sw.
förlora, Dan. forloren, Goth. fraliusan to
lose. See For-, and Lorn, a.,
Lose, v. t.] 1.
Deserted; abandoned; lost.
Of fortune and of hope at once
forlorn.
Spenser.
Some say that ravens foster forlorn
children.
Shak.
2. Destitute; helpless; in pitiful plight;
wretched; miserable; almost hopeless; desperate.
For here forlorn and lost I tread.
Goldsmith.
The condition of the besieged in the mean time was
forlorn in the extreme.
Prescott.
She cherished the forlorn hope that he was
still living.
Thomson.
A forlorn hope [D. verloren hoop, prop.,
a lost band or troop; verloren, p. p. of verliezen to
lose + hoop band; akin to E. heap. See For-, and
Heap.] (Mil.), a body of men (called in F.
enfants perdus, in G. verlornen posten) selected,
usually from volunteers, to attempt a breach, scale the wall of a
fortress, or perform other extraordinarily perilous service; also, a
desperate case or enterprise.
Syn. -- Destitute, lost; abandoned; forsaken; solitary;
helpless; friendless; hopeless; abject; wretched; miserable;
pitiable.
For*lorn", n. 1. A
lost, forsaken, or solitary person.
Forced to live in Scotland a
forlorn.
Shak.
2. A forlorn hope; a vanguard.
[Obs.]
Our forlorn of horse marched within a mile of
the enemy.
Oliver Cromvell.
For*lorn"ly, adv. In a forlorn
manner. Pollok.
For*lorn"ness, n. State of being
forlorn. Boyle.
For*lye" (?), v. i. Same as
Forlie. [Obs.]
-form (-fôrm). [See Form,
n.] A suffix used to denote in the form or
shape of, resembling, etc.; as, valiform;
oviform.
Form (fōrm; in senses 8 & 9, often
fōrm in England), n. [OE. & F.
forme, fr. L. forma; cf. Skr. dhariman. Cf.
Firm.] 1. The shape and structure of
anything, as distinguished from the material of which it is composed;
particular disposition or arrangement of matter, giving it
individuality or distinctive character; configuration; figure;
external appearance.
The form of his visage was
changed.
Dan. iii. 19.
And woven close close, both matter, form, and
style.
Milton.
2. Constitution; mode of construction,
organization, etc.; system; as, a republican form of
government.
3. Established method of expression or
practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme;
formula; as, a form of prayer.
Those whom form of laws
Condemned to die.
Dryden.
4. Show without substance; empty, outside
appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality;
formality; as, a matter of mere form.
Though well we may not pass upon his life
Without the form of justice.
Shak.
5. Orderly arrangement; shapeliness; also,
comeliness; elegance; beauty.
The earth was without form and
void.
Gen. i. 2.
He hath no form nor comeliness.
Is. liii. 2.
6. A shape; an image; a phantom.
7. That by which shape is given or
determined; mold; pattern; model.
8. A long seat; a bench; hence, a rank of
students in a school; a class; also, a class or rank in
society. "Ladies of a high form." Bp.
Burnet.
9. The seat or bed of a hare.
As in a form sitteth a weary hare.
Chaucer.
10. (Print.) The type or other matter
from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a
chase.
11. (Fine Arts) The boundary line of a
material object. In painting, more generally, the human
body.
12. (Gram.) The particular shape or
structure of a word or part of speech; as, participial forms;
verbal forms.
13. (Crystallog.) The combination of
planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not
necessarily a closed solid.
14. (Metaph.) That assemblage or
disposition of qualities which makes a conception, or that internal
constitution which makes an existing thing to be what it is; --
called essential or substantial form, and
contradistinguished from matter; hence, active or formative
nature; law of being or activity; subjectively viewed, an idea;
objectively, a law.
15. Mode of acting or manifestation to the
senses, or the intellect; as, water assumes the form of ice or
snow. In modern usage, the elements of a conception furnished by the
mind's own activity, as contrasted with its object or condition,
which is called the matter; subjectively, a mode of
apprehension or belief conceived as dependent on the constitution of
the mind; objectively, universal and necessary accompaniments or
elements of every object known or thought of.
16. (Biol.) The peculiar
characteristics of an organism as a type of others; also, the
structure of the parts of an animal or plant.
Good form or Bad form, the
general appearance, condition or action, originally of horses,
atterwards of persons; as, the members of a boat crew are said to be
in good form when they pull together uniformly. The phrases
are further used colloquially in description of conduct or manners in
society; as, it is not good form to smoke in the presence of a
lady.
Form (fôrm), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Formed (fôrmd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Forming.] [F. former, L. formare,
fr. forma. See Form, n.]
1. To give form or shape to; to frame; to
construct; to make; to fashion.
God formed man of the dust of the
ground.
Gen. ii. 7.
The thought that labors in my forming
brain.
Rowe.
2. To give a particular shape to; to shape,
mold, or fashion into a certain state or condition; to arrange; to
adjust; also, to model by instruction and discipline; to mold by
influence, etc.; to train.
'T is education forms the common
mind.
Pope.
Thus formed for speed, he challenges the
wind.
Dryden.
3. To go to make up; to act as constituent
of; to be the essential or constitutive elements of; to answer for;
to make the shape of; -- said of that out of which anything is formed
or constituted, in whole or in part.
The diplomatic politicians . . . who formed by
far the majority.
Burke.
4. To provide with a form, as a hare. See
Form, n., 9.
The melancholy hare is formed in brakes and
briers.
Drayton.
5. (Gram.) To derive by grammatical
rules, as by adding the proper suffixes and affixes.
Form, v. i. 1. To
take a form, definite shape, or arrangement; as, the infantry should
form in column.
2. To run to a form, as a hare. B.
Jonson.
To form on (Mil.), to form a
lengthened line with reference to (any given object) as a
basis.
For"mal (fôr"mal), n. [L.
formic + alcohol.] (Chem.) See
Methylal.
Form"al (fôrm"al), a. [L.
formalis: cf. F. formel.] 1.
Belonging to the form, shape, frame, external appearance, or
organization of a thing.
2. Belonging to the constitution of a thing,
as distinguished from the matter composing it; having the power of
making a thing what it is; constituent; essential; pertaining to or
depending on the forms, so called, of the human intellect.
Of [the sounds represented by] letters, the material
part is breath and voice; the formal is constituted by the
motion and figure of the organs of speech.
Holder.
3. Done in due form, or with solemnity;
according to regular method; not incidental, sudden or irregular;
express; as, he gave his formal consent.
His obscure funeral . . .
No noble rite nor formal ostentation.
Shak.
4. Devoted to, or done in accordance with,
forms or rules; punctilious; regular; orderly; methodical; of a
prescribed form; exact; prim; stiff; ceremonious; as, a man
formal in his dress, his gait, his conversation.
A cold-looking, formal garden, cut into angles
and rhomboids.
W. Irwing.
She took off the formal cap that confined her
hair.
Hawthorne.
5. Having the form or appearance without the
substance or essence; external; as, formal duty; formal
worship; formal courtesy, etc.
6. Dependent in form; conventional.
Still in constraint your suffering sex remains,
Or bound in formal or in real chains.
Pope.
7. Sound; normal. [Obs.]
To make of him a formal man again.
Shak.
Formal cause. See under
Cause.
Syn. -- Precise; punctilious; stiff; starched; affected;
ritual; ceremonial; external; outward. -- Formal,
Ceremonious. When applied to things, these words usually
denote a mere accordance with the rules of form or ceremony; as, to
make a formal call; to take a ceremonious leave. When
applied to a person or his manners, they are used in a bad sense; a
person being called formal who shapes himself too much by some
pattern or set form, and ceremonious when he lays too much
stress on the conventional laws of social intercourse. Formal
manners render a man stiff or ridiculous; a ceremonious
carriage puts a stop to the ease and freedom of social
intercourse.
For*mal"de*hyde (?), n. [Formic
+ aldehyde.] (Chem.) A colorless, volatile liquid,
H2CO, resembling acetic or ethyl aldehyde, and chemically
intermediate between methyl alcohol and formic acid.
Form"al*ism (fôrm"al*&ibreve;z'm),
n. The practice or the doctrine of strict
adherence to, or dependence on, external forms, esp. in matters of
religion.
Official formalism.
Sir H.
Rawlinson.
Form"al*ist, n. [Cf. F.
formaliste.] One overattentive to forms, or too much
confined to them; esp., one who rests in external religious forms, or
observes strictly the outward forms of worship, without possessing
the life and spirit of religion.
As far a formalist from wisdom sits,
In judging eyes, as libertines from wits.
Young.
For*mal"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Formalities (#). [Cf. F. formalité.]
1. The condition or quality of being formal,
strictly ceremonious, precise, etc.
2. Form without substance.
Such [books] as are mere pieces of formality,
so that if you look on them, you look though them.
Fuller.
3. Compliance with formal or conventional
rules; ceremony; conventionality.
Nor was his attendance on divine offices a matter of
formality and custom, but of conscience.
Atterbury.
4. An established order; conventional rule of
procedure; usual method; habitual mode.
He was installed with all the usual
formalities.
C. Middleton.
5. pl. The dress prescribed for any
body of men, academical, municipal, or sacerdotal. [Obs.]
The doctors attending her in their formalities
as far as Shotover.
Fuller.
6. That which is formal; the formal
part.
It unties the inward knot of marriage, . . . while it
aims to keep fast the outward formality.
Milton.
7. The quality which makes a thing what it
is; essence.
The material part of the evil came from our father
upon us, but the formality of it, the sting and the curse, is
only by ourselves.
Jer. Taylor.
The formality of the vow lies in the promise
made to God.
Bp. Stillingfleet.
8. (Scholastic. Philos.) The manner in
which a thing is conceived or constituted by an act of human
thinking; the result of such an act; as, animality and rationality
are formalities.
Form"al*ize (fôrm"al*īz), v.
t. [imp. & p. p. Formalized (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Formalizing (?).]
1. To give form, or a certain form, to; to
model. [R.]
2. To render formal.
Form"al*ize, v. i. To affect
formality. [Obs.] ales.
Form"al*ly, adv. In a formal
manner; essentially; characteristically; expressly; regularly;
ceremoniously; precisely.
That which formally makes this [charity] a
Christian grace, is the spring from which it flows.
Smalridge.
You and your followers do stand formally
divided against the authorized guides of the church and rest of the
people.
Hooker.
For"mate (?), n. [See Formic.]
(Chem.) A salt of formic acid. [Written also
formiate.]
For*ma"tion (f&obreve;r*mā"shŭn),
n. [L. formatio: cf. F. formation.]
1. The act of giving form or shape to anything;
a forming; a shaping. Beattie.
2. The manner in which a thing is formed;
structure; construction; conformation; form; as, the peculiar
formation of the heart.
3. A substance formed or deposited.
4. (Geol.) (a) Mineral
deposits and rock masses designated with reference to their origin;
as, the siliceous formation about geysers; alluvial
formations; marine formations.
(b) A group of beds of the same age or period;
as, the Eocene formation.
5. (Mil.) The arrangement of a body of
troops, as in a square, column, etc. Farrow.
Form"a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
formatif.] 1. Giving form; having the
power of giving form; plastic; as, the formative
arts.
The meanest plant can not be raised without seed, by
any formative residing in the soil.
Bentley.
2. (Gram.) Serving to form;
derivative; not radical; as, a termination merely
formative.
3. (Biol.) Capable of growth and
development; germinal; as, living or formative
matter.
Form"a*tive, n. (Gram.)
(a) That which serves merely to give form, and
is no part of the radical, as the prefix or the termination of a
word. (b) A word formed in accordance with
some rule or usage, as from a root.
For`mé" (?), a. (Her.)
Same as Paté or Patté.
For"me (?), a. [OE., fr. AS.
forma. See Foremost.] First. [Obs.] "Adam
our forme father." Chaucer.
Formed (?), a. 1.
(Astron.) Arranged, as stars in a constellation; as,
formed stars. [R.]
2. (Biol.) Having structure; capable
of growth and development; organized; as, the formed or
organized ferments. See Ferment,
n.
Formed material (Biol.), a term
employed by Beale to denote the lifeless matter of a cell, that which
is physiologically dead, in distinction from the truly germinal or
living matter.
For"me*don (?), n. [OF., fr. Latin. So
called because the plaintiff claimed "by the form of the gift,: L.
per formam doni.] (O. Eng. Law) A writ of right
for a tenant in tail in case of a discontinuance of the estate tail.
This writ has been abolished.
For"mell (?), n. [Dim. of F.
forme the female of a bird of prey.] (Zoöl.)
The female of a hawk or falcon.
Form"er (?), n. 1.
One who forms; a maker; a creator.
2. (Mech.) (a) A shape
around which an article is to be shaped, molded, woven wrapped,
pasted, or otherwise constructed. (b) A
templet, pattern, or gauge by which an article is shaped.
(c) A cutting die.
For"mer (?), a. [A compar. due to OE.
formest. See Foremost.] 1.
Preceding in order of time; antecedent; previous; prior;
earlier; hence, ancient; long past.
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former
age.
Job. viii. 8.
The latter and former rain.
Hosea vi. 3.
3. Near the beginning; preceeding; as, the
former part of a discourse or argument.
3. Earlier, as between two things mentioned
together; first mentioned.
A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critic;
a man may be the former merely through the misfortune of an
ill judgment; but he can not be latter without both that and an ill
temper.
Pope.
Syn. -- Prior; previous; anterior; antecedent; preceding;
foregoing.
||For`me*ret" (?), n. [F.]
(Arch.) One of the half ribs against the walls in a
ceiling vaulted with ribs.
For"mer*ly (?), adv. In time past,
either in time immediately preceding or at any indefinite distance;
of old; heretofore.
Form"ful (?), a. Creative;
imaginative. [R.] "The formful brain."
Thomson.
For"mic (?), a. [L. formica an
ant: cf. F. formique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or
derived from, ants; as, formic acid; in an extended sense,
pertaining to, or derived from, formic acid; as, formic
ether.
Amido formic acid, carbamic acid. --
Formic acid, a colorless, mobile liquid,
HCO.OH, of a sharp, acid taste, occurring naturally in ants, nettles,
pine needles, etc., and produced artifically in many ways, as by the
oxidation of methyl alcohol, by the reduction of carbonic acid or the
destructive distillation of oxalic acid. It is the first member of
the fatty acids in the paraffin series, and is homologous with acetic
acid.
||For*mi"ca (?), n. [L., an ant.]
(Zoöl.) A Linnæan genus of hymenopterous
insects, including the common ants. See Ant.
For`mi*ca"roid (?), a. [NL.
Formicarius, the typical genus + -oid.]
(Zoöl.) Like or pertaining to the family
Formicaridæ or ant thrushes.
For"mi*ca*ry (?), n. [LL.
formicarium, fr. L. formica an ant.]
(Zoöl.) The nest or dwelling of a swarm of ants; an
ant-hill.
For"mi*cate (?), a. [L. formica
an ant.] (Zoöl.) Resembling, or pertaining to, an
ant or ants.
For`mi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
formicatio, fr. formicare to creep like an ant, to feel
as if ants were crawling on one's self, fr. formica ant: cf.
F. formication.] (Med.) A sensation resembling
that made by the creeping of ants on the skin.
Dunglison.
For"mi*cid (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Pertaining to the ants. -- n. One
of the family Formicidæ, or ants.
For`mi*da*bil"i*ty (?), n.
Formidableness. Walpole.
For"mi*da*ble (?), a. [L.
formidabilis, fr. formidare to fear, dread: cf. F.
formidable.] Exciting fear or apprehension; impressing
dread; adapted to excite fear and deter from approach, encounter, or
undertaking; alarming.
They seemed to fear the formodable
sight.
Dryden.
I swell my preface into a volume, and make it
formidable, when you see so many pages behind.
Drydn.
Syn. -- Dreadful; fearful; terrible; frightful; shocking;
horrible; terrific; tremendous.
For"mi*da*ble*ness, n. The quality
of being formidable, or adapted to excite dread.
Boyle.
For"mi*da*bly, adv. In a
formidable manner.
For*mid"o*lose (?), a. [L.
formidolosus, fr. formido fear.] Very much
afraid. [Obs.] Bailey.
Form"ing (?), n. The act or
process of giving form or shape to anything; as, in shipbuilding, the
exact shaping of partially shaped timbers.
Form"less, a. Shapeless; without a
determinate form; wanting regularity of shape. --
Form"less*ly, adv. --
Form"less*ness, n.
For"mu*la (?), n.; pl. E.
Formulas (#), L. Formulæ
(#). [L., dim. of forma form, model. SeeForm,
n.] 1. A prescribed or set
form; an established rule; a fixed or conventional method in which
anything is to be done, arranged, or said.
2. (Eccl.) A written confession of
faith; a formal statement of foctrines.
3. (Math.) A rule or principle
expressed in algebraic language; as, the binominal
formula.
4. (Med.) A prescription or recipe for
the preparation of a medicinal compound.
5. (Chem.) A symbolic expression (by
means of letters, figures, etc.) of the constituents or constitution
of a compound.
&fist; Chemical formulæ consist of the abbreviations
of the names of the elements, with a small figure at the lower right
hand, to denote the number of atoms of each element contained.
Empirical formula (Chem.), an
expression which gives the simple proportion of the constituents; as,
the empirical formula of acetic acid is
C2H4O2. -- Graphic
formula, Rational formula (Chem.),
an expression of the constitution, and in a limited sense of the
structure, of a compound, by the grouping of its atoms or radicals;
as, a rational formula of acetic acid is
CH3.(C:O).OH; -- called also structural formula,
constitutional formula, etc. See also the formula of
Benzene nucleus, under Benzene. --
Molecular formula (Chem.), a formula
indicating the supposed molecular constitution of a
compound.
For`mu*la*ris"tic (?), a.
Pertaining to, or exhibiting, formularization.
Emerson.
For`mu*lar*i*za"tion (?), n. The
act of formularizing; a formularized or formulated statement or
exhibition. C. Kingsley.
For"mu*lar*ize (?), v. t. To
reduce to a forula; to formulate.
For"mu*la*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
formulaire. See Formula.] Stated; prescribed;
ritual.
For"mu*la*ry, n.; pl.
Formularies (#). [Cf. F. formulaire.]
1. A book containing stated and prescribed
forms, as of oaths, declarations, prayers, medical formulaæ,
etc.; a book of precedents.
2. Prescribed form or model;
formula.
For"mu*late (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Formulated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Formulating (?).] To reduce to, or express
in, a formula; to put in a clear and definite form of statement or
expression. G. P. Marsh.
For`mu*la"tion (?), n. The act,
process, or result of formulating or reducing to a formula.
For"mule (?), n. [F.] A set or
prescribed model; a formula. [Obs.] Johnson.
For`mu*li*za"tion (?), n. The act
or process of reducing to a formula; the state of being
formulized.
For"mu*lize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Formulized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Formulizing (?).] To reduce to a formula; to
formulate. Emerson.
For"myl (?), n. [Formic + -
yl.] (Chem.) (a) A univalent radical,
H.C:O, regarded as the essential residue of formic acid and
aldehyde. (b) Formerly, the radical
methyl, CH3.
Forn*cast" (?), p. p. [OE. foren +
cast. See Forecast.] Predestined. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
For"ni*cal (?), a. Relating to a
fornix.
{ For"ni*cate (?), For"ni*ca`ted (?) },
a. [L. fornicatus, fr. fornix, -
icis, an arch, vault.] 1. Vaulted like an
oven or furnace; arched.
2. (Bot.) Arching over;
overarched. Gray.
For"ni*cate (?), v. i. [L.
fornicatus, p. p. of fornicari to fornicate, fr.
fornix, -icis, a vault, a brothel in an underground
vault.] To commit fornication; to have unlawful sexual
intercourse.
For`ni*ca"tion (?), n. [F.
fornication, L. fornicatio.] 1.
Unlawful sexual intercourse on the part of an unmarried person;
the act of such illicit sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
as does not by law amount to adultery.
&fist; In England, the offense, though cognizable in the
ecclesiastical courts, was not at common law subject to secular
prosecution. In the United States it is indictable in some States at
common law, in others only by statute. Whartyon.
2. (Script.) (a)
Adultery. (b) Incest.
(c) Idolatry.
For"ni*ca`tor (?), n. [F.
fornicateur, OF. fornicator, from L.
fornicator.] An unmarried person, male or female, who has
criminal intercourse with the other sex; one guilty of
fornication.
For"ni*ca`tress (?), n. [Cf. F.
fornicatrice, L. fornicatrix.] A woman guilty of
fornication. Shak.
||For"nix (?), n.; pl.
Fornices (#). [L., an arch.] (Anat.)
(a) An arch or fold; as, the fornix, or
vault, of the cranium; the fornix, or reflection, of the
conjuctiva. (b) Esp., two longitudinal
bands of white nervous tissue beneath the lateral ventricles of the
brain.
For*old" (?), a. Very old.
[Obs.]
A bear's skin, coal-black, forold.
Chaucer.
For*pass" (?), v. t. & i. To pass
by or along; to pass over. [Obs.] Spenser.
For*pine" (?), v. t. To waste away
completely by suffering or torment. [Archaic] "Pale as a
forpined ghost." Chaucer.
For"ray (? or ?), v. t. [OE.
forrayen. See Foray.] To foray; to ravage; to
pillage.
For they that morn had forrayed all the
land.
Fairfax.
For"ray, n. The act of ravaging; a
ravaging; a predatory excursion. See Foray.
For"rill (?), n. [See Forel.]
Lambskin parchment; vellum; forel. McElrath.
For*sake" (?), v. t.
[imp. Forsook (?); p. p.
Forsaken (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Forsaking.] [AS. forsacan to oppose, refuse; for-
+ sacan to contend, strive; akin to Goth. sakan.
See For-, and Sake.] 1. To quit or
leave entirely; to desert; to abandon; to depart or withdraw from; to
leave; as, false friends and flatterers forsake us in
adversity.
If his children forsake my law, and walk not in
my judgments.
Ps. lxxxix. 30.
2. To renounce; to reject; to
refuse.
If you forsake the offer of their
love.
Shak.
Syn. -- To abandon; quit; desert; fail; relinquish; give
up; renounce; reject. See Abandon.
For*sak"er (?), n. One who
forsakes or deserts.
For*say" (?), v. t. [AS.
forsecgan to accuse; pref. for- + secgan to
say.] To forbid; to renounce; to forsake; to deny. [Obs.]
Spenser.
For*shape" (?), v. t. [Pref. for-
+ shape, v.t.] To render misshapen. [Obs.]
Gower.
For*slack" (?), v. t. [Pref. for-
+ slack to neglect.] To neglect by idleness; to
delay or to waste by sloth. [Obs.] Spenser.
For*slouth"e (?), v. t. [See For-
, and Slouth.] To lose by sloth or negligence.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
For*slow" (?), v. t. [Pref. for-
+ slow.] To delay; to hinder; to neglect; to put
off. [Obs.] Bacon.
For*slow", v. i. To loiter.
[Obs.] Shak.
For*slug"ge (?), v. t. [See Slug
to be idle.] To lsoe by idleness or slotch. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
For*sooth" (?), adv. [AS.
forsōð; for, prep. + sōð
sooth, truth. See For, prep., and Sooth.]
In truth; in fact; certainly; very well; -- formerly used as an
expression of deference or respect, especially to woman; now used
ironically or contemptuously.
A fit man, forsooth, to govern a
realm!
Hayward.
Our old English word forsooth has been changed
for the French madam.
Guardian.
For*sooth", v. t. To address
respectfully with the term forsooth. [Obs.]
The captain of the "Charles" had forsoothed
her, though he knew her well enough and she him.
Pepys.
For*sooth", n. A person who used
forsooth much; a very ceremonious and deferential
person. [R.]
You sip so like a forsooth of the
city.
B. Jonson.
For*speak" (?), v. t. [Pref. for-
+ speak.] 1. To forbid; to
prohibit. Shak.
2. To bewitch. [Obs.]
Drayton.
For*spent" (?), a. [AS.
forspendan to consume; pref. for- + spendan to
spend.] Wasted in strength; tired; exhausted.
[Archaic]
A gentleman almost forspent with
speed.
Shak.
For*stall" (?), v. t. To
forestall. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fors"ter (?), n. A forester.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
For*straught" (?), p. p. & a. [Pref.
for- + straught; cf. distraught.]
Distracted. [Obs.] Chaucer.
For*swat" (?), a. [See Sweat.]
Spent with heat; covered with sweat. [Obs.] P.
Sidney.
For*swear" (?), v. t.
[imp. Forswore (?); p. p.
Forsworn (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Forswearing.] [OE. forsweren, forswerien, AS.
forswerian; pref. for- + swerian to swear. See
For-, and Swear, v. i.]
1. To reject or renounce upon oath; hence, to
renounce earnestly, determinedly, or with protestations.
I . . . do forswear her.
Shak.
2. To deny upon oath.
Like innocence, and as serenely bold
As truth, how loudly he forswears thy gold!
Dryden.
To forswear one's self, to swear falsely; to
perjure one's self. "Thou shalt not forswear thyself."
Matt. v. 33.
Syn. -- See Perjure.
For*swear", v. i. To swear
falsely; to commit perjury. Shak.
For*swear"er (?), n. One who
rejects of renounces upon oath; one who swears a false
oath.
For*swonk" (?), a. [Pref. for- +
swonk, p. p. of swinkto labor. See Swink.]
Overlabored; exhausted; worn out. [Obs.]
Spenser.
For*swore" (?), imp. of
Forswear.
For*sworn" (?), p. p. of
Forswear.
For*sworn"ness, n. State of being
forsworn. [R.]
||For*syth"i*a (?), a. [NL. Named after
William Forsyth, who brought in from China.] (Bot.)
A shrub of the Olive family, with yellow blossoms.
Fort (?), n. [F., from fort
strong, L. fortis; perh. akin to Skr. darh to fix, make
firm, and to E. firm Cf. Forte, Force,
Fortalice, Comfort, Effort.] (Mil.)
A strong or fortified place; usually, a small fortified place,
occupied only by troops, surrounded with a ditch, rampart, and
parapet, or with palisades, stockades, or other means of defense; a
fortification.
Detached works, depending solely on their own
strength, belong to the class of works termed
forts.
Farrow.
Fort"a*lice (?), n. [LL.
fortalitia, or OF. fortelesce. See Fortress.]
(Mil.) A small outwork of a fortification; a fortilage; -
- called also fortelace.
Forte (fōrt), n. [IT.
forte: cf. F. fort. See Fort.]
1. The strong point; that in which one
excels.
The construction of a fable seems by no means the
forte of our modern poetical writers.
Jeffrey.
2. The stronger part of the blade of a sword;
the part of half nearest the hilt; -- opposed to
foible.
||For"te (fôr"t&asl; or fōr"t&asl;),
adv. [It. forte, a. &
adv., fr. L. fortis strong.] (Mus.)
Loudly; strongly; powerfully.
Fort"ed (?), a. Furnished with, or
guarded by, forts; strengthened or defended, as by forts. [R.]
Shak.
Forth (?), v.[AS. forð, fr.
for akin to D. voort, G. fort √78. See
Fore, For, and cf. Afford, Further,
adv.] 1. Forward; onward in
time, place, or order; in advance from a given point; on to end; as,
from that day forth; one, two, three, and so
forth.
Lucas was Paul's companion, at the leastway from the
sixteenth of the Acts forth.
Tyndale.
From this time forth, I never will speak
word.
Shak.
I repeated the Ave Maria; the inquisitor bad me say
forth; I said I was taught no more.
Strype.
2. Out, as from a state of concealment,
retirement, confinement, nondevelopment, or the like; out into notice
or view; as, the plants in spring put forth leaves.
When winter past, and summer scarce begun,
Invites them forth to labor in the sun.
Dryden.
3. Beyond a (certain) boundary; away; abroad;
out.
I have no mind of feasting forth to-
night.
Shak.
4. Throughly; from beginning to end.
[Obs.] Shak.
And so forth, Back and forth,
From forth. See under And, Back,
and From. -- Forth of, Forth
from, out of. [Obs.] Shak. -- To
bring forth. See under Bring.
Forth, prep. Forth from; out
of. [Archaic]
Some forth their cabins peep.
Donne.
Forth, n. [OE., a ford. &?; 78. See
Frith.] A way; a passage or ford. [Obs.]
Todd.
Forth`by" (?), adv. [Obs.] See
Forby.
Forth"com`ing (? or ?), a. Ready
or about to appear; making appearance.
Forth"go`ing (? or ?), n. A going
forth; an utterance. A. Chalmers.
Forth"go`ing, a. Going
forth.
For*think" (?), v. t. To repent;
to regret; to be sorry for; to cause regret. [Obs.] "Let it
forthink you." Tyndale.
That me forthinketh, quod this
January.
Chaucer.
Forth"put`ing (? or ?), a. Bold;
forward; aggressive.
Forth"right` (? or ?), adv.
[Forth, adv. + right,
adv.] Straight forward; in a straight
direction. [Archaic] Sir P. Sidney.
Forth"right`, a. Direct;
straightforward; as, a forthright man. [Archaic]
Lowell.
They were Night and Day, and Day and Night,
Piligrims wight with steps forthright.
Emerson.
Forth"right`, n. A straight
path. [Archaic]
Here's a maze trod, indeed,
Through forthrights and meanders!
Shak.
Forth"right`ness, n.
Straightforwardness; explicitness; directness.
[Archaic]
Dante's concise forthrightness of
phrase.
Hawthorne.
Forth"ward (?), adv. [Forth,
adv. + -ward.] Forward. [Obs.] Bp.
Fisher.
Forth`with" (? or ?; see With),
adv. 1. Immediately; without
delay; directly.
Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been
scales; and he received sight forthwith.
Acts
ix. 18.
2. (Law) As soon as the thing required
may be done by reasonable exertion confined to that object.
Bouvier.
For*thy" (?), adv. [AS.
forð&ymacr;; for, prep. + ð&ymacr;,
instrumental neut. of se, seó,
ðæt, pron. demonstrative and article. See
The.] Therefore. [Obs.] Spenser.
For"ties (?), n. pl. See
Forty.
For"ti*eth (?), a. [AS.
feówertigo&?;a. See Forty.] 1.
Following the thirty-ninth, or preceded by thirty-nine units,
things, or parts.
2. Constituting one of forty equal parts into
which anything is divided.
For"ti*eth, n. One of forty equal
parts into which one whole is divided; the quotient of a unit divided
by forty; one next in order after the thirty-ninth.
For"ti*fi`a*ble (?), a. [Cf. OF.
fortifiable.] Capable of being fortified.
Johnson.
For`ti*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
fortificatio : cf. F. fortification.]
1. The act of fortifying; the art or science of
fortifying places in order to defend them against an enemy.
2. That which fortifies; especially, a work
or works erected to defend a place against attack; a fortified place;
a fortress; a fort; a castle.
Fortification agate, Scotch pebble.
Syn. -- Fortress; citadel; bulwark. See
Fortress.
For"ti*fi`er (?), n. One who, or
that which, fortifies, strengthens, supports, or upholds.
For"ti*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fortified (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fortifying.] [F. fortifier, L. fortificare;
fortis strong + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See
Fort, and -fy.] 1. To add strength
to; to strengthen; to confirm; to furnish with power to resist
attack.
Timidity was fortified by pride.
Gibbon.
Pride came to the aid of fancy, and both combined to
fortify his resolution.
Sir W. Scott.
2. To strengthen and secure by forts or
batteries, or by surrounding with a wall or ditch or other military
works; to render defensible against an attack by hostile
forces.
For"ti*fy, v. i. To raise
defensive works. Milton.
For"ti*lage (?; 48), n. [Cf.
Fortalice.] A little fort; a blockhouse. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Fort"in (?), n. [F. See Fort,
n.] A little fort; a fortlet. [Obs.]
||For*tis"si*mo (? or ?), adv. [It.,
superl. of forte, adv. See Forte,
adv.] (Mus.) Very loud; with the utmost
strength or loudness.
For*ti"tion (?), n. [See
Fortuitous.] Casual choice; fortuitous selection;
hazard. [R.]
No mode of election operating in the spirit of
fortition or rotation can be generally good.
Burke.
For"ti*tude (?), n. [L.
fortitudo, fr. fortis strong. See Fort.]
1. Power to resist attack; strength;
firmness. [Obs.]
The fortitude of the place is best known to
you.
Shak.
2. That strength or firmness of mind which
enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to
bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression, or despondency;
passive courage; resolute endurance; firmness in confronting or
bearing up against danger or enduring trouble.
Extolling patience as the truest
fortitude.
Milton.
Fortitude is the guard and support of the other
virtues.
Locke.
Syn. -- Courage; resolution; resoluteness; endurance;
bravery. See Courage, and Heroism.
For`ti*tu"di*nous (?), a. Having
fortitude; courageous. [R.] Gibbon.
Fort"let (?), n. A little
fort. [R.] Bailey.
Fort"night` (?; in U.S. often ?; 277),
n. [Contr. fr. fourteen nights, our
ancestors reckoning time by nights and winters; so, also, seven
nights, sennight, a week.] The space of fourteen
days; two weeks.
Fort"night`ly (?), a. Occurring or
appearing once in a fortnight; as, a fortnightly meeting of a
club; a fortnightly magazine, or other publication. --
adv. Once in a fortnight; at intervals of a
fortnight.
For*tread" (?), v. t. To tread
down; to trample upon. [Obs.]
In hell shall they be all fortroden of
devils.
Chaucer.
For"tress (?), n.; pl.
Fortresses (#). [F. forteresse, OF.
forteresce, fortelesce, LL. foralitia, fr. L.
fortis strong. See Fort, and cf. Fortalice.]
A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification,
sometimes including a town; a fort; a castle; a stronghold; a place
of defense or security.
Syn. -- Fortress, Fortification,
Castle, Citadel. A fortress is constructed for
military purposes only, and is permanently garrisoned; a
fortification is built to defend harbors, cities, etc.; a
castle is a fortress of early times which was ordinarily a
palatial dwelling; a citadel is the stronghold of a fortress
or city, etc.
For"tress, v. t. To furnish with a
fortress or with fortresses; to guard; to fortify.
Shak.
For*tu"i*tous (?), a. [L.
fortuitus; akin to forte, adv., by chance, prop. abl.
of fors, fortis, chance. See Fortune.]
1. Happening by chance; coming or occuring
unexpectedly, or without any known cause; chance; as, the
fortuitous concourse of atoms.
It was from causes seemingly fortuitous . . .
that all the mighty effects of the Reformation flowed.
Robertson.
So as to throw a glancing and fortuitous light
upon the whole.
Hazlitt.
2. (LAw) Happening independently of
human will or means of foresight; resulting from unavoidable physical
causes. Abbott.
Syn. -- Accidental; casual; contingent; incidental. See
Accidental.
-- For*tu"i*tous*ly, adv. --
For*tu"i*tous*ness, n.
For*tu"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
fortuité.] Accident; chance; casualty.
D. Forbes (1750).
For"tu*nate (?; 135), a. [L.
fortunatus, p. p. of fortunare to make fortunate or
prosperous, fr. fortuna. See Fortune,
n.] 1. Coming by good luck or
favorable chance; bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain;
presaging happiness; auspicious; as, a fortunate event; a
fortunate concurrence of circumstances; a fortunate
investment.
2. Receiving same unforeseen or unexpected
good, or some good which was not dependent on one's own skill or
efforts; favored with good forune; lucky.
Syn. -- Auspicious; lucky; prosperous; successful; favored;
happy. -- Fortunate, Successful, Prosperous. A
man is fortunate, when he is favored of fortune, and has
unusual blessings fall to his lot; successful when he gains
what he aims at; prosperous when he succeeds in those things
which men commonly desire. One may be fortunate, in some
cases, where he is not successful; he may be
successful, but, if he has been mistaken in the value of what
he has aimed at, he may for that reason fail to be
prosperous.
For"tu*nate*ly, adv. In a
fortunate manner; luckily; successfully; happily.
For"tu*nate*ness, n. The condition
or quality of being fortunate; good luck; success;
happiness.
For"tune (fôr"t&usl;n; 135), n.
[F. fortune, L. fortuna; akin to fors,
fortis, chance, prob. fr. ferre to bear, bring. See
Bear to support, and cf. Fortuitous.]
1. The arrival of something in a sudden or
unexpected manner; chance; accident; luck; hap; also, the personified
or deified power regarded as determining human success, apportioning
happiness and unhappiness, and distributing arbitrarily or
fortuitously the lots of life.
'T is more by fortune, lady, than by
merit.
Shak.
O Fortune, Fortune, all men call thee
fickle.
Shak.
2. That which befalls or is to befall one;
lot in life, or event in any particular undertaking; fate; destiny;
as, to tell one's fortune.
You, who men's fortunes in their faces
read.
Cowley.
3. That which comes as the result of an
undertaking or of a course of action; good or ill success;
especially, favorable issue; happy event; success; prosperity as
reached partly by chance and partly by effort.
Our equal crimes shall equal fortune
give.
Dryden.
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
Shak.
His father dying, he was driven to seek his
fortune.
Swift.
4. Wealth; large possessions; large estate;
riches; as, a gentleman of fortune.
Syn. -- Chance; accident; luck; fate.
Fortune book, a book supposed to reveal
future events to those who consult it. Crashaw. --
Fortune hunter, one who seeks to acquire wealth
by marriage. -- Fortune teller, one who
professes to tell future events in the life of another. --
Fortune telling, the practice or art of
professing to reveal future events in the life of another.
For"tune, v. t. [OF. fortuner,
L. fortunare. See Fortune, n.]
1. To make fortunate; to give either good or bad
fortune to. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To provide with a fortune.
Richardson.
3. To presage; to tell the fortune of.
[Obs.] Dryden.
For"tune, v. i. To fall out; to
happen.
It fortuned the same night that a Christian,
serving a Turk in the camp, secretely gave the watchmen
warning.
Knolles.
For"tune*less, a. Luckless; also,
destitute of a fortune or portion. Spenser.
For"tun*ize (?), v. t. To regulate
the fortune of; to make happy. [Obs.] Spenser.
For"ty (fôr"t&ybreve;), a. [OE.
forti, fourti, fowerti, AS.
feówertig; feówer four + suff. -
tig ten; akin to OS. fiwartig, fiartig, D.
veertig, G. vierzig, Icel. fjörutīu,
Sw. fyratio, Dan. fyrretyve, Goth. fidwōr
tigjus. See Four, and Ten, and cf.
Fourteen.] Four times ten; thirty-nine and one
more.
For"ty, n.; pl.
Forties (-t&ibreve;z). 1. The
sum of four tens; forty units or objects.
2. A symbol expressing forty units; as, 40,
or xl.
For"ty-spot` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) The Tasmanian forty-spotted diamond bird
(Pardalotus quadragintus).
Fo"rum (?), n.; pl. E.
Forums (#), L. Fora (#). [L.;
akin to foris, foras, out of doors. See
Foreign.] 1. A market place or public
place in Rome, where causes were judicially tried, and orations
delivered to the people.
2. A tribunal; a court; an assembly empowered
to hear and decide causes.
He [Lord Camden] was . . . more eminent in the senate
than in the forum.
Brougham.
For*waked" (? or ?), p. p. & a.
Tired out with excessive waking or watching. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
For*wan"der (?), v. i. To wander
away; to go astray; to wander far and to weariness. [Obs.]
For"ward (?), n. [OE., fr. AS.
foreweard; fore before + weard a ward. See
Ward, n.] An agreement; a covenant; a
promise. [Obs.]
Tell us a tale anon, as forward
is.
Chaucer.
{ For"ward (?), For"wards (?) },
adv. [AS. forweard, foreweard;
for, fore + -weardes; akin to G.
vorwärts. The s is properly a genitive ending. See
For, Fore, and -ward, -wards.]
Toward a part or place before or in front; onward; in advance;
progressively; -- opposed to backward.
For"ward, a. 1.
Near, or at the fore part; in advance of something else; as, the
forward gun in a ship, or the forward ship in a
fleet.
2. Ready; prompt; strongly inclined; in an
ill sense, overready; too hasty.
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the
same which I also was forward to do.
Gal. ii.
10.
Nor do we find him forward to be
sounded.
Shak.
3. Ardent; eager; earnest; in an ill sense,
less reserved or modest than is proper; bold; confident; as, the boy
is too forward for his years.
I have known men disagreeably forward from
their shyness.
T. Arnold.
4. Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced
for the season; as, the grass is forward, or forward
for the season; we have a forward spring.
The most forward bud
Is eaten by the canker ere it blow.
Shak.
For"ward (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Forwarded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Forwarding.] 1. To help onward; to
advance; to promote; to accelerate; to quicken; to hasten; as, to
forward the growth of a plant; to forward one in
improvement.
2. To send forward; to send toward the place
of destination; to transmit; as, to forward a
letter.
For"ward*er (?), n. 1.
One who forwards or promotes; a promoter.
Udall.
2. One who sends forward anything;
(Com.) one who transmits goods; a forwarding merchant.
3. (Bookbinding) One employed in
forwarding.
For"ward*ing, n. 1.
The act of one who forwards; the act or occupation of
transmitting merchandise or other property for others.
2. (Bookbinding) The process of
putting a book into its cover, and making it ready for the
finisher.
For"ward*ly (?), adv. Eagerly;
hastily; obtrusively.
For"ward*ness, n. The quality of
being forward; cheerful readiness; promtness; as, the
forwardness of Christians in propagating the gospel.
2. An advanced stage of progress or of
preparation; advancement; as, his measures were in great
forwardness. Robertson.
3. Eagerness; ardor; as, it is difficult to
restrain the forwardness of youth.
3. Boldness; confidence; assurance; want of
due reserve or modesty.
In France it is usual to bring children into company,
and cherish in them, from their infancy, a kind of forwardness
and assurance.
Addison.
5. A state of advance beyond the usual
degree; prematureness; precocity; as, the forwardnessof spring
or of corn; the forwardness of a pupil.
He had such a dexterous proclivity, as his teachers
were fain to restrain his forwardness.
Sir H.
Wotton.
Syn. -- Promptness; promptitude; eagerness; ardor; zeal;
assurance; confidence; boldness; impudence; presumption.
For"wards (?), adv. Same as
Forward.
For*waste" (?), v. t. [Pref. for-
+ waste.] To desolate or lay waste utterly.
[Obs.] Spenser.
For*wea"ry (?), v. t. To weary
extremely; to dispirit. [Obs.] Spenser.
For*weep" (?), v. i. To weep
much. [Obs.]
For*wete" (?), v. t. See
Forewite. [Obs.] Chaucer.
For*why" (?), conj. [For +
why, AS. hw&?;, instrumental case of hwā
who.] Wherefore; because. [Obs.]
For*worn" (?), a. Much worn.
[Obs.]
A silly man, in simple weeds
forworn.
Spenser.
For*wot" (?), pres. indic. 1st & 3d pers.
sing. of Forwete. [Obs.] Chaucer.
For*wrap" (?), v. t. To wrap up;
to conceal. [Obs.]
All mote be said and nought excused, nor hid, nor
forwrapped.
Chaucer.
For*yelde" (?), v. t. [AS.
forgieldan.] To repay; to requite. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
For*yete" (?), v. t. To
forget. [Obs.] Chaucer.
For*yet"ten (?), obs. p. p. of
Foryete. Chaucer.
||For*zan"do (?), adv. [It., prop. p.
p. of forzare to force.] (Mus.) See
Sforzato.
||Fos"sa (?), n.; pl.
FossÆ (#). [L., a ditch. See Fosse.]
(Anat.) A pit, groove, cavity, or depression, of greater
or less depth; as, the temporal fossa on the side of the
skull; the nasal fossæ containing the nostrils in most
birds.
Fos"sane` (?), n. [Cf. F.
fossane.] (Zoöl.) A species of civet
(Viverra fossa) resembling the genet.
Fosse (?), n. [F., fr. L. fossa,
fr. fodere, fossum, to dig.] 1.
(Fort.) A ditch or moat.
2. (Anat.) See Fossa.
Fosse road. See Fosseway.
Fos"set (?), n. A faucet.
[Obs.] Shak.
||Fos`sette" (? or ?), n. [F., dim. of
fosse a fosse.] 1. A little hollow;
hence, a dimple.
2. (Med.) A small, deep-centered ulcer
of the transparent cornea.
Fosse"way` (?), n. One of the
great military roads constructed by the Romans in England and other
parts of Europe; -- so called from the fosse or ditch on each
side for keeping it dry.
Fos"sil (?), a. [L. fossilis,
fr. fodere to dig: cf. F. fossile. See Fosse.]
1. Dug out of the earth; as, fossil coal;
fossil salt.
2. (Paleon.) Like or pertaining to
fossils; contained in rocks, whether petrified or not; as,
fossil plants, shells.
Fossil copal, a resinous substance, first
found in the blue clay at Highgate, near London, and apparently a
vegetable resin, partly changed by remaining in the earth. --
Fossil cork, flax,
paper, or wood, varieties of
amianthus. -- Fossil farina, a soft
carbonate of lime. -- Fossil ore,
fossiliferous red hematite. Raymond.
Fos"sil, n. 1. A
substance dug from the earth. [Obs.]
&fist; Formerly all minerals were called fossils, but the
word is now restricted to express the remains of animals and plants
found buried in the earth. Ure.
2. (Paleon.) The remains of an animal
or plant found in stratified rocks. Most fossils belong to extinct
species, but many of the later ones belong to species still
living.
3. A person whose views and opinions are
extremely antiquated; one whose sympathies are with a former time
rather than with the present. [Colloq.]
Fos`sil*if"er*ous (?), a.
[Fossil + -ferous.] (Paleon.) Containing or
composed of fossils.
Fos*sil`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n.
[Fossil + L. facere to make.] The process of
becoming fossil.
Fos"sil*ism (?), n. 1.
The science or state of fossils. Coleridge.
2. The state of being extremely antiquated in
views and opinions.
Fos"sil*ist, n. One who is versed
in the science of fossils; a paleontologist. Joseph
Black.
Fos`sil*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
fossilisation.] The process of converting, or of being
converted, into a fossil.
Fos"sil*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fossilized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fossilizing (?).] [Cf. F. fossiliser.]
1. To convert into a fossil; to petrify; as, to
fossilize bones or wood.
2. To cause to become antiquated, rigid, or
fixed, as by fossilization; to mummify; to deaden.
Ten layers of birthdays on a woman's head
Are apt to fossilize her girlish mirth.
Mrs.
Browning.
Fos"sil*ize, v. i. 1.
To become fossil.
2. To become antiquated, rigid, or fixed,
beyond the influence of change or progress.
Fos"sil*ized (?), a. Converted
into a fossil; antiquated; firmly fixed in views or
opinions.
A fossilized sample of confused
provincialism.
Earle.
||Fos*so"res (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L.
fossor&?; digger, fr. fodere to dig.]
(Zoöl.) A group of hymenopterous insects including
the sand wasps. They excavate cells in earth, where they deposit
their eggs, with the bodies of other insects for the food of the
young when hatched. [Written also Fossoria.]
||Fos*so"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL.]
(Zoöl.) See Fossores.
Fos*so"ri*al (?), a. [L. fossor
a digger.] Fitted for digging, adapted for burrowing or digging;
as, a fossorial foot; a fossorial animal.
Fos*so"ri*ous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Adapted for digging; -- said of the legs of
certain insects.
Fos"su*late (?), a. [L. fossula
little ditch, dim. of fossa. See Fosse.] Having,
or surrounded by, long, narrow depressions or furrows.
Fos"ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fostered (?), p. pr. & vb. n.
Fostering.] [OE. fostren, fr. AS. fōster,
fōstor, food, nourishment, fr. fōda food.
√75. See Food.] 1. To feed; to
nourish; to support; to bring up.
Some say that ravens foster forlorn
children.
Shak.
2. To cherish; to promote the growth of; to
encourage; to sustain and promote; as, to foster
genius.
Fos"ter, v. i. To be nourished or
trained up together. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fos"ter, a. [AS. fōster,
fōstor, nourishment. See Foster, v.
t.] Relating to nourishment; affording, receiving, or
sharing nourishment or nurture; -- applied to father, mother, child,
brother, etc., to indicate that the person so called stands in the
relation of parent, child, brother, etc., as regards sustenance and
nurture, but not by tie of blood.
Foster babe, or child, an
infant of child nursed by a woman not its mother, or bred by a man
not its father. -- Foster brother,
Foster sister, one who is, or has been, nursed
at the same breast, or brought up by the same nurse as another, but
is not of the same parentage. -- Foster dam,
one who takes the place of a mother; a nurse. Dryden.
-- Foster earth, earth by which a plant is
nourished, though not its native soil. J. Philips. --
Foster father, a man who takes the place of a
father in caring for a child. Bacon. -- Foster
land. (a) Land allotted for the
maintenance of any one. [Obs.] (b) One's
adopted country. -- Foster lean [foster
+ AS. læn a loan See Loan.], remuneration
fixed for the rearing of a foster child; also, the jointure of a
wife. [Obs.] Wharton. -- Foster mother,
a woman who takes a mother's place in the nurture and care of a
child; a nurse. -- Foster nurse, a nurse;
a nourisher. [R.] Shak. -- Foster
parent, a foster mother or foster father. --
Foster son, a male foster child.
Fos"ter, n. A forester.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Fos"ter*age (?; 48), n. The care
of a foster child; the charge of nursing. Sir W.
Raleigh.
Fos"ter*er (?), n. One who, or
that which, fosters.
Fos"ter*ling, n. [AS.
fōstorling.] A foster child.
Fos"ter*ment (?), n. Food;
nourishment. [Obs.]
Fos"tress (?), n. [For
fosteress.] A woman who feeds and cherishes; a
nurse. B. Jonson.
Foth"er (?), n. [OE. fother,
foder, AS. fō&?;er a cartload; akin to G.
fuder a cartload, a unit of measure, OHG. fuodar, D.
voeder, and perh. to E. fathom, or cf. Skr.
pātrā vessel, dish. Cf. Fodder a fother.]
1. A wagonload; a load of any sort.
[Obs.]
Of dung full many a fother.
Chaucer.
2. See Fodder, a unit of
weight.
Foth"er, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fothered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fothering.] [Cf. Fodder food, and G.
füttern, futtern, to cover within or without, to
line. √75.] To stop (a leak in a ship at sea) by drawing
under its bottom a thrummed sail, so that the pressure of the water
may force it into the crack. Totten.
Fo"tive (?), a. [L. fovere,
fotum, to keep warm, to cherish.] Nourishing.
[Obs.] T. Carew (1633).
Fot"mal (?), n. (Com.)
Seventy pounds of lead.
{ ||Fou`gade" (?), ||Fou`gasse" (?) },
n. (Mil.) A small mine, in the form of
a well sunk from the surface of the ground, charged with explosive
and projectiles. It is made in a position likely to be occupied by
the enemy.
Fought (?), imp. & p. p. of
Fight.
Fought"en (?), p. p. of
Fight. [Archaic]
Foul (foul), n. [See Fowl.]
A bird. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Foul (foul), a.
[Compar. Fouler (-&etilde;r);
superl. Foulest.] [OE. foul,
ful, AS. fūl; akin to D. vuil, G.
faul rotten, OHG. fūl, Icel. fūl
foul, fetid; Dan. fuul, Sw. ful foul, Goth.
fūls fetid, Lith. puti to be putrid, L.
putere to stink, be putrid, pus pus, Gr.
py`on pus, to cause to rot, Skr. pūy to
stink. √82. Cf. Defile to foul, File to foul,
Filth, Pus, Putrid.] 1.
Covered with, or containing, extraneous matter which is
injurious, noxious, offensive, or obstructive; filthy; dirty; not
clean; polluted; nasty; defiled; as, a foul cloth; foul
hands; a foul chimney; foul air; a ship's bottom is
foul when overgrown with barnacles; a gun becomes foul
from repeated firing; a well is foul with polluted
water.
My face is foul with weeping.
Job. xvi. 16.
2. Scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive;
as, foul words; foul language.
3. Hateful; detestable; shameful; odious;
wretched. "The foul with Sycorax." Shak.
Who first seduced them to that foul
revolt?
Milton.
4. Loathsome; disgusting; as, a foul
disease.
5. Ugly; homely; poor. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Let us, like merchants, show our foulest
wares.
Shak.
6. Not favorable; unpropitious; not fair or
advantageous; as, a foul wind; a foul road; cloudy or
rainy; stormy; not fair; -- said of the weather, sky, etc.
So foul a sky clears not without a
storm.
Shak.
7. Not conformed to the established rules and
customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.; unfair; dishonest;
dishonorable; cheating; as, foul play.
8. Having freedom of motion interfered with
by collision or entanglement; entangled; -- opposed to clear;
as, a rope or cable may get foul while paying it
out.
Foul anchor. (Naut.) See under
Anchor. -- Foul ball (Baseball),
a ball that first strikes the ground outside of the foul ball
lines, or rolls outside of certain limits. -- Foul ball
lines (Baseball), lines from the home base,
through the first and third bases, to the boundary of the field.
-- Foul berth (Naut.), a berth in which
a ship is in danger of fouling another vesel. -- Foul
bill, or Foul bill of health, a
certificate, duly authenticated, that a ship has come from a place
where a contagious disorder prevails, or that some of the crew are
infected. -- Foul copy, a rough draught,
with erasures and corrections; -- opposed to fair or clean
copy. "Some writers boast of negligence, and others would be
ashamed to show their foul copies." Cowper. --
Foul proof, an uncorrected proof; a proof
containing an excessive quantity of errors. -- Foul
strike (Baseball), a strike by the batsman when
any part of his person is outside of the lines of his position.
-- To fall foul, to fall out; to quarrel.
[Obs.] "If they be any ways offended, they fall foul."
Burton. -- To fall, or
run, foul of. See under
Fall. -- To make foul water, to
sail in such shallow water that the ship's keel stirs the mud at the
bottom.
Foul (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fouled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fouling.] 1. To make filthy; to defile;
to daub; to dirty; to soil; as, to foul the face or hands with
mire.
2. (Mil.) To incrust (the bore of a
gun) with burnt powder in the process of firing.
3. To cover (a ship's bottom) with anything
that impered its sailing; as, a bottom fouled with
barnacles.
4. To entangle, so as to impede motion; as,
to foul a rope or cable in paying it out; to come into
collision with; as, one boat fouled the other in a
race.
Foul, v. i. 1. To
become clogged with burnt powder in the process of firing, as a
gun.
2. To become entagled, as ropes; to come into
collision with something; as, the two boats fouled.
Foul, n. 1. An
entanglement; a collision, as in a boat race.
2. (Baseball) See Foul ball,
under Foul, a.
||Fou`lard" (?), n. [F.] A thin,
washable material of silk, or silk and cotton, originally imported
from India, but now also made elsewhere.
Foul"der (?), v. i. [OE. fouldre
lightning, fr. F. foudre, OF. also fouldre, fr. L.
fulgur. See Fulgor.] To flash, as lightning; to
lighten; to gleam; to thunder. [Obs.] "Flames of
fouldering heat." Spenser.
Foul"e (?), adv. Foully.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Foul"ly (?), v. In a foul manner;
filthily; nastily; shamefully; unfairly; dishonorably.
I foully wronged him; do forgive me,
do.
Gay.
Foul"-mouthed` (?), a. Using
language scurrilous, opprobrious, obscene, or profane;
abusive.
So foul-mouthed a witness never appeared in any
cause.
Addison.
Foul"ness, n. [AS.
fūlnes.] The quality or condition of being
foul.
Foul"-spo`ken (?), a. Using
profane, scurrilous, slanderous, or obscene language.
Shak.
Fou"mart` (?), n. [OE. folmard,
fulmard; AS. f&?;l foul + mearð,
meard, marten: cf. F. marte, martre. See
Foul, a., and Marten the quadruped.]
(Zoöl.) The European polecat; -- called also
European ferret, and fitchew. See Polecat.
[Written also foulmart, foulimart, and
fulimart.]
Found (?), imp. & p. p. of
Find.
Found, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Founded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Founding.] [F. fondre, L. fundere to found,
pour.] To form by melting a metal, and pouring it into a mold;
to cast. "Whereof to found their engines."
Milton.
Found, n. A thin, single-cut file
for combmakers.
Found, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Founded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Founding.] [F. fonder, L. fundare, fr.
fundus bottom. See 1st Bottom, and cf. Founder,
v. i., Fund.] 1. To lay
the basis of; to set, or place, as on something solid, for support;
to ground; to establish upon a basis, literal or figurative; to fix
firmly.
I had else been perfect,
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock.
Shak.
A man that all his time
Hath founded his good fortunes on your love.
Shak.
It fell not, for it was founded on a
rock.
Matt. vii. 25.
2. To take the ffirst steps or measures in
erecting or building up; to furnish the materials for beginning; to
begin to raise; to originate; as, to found a college; to
found a family.
There they shall found
Their government, and their great senate choose.
Milton.
Syn. -- To base; ground; institute; establish; fix. See
Predicate.
Foun*da"tion (?), n. [F.
fondation, L. fundatio. See Found to establish.]
1. The act of founding, fixing, establishing, or
beginning to erect.
2. That upon which anything is founded; that
on which anything stands, and by which it is supported; the lowest
and supporting layer of a superstructure; groundwork;
basis.
Behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a
stone . . . a precious corner stone, a sure
foundation.
Is. xxviii. 16.
The foundation of a free common
wealth.
Motley.
3. (Arch.) The lowest and supporting
part or member of a wall, including the base course (see Base
course (a), under Base,
n.) and footing courses; in a frame house, the
whole substructure of masonry.
4. A donation or legacy appropriated to
support a charitable institution, and constituting a permanent fund;
endowment.
He was entered on the foundation of
Westminster.
Macaulay.
5. That which is founded, or established by
endowment; an endowed institution or charity.
Against the canon laws of our
foundation.
Milton.
Foundation course. See Base course,
under Base, n. -- Foundation
muslin, an open-worked gummed fabric used for
stiffening dresses, bonnets, etc. -- Foundation
school, in England, an endowed school. --
To be on a foundation, to be entitled to a
support from the proceeds of an endowment, as a scholar or a fellow
of a college.
Foun*da"tion*er (?), n. One who
derives support from the funds or foundation of a college or
school. [Eng.]
Foun*da"tion*less, a. Having no
foundation.
Found"er (?), n. [Cf. OF.
fondeor, F. fondateur, L. fundator.] One
who founds, establishes, and erects; one who lays a foundation; an
author; one from whom anything originates; one who endows.
Found"er, n. [From Found to
cast.] One who founds; one who casts metals in various forms; a
caster; as, a founder of cannon, bells, hardware, or
types.
Fonder's dust. Same as Facing,
4. -- Founder's sand, a kind of sand
suitable for purposes of molding.
Found"er (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Foundered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Foundering.] [OF. fondrer to fall in, cf. F.
s'effondrer, fr. fond bottom, L. fundus. See
Found to establish.] 1. (Naut.) To
become filled with water, and sink, as a ship.
2. To fall; to stumble and go lame, as a
horse.
For which his horse fearé gan to turn,
And leep aside, and foundrede as he leep.
Chaucer.
3. To fail; to miscarry. "All his
tricks founder." Shak.
Found"er, v. t. To cause internal
inflammation and soreness in the feet or limbs of (a horse), so as to
disable or lame him.
Found"er, n. (Far.)
(a) A lameness in the foot of a horse,
occasioned by inflammation; closh. (b) An
inflammatory fever of the body, or acute rheumatism; as, chest
founder. See Chest ffounder. James
White.
Foun"der*ous (?), a. Difficult to
travel; likely to trip one up; as, a founderous road.
[R.] Burke.
Found"er*shaft` (?), n. (Mining)
The first shaft sunk. Raymond.
Found"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Founderies (#). [F. fonderie, fr.
fondre. See Found to cast, and cf. Foundry.]
Same as Foundry.
Found"ing, n. The art of smelting
and casting metals.
Found"ling (?), n. [OE.
foundling, fundling; finden to find + -
ling; cf. fündling, findling. See Find,
v. t., and -ling.] A deserted or
exposed infant; a child found without a parent or owner.
Foundling hospital, a hospital for
foundlings.
Found"ress (?), n. A female
founder; a woman who founds or establishes, or who endows with a
fund.
Found"ry (?), n.; pl.
Foundries (#). [See Foundery.]
1. The act, process, or art of casting
metals.
2. The buildings and works for casting
metals.
Foundry ladle, a vessel for holding molten
metal and conveying it from cupola to the molds.
Fount (?), n. [See Font.]
(Print.) A font.
Fount, n. [OF. font,
funt, fr. L. fons, fontis, a fountain; of
uncertain origin, perh. akin to fundere to pour, E.
found to cast. Cf. Font.] A fountain.
Foun"tain (foun"t&ibreve;n), n. [F.
fontaine, LL. fontana, fr. L. fons,
fontis. See 2d Fount.] 1. A spring
of water issuing from the earth.
2. An artificially produced jet or stream of
water; also, the structure or works in which such a jet or stream
rises or flows; a basin built and constantly supplied with pure water
for drinking and other useful purposes, or for ornament.
3. A reservoir or chamber to contain a liquid
which can be conducted or drawn off as needed for use; as, the ink
fountain in a printing press, etc.
4. The source from which anything proceeds,
or from which anything is supplied continuously; origin;
source.
Judea, the fountain of the gospel.
Fuller.
Author of all being,
Fountain of light, thyself invisible.
Milton.
Air fountain. See under Air. --
Fountain heead, primary source; original; first
principle. Young. -- Fountain inkstand,
an inkstand having a continual supply of ink, as from elevated
reservoir. -- Fountain lamp, a lamp fed
with oil from an elevated reservoir. -- Fountain
pen, a pen with a reservoir in the handle which
furnishes a supply of ink. -- Fountain pump.
(a) A structure for a fountain, having the form
of a pump. (b) A portable garden pump which
throws a jet, for watering plants, etc. -- Fountain
shell (Zoöl.), the large West Indian conch
shell (Strombus gigas). -- Fountain of
youth, a mythical fountain whose waters were fabled to
have the property of renewing youth.
Foun"tain*less, a. Having no
fountain; destitute of springs or sources of water.
Barren desert, fountainless and
dry.
Milton.
Fount"ful (?), a. Full of
fountains. Pope.
Four (fōr), a. [OE. four,
fower, feower, AS. feówer; akin to OS.
fiwar, D. & G. vier, OHG. fior, Icel.
fjōrir, Sw. fyra, Dan. fire, Goth.
fidwōr, Russ. chetuire, chetvero, W.
pedwar, L. quatuor, Gr. te`ttares,
te`ssares, pi`syres, Skr. catur.
√302. Cf. Farthing, Firkin, Forty,
Cater four, Quater-cousin, Quatuor, Quire
of paper, tetrarch.] One more than three; twice
two.
Four, n. 1. The
sum of four units; four units or objects.
2. A symbol representing four units, as 4 or
iv.
3. Four things of the same kind, esp. four
horses; as, a chariot and four.
All fours. See All fours, in the
Vocabulary.
{ Fourb, Fourbe (?) }, n. [F.]
A tricky fellow; a cheat. [Obs.] Evelyn.
Denham.
||Four`ché" (f&oomac;r`sh&asl;"),
a. [F. See Fork.] (Her.) Having
the ends forked or branched, and the ends of the branches terminating
abruptly as if cut off; -- said of an ordinary, especially of a
cross.
||Four`chette" (f&oomac;r`sh&ebreve;t"),
n. [F., dim. of fourche. See Fork.]
1. A table fork.
2. (Anat.) (a) A small
fold of membrane, connecting the labia in the posterior part of the
vulva. (b) The wishbone or furculum of
birds. (c) The frog of the hoof of the
horse and allied animals.
3. (Surg.) An instrument used to raise
and support the tongue during the cutting of the
frænum.
4. (Glove Making) The forked piece
between two adjacent fingers, to which the front and back portions
are sewed. Knight.
Four"-cor`nered (?), a. Having
four corners or angles.
Four`dri`nier" (?), n. A machine
used in making paper; -- so named from an early inventor of
improvements in this class of machinery.
Four"fold` (?), a. & adv. [AS.
feówerfeold.] Four times; quadruple; as, a
fourfold division.
He shall restore the lamb
fourfold.
2 Sam. xii. 6.
Four"fold`, n. Four times as many
or as much.
Four"fold`, v. t. To make four
times as much or as many, as an assessment; to quadruple.
Four"foot`ed (?), a. Having four
feet; quadruped; as, fourfooted beasts.
||Four`gon" (?), n. [F.] (Mil.)
(a) An ammunition wagon.
(b) A French baggage wagon.
Four"hand`ed (?), a. 1.
Having four hands; quadrumanous. Goldsmith.
2. Requiring four "hands" or players; as, a
fourhanded game at cards.
Fou"ri*er*ism (?), n. The
coöperative socialistic system of Charles Fourier, a
Frenchman, who recommended the reorganization of society into small
communities, living in common.
{ Fou"ri*er*ist, Fou"ri*er*ite (?) },
n. One who adopts the views of
Fourier.
Four"-in-hand (?), a. Consisting
of four horses controlled by one person; as, a four-in-hand
team; drawn by four horses driven by one person; as, a four-in-
hand coach. -- n. A team of four
horses driven by one person; also, a vehicle drawn by such a
team.
As quaint a four-in-hand
As you shall see.
Tennyson.
Four"ling, n. 1.
One of four children born at the same time.
2. (Crystallog.) A compound or twin
crystal consisting of four individuals.
||Four`neau" (?), n. [F.] (Mil.)
The chamber of a mine in which the powder is placed.
Four"-o'clock` (?), n.
1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus
Mirabilis. There are about half a dozen species, natives of
the warmer parts of America. The common four-o'clock is M.
Jalapa. Its flowers are white, yellow, and red, and open toward
sunset, or earlier in cloudy weather; hence the name. It is also
called marvel of Peru, and afternoon lady.
2. (Zoöl.) The friar bird; -- so
called from its cry, which resembles these words.
Four"pence (?), n. 1.
A British silver coin, worth four pence; a groat.
2. A name formerly given in New England to
the Spanish half real, a silver coin worth six and a quarter
cents.
Four"-post`er (?), n. A large
bedstead with tall posts at the corners to support curtains.
[Colloq.]
Four"rier (?; F. &?;), n. [F., fr. OF.
forre. See Forage, n.] A
harbinger. [Obs.]
Four"score` (?), a. [Four +
core, n.] Four times twenty;
eighty.
Four"score`, n. The product of
four times twenty; eighty units or objects.
Four"square` (?), a. Having four
sides and four equal angles. Sir W. Raleigh.
Four"teen` (?), a. [OE.
fourtene, feowertene, AS.
feówert&ymacr;ne, feówertēne. See
Four, and Ten, and cf. Forty.] Four and ten
more; twice seven.
Four"teen`, n. 1.
The sum of ten and four; forteen units or objects.
2. A symbol representing fourteen, as 14 or
xiv.
Four"teenth` (?), a. [Cf. OE.
fourtende, fourtethe, AS.
feówerteoða.] 1. Next in order
after the thirteenth; as, the fourteenth day of the
month.
2. Making or constituting one of fourteen
equal parts into which anything may be divided.
Four"teenth`, n. 1.
One of fourteen equal parts into which one whole may be divided;
the quotient of a unit divided by fourteen; one next after the
thirteenth.
2. (Mus.) The octave of the
seventh.
Fourth (?), a. [OE. fourthe,
ferthe, feorthe, AS. feórða, fr.
feówer four.] 1. Next in order
after the third; the ordinal of four.
2. Forming one of four equal parts into which
anything may be divided.
Fourth, n. 1. One
of four equal parts into which one whole may be divided; the quotient
of a unit divided by four; one coming next in order after the
third.
2. (Mus.) The interval of two tones
and a semitone, embracing four diatonic degrees of the scale; the
subdominant of any key.
The Fourth, specifically, in the United
States, the fourth day of July, the anniversary of the declaration of
American independence; as, to celebrate the Fourth.
Fourth"ly, adv. In the fourth
place.
Four"-way` (?), a. Allowing
passage in either of four directions; as, a four-way cock, or
valve. Francis.
Four-way cock, a cock connected with four
pipes or ports, and having two or more passages in the plug, by which
the adjacent pipes or ports may be made to communicate; formerly used
as a valve in the steam engine, and now for various other purposes.
In the illustration, a leads to the upper end of a steam
engine cylinder, and b to the lower end; c is the steam
pipe, and d the exhaust pipe.
Four"-wheeled` (?), a. Having four
wheels.
Four"-wheel`er (?), n. A vehicle
having four wheels. [Colloq.]
||Fous"sa (?), n. [Natibe name.]
(Zoöl.) A viverrine animal of Madagascar
(Cryptoprocta ferox). It resembles a cat in size and form, and
has retractile claws.
Fou"ter (?), n. [F. foutre to
lecher, L. futuere. Cf. Fouty.] A despicable
fellow. [Prov. Eng.] Brockett.
Fou"tra (?), n. [See Fouter.]
A fig; -- a word of contempt. [Obs.]
A foutra for the world and wordlings
base!
Shak.
Fou"ty (?), a. [Cf. F. foutu, p.
p. of foutre; OF. foutu scoundrel. See Fouter.]
Despicable. [Obs.]
||Fo"ve*a (?), n.; pl.
Foveæ (#). [L., a small pit.] A slight
depression or pit; a fossa.
Fo"ve*ate (?), a. [L. fovea a
pit.] Having pits or depressions; pitted.
||Fo*ve"o*la (?), n.; pl.
Foveolæ (#). [NL., dim. of L. fovea.]
A small depression or pit; a fovea.
Fo"ve*o*late (? or ?), a. Having
small pits or depressions, as the receptacle in some composite
flowers.
Fo"ve*o*la`ted (?), a.
Foveolate.
Fo*vil"la (?), n.; pl.
Fovillæ (#). [Dim. fr. L. fovere to
cherish.] (Bot.) One of the fine granules contained
in the protoplasm of a pollen grain.
Fowl (?), n. Instead of the pl.
Fowls the singular is often used collectively. [OE.
foul, fowel, foghel, fuhel, fugel,
AS. fugol; akin to OS. fugal D. & G. vogel, OHG.
fogal, Icel. & Dan. fugl, Sw. fogel,
fågel, Goth. fugls; of unknown origin, possibly
by loss of l, from the root of E. fly, or akin to E.
fox, as being a tailed animal.] 1. Any
bird; esp., any large edible bird.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air.
Gen. i. 26.
Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow
not.
Matt. vi. 26.
Like a flight of fowl
Scattered by winds and high tempestuous gusts.
Shak.
2. Any domesticated bird used as food, as a
hen, turkey, duck; in a more restricted sense, the common domestic
cock or hen (Gallus domesticus).
Barndoor fowl, or Barnyard
fowl, a fowl that frequents the barnyard; the common
domestic cock or hen.
Fowl, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fowled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fowling.] To catch or kill wild fowl, for game or food,
as by shooting, or by decoys, nets, etc.
Such persons as may lawfully hunt, fish, or
fowl.
Blackstone.
Fowling piece, a light gun with smooth bore,
adapted for the use of small shot in killing birds or small
quadrupeds.
Fowl"er (?), n. A sportsman who
pursues wild fowl, or takes or kills for food.
Fow"ler*ite (?), n. [From Dr. Samuel
Fowler.] (Min.) A variety of rhodonite, from
Franklin Furnace, New Jersey, containing some zinc.
Fow"ler's so*lu"tion (?). An aqueous solution of
arsenite of potassium, of such strength that one hundred parts
represent one part of arsenious acid, or white arsenic; -- named from
Fowler, an English physician who first brought it into
use.
Fox (?), n.; pl.
Foxes (#). [AS. fox; akin to D. vos,
G. fuchs, OHG. fuhs, foha, Goth.
faúh&?;, Icel. f&?;a fox, fox fraud; of
unknown origin, cf. Skr. puccha tail. Cf. Vixen.]
1. (Zoöl.) A carnivorous animal of
the genus Vulpes, family Canidæ, of many species.
The European fox (V. vulgaris or V. vulpes), the
American red fox (V. fulvus), the American gray fox (V.
Virginianus), and the arctic, white, or blue, fox (V.
lagopus) are well-known species.
&fist; The black or silver-gray fox is a variety of
the American red fox, producing a fur of great value; the cross-
gray and woods-gray foxes are other varieties of the same
species, of less value. The common foxes of Europe and America are
very similar; both are celebrated for their craftiness. They feed on
wild birds, poultry, and various small animals.
Subtle as the fox for prey.
Shak.
2. (Zoöl.) The European
dragonet.
3. (Zoöl.) The fox shark or
thrasher shark; -- called also sea fox. See Thrasher
shark, under Shark.
4. A sly, cunning fellow. [Colloq.]
We call a crafty and cruel man a
fox.
Beattie.
5. (Naut.) Rope yarn twisted together,
and rubbed with tar; -- used for seizings or mats.
6. A sword; -- so called from the stamp of a
fox on the blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox.
[Obs.]
Thou diest on point of fox.
Shak.
7. pl. (Ethnol.) A tribe of
Indians which, with the Sacs, formerly occupied the region about
Green Bay, Wisconsin; -- called also Outagamies.
Fox and geese. (a) A boy's
game, in which one boy tries to catch others as they run one goal to
another. (b) A game with sixteen checkers,
or some substitute for them, one of which is called the fox,
and the rest the geese; the fox, whose first position
is in the middle of the board, endeavors to break through the line of
the geese, and the geese to pen up the fox. -- Fox
bat (Zoöl.), a large fruit bat of the genus
Pteropus, of many species, inhabiting Asia, Africa, and the
East Indies, esp. P. medius of India. Some of the species are
more than four feet across the outspread wings. See Fruit
bat. -- Fox bolt, a bolt having a
split end to receive a fox wedge. -- Fox brush
(Zoöl.), the tail of a fox. -- Fox
evil, a disease in which the hair falls off;
alopecy. -- Fox grape (Bot.), the
name of two species of American grapes. The northern fox grape
(Vitis Labrusca) is the origin of the varieties called
Isabella, Concord, Hartford, etc., and the
southern fox grape (Vitis vulpina) has produced the
Scuppernong, and probably the Catawba. --
Fox hunter. (a) One who pursues
foxes with hounds. (b) A horse ridden in a
fox chase. -- Fox shark (Zoöl.),
the thrasher shark. See Thrasher shark, under
Thrasher. -- Fox sleep, pretended
sleep. -- Fox sparrow (Zoöl.),
a large American sparrow (Passerella iliaca); -- so called
on account of its reddish color. -- Fox
squirrel (Zoöl.), a large North American
squirrel (Sciurus niger, or S. cinereus). In the
Southern States the black variety prevails; farther north the fulvous
and gray variety, called the cat squirrel, is more
common. -- Fox terrier (Zoöl.),
one of a peculiar breed of terriers, used in hunting to drive
foxes from their holes, and for other purposes. There are rough- and
smooth-haired varieties. -- Fox trot, a
pace like that which is adopted for a few steps, by a horse, when
passing from a walk into a trot, or a trot into a walk. --
Fox wedge (Mach. & Carpentry), a wedge
for expanding the split end of a bolt, cotter, dowel, tenon, or other
piece, to fasten the end in a hole or mortise and prevent withdrawal.
The wedge abuts on the bottom of the hole and the piece is driven
down upon it. Fastening by fox wedges is called foxtail
wedging. -- Fox wolf (Zoöl.),
one of several South American wild dogs, belonging to the genus
Canis. They have long, bushy tails like a fox.
Fox (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Foxed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Foxing.] [See Fox, n., cf. Icel.
fox imposture.] 1. To intoxicate; to
stupefy with drink.
I drank . . . so much wine that I was almost
foxed.
Pepys.
2. To make sour, as beer, by causing it to
ferment.
3. To repair the feet of, as of boots, with
new front upper leather, or to piece the upper fronts of.
Fox, v. i. To turn sour; -- said
of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting.
Fox"earth` (?), n. A hole in the
earth to which a fox resorts to hide himself.
Foxed (?), a. 1.
Discolored or stained; -- said of timber, and also of the paper
of books or engravings.
2. Repaired by foxing; as, foxed
boots.
Fox"e*ry (?), n. Behavior like
that of a fox; cunning. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fox"es (?), n. pl. (Ethnol.)
See Fox, n., 7.
Fox"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) The fox shark; -- called also sea
fox. See Thrasher shark, under Shark.
(b) The european dragonet. See
Dragonet.
Fox"glove` (?), n. [AS. foxes-
glōfa, foxes-clōfa,foxes-clife.]
(Bot.) Any plant of the genus Digitalis. The
common English foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a handsome
perennial or biennial plant, whose leaves are used as a powerful
medicine, both as a sedative and diuretic. See
Digitalis.
Pan through the pastures oftentimes hath run
To pluck the speckled foxgloves from their stem.
W. Browne.
Fox"hound` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of a special breed of hounds used for chasing
foxes.
Fox"-hunt`ing (?), a. Pertaining
to or engaged in the hunting of foxes; fond of hunting
foxes.
Fox"i*ness (?), n. 1.
The state or quality of being foxy, or foxlike; craftiness;
shrewdness.
2. The state of being foxed or discolored, as
books; decay; deterioration.
3. A coarse and sour taste in
grapes.
Fox"ish, a. Foxlike.
[Obs.]
Fox"like` (?), a. Resembling a fox
in his characteristic qualities; cunning; artful; foxy.
Fox"ly, a. Foxlike. [Obs.]
"Foxly craft." Latimer.
Fox"ship, n. Foxiness;
craftiness. [R.] Shak.
Fox"tail` (?), n. 1.
The tail or brush of a fox.
2. (Bot.) The name of several kinds of
grass having a soft dense head of flowers, mostly the species of
Alopecurus and Setaria.
3. (Metal.) The last cinders obtained
in the fining process. Raymond.
Foxtail saw, a dovetail saw. --
Foxtail wedging. See Fox wedge, under
Fox.
Fox"y (?), a. 1.
Like or pertaining to the fox; foxlike in disposition or looks;
wily.
Modred's narrow, foxy face.
Tennyson.
2. Having the color of a fox; of a yellowish
or reddish brown color; -- applied sometimes to paintings when they
have too much of this color.
3. Having the odor of a fox; rank; strong
smeelling.
4. Sour; unpleasant in taste; -- said of
wine, beer, etc., not properly fermented; -- also of grapes which
have the coarse flavor of the fox grape.
Foy (foi), n. [F. foi, old
spelling foy, faith. See Faith.] 1.
Faith; allegiance; fealty. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. A feast given by one about to leave a
place. [Obs.]
He did at the Dog give me, and some other friends of
his, his foy, he being to set sail to-day.
Pepys.
||Foy`er" (?), n. [F., fr. LL.
focarium fireplace. See Focus, n.]
1. A lobby in a theater; a greenroom.
2. The crucible or basin in a furnace which
receives the molten metal. Knight.
Foy"son (?), n. [Obs.] See
Foison.
Fo"zi*ness (?), n. The state of
being fozy; spiritlessness; dullness. [Scot.]
[The Whigs'] foziness can no longer be
concealed.
Blackwood's.
Fo"zy (?), a. Spongy; soft; fat
and puffy. [Scot.]
Fra (fr&adot;), adv. & prep. [OE.]
Fro. [Old Eng. & Scot.]
Fra (fr&adot;), n. [It., for
frate. See Friar.] Brother; -- a title of a monk
or friar; as, Fra Angelo. Longfellow.
Frab (?), v. i. & t. To scold; to
nag. [Prov. Eng.]
Frab"bit (?), a. Crabbed;
peevish. [Prov. Eng.]
Fra"cas (frā"kas; F. fr&adot;`kä";
277), n. [F., crash, din, tumult, It.
fracasso, fr. fracassare to break in pieces, perh. fr.
fra within, among (L. infra) + cassare to annul,
cashier. Cf. Cashier, v. t.] An
uproar; a noisy quarrel; a disturbance; a brawl.
Frache (frāsh), n. A shallow
iron pan to hold glass ware while being annealed.
Frac"id (?), a. [L. fracidus
mellow, soft.] Rotten from being too ripe; overripe.
[Obs.] Blount.
Fract (frăkt), v. t. [L.
fractus, p. p. of frangere to break.] To break; to
violate. [Obs.] Shak.
Frac"ted, a. (Her.) Having
a part displaced, as if broken; -- said of an ordinary.
Macaulay.
Frac"tion (?), n. [F. fraction,
L. fractio a breaking, fr. frangere, fractum, to
break. See Break.] 1. The act of
breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence.
[Obs.]
Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to
any fraction or breaking up.
Foxe.
2. A portion; a fragment.
Some niggard fractions of an hour.
Tennyson.
3. (Arith. or Alg.) One or more
aliquot parts of a unit or whole number; an expression for a definite
portion of a unit or magnitude.
Common, or Vulgar, fraction,
a fraction in which the number of equal parts into which the
integer is supposed to be divided is indicated by figures or letters,
called the denominator, written below a line, over which is
the numerator, indicating the number of these parts included
in the fraction; as ½, one half, ⅖, two fifths. --
Complex fraction, a fraction having a fraction
or mixed number in the numerator or denominator, or in both.
Davies & Peck. -- Compound fraction, a
fraction of a fraction; two or more fractions connected by
of. -- Continued fraction,
Decimal fraction, Partial
fraction, etc. See under Continued,
Decimal, Partial, etc. -- Improper
fraction, a fraction in which the numerator is greater
than the denominator. -- Proper fraction,
a fraction in which the numerator is less than the
denominator.
Frac"tion, v. t. (Chem.) To
separate by means of, or to subject to, fractional distillation or
crystallization; to fractionate; -- frequently used with out;
as, to fraction out a certain grade of oil from
pretroleum.
Frac"tion*al (?), a. 1.
Of or pertaining to fractions or a fraction; constituting a
fraction; as, fractional numbers.
2. Relatively small; inconsiderable;
insignificant; as, a fractional part of the
population.
Fractional crystallization (Chem.), a
process of gradual and approximate purification and separation, by
means of repeated solution and crystallization therefrom. --
Fractional currency, small coin, or paper
notes, in circulation, of less value than the monetary unit. --
Fractional distillation (Chem.), a
process of distillation so conducted that a mixture of liquids,
differing considerably from each other in their boiling points, can
be separated into its constituents.
Frac"tion*al*ly, adv. By fractions
or separate portions; as, to distill a liquid fractionally,
that is, so as to separate different portions.
Frac"tion*a*ry (?), a.
Fractional. [Obs.]
Frac"tion*ate (?), v. t. To
separate into different portions or fractions, as in the distillation
of liquids.
Frac"tious (?), a. [Cf. Prov. E.
frack forward, eager, E. freak, fridge; or Prov.
E. fratch to squabble, quarrel.] Apt to break out into a
passion; apt to scold; cross; snappish; ugly; unruly; as, a
fractious man; a fractious horse.
Syn. -- Snappish; peevish; waspish; cross; irritable;
perverse; pettish.
-- Frac"tious*ly, v. --
Frac"tious*ness, n.
Frac"tur*al (?; 135), a.
Pertaining to, or consequent on, a fracture. [R.]
Frac"ture (?; 135), n. [L.
fractura, fr. frangere, fractum, to break: cf.
F. fracture. See Fraction.] 1. The
act of breaking or snapping asunder; rupture; breach.
2. (Surg.) The breaking of a
bone.
3. (Min.) The texture of a freshly
broken surface; as, a compact fracture; an even, hackly, or
conchoidal fracture.
Comminuted fracture (Surg.), a
fracture in which the bone is broken into several parts. --
Complicated fracture (Surg.), a fracture
of the bone combined with the lesion of some artery, nervous trunk,
or joint. -- Compound fracture (Surg.),
a fracture in which there is an open wound from the surface down
to the fracture. -- Simple fracture
(Surg.), a fracture in which the bone only is ruptured. It
does not communicate with the surface by an open wound.
Syn. -- Fracture, Rupture. These words denote
different kinds of breaking, according to the objects to which
they are applied. Fracture is applied to hard substances; as,
the fracture of a bone. Rupture is oftener applied to
soft substances; as, the rupture of a blood vessel. It is also
used figuratively. "To be an enemy and once to have been a friend,
does it not embitter the rupture?" South.
Frac"ture (?; 135), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Fractured (#; 135); p. pr. & vb.
n.. Fracturing.] [Cf. F. fracturer.] To
cause a fracture or fractures in; to break; to burst asunder; to
crack; to separate the continuous parts of; as, to fracture a
bone; to fracture the skull.
||Fræn"u*lum (?), n.; pl.
Frænula (#). [NL., dim. of L. fraenum
a bridle.] (Anat.) A frænum.
{ Fræ"num (?), or Fre"num },
n.; pl. E. Frænums
(#), L. Fræna (#). [L., a bridle.]
(Anat.) A connecting fold of membrane serving to support
or restrain any part; as, the frænum of the
tongue.
Frag"ile (?), a. [L. fragilis,
from frangere to break; cf. F. fragile. See
Break, v. t., and cf. Frail,
a.] Easily broken; brittle; frail; delicate;
easily destroyed.
The state of ivy is tough, and not
fragile.
Bacon.
Syn. -- Brittle; infirm; weak; frail; frangible;
slight.
-- Frag"ile*ly, adv.
Fra*gil"i*ty (?), n. [L.
fragilitas: cf. F. fragilité. Cf.
Frailty.] 1. The condition or quality of
being fragile; brittleness; frangibility. Bacon.
2. Weakness; feebleness.
An appearance of delicacy, and even of
fragility, is almost essential to it [beauty].
Burke.
3. Liability to error and sin; frailty.
[Obs.]
The fragility and youthful folly of Qu.
Fabius.
Holland.
Frag"ment (?), n. [L.
fragmentum, fr. frangere to break: cf. F. fragment. See
Break, v. t.] A part broken off; a
small, detached portion; an imperfect part; as, a fragment of
an ancient writing.
Gather up the fragments that
remain.
John vi. 12.
Frag*men"tal (?), a. 1.
Fragmentary.
2. (Geol.) Consisting of the
pulverized or fragmentary material of rock, as conglomerate, shale,
etc.
Frag*men"tal, n. (Geol.) A
fragmentary rock.
Frag"men*ta*ri*ly (?), adv. In a
fragmentary manner; piecemeal.
Frag"men*ta*ri*ness, n. The
quality or property of being in fragments, or broken pieces;
incompleteness; want of continuity. G. Eliot.
Frag"men*ta*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
fragmentaire.] 1. Composed of fragments,
or broken pieces; disconnected; not complete or entire.
Donne.
2. (Geol.) Composed of the fragments
of other rocks.
Frag"ment*ed (?), a. Broken into
fragments.
Frag"ment*ist, n. A writer of
fragments; as, the fragmentist of Wolfenbüttel.
[R.]
||Fra"gor (&?;), n. [L., a breaking to
pieces, fr. frangere to break.] 1. A loud
and sudden sound; the report of anything bursting; a crash.
I. Watts.
2. [Due to confusion with fragrant.] A
strong or sweet scent. [Obs. & Illegitimate.] Sir T.
Herbert.
{ Fra"grance (?), Fra"gran*cy (?) },
n. [L. fragrantia: cf. OF.
fragrance.] The quality of being fragrant; sweetness of
smell; a sweet smell; a pleasing odor; perfume.
Eve separate he spies,
Veiled in a cloud of fragrance.
Milton.
The goblet crowned,
Breathed aromatic fragrancies around.
Pope.
Fra"grant (?), a. [L. fragrans.
-antis, p. pr. of fragrare to emit a smell of
fragrance: cf. OF. fragrant.] Affecting the olfactory
nerves agreeably; sweet of smell; odorous; having or emitting an
agreeable perfume.
Fragrant the fertile earth
After soft showers.
Milton.
Syn. -- Sweet-smelling; odorous; odoriferous; sweet-
scented; redolent; ambrosial; balmy; spicy; aromatic.
-- Fra"grant*ly, adv.
Fraight (?), a. Same as
Fraught. [Obs.] Spenser.
Frail (?), n. [OE. fraiel,
fraile, OF. fraiel, freel, frael, fr. LL.
fraellum.] A basket made of rushes, used chiefly for
containing figs and raisins.
2. The quantity of raisins -- about thirty-
two, fifty-six, or seventy-five pounds, -- contained in a
frail.
3. A rush for weaving baskets.
Johnson.
Frail, a. [Compar.
Frailer (?); superl. Frailest.] [OE.
frele, freile, OF. fraile, frele, F.
frêle, fr. L. fragilis. See Fragile.]
1. Easily broken; fragile; not firm or durable;
liable to fail and perish; easily destroyed; not tenacious of life;
weak; infirm.
That I may know how frail I am.
Ps. xxxix. 4.
An old bent man, worn and frail.
Lowell.
2. Tender. [Obs.]
Deep indignation and compassion.
Spenser.
3. Liable to fall from virtue or be led into
sin; not strong against temptation; weak in resolution; also,
unchaste; -- often applied to fallen women.
Man is frail, and prone to evil.
Jer. Taylor.
Frail"ly, adv. Weakly;
infirmly.
Frail"ness, n. Frailty.
Frail"ty (frāl"t&ybreve;), n.;
pl. Frailties (-t&ibreve;z). [OE.
frelete, freilte, OF. fraileté, fr. L.
fragilitas. See Frail, a., and cf.
Fragility.] 1. The condition or quality
of being frail, physically, mentally, or morally; frailness;
infirmity; weakness of resolution; liableness to be deceived or
seduced.
God knows our frailty, [and] pities our
weakness.
Locke.
2. A fault proceeding from weakness; foible;
sin of infirmity.
Syn. -- Frailness; fragility; imperfection; failing.
||Frai"scheur (?), n. [OF.; F
fraicheur, fr. frais, fem. fraîche, fresh;
of German origin. See Frash, a.]
Freshness; coolness. [R.] Dryden.
Fraise (?), n. [See Froise.]
A large and thick pancake, with slices of bacon in it.
[Obs.] Johnson.
||Fraise (?), n. [F. fraise,
orig., a ruff, cf. F. frise frieze, E. frieze a coarse
stuff.] 1. (Fort.) A defense consisting
of pointed stakes driven into the ramparts in a horizontal or
inclined position.
2. (Mech.) A fluted reamer for
enlarging holes in stone; a small milling cutter.
Fraise, v. t. (Mil.) To
protect, as a line of troops, against an onset of cavalry, by
opposing bayonets raised obliquely forward.
Wilhelm.
Fraised (?), a. Fortified with a
fraise.
Frak"en (?), n. A freckle.
[Obs.]
A few fraknes in his face.
Chaucer.
Fram"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being framed.
||Fram*bæ"si*a (?), n. [F. & NL.,
fr. F. framboise raspberry.] (Med.) The yaws. See
Yaws.
Frame (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Framed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Framing.] [OE. framen, fremen, to execute,
build, AS. fremman to further, perform, effect, fr.
fram strong, valiant; akin to E. foremost, and prob. to
AS. fram from, Icel. fremja, frama, to further,
framr forward, G. fromm worthy, excellent, pious. See
Foremost, From, and cf. Furnish.]
1. (Arch. & Engin.) To construct by
fitting and uniting the several parts of the skeleton of any
structure; specifically, in woodwork, to put together by cutting
parts of one member to fit parts of another. See Dovetail,
Halve, v. t., Miter, Tenon,
Tooth, Tusk, Scarf, and Splice.
2. To originate; to plan; to devise; to
contrive; to compose; in a bad sense, to invent or fabricate, as
something false.
How many excellent reasonings are framed in the
mind of a man of wisdom and study in a length of years.
I. Watts.
3. To fit to something else, or for some
specific end; to adjust; to regulate; to shape; to conform.
And frame my face to all
occasions.
Shak.
We may in some measure frame our minds for the
reception of happiness.
Landor.
The human mind is framed to be
influenced.
I. Taylor.
4. To cause; to bring about; to
produce. [Obs.]
Fear frames disorder, and disorder
wounds.
Shak.
5. To support. [Obs. & R.]
That on a staff his feeble steps did
frame.
Spenser.
6. To provide with a frame, as a
picture.
Frame, v. i. 1. To
shape; to arrange, as the organs of speech. [Obs.] Judg.
xii. 6.
2. To proceed; to go. [Obs.]
The bauty of this sinful dame
Made many princes thither frame.
Shak.
Frame, n. 1.
Anything composed of parts fitted and united together; a fabric;
a structure; esp., the constructional system, whether of timber or
metal, that gives to a building, vessel, etc., its model and
strength; the skeleton of a structure.
These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty! thine this universal frame.
Milton.
2. The bodily structure; physical
constitution; make or build of a person.
Some bloody passion shakes your very
frame.
Shak.
No frames could be strong enough to endure
it.
Prescott.
3. A kind of open case or structure made for
admitting, inclosing, or supporting things, as that which incloses or
contains a window, door, picture, etc.; that on which anything is
held or stretched; as: (a) The skeleton
structure which supports the boiler and machinery of a locomotive
upon its wheels. (b) (Founding) A
molding box or flask, which being filled with sand serves as a mold
for castings. (c) The ribs and stretchers
of an umbrella or other structure with a fabric covering.
(d) A structure of four bars, adjustable in
size, on which cloth, etc., is stretched for quilting, embroidery,
etc. (e) (Hort.) A glazed portable
structure for protecting young plants from frost.
(f) (Print.) A stand to support the type
cases for use by the compositor.
4. (Mach.) A term applied, especially
in England, to certain machines built upon or within framework; as, a
stocking frame; lace frame; spinning frame,
etc.
5. Form; shape; proportion; scheme;
structure; constitution; system; as, a frameof
government.
She that hath a heart of that fine frame
To pay this debt of love but to a brother.
Shak.
Put your discourse into some
frame.
Shak.
6. Particular state or disposition, as of the
mind; humor; temper; mood; as, to be always in a happy
frame.
7. Contrivance; the act of devising or
scheming. [Obs.]
John the bastard
Whose spirits toil in frame of villainies.
Shak.
Balloon frame, Cant frames,
etc. See under Balloon, Cant, etc. --
Frame building or house, a
building of which the form and support is made of framed
timbers. [U.S.] -- Frame level, a mason's
level. -- Frame saw, a thin saw stretched
in a frame to give it rigidity.
Fram"er (?), n. One who frames;
as, the framer of a building; the framers of the
Constitution.
Frame"work` (?), n. 1.
The work of framing, or the completed work; the frame or
constructional part of anything; as, the framework of
society.
A staunch and solid piece of
framework.
Milton.
2. Work done in, or by means of, a frame or
loom.
Fram"ing, n. 1.
The act, process, or style of putting together a frame, or of
constructing anything; a frame; that which frames.
2. (Arch. & Engin.) A framework, or a
sy&?; of frames.
Framing chisel (Carp.), a heavy
chisel with a socket shank for making mortises.
{ Fram"pel (?), Fram"poid (?) },
a. [Also written frampul, frampled,
framfold.] [Cf. W. fframfol passionate, ffrom
angry, fretting; or perh. akin to E. frump.] Peevish;
cross; vexatious; quarrelsome. [Obs.] Shak.
Is Pompey grown so malapert, so
frampel?
Beau. & Fl.
Franc (?), n. [F., fr. franc a
Franc. See Frank, a.] A silver coin of
France, and since 1795 the unit of the French monetary system. It has
been adopted by Belgium and Swizerland. It is equivalent to about
nineteen cents, or ten pence, and is divided into 100
centimes.
Fran"chise (? or ?; 277), n. [F., fr.
franc, fem. franche, free. See Frank,
a.] 1. Exemption from
constraint or oppression; freedom; liberty. [Obs.]
Spenser.
2. (LAw) A particular privilege
conferred by grant from a sovereign or a government, and vested in
individuals; an immunity or exemption from ordinary jurisdiction; a
constitutional or statutory right or privilege, esp. the right to
vote.
Election by universal suffrage, as modified by the
Constitution, is the one crowning franchise of the American
people.
W. H. Seward.
3. The district or jurisdiction to which a
particular privilege extends; the limits of an immunity; hence, an
asylum or sanctuary.
Churches and mobasteries in Spain are
franchises for criminals.
London
Encyc.
4. Magnanimity; generosity; liberality;
frankness; nobility. "Franchise in woman." [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Elective franchise, the privilege or right
of voting in an election of public officers.
Fran"chise, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Franchised (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Franchising.] [Cf. OF. franchir to free, F., to cross.]
To make free; to enfranchise; to give liberty to.
Shak.
Fran"chise*ment (?), n. [Cf. OF.
franchissement.] Release; deliverance; freedom.
Spenser.
Fran"cic (?), a. [See Frank,
a.] Pertaining to the Franks, or their
language; Frankish.
Fran*cis"can (?), a. [LL.
Franciscus Francis: cf. F. franciscain.] (R. C.
Ch.) Belonging to the Order of St. Francis of the
Franciscans.
Franciscan Brothers, pious laymen who devote
themselves to useful works, such as manual labor schools, and other
educational institutions; -- called also Brothers of the Third
Order of St. Francis. -- Franciscan Nuns,
nuns who follow the rule of St. Francis, esp. those of the Second
Order of St. Francis, -- called also Poor Clares or
Minoresses. -- Franciscan Tertiaries,
the Third Order of St. Francis.
Fran*cis"can, n. (R.C.Ch.)
A monk or friar of the Order of St. Francis, a large and zealous
order of mendicant monks founded in 1209 by St. Francis of Assisi.
They are called also Friars Minor; and in England, Gray
Friars, because they wear a gray habit.
Fran"co*lin (?), n. [F.; cf. It.
francolino, Sp. francolin.] (Zoöl.) A
spurred partidge of the genus Francolinus and allied genera,
of Asia and Africa. The common species (F. vulgaris) was
formerly common in southern Europe, but is now nearly restricted to
Asia.
Fran"co*lite (?), n. (Min.)
A variety of apatite from Wheal Franco in
Devonshire.
Fran"gent (?), a. [L. frangens,
p. pr. of frangere. See Fraction.] Causing
fracture; breaking. [R.] H. Walpole.
Fran`gi*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
frangibilité.] The state or quality of being
frangible. Fox.
Fran"gi*ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
frangible.] Capable of being broken; brittle; fragile;
easily broken.
||Fran"gi*pane (?), n. [F.
frangipane; supposed to be called so from the inventor, the
Marquis Frangipani, major general under Louis XIV.]
1. A perfume of jasmine; frangipani.
2. A species of pastry, containing cream and
almonds.
{ Fran`gi*pan"i (?), Fran`gi*pan"ni (?) },
n. [Another spelling of frangipane.] A
perfume derived from, or imitating the odor of, the flower of the red
jasmine, a West Indian tree of the genus Plumeria.
{ Fran*gu"lic (?), Fran`gu*lin"ic (?) },
a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or drived
from, frangulin, or a species (Rhamnus Frangula) of the
buckthorn.
Frangulinic acid (Chem.), a yellow
crystalline substance, resembling alizarin, and obtained by the
decomposition of frangulin.
Fran"gu*lin (?), n. (Chem.)
A yellow crystalline dyestuff, regarded as a glucoside,
extracted from a species (Rhamnus Frangula) of the buckthorn;
-- called also rhamnoxanthin.
Fran"ion (?), n. [Perh. from F.
fainéant an idler.] A paramour; a loose woman;
also, a gay, idle fellow. [Obs.] Spenser.
Frank (?), n. [OF. franc.]
A pigsty. [Obs.]
Frank, v. t. To shut up in a frank
or sty; to pen up; hence, to cram; to fatten. [Obs.]
Shak.
Frank, n. (Zoöl.) The
common heron; -- so called from its note. [Prov. Eng.]
Frank (?), a. [Compar
Franker (?); superl. Frankest.] [F.
franc free, frank, L. Francus a Frank, fr. OHG.
Franko the name of a Germanic people on the Rhine, who
afterward founded the French monarchy; cf. AS. franca javelin,
Icel. frakka. Cf. Franc, French,
a., Franchise, n.]
1. Unbounded by restrictions, limitations, etc.;
free. [R.] "It is of frank gift." Spenser.
2. Free in uttering one's real sentiments;
not reserved; using no disguise; candid; ingenuous; as, a
frank nature, conversation, manner, etc.
3. Liberal; generous; profuse.
[Obs.]
Frank of civilities that cost them
nothing.
L'Estrange.
4. Unrestrained; loose; licentious; -- used
in a bad sense. Spenser.
Syn. -- Ingenuous; candid; artless; plain; open;
unreserved; undisguised; sincere. See Candid,
Ingenuous.
Frank (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Franked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Franking.] 1. To send by public
conveyance free of expense. Dickens.
2. To extempt from charge for postage, as a
letter, package, or packet, etc.
Frank, n. [See Frank,
a.] The privilege of sending letters or other
mail matter, free of postage, or without charge; also, the sign,
mark, or signature denoting that a letter or other mail matter is to
free of postage.
I have said so much, that, if I had not a
frank, I must burn my letter and begin again.
Cowper.
Frank, n. [Cf. F. franc. See
Frank, a.] 1.
(Ethnol.) A member of one of the German tribes that in
the fifth century overran and conquered Gaul, and established the
kingdom of France.
2. A native or inhabitant of Western Europe;
a European; -- a term used in the Levant.
3. A French coin. See Franc.
Frank`al*moigne" (?), n. [F.
franc free + Norm. F. almoigne alma, for
almosne, F. aumône. See Frank,
a., and Almoner.] (Eng. Law) A
tenure by which a religious corporation holds lands given to them and
their successors forever, usually on condition of praying for the
soul of the donor and his heirs; -- called also tenure by free
alms. Burrill.
Frank"-chase` (?), n. [Frank
free + chase.] (Eng. Law) The liberty or franchise
of having a chase; free chase. Burrill.
Frank"-fee` (?), n. [Frank free
+ fee.] (Eng. Law) A species of tenure in fee
simple, being the opposite of ancient demesne, or copyhold.
Burrill.
Frank"fort black` (?). A black pigment used in
copperplate printing, prepared by burning vine twigs, the lees of
wine, etc. McElrath.
Frank"in*cense (?), n. [OF.
franc free, pure + encens incense.] A fragrant,
aromatic resin, or gum resin, burned as an incense in religious rites
or for medicinal fumigation. The best kinds now come from East Indian
trees, of the genus Boswellia; a commoner sort, from the
Norway spruce (Abies excelsa) and other coniferous trees. The
frankincense of the ancient Jews is still unidentified.
Frank"ing (?), n. (Carp.) A
method of forming a joint at the intersection of window-sash bars, by
cutting away only enough wood to show a miter.
Frank"ish, a. Like, or pertaining
to, the Franks.
Frank"-law` (?), n. [Frank free
+ law.] (Eng. Law) The liberty of being sworn in
courts, as a juror or witness; one of the ancient privileges of a
freeman; free and common law; -- an obsolete expression signifying
substantially the same as the American expression civil
rights. Abbot.
Frank"lin (?), n. [OE.
frankelein; cf. LL. franchilanus. See Frank,
a.] An English freeholder, or substantial
householder. [Obs.] Chaucer.
The franklin, a small landholder of those
days.
Sir J. Stephen.
Frank*lin"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Benjamin Franklin.
Franklinic electricity, electricity produced
by friction; called also statical electricity.
Frank"lin*ite (?), n. (Min.)
A kind of mineral of the spinel group.
Frank"lin stove` (?). A kind of open stove
introduced by Benjamin Franklin, the peculiar feature of which
was that a current of heated air was directly supplied to the room
from an air box; -- now applied to other varieties of open
stoves.
Frank"ly, adv. In a frank manner;
freely.
Very frankly he confessed his
treasons.
Shak.
Syn. -- Openly; ingenuously; plainly; unreservedly;
undisguisedly; sincerely; candidly; artlessly; freely; readily;
unhesitatingly; liberally; willingly.
Frank"-mar"riage (?), n. [Frank
free + marriage.] (Eng. Law) A certain tenure in
tail special; an estate of inheritance given to a man his wife (the
wife being of the blood of the donor), and descendible to the heirs
of their two bodies begotten. [Obs.] Blackstone.
Frank"ness, n. The quality of
being frank; candor; openess; ingenuousness; fairness;
liberality.
Frank"pledge` (?), n. [Frank
free + pledge.] (O. Eng. Law) (a)
A pledge or surety for the good behavior of freemen, -- each
freeman who was a member of an ancient decennary, tithing, or
friborg, in England, being a pledge for the good conduct of the
others, for the preservation of the public peace; a free
surety. (b) The tithing itself.
Bouvier.
The servants of the crown were not, as now, bound in
frankpledge for each other.
Macaulay.
Fran"tic (?), a. [OE. frentik,
frenetik, F. frentique, L. phreneticus, from Gr.
&?;. See Frenzy, and cf. Frenetic, Phrenetic.]
Mad; raving; furious; violent; wild and disorderly;
distracted.
Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed
deed!
Shak.
Torrents of frantic abuse.
Macaulay.
-- Fran"tic*al*ly (#), adv. --
Fran"tic*ly (#), adv. Shak.
-- Fran"tic*ness, n.
Johnson.
Frap (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Frapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frapping.] [Cf. F. frapper to strike, to seize ropes.
Cf. Affrap.] 1. (Naut.) To draw
together; to bind with a view to secure and strengthen, as a vessel
by passing cables around it; to tighten; as a tackle by drawing the
lines together. Tottem.
2. To brace by drawing together, as the cords
of a drum. Knoght.
Frape (?), n. [Cf. frap, and
Prov. E. frape to scold.] A crowd, a rabble. [Obs.]
ares.
Frap"ler (?), n. A blusterer; a
rowdy. [Obs.]
Unpolished, a frapler, and base.
B. Jonson.
||Fra"ter, n. [L., a brother.]
(Eccl.) A monk; also, a frater house. [R.]
Shipley.
Frater house, an apartament in a convent
used as an eating room; a refectory; -- called also a
fratery.
Fra*ter"nal (?), a.[F.
fraternel, LL. fraternalis, fr. L. fraternus,
fr. frater brother. See Brother.] Of, pertaining
to, or involving, brethren; becoming to brothers; brotherly; as,
fraternal affection; a fraternal embrace. --
Fra*ter"nal*ly, adv.
An abhorred, a cursed, a fraternal
war.
Milton.
Fraternal love and friendship.
Addison.
Fra*ter"nate (?), v. i. To
fraternize; to hold fellowship. Jefferson.
{ Fra`ter*na"tion (?), Fra"ter*nism (?) },
n. Fraternization. [R.]
Jefferson.
Fra*ter"ni*ty (?), n.; pl.
Fraternities (#). [F. fraternité, L.
fraternitas.] 1. The state or quality of
being fraternal or brotherly; brotherhood.
2. A body of men associated for their common
interest, business, or pleasure; a company; a brotherhood; a society;
in the Roman Catholic Church, an association for special religious
purposes, for relieving the sick and destitute, etc.
3. Men of the same class, profession,
occupation, character, or tastes.
With what terms of respect knaves and sots will speak
of their own fraternity!
South.
Fra`ter*ni*za"tion (? or ?), n.
The act of fraternizing or uniting as brothers.
I hope that no French fraternization . . .
could so change the hearts of Englishmen.
Burke.
Fra"ter*nize (? or ?; 277), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Fraternized (#); p.
pr. & vb. n.. Fraternizing (#).] [Cf. F.
fraterniser.] To associate or hold fellowship as
brothers, or as men of like occupation or character; to have
brotherly feelings.
Fra"ter*nize, v. t. To bring into
fellowship or brotherly sympathy.
Correspondence for fraternizing the two
nations.
Burke.
Frat"er*ni`zer (?; 277), n. One
who fraternizes. Burke.
Fra"ter*y (? or ?), n. [L.
frater brother: cf. It. frateria a brotherhood of
monks. See Friar.] A frater house. See under
Frater.
Fra"trage (? or ?; 48), n. [L.
frater a brother.] (Law) A sharing among brothers,
or brothers' kin. [Obs.] Crabb.
||Fra`tri*cel"li (?), n. pl. [It.
fraticelli, lit., little brothers, dim. fr. frate
brother, L. frater.] (Eccl. Hist.) (a)
The name which St. Francis of Assisi gave to his followers,
early in the 13th century. (b) A sect
which seceded from the Franciscan Order, chiefly in Italy and Sicily,
in 1294, repudiating the pope as an apostate, maintaining the duty of
celibacy and poverty, and discountenancing oaths. Called also
Fratricellians and Fraticelli.
Frat"ri*ci`dal (?), a. Of or
pertaining to fratricide; of the nature of fratricide.
Frat"ri*cide (?), n. [L.
fratricidium a brother's murder, fr. fratricida a
brother's murderer; frater, fratris, brother +
caedere to kill: cf. F. fratricide.] 1.
The act of one who murders or kills his own brother.
2. [L. fratricida: cf. F.
fratricide.] One who murders or kills his own
brother.
Fraud (fr&add;d), n. [F. fraude,
L. fraus, fraudis; prob. akin to Skr.
dhūrv to injure, dhv&rsdot; to cause to fall, and
E. dull.] 1. Deception deliberately
practiced with a view to gaining an unlawful or unfair advantage;
artifice by which the right or interest of another is injured;
injurious stratagem; deceit; trick.
If success a lover's toil attends,
Few ask, if fraud or force attained his ends.
Pope.
2. (Law) An intentional perversion of
truth for the purpose of obtaining some valuable thing or promise
from another.
3. A trap or snare. [Obs.]
To draw the proud King Ahab into
fraud.
Milton.
Constructive fraud (Law), an act,
statement, or omission which operates as a fraud, although perhaps
not intended to be such. Mozley & W. -- Pious
fraud (Ch. Hist.), a fraud contrived and
executed to benefit the church or accomplish some good end, upon the
theory that the end justified the means. -- Statute of
frauds (Law), an English statute (1676), the
principle of which is incorporated in the legislation of all the
States of this country, by which writing with specific solemnities
(varying in the several statutes) is required to give efficacy to
certain dispositions of property. Wharton.
Syn. -- Deception; deceit; guile; craft; wile; sham;
strife; circumvention; stratagem; trick; imposition; cheat. See
Deception.
Fraud"ful (?), a. Full of fraud,
deceit, or treachery; trickish; treacherous; fraudulent; -- applied
to persons or things. I. Taylor.
-- Fraud"ful*ly, adv.
Fraud"less, a. Free from
fraud. -- Fraud"less*ly, adv. --
Fraud"less*ness, n.
{ Fraud"u*lence (?; 135), Fraud"u*len*cy (?) },
n. [L. fraudulentia.] The quality of
being fraudulent; deliberate deceit; trickishness.
Hooker.
Fraud"u*lent (?), a. [L.
fraudulentus, fr. fraus, fraudis, fraud: cf. F.
fraudulent.] 1. Using fraud; tricky;
deceitful; dishonest.
2. Characterized by, founded on, or
proceeding from, fraud; as, a fraudulent bargain.
He, with serpent tongue, . . .
His fraudulent temptation thus began.
Milton.
3. Obtained or performed by artifice; as,
fraudulent conquest. Milton.
Syn. -- Deceitful; fraudful; guileful; crafty; wily;
cunning; subtle; deceiving; cheating; deceptive; insidious;
treacherous; dishonest; designing; unfair.
Fraud"u*lent*ly (?), adv. In a
fraudulent manner.
Fraught (fr&add;t), n. [OE.
fraight, fraght; akin to Dan. fragt, Sw.
frakt, D. vracht, G. fracht, cf. OHG.
frēht merit, reward; perh. from a pref. corresponding to
E. for + The root of E. own. Cf. Freight.]
A freight; a cargo. [Obs.] Shak.
Fraught, a. Freighted; laden;
filled; stored; charged.
A vessel of our country richly
fraught.
Shak.
A discourse fraught with all the commending
excellences of speech.
South.
Enterprises fraught with world-wide
benefits.
I. Taylor.
Fraught, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fraughted or Fraught; p. pr. & vb.
n. Fraughting.] [Akin to Dan. fragte, Sw.
frakta, D. bevrachten, G. frachten, cf. OHG.
frēhtōn to deserve. See Fraught,
n.] To freight; to load; to burden; to fill;
to crowd. [Obs.]
Upon the tumbling billows fraughted ride
The armed ships.
Fairfax.
Fraught"age (?; 48), n. Freight;
loading; cargo. [Obs.] Shak.
Fraught"ing, a. Constituting the
freight or cargo. [Obs.] "The fraughting souls within
her." Shak.
Fraun"ho*fer lines` (?). (Physics.) The lines
of the spectrum; especially and properly, the dark lines of the solar
spectrum, so called because first accurately observed and interpreted
by Fraunhofer, a German physicist.
Frax"in (?), n. [From Fraxinus.]
(Chem.) A colorless crystalline substance, regarded as a
glucoside, and found in the bark of the ash (Fraxinus) and
along with esculin in the bark of the horse-chestnut. It shows a
delicate fluorescence in alkaline solutions; -- called also
paviin.
||Frax"i*nus (?), n. [L., the ash
tree.] (Bot.) A genus of deciduous forest trees, found in
the north temperate zone, and including the true ash trees.
&fist; Fraxinus excelsior is the European ash; F.
Americana, the white ash; F. sambucifolia, the black ash
or water ash.
Fray (frā), n. [Abbreviated from
affray.] Affray; broil; contest; combat.
Who began this bloody fray?
Shak.
Fray, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Frayed (frād); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fraying.] [See 1st Fray, and cf.
Affray.] To frighten; to terrify; to alarm. I.
Taylor.
What frays ye, that were wont to comfort me
affrayed?
Spenser.
Fray, v. t. [Cf. OF. fraier. See
Defray, v. t.] To bear the expense of;
to defray. [Obs.]
The charge of my most curious and costly ingredients
frayed, I shall acknowledge myself amply
satisfied.
Massinger.
Fray, v. t. [OF. freier,
fraier, froier, to rub. L. fricare; cf.
friare to crumble, E. friable; perh. akin to Gr.
chri`ein to anoint, chri^sma an anointing, Skr.
gh&rsdot;sh to rub, scratch. Cf. Friction.] To
rub; to wear off, or wear into shreds, by rubbing; to fret, as cloth;
as, a deer is said to fray her head.
Fray, v. i. 1. To
rub.
We can show the marks he made
When 'gainst the oak his antlers frayed.
Sir
W. Scott.
2. To wear out or into shreads, or to suffer
injury by rubbing, as when the threads of the warp or of the woof
wear off so that the cross threads are loose; to ravel; as, the cloth
frays badly.
A suit of frayed magnificience.
tennyson.
Fray, n. A fret or chafe, as in
cloth; a place injured by rubbing.
Fray"ing, n. (Zoöl.)
The skin which a deer frays from his horns. B.
Jonson.
Freak (frēk), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Freaked (frēkt); p. pr. & vb.
n. Freaking.] [Akin to OE. frakin,
freken, freckle, Icel. freknur, pl., Sw.
fräkne, Dan. fregne, Gr. perkno`s dark-
colored, Skr. p&rsdot;çni variegated. Cf.
Freckle, Freck.] To variegate; to checker; to
streak. [R.]
Freaked with many a mingled hue.
Thomson.
Freak, n. [Prob. from OE. frek
bold, AS. frec bold, greedly; akin to OHG. freh
greedly, G. frech insolent, Icel. frekr greedy, Goth.
faíhufriks avaricious.] A sudden causeless change
or turn of the mind; a whim of fancy; a capricious prank; a vagary or
caprice.
She is restless and peevish, and sometimes in a
freak will instantly change her habitation.
Spectator.
Syn. -- Whim; caprice; folly; sport. See Whim.
Freak"ing, a. Freakish.
[Obs.] Pepys.
Freak"ish, a. Apt to change the
mind suddenly; whimsical; capricious.
It may be a question whether the wife or the woman was
the more freakish of the two.
L'Estrange.
Freakish when well, and fretful when she's
sick.
Pope.
-- Freak"ish*ly, adv. --
Freak"ish*ness, n.
Freck (?), v. t. [Cf. Freak,
v. t., Freckle.] To checker; to
diversify. [R. & Poet.]
The painted windows, frecking gloom with
glow.
Lowell.
Freck"le (fr&ebreve;k"k'l), n. [Dim.,
from the same root as freak, v. t.]
1. A small yellowish or brownish spot in the
skin, particularly on the face, neck, or hands.
2. Any small spot or discoloration.
Frec"kle, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Freckled (-k'ld); p. pr. & vb.
n. Freckling (-kl&ibreve;ng).] To sprinkle or
mark with freckles or small discolored spots; to spot.
Frec"kle (fr&ebreve;k"k'l), v. i.
To become covered or marked with freckles; to be
spotted.
Frec"kled (fr&ebreve;k"k'ld), a.
Marked with freckles; spotted. "The freckled
trout." Dryden.
The freckled cowslip, burnet, and green
clover.
Shak.
Frec"kled*ness (-k'ld*n&ebreve;s), n.
The state of being freckled.
Frec"kly (-kl&ybreve;), a. Full of
or marked with freckles; sprinkled with spots; freckled.
Fred (fr&ebreve;d), n. [AS.
frið peace. See Frith inclosure.] Peace; -- a
word used in composition, especially in proper names; as,
Alfred; Frederic.
Fred"stole` (-stōl`), n. [Obs.]
See Fridstol. Fuller.
Free (frē), a.
[Compar. Freer (-&etilde;r);
superl. Freest (-&ebreve;st).] [OE.
fre, freo, AS. freó, frī;
akin to D. vrij, OS. & OHG. frī, G. frei,
Icel. frī, Sw. & Dan. fri, Goth. freis,
and also to Skr. prija beloved, dear, fr. prī to
love, Goth. frijōn. Cf. Affray, Belfry,
Friday, Friend, Frith inclosure.]
1. Exempt from subjection to the will of others;
not under restraint, control, or compulsion; able to follow one's own
impulses, desires, or inclinations; determining one's own course of
action; not dependent; at liberty.
That which has the power, or not the power, to
operate, is that alone which is or is not free.
Locke.
2. Not under an arbitrary or despotic
government; subject only to fixed laws regularly and fairly
administered, and defended by them from encroachments upon natural or
acquired rights; enjoying political liberty.
3. Liberated, by arriving at a certain age,
from the control of parents, guardian, or master.
4. Not confined or imprisoned; released from
arrest; liberated; at liberty to go.
Set an unhappy prisoner free.
Prior.
5. Not subjected to the laws of physical
necessity; capable of voluntary activity; endowed with moral liberty;
-- said of the will.
Not free, what proof could they have given
sincere
Of true allegiance, constant faith, or love.
Milton.
6. Clear of offense or crime; guiltless;
innocent.
My hands are guilty, but my heart is
free.
Dryden.
7. Unconstrained by timidity or distrust;
unreserved; ingenuous; frank; familiar; communicative.
He was free only with a few.
Milward.
8. Unrestrained; immoderate; lavish;
licentious; -- used in a bad sense.
The critics have been very free in their
censures.
Felton.
A man may live a free life as to wine or
women.
Shelley.
9. Not close or parsimonious; liberal; open-
handed; lavish; as, free with his money.
10. Exempt; clear; released; liberated; not
encumbered or troubled with; as, free from pain; free
from a burden; -- followed by from, or, rarely, by
of.
Princes declaring themselves free from the
obligations of their treaties.
Bp. Burnet.
11. Characteristic of one acting without
restraint; charming; easy.
12. Ready; eager; acting without spurring or
whipping; spirited; as, a free horse.
13. Invested with a particular freedom or
franchise; enjoying certain immunities or privileges; admitted to
special rights; -- followed by of.
He therefore makes all birds, of every sect,
Free of his farm.
Dryden.
14. Thrown open, or made accessible, to all;
to be enjoyed without limitations; unrestricted; not obstructed,
engrossed, or appropriated; open; -- said of a thing to be possessed
or enjoyed; as, a free school.
Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as
free
For me as for you?
Shak.
15. Not gained by importunity or purchase;
gratuitous; spontaneous; as, free admission; a free
gift.
16. Not arbitrary or despotic; assuring
liberty; defending individual rights against encroachment by any
person or class; instituted by a free people; -- said of a
government, institutions, etc.
17. (O. Eng. Law) Certain or
honorable; the opposite of base; as, free service;
free socage. Burrill.
18. (Law) Privileged or individual;
the opposite of common; as, a free fishery; a
free warren. Burrill.
19. Not united or combined with anything
else; separated; dissevered; unattached; at liberty to escape; as,
free carbonic acid gas; free cells.
Free agency, the capacity or power of
choosing or acting freely, or without necessity or constraint upon
the will. -- Free bench (Eng. Law),
a widow's right in the copyhold lands of her husband,
corresponding to dower in freeholds. -- Free
board (Naut.), a vessel's side between water
line and gunwale. -- Free bond (Chem.),
an unsaturated or unemployed unit, or bond, of affinity or
valence, of an atom or radical. -- Free-borough
men (O.Eng. Law). See Friborg. --
Free chapel (Eccles.), a chapel not
subject to the jurisdiction of the ordinary, having been founded by
the king or by a subject specially authorized. [Eng.]
Bouvier. -- Free charge (Elec.),
a charge of electricity in the free or statical condition; free
electricity. -- Free church.
(a) A church whose sittings are for all and
without charge. (b) An ecclesiastical body
that left the Church of Scotland, in 1843, to be free from control by
the government in spiritual matters. -- Free
city, or Free town, a city or town
independent in its government and franchises, as formerly those of
the Hanseatic league. -- Free cost,
freedom from charges or expenses. South. --
Free and easy, unconventional; unrestrained;
regardless of formalities. [Colloq.] "Sal and her free and
easy ways." W. Black. -- Free goods,
goods admitted into a country free of duty. -- Free
labor, the labor of freemen, as distinguished from that
of slaves. -- Free port. (Com.)
(a) A port where goods may be received and
shipped free of custom duty. (b) A port
where goods of all kinds are received from ships of all nations at
equal rates of duty. -- Free public house,
in England, a tavern not belonging to a brewer, so that the
landlord is free to brew his own beer or purchase where he
chooses. Simmonds. -- Free school.
(a) A school to which pupils are admitted without
discrimination and on an equal footing. (b)
A school supported by general taxation, by endowmants, etc.,
where pupils pay nothing for tuition; a public school. --
Free services (O.Eng. Law), such feudal
services as were not unbecoming the character of a soldier or a
freemen to perform; as, to serve under his lord in war, to pay a sum
of money, etc. Burrill. -- Free ships,
ships of neutral nations, which in time of war are free from
capture even though carrying enemy's goods. -- Free
socage (O.Eng. Law), a feudal tenure held by
certain services which, though honorable, were not military.
Abbott. -- Free States, those of the
United States before the Civil War, in which slavery had ceased to
exist, or had never existed. -- Free stuff
(Carp.), timber free from knots; clear stuff. --
Free thought, that which is thought
independently of the authority of others. -- Free
trade, commerce unrestricted by duties or tariff
regulations. -- Free trader, one who
believes in free trade. -- To make free with,
to take liberties with; to help one's self to. [Colloq.] --
To sail free (Naut.), to sail with the
yards not braced in as sharp as when sailing closehauled, or close to
the wind.
Free (?), adv. 1.
Freely; willingly. [Obs.]
I as free forgive you
As I would be forgiven.
Shak.
2. Without charge; as, children admitted
free.
Free, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Freed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Freeing.] [OE. freen, freoien, AS.
freógan. See Free, a.]
1. To make free; to set at liberty; to rid of
that which confines, limits, embarrasses, oppresses, etc.; to
release; to disengage; to clear; -- followed by from, and
sometimes by off; as, to free a captive or a slave; to
be freed of these inconveniences. Clarendon.
Our land is from the rage of tigers
freed.
Dryden.
Arise, . . . free thy people from their
yoke.
Milton.
2. To remove, as something that confines or
bars; to relieve from the constraint of.
This master key
Frees every lock, and leads us to his person.
Dryden.
3. To frank. [Obs.]
Johnson.
Free"boot`er (?), n. [D.
vrijbuiter, fr. vrijbuiten to plunder; vrij free
+ buit booty, akin to E. booty. See Free, and
Booty, and cf. Filibuster.] One who plunders or
pillages without the authority of national warfare; a member of a
predatory band; a pillager; a buccaneer; a sea robber.
Bacon.
Free"boot`er*y (?), n. The act,
practice, or gains of a freebooter; freebooting.
Booth.
Free"boot`ing, n. Robbery;
plunder; a pillaging.
Free"boot`ing, a. Acting the
freebooter; practicing freebootery; robbing.
Your freebooting acquaintance.
Sir W. Scott.
Free"boot`y (?), n.
Freebootery. [Obs.]
Free"born` (?), a. Born free; not
born in vassalage; inheriting freedom.
Free"-den`i*zen (?), v. t. To make
free. [R.]
Freed"man (?), n.; pl.
Freedmen (&?;). A man who has been a slave,
and has been set free.
Free"dom (frē"dŭm), n.
[AS. freódōm; freófree + -
dom. See Free, and -dom.] 1.
The state of being free; exemption from the power and control of
another; liberty; independence.
Made captive, yet deserving freedom
more.
Milton.
2. Privileges; franchises;
immunities.
Your charter and your caty's
freedom.
Shak.
3. Exemption from necessity, in choise and
action; as, the freedom of the will.
4. Ease; facility; as, he speaks or acts with
freedom.
5. Frankness; openness;
unreservedness.
I emboldened spake and freedom
used.
Milton.
6. Improper familiarity; violation of the
rules of decorum; license.
7. Generosity; liberality. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Freedom fine, a sum paid on entry to
incorporations of trades. -- Freedom of the
city, the possession of the rights and privileges of a
freeman of the city; formerly often, and now occasionally, conferred
on one not a resident, as a mark of honorary distinction for public
services.
Syn. -- See Liberty.
Freed"stool` (?), n. [Obs.] See
Fridstol.
Free"-hand` (?), a. Done by the
hand, without support, or the guidance of instruments; as, free-
hand drawing. See under Drawing.
Free"-hand`ed, a. Open-handed;
liberal.
Free"-heart`ed (?), a. Open;
frank; unreserved; liberal; generous; as, free-hearted
mirth. -- Free"-heart`ed*ly, adv. --
Free"-heart`ed*ness, n.
Free"hold` (?), n. (LAw) An
estate in real property, of inheritance (in fee simple or fee tail)
or for life; or the tenure by which such estate is held.
Kent. Burrill.
To abate into a freehold. See under
Abate.
Free"hold`er (?), n. (Law)
The possessor of a freehold.
Free"-liv`er (?), n. One who
gratifies his appetites without stint; one given to indulgence in
eating and drinking.
Free"-liv`ing, n. Unrestrained
indulgence of the appetites.
Free"-love` (?), n. The doctrine
or practice of consorting with the opposite sex, at pleasure, without
marriage.
Free"-lov`er, n. One who believes
in or practices free-love.
Freel"te (?), n. Frailty.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Free"ly, adv. [AS.
freólice.] In a free manner; without restraint or
compulsion; abundantly; gratuitously.
Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely
eat.
Gen. ii. 16.
Freely ye have received, freely
give.
Matt. x. 8.
Freely they stood who stood, and fell who
fell.
Milton.
Freely we serve
Because we freely love.
Milton.
Syn. -- Independently; voluntarily; spontaneously;
unconditionally; unobstructedly; willingly; readily; liberally;
generously; bounteously; munificently; bountifully; abundantly;
largely; copiously; plentifully; plenteously.
Free"man (?), n.; pl.
Freemen (#). [AS. freóman;
freófree + mann man.] 1.
One who enjoys liberty, or who is not subject to the will of
another; one not a slave or vassal.
2. A member of a corporation, company, or
city, possessing certain privileges; a member of a borough, town, or
State, who has the right to vote at elections. See
Liveryman. Burrill.
Both having been made freemen on the same
day.
Addison.
Free"-mar`tin (?), n.
(Zoöl.) An imperfect female calf, twinborn with a
male.
Free"ma`son (?), n. One of an
ancient and secret association or fraternity, said to have been at
first composed of masons or builders in stone, but now consisting of
persons who are united for social enjoyment and mutual
assistance.
Free`ma*son"ic (?), a. Pertaining
to, or resembling, the institutions or the practices of freemasons;
as, a freemasonic signal.
Free"ma`son*ry (?), n. The
institutions or the practices of freemasons.
Free"-mill`ing (?), a. Yielding
free gold or silver; -- said of certain ores which can be reduced by
crushing and amalgamation, without roasting or other chemical
treatment. Raymond.
Free"-mind`ed (?), a. Not
perplexed; having a mind free from care. Bacon.
Free"ness, n. The state or quality
of being free; freedom; liberty; openness; liberality;
gratuitousness.
Fre"er (?), n. One who frees, or
sets free.
Free"-soil` (?), a. Pertaining to,
or advocating, the non-extension of slavery; -- esp. applied to a
party which was active during the period 1846-1856. [U.S.] --
Free"soil`er (#), n. [U.S.] -- Free"-
soil`ism (#), n. [U.S.]
Free"-spo`ken (?), a. Accustomed
to speak without reserve. Bacon.
-- Free"-spo`ken-ness, n.
Free"stone` (?), n. A stone
composed of sand or grit; -- so called because it is easily cut or
wrought.
Free"stone`, a. Having the flesh
readily separating from the stone, as in certain kinds of
peaches.
Free"-swim`ming (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Swimming in the open sea; -- said of certain
marine animals.
Free"think`er (?), n. One who
speculates or forms opinions independently of the authority of
others; esp., in the sphere or religion, one who forms opinions
independently of the authority of revelation or of the church; an
unbeliever; -- a term assumed by deists and skeptics in the
eighteenth century.
Atheist is an old-fashioned word: I'm a
freethinker, child.
Addison.
Syn. -- Infidel; skeptic; unbeliever. See
Infidel.
Free"think`ing, n. Undue boldness
of speculation; unbelief. Berkeley.
-- a. Exhibiting undue boldness of
speculation; skeptical.
Free"-tongued` (?), a. Speaking
without reserve. Bp. Hall.
Free will (?). 1. A will free from
improper coercion or restraint.
To come thus was I not constrained, but did
On my free will.
Shak.
2. The power asserted of moral beings of
willing or choosing without the restraints of physical or absolute
necessity.
Free"will` (?), a. Of or
pertaining to free will; voluntary; spontaneous; as, a
freewill offering.
Freewill Baptists. See under
Baptist.
Freez"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being frozen.
Freeze (?), n. (Arch.) A
frieze. [Obs.]
Freeze, v. i. [imp.
Froze (?); p. p. Frozen (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Freezing.] [OE.
fresen, freosen, AS. freósan; akin to D.
vriezen, OHG. iosan, G. frieren, Icel.
frjsa, Sw. frysa, Dan. fryse, Goth. frius
cold, frost, and prob. to L. prurire to itch, E.
prurient, cf. L. prna a burning coal, pruina
hoarfrost, Skr. prushvā ice, prush to spirt. &?;
18. Cf. Frost.] 1. To become congealed
by cold; to be changed from a liquid to a solid state by the
abstraction of heat; to be hardened into ice or a like solid
body.
&fist; Water freezes at 32° above zero by Fahrenheit's
thermometer; mercury freezes at 40° below zero.
2. To become chilled with cold, or as with
cold; to suffer loss of animation or life by lack of heat; as, the
blood freezes in the veins.
To freeze up (Fig.), to become formal and
cold in demeanor. [Colloq.]
Freeze, v. t. 1.
To congeal; to harden into ice; to convert from a fluid to a
solid form by cold, or abstraction of heat.
2. To cause loss of animation or life in,
from lack of heat; to give the sensation of cold to; to
chill.
A faint, cold fear runs through my veins,
That almost freezes up the heat of life.
Shak.
Freeze, n. The act of congealing,
or the state of being congealed. [Colloq.]
Freez"er (?), n. One who, or that
which, cools or freezes, as a refrigerator, or the tub and can used
in the process of freezing ice cream.
Freez"ing, a. Tending to freeze;
for freezing; hence, cold or distant in manner. --
Frrez"ing*ly, adv.
Freezing machine. See Ice machine,
under Ice. -- Freezing mixture, a
mixture (of salt and snow or of chemical salts) for producing intense
cold. -- Freezing point, that degree of a
thermometer at which a fluid begins to freeze; -- applied
particularly to water, whose freezing point is at 32°
Fahr., and at 0° Centigrade.
Frei"es*le`ben*ite (?), n. [Named after
the German chemist Freiesleben.] A sulphide of antimony,
lead, and silver, occuring in monoclinic crystals.
Freight (frāt), n. [F.
fret, OHG. frēht merit, reward. See
Fraught, n.] 1. That
with which anything is fraught or laden for transportation; lading;
cargo, especially of a ship, or a car on a railroad, etc.; as, a
freight of cotton; a full freight.
2. (Law) (a) The sum
paid by a party hiring a ship or part of a ship for the use of what
is thus hired. (b) The price paid a common
carrier for the carriage of goods. Wharton.
3. Freight transportation, or freight
line.
Freight (frāt), a. Employed
in the transportation of freight; having to do with freight; as, a
freight car.
Freight agent, a person employed by a
transportation company to receive, forward, or deliver goods. --
Freight car. See under Car. --
Freight train, a railroad train made up of
freight cars; -- called in England goods train.
Freight, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Freighted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Freighting.] [Cf. F. freter.] To load with goods,
as a ship, or vehicle of any kind, for transporting them from one
place to another; to furnish with freight; as, to freight a
ship; to freight a car.
Freight"age (-&asl;j; 48), n.
1. Charge for transportation; expense of
carriage.
2. The transportation of freight.
3. Freight; cargo; lading. Milton.
Freight"er (?), n. 1.
One who loads a ship, or one who charters and loads a
ship.
2. One employed in receiving and forwarding
freight.
3. One for whom freight is
transported.
4. A vessel used mainly to carry
freight.
Freight"less, a. Destitute of
freight.
Frel"te (?), n. Frailty.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
{ Fremd (?), Frem"ed (?) } a.
[OE., from AS. fremede, fremde; akin to G.
fremd.] Strange; foreign. [Old Eng. & Scot.]
Chaucer.
Fren (fr&ebreve;n), n. [OE.
frenne, contr. fr. forrene foreign. See Foreign,
a.] A stranger. [Obs.]
Spenser.
French (fr&ebreve;nch), a. [AS.
frencisc, LL. franciscus, from L. Francus a
Frank: cf. OF. franceis, franchois,
françois, F. français. See Frank,
a., and cf. Frankish.] Of or pertaining
to France or its inhabitants.
French bean (Bot.), the common
kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). -- French
berry (Bot.), the berry of a species of
buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus), which affords a saffron,
green or purple pigment. -- French casement
(Arch.) See French window, under
Window. -- French chalk (Min.),
a variety of granular talc; -- used for drawing lines on cloth,
etc. See under Chalk. -- French cowslip
(Bot.) The Primula Auricula. See Bear's-
ear. -- French fake (Naut.), a
mode of coiling a rope by running it backward and forward in parallel
bends, so that it may run freely. -- French
honeysuckle (Bot.) a plant of the genus
Hedysarum (H. coronarium); -- called also garland
honeysuckle. -- French horn, a
metallic wind instrument, consisting of a long tube twisted into
circular folds and gradually expanding from the mouthpiece to the end
at which the sound issues; -- called in France cor de
chasse. -- French leave, an informal,
hasty, or secret departure; esp., the leaving a place without paying
one's debts. -- French pie [French
(here used in sense of "foreign") + pie a magpie (in allusion
to its black and white color)] (Zoöl.), the European
great spotted woodpecker (Dryobstes major); -- called also
wood pie. -- French polish.
(a) A preparation for the surface of woodwork,
consisting of gums dissolved in alcohol, either shellac alone, or
shellac with other gums added. (b) The
glossy surface produced by the application of the above. --
French purple, a dyestuff obtained from lichens
and used for coloring woolen and silken fabrics, without the aid of
mordants. Ure. -- French red
rouge. -- French rice, amelcorn.
-- French roof (Arch.), a modified form
of mansard roof having a nearly flat deck for the upper slope. -
- French tub, a dyer's mixture of protochloride
of tin and logwood; -- called also plum tub. Ure.
-- French window. See under
Window.
French, n. 1. The
language spoken in France.
2. Collectively, the people of
France.
French"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Frenchified (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Frenchifying.] [French + -fy.]
To make French; to infect or imbue with the manners or tastes of
the French; to Gallicize. Burke.
French"ism (?), n. A French mode
or characteristic; an idiom peculiar to the French language.
Earle.
French"man (?), n.; pl.
Frenchmen (&?;). A native or one of the people
of France.
Fre*net"ic (?), a. [See Frantic,
a.] Distracted; mad; frantic; phrenetic.
Milton.
Fre*net"ic*al (?), a. Frenetic;
frantic; frenzied. -- Frenet"ic*al*ly,
adv.
Fre"num (?), n.; pl. E.
Frenums (#), L. Frena (#). [L., a
bridle.] 1. (Zoöl.) A cheek stripe
of color.
2. (Anat.) Same as
Frænum.
Fren"zi*cal (fr&ebreve;n"z&ibreve;*kal),
a. Frantic. [Obs.] Orrery.
Fren"zied (?), p. p. & a. Affected
with frenzy; frantic; maddened. -- Fren"zied*ly,
adv.
The people frenzied by centuries of
oppression.
Buckle.
Up starting with a frenzied look.
Sir W. Scott.
Fren"zy (-z&ybreve;), n.; pl.
Frenzies (-z&ibreve;z). [OE. frenesie,
fransey, F. frénésie, L.
phrenesis, fr. Gr. fre`nhsis for
freni^tis disease of the mind, phrenitis, fr.
frhn mind. Cf. Frantic, Phrenitis.]
Any violent agitation of the mind approaching to distraction;
violent and temporary derangement of the mental faculties; madness;
rage.
All else is towering frenzy and
distraction.
Addison.
The poet's eye in a fine frenzy
rolling.
Shak.
Syn. -- Insanity; lunacy; madness; derangement; alienation;
aberration; delirium. See Insanity.
Fren"zy, a. Mad; frantic.
[R.]
They thought that some frenzy distemper had got
into his head.
Bunyan.
Fren"zy, v. t. To affect with
frenzy; to drive to madness [R.] "Frenzying anguish."
Southey.
Fre"quence (?), n. [See
Frequency.] 1. A crowd; a throng; a
concourse. [Archaic.] Tennyson.
2. Frequency; abundance. [R.] Bp.
Hall.
Fre"quen*cy (?), n.; pl.
Frequencies (#). [L. frequentia numerous
attendance, multitude: cf. F. fréquence. See
Frequent.] 1. The condition of returning
frequently; occurrence often repeated; common occurence; as, the
frequency of crimes; the frequency of
miracles.
The reasons that moved her to remove were, because
Rome was a place of riot and luxury, her soul being almost stifled
with, the frequencies of ladies' visits.
Fuller.
2. A crowd; a throng. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
Fre"quent (?), a. [L. frequens,
-entis, crowded, frequent, akin to farcire to stuff:
cf. F. fréquent. Cf. Farce,
n.] 1. Often to be met with;
happening at short intervals; often repeated or occurring; as,
frequent visits. "Frequent feudal towers."
Byron.
2. Addicted to any course of conduct;
inclined to indulge in any practice; habitual; persistent.
He has been loud and frequent in declaring
himself hearty for the government.
Swift.
3. Full; crowded; thronged. [Obs.]
'T is Cæsar's will to have a frequent
senate.
B. Jonson.
4. Often or commonly reported.
[Obs.]
'T is frequent in the city he hath subdued
The Catti and the Daci.
Massinger.
Fre*quent" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Frequented; p. pr. & vb. n.
Frequenting.] [L. frequentare: cf. F.
fréquenter. See Frequent, a.]
1. To visit often; to resort to often or
habitually.
He frequented the court of
Augustus.
Dryden.
2. To make full; to fill. [Obs.]
With their sighs the air
Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite.
Milton.
Fre*quent"a*ble (?), a.
Accessible. [R.] Sidney.
Fre*quent"age (?), n. The practice
or habit of frequenting. [R.] Southey.
Fre"quen*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
frequentatio a crowding together, frequency: cf. F.
fréquentation.] The act or habit of frequenting or
visiting often; resort. Chesterfield.
Fre*quent"a*tive (?), a. [L.
frequentativus: cf. F. fréquentatif.]
(Gram.) Serving to express the frequent repetition of an
action; as, a frequentative verb. --
n. A frequentative verb.
Fre*quent*er (?), n. One who
frequents; one who often visits, or resorts to customarily.
Fre*quent*ly (?), adv. At frequent
or short intervals; many times; often; repeatedly;
commonly.
Fre"quent*ness, n. The quality of
being frequent.
||Frère (?), n. [F. See
Friar.] A friar. Chaucer.
Fres"cade (?), n. [See Fresco,
Fresh, a.] A cool walk; shady
place. [R.] Maunder.
Fres"co (?), n.; pl.
Frescoes or Frescos (#). [It.,
fr. fresco fresh; of German origin. See Fresh,
a.]
1. A cool, refreshing state of the air;
duskiness; coolness; shade. [R.] Prior.
2. (Fine Arts) (a) The
art of painting on freshly spread plaster, before it dries.
(b) In modern parlance, incorrectly applied to
painting on plaster in any manner. (c) A
painting on plaster in either of senses a and
b.
Fres"co, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Frescoed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frescoing.] To paint in fresco, as walls.
Fresh (fr&ebreve;sh), a.
[Compar. Fresher (-&etilde;r);
superl. Freshest.] [OE. fresch, AS.
fersc; akin to D. versch, G. frisch, OHG.
frisc, Sw. frisk, Dan. frisk, fersk,
Icel. frīskr frisky, brisk, ferskr fresh; cf. It.
fresco, OF. fres, freis, fem. freske,
fresche, F. frais, fem. fraîche, which are
of German origin. Cf. Fraischeur, Fresco,
Frisk.] 1. Possessed of original life and
vigor; new and strong; unimpaired; sound.
2. New; original; additional. "Fear of
fresh mistakes." Sir W. Scott.
A fresh pleasure in every fresh posture of the
limbs.
Landor.
3. Lately produced, gathered, or prepared for
market; not stale; not dried or preserved; not wilted, faded, or
tainted; in good condition; as, fresh vegetables, flowers,
eggs, meat, fruit, etc.; recently made or obtained; occurring again;
repeated; as, a fresh supply of goods; fresh tea,
raisins, etc.; lately come or made public; as, fresh news;
recently taken from a well or spring; as, fresh
water.
4. Youthful; florid; as, these fresh
nymphs. Shak.
5. In a raw, green, or untried state;
uncultivated; uncultured; unpracticed; as, a fresh hand on a
ship.
6. Renewed in vigor, alacrity, or readiness
for action; as, fresh for a combat; hence, tending to renew in
vigor; rather strong; cool or brisk; as, a fresh
wind.
7. Not salt; as, fresh water, in
distinction from that which is from the sea, or brackish;
fresh meat, in distinction from that which is pickled or
salted.
Fresh breeze (Naut.), a breeze
between a moderate and a strong breeze; one blowinq about twenty
miles an hour. -- Fresh gale, a gale
blowing about forty-five miles an hour. -- Fresh
way (Naut.), increased speed.
Syn. -- Sound; unimpaired; recent; unfaded: ruddy; florid;
sweet; good: inexperienced; unpracticed: unused; lively; vigorous;
strong.
Fresh, n.; pl.
Freshes (&?;). 1. A stream or
spring of fresh water.
He shall drink naught but brine; for I'll not show
him
Where the quick freshes are.
Shak.
2. A flood; a freshet. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
3. The mingling of fresh water with salt in
rivers or bays, as by means of a flood of fresh water flowing toward
or into the sea. Beverly.
Fresh, v. t. To refresh; to
freshen. [Obs.] Rom. of R.
Fresh"en (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Freshened (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Freshening (?)] 1. To make fresh; to
separate, as water, from saline ingredients; to make less salt; as,
to freshen water, fish, or flesh.
2. To refresh; to revive. [Obs.]
Spenser.
3. (Naut.) To relieve, as a rope, by
change of place where friction wears it; or to renew, as the material
used to prevent chafing; as, to freshen a hawse.
Totten.
To freshen ballast (Naut.), to shift
Or restore it. -- To freshen the hawse, to
pay out a little more cable, so as to bring the chafe on another
part. -- To freshen the way, to increase
the speed of a vessel. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Fresh"en (?), v. i. 1.
To grow fresh; to lose saltness.
2. To grow brisk or strong; as, the wind
freshens.
Fresh"et (?), n. [OE. fresche
flood + -et. See Fresh, a.]
1. A stream of fresh water. [Obs.]
Milton.
2. A flood or overflowing of a stream caused
by heavy rains or melted snow; a sudden inundation.
Cracked the sky, as ice in rivers
When the freshet is at highest.
Longfellow.
Fresh"ly, adv. In a fresh manner;
vigorously; newly, recently; brightly; briskly; coolly; as,
freshly gathered; freshly painted; the wind blows
freshly.
Looks he as freshly as he did?
Shak.
Fresh"man (?), n.; pl.
Freshmen (&?;). A novice; one in the rudiments
of knowledge; especially, a student during his first year in a
college or university.
He drank his glass and cracked his joke,
And freshmen wondered as he spoke.
Goldsmith.
Freshman class, the lowest of the four
classes in an American college. [ U. S.]
Fresh"man*ship, n. The state of
being a freshman.
Fresh"ment (?), n.
Refreshment. [Obs.]
Fresh"ness, n. The state of being
fresh.
The Scots had the advantage both for number and
freshness
of men.
Hayward.
And breathe the freshness of the open
air.
Dryden.
Her cheeks their freshness lose and wonted
grace.
Granville.
Fresh"-new` (?), a.
Unpracticed. [Obs.] Shak.
Fresh"-wa`ter (?), a.
1. Of, pertaining to, or living in, water not
salt; as, fresh-water geological deposits; a fresh-
water fish; fresh-water mussels.
2. Accustomed to sail on fresh water only;
unskilled as a seaman; as, a fresh-water sailor.
3. Unskilled; raw. [Colloq.] "Fresh-
water soldiers." Knolles.
{ Fres`nel" lamp" (?), Fres'nel' lan'tern (?).}
[From Fresnel the inventor, a French physicist.] A
lantern having a lamp surrounded by a hollow cylindrical Fresnel
lens.
Fres`nel" lens" (?). [See Fresnel lamp.]
(Optics) See under Lens.
Fret (fr&ebreve;t), n. [Obs.] See
1st Frith.
Fret (fr&ebreve;t), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Fretted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fretting.] [OE. freten to eat, consume; AS.
fretan, for foretan; pref. for- + etan to
eat; akin to D. vreten, OHG. frezzan, G.
fressen, Sw. fräta, Goth. fra-itan. See
For, and Eat, v. t.]
1. To devour. [Obs.]
The sow frete the child right in the
cradle.
Chaucer.
2. To rub; to wear away by friction; to
chafe; to gall; hence, to eat away; to gnaw; as, to fret
cloth; to fret a piece of gold or other metal; a worm frets
the plants of a ship.
With many a curve my banks I fret.
Tennyson.
3. To impair; to wear away; to
diminish.
By starts
His fretted fortunes give him hope and fear.
Shak.
4. To make rough, agitate, or disturb; to
cause to ripple; as, to fret the surface of water.
5. To tease; to irritate; to vex.
Fret not thyself because of evil
doers.
Ps. xxxvii. 1.
Fret, v. i. 1. To
be worn away; to chafe; to fray; as, a wristband frets on the
edges.
2. To eat in; to make way by
corrosion.
Many wheals arose, and fretted one into another
with great excoriation.
Wiseman.
3. To be agitated; to be in violent
commotion; to rankle; as, rancor frets in the malignant
breast.
4. To be vexed; to be chafed or irritated; to
be angry; to utter peevish expressions.
He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the
ground.
Dryden.
Fret, n. 1. The
agitation of the surface of a fluid by fermentation or other cause; a
rippling on the surface of water. Addison.
2. Agitation of mind marked by complaint and
impatience; disturbance of temper; irritation; as, he keeps his mind
in a continual fret.
Yet then did Dennis rave in furious
fret.
Pope.
3. Herpes; tetter.
Dunglison.
4. pl. (Mining) The worn sides
of river banks, where ores, or stones containing them, accumulate by
being washed down from the hills, and thus indicate to the miners the
locality of the veins.
Fret, v. t. [OE. fretten to
adorn, AS. frætwan, frætwian; akin to OS.
fratahōn, cf. Goth. us-fratwjan to make wise,
also AS. frætwe ornaments, OS. fratahī
adornment.] To ornament with raised work; to variegate; to
diversify.
Whose skirt with gold was fretted all
about.
Spenser.
Yon gray lines,
That fret the clouds, are messengers of day.
Shak.
Fret, n. 1.
Ornamental work in relief, as carving or embossing. See
Fretwork.
2. (Arch.) An ornament consisting of
small fillets or slats intersecting each other or bent at right
angles, as in classical designs, or at oblique angles, as often in
Oriental art.
His lady's cabinet is a adorned on the fret,
ceiling, and chimney-piece with . . . carving.
Evelyn.
3. The reticulated headdress or net, made of
gold or silver wire, in which ladies in the Middle Ages confined
their hair.
A fret of gold she had next her
hair.
Chaucer.
Fret saw, a saw with a long, narrow blade,
used in cutting frets, scrolls, etc.; a scroll saw; a keyhole saw; a
compass saw.
Fret (?), n. [F. frette a
saltire, also a hoop, ferrule, prob. a dim. of L. ferrum iron.
For sense 2, cf. also E. fret to rub.] 1.
(Her.) A saltire interlaced with a mascle.
2. (Mus.) A short piece of wire, or
other material fixed across the finger board of a guitar or a similar
instrument, to indicate where the finger is to be placed.
Fret, v. t. To furnish with frets,
as an instrument of music.
Fret"ful (?), a. [See 2d Fret.]
Disposed to fret; ill-humored; peevish; angry; in a state of
vexation; as, a fretful temper. -- Fret"ful*ly,
adv. -- Fret"ful*ness,
n.
Syn. -- Peevish; ill-humored; ill-natured; irritable;
waspish; captious; petulant; splenetic; spleeny; passionate; angry. -
- Fretful, Peevish, Cross. These words all
indicate an unamiable working and expression of temper.
Peevish marks more especially the inward spirit: a
peevish man is always ready to find fault. Fretful
points rather to the outward act, and marks a complaining impatience:
sickly children are apt to be fretful. Crossness is
peevishness mingled with vexation or anger.
Frett (?), n. [See 2d Fret.]
(Mining) The worn side of the bank of a river. See 4th
Fret, n., 4.
Frett, n. [See Frit.] A
vitreous compound, used by potters in glazing, consisting of lime,
silica, borax, lead, and soda.
Fret"ted (?), p. p. & a. [From 2d
Fret.]
1. Rubbed or worn away; chafed.
2. Agitated; vexed; worried.
Fret"ted, p. p. & a. [See 5th
Fret.] 1. Ornamented with fretwork;
furnished with frets; variegated; made rough on the
surface.
2. (Her.) Interlaced one with another;
-- said of charges and ordinaries.
Fret"ten (?), a. [The old p. p. of fret
to rub.] Rubbed; marked; as, pock-fretten, marked with
the smallpox. [Obs.] Wright.
Fret"ter (?), n. One who, or that
which, frets.
Fret"ty, a. [See 5th Fret.]
Adorned with fretwork.
||Fre"tum (?), n.; pl.
Freta (#). [L.] A strait, or arm of the
sea.
Fret"work (?), n. [6th fret +
work.] Work adorned with frets; ornamental openwork or work
in relief, esp. when elaborate and minute in its parts. Hence, any
minute play of light and shade, dark and light, or the
like.
Banqueting on the turf in the fretwork of shade
and sunshine.
Macaulay.
Frey"a (frī"&adot;), n. [Icel.
Freyja.] (Scand. Myth.) The daughter of
Njörd, and goddess of love and beauty; the Scandinavian Venus; -
- in Teutonic myths confounded with Frigga, but in Scandinavian,
distinct. [Written also Frea, Freyia, and
Freyja.]
Fri"a*bii"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
friabilité.] The quality of being friable;
friableness. Locke.
Fri"a*ble (?), a. [L. friabilis,
fr. friare to rub, break, or crumble into small pieces, cf.
fricare to rub, E. fray: cf. F. friable.]
Easily crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder.
"Friable ground." Evelyn. "Soft and friable
texture." Paley. -- Fri'a*ble*ness,
n.
Fri"ar (?), n. [OR. frere, F.
frère brother, friar, fr. L. frater
brother. See Brother.] 1. (R. C. Ch.)
A brother or member of any religious order, but especially of
one of the four mendicant orders, viz: (a) Minors, Gray Friars, or
Franciscans. (b) Augustines. (c) Dominicans or Black
Friars. (d) White Friars or Carmelites. See these names in
the Vocabulary.
2. (Print.) A white or pale patch on a
printed page.
3. (Zoöl.) An American fish; the
silversides.
Friar bird (Zoöl.), an
Australian bird (Tropidorhynchus corniculatus), having the
head destitute of feathers; -- called also coldong,
leatherhead, pimlico; poor soldier, and four-
o'clock. The name is also applied to several other species
of the same genus. -- Friar's balsam (Med.),
a stimulating application for wounds and ulcers, being an
alcoholic solution of benzoin, styrax, tolu balsam, and aloes;
compound tincture of benzoin. Brande & C. --
Friar's cap (Bot.), the monkshood.
-- Friar's cowl (Bot.), an arumlike
plant (Arisarum vulgare) with a spathe or involucral leaf
resembling a cowl. -- Friar's lantern, the
ignis fatuus or Will-o'-the-wisp. Milton. --
Friar skate (Zoöl.), the European
white or sharpnosed skate (Raia alba); -- called also
Burton skate, border ray, scad, and
doctor.
Fri"ar*ly, a. Like a friar;
inexperienced. Bacon.
Fri"ar*y (?), a. [From Friar,
n.] Like a friar; pertaining to friars or to a
convent. [Obs.] Camden.
Fri"ar*y, n. [OF. frerie,
frairie, fr. frère. See Friar.]
1. A monastery; a convent of friars.
Drugdale.
2. The institution or practices of
friars. Fuller.
Fri*a"tion (?), n. [See
Friable.] The act of breaking up or
pulverizing.
Frib"ble (?), a. [Cf. F.
frivole, L. frivolus, or E. frippery.]
Frivolous; trifling; silly.
Frib"ble, n. A frivolous,
contemptible fellow; a fop.
A pert fribble of a peer.
Thackeray.
Frib"ble, v. i. 1.
To act in a trifling or foolish manner; to act
frivolously.
The fools that are fribbling round about
you.
Thackeray.
2. To totter. [Obs.]
Frib"bler (?), n. A trifler; a
fribble.
Frib"bling (?), a. Frivolous;
trining; toolishly captious.
{ Fri"borg , Fri"borgh } (?),
n. [AS. friðborh, lit., peace pledge;
frið peace + borh, borg, pledge, akin to E.
borrow. The first part of the word was confused with
free, the last part, with borough.] (Old Eng. Law)
The pledge and tithing, afterwards called by the Normans
frankpledge. See Frankpledge. [Written also
friburgh and fribourg.] Burril.
Fric"ace (?), n. [See
Fricassee.] 1. Meat sliced and dressed
with strong sauce. [Obs.] King.
2. An unguent; also, the act of rubbing with
the unguent.
||Fri`can`deau" (?), ||Fric`an*do" (&?;),
n. [F. fricandeau; cf. Sp.
fricandó.] A ragout or fricassee of veal; a fancy
dish of veal or of boned turkey, served as an entrée, -
- called also fricandel. A. J. Cooley.
Fric"as*see` (?), n. [F.
fricassée, fr. fricasser to fry,
fricassee; cf. LL. fricare, perh. for frictare,
fricare, frictum, to rub. Cf. Fry,
Friction.] A dish made of fowls, veal, or other meat of
small animals cut into pieces, and stewed in a gravy.
Fric"as*see`, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fricasseed (?); p. pr. &. vb.
n. Fricasseeing.] To dress like a
fricassee.
Fri*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
fricatio, fr. fricare, fricatum, to rub. ]
Friction. [Obs.] Bacon.
Fric"a*tive (?), a. [See
Frication.] (Phon.) Produced by the friction or
rustling of the breath, intonated or unintonated, through a narrow
opening between two of the mouth organs; uttered through a close
approach, but not with a complete closure, of the organs of
articulation, and hence capable of being continued or prolonged; --
said of certain consonantal sounds, as f, v, s,
z, etc. -- n. A fricative
consonant letter or sound. See Guide to Pronunciation,
§§ 197-206, etc.
Fric"a*trice (?), n. [Cf. L.
frictrix, fr. fricare to rub.] A lewd woman; a
harlot. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Fric"kle (?), n. A bushel
basket. [Obs.]
Fric"tion (?), n. [L. frictio,
fr. fricare, frictum,to rub: cf. F. friction.
See Fray to rub, arid cf. Dentifrice.]
1. The act of rubbing the surface of one body
against that of another; attrition; in hygiene, the act of rubbing
the body with the hand, with flannel, or with a brush etc., to excite
the skin to healthy action.
2. (Mech.) The resistance which a body
meets with from the surface on which it moves. It may be resistance
to sliding motion, or to rolling motion.
3. A clashing between two persons or parties
in opinions or work; a disagreement tending to prevent or retard
progress.
Angle of friction (Mech.), the angle
which a plane onwhich a body is lying makes with a horizontal
plane,when the hody is just ready to slide dewn the plane. This
angle varies for different bodies, and for planes of different
materials. -- Anti-friction wheels (Mach.),
wheels turning freely on small pivots, and sustaining, at the
angle formed by their circumferences, the pivot or journal of a
revolving shaft, to relieve it of friction; -- called also
friction wheels. -- Friction balls, or
Friction rollers, balls or rollers placed so as
to receive the pressure or weight of bodies in motion, and relieve
friction, as in the hub of a bicycle wheel. -- Friction
brake (Mach.), a form of dynamometer for
measuring the power a motor exerts. A clamp around the revolving
shaft or fly wheel of the motor resists the motion by its friction,
the work thus absorbed being ascertained by observing the force
required to keep the clamp from revolving with the shaft; a Prony
brake. -- Friction chocks, brakes attached
to the common standing garrison carriages of guns, so as to raise the
trucks or wheels off the platform when the gun begins to recoil, and
prevent its running back. Earrow. -- Friction
clutch, Friction coupling, an
engaging and disengaging gear for revolving shafts, pulleys, etc.,
acting by friction; esp.: (a) A device in
which a piece on one shaft or pulley is so forcibly pressed against a
piece on another shaft that the two will revolve together; as, in the
illustration, the cone a on one shaft, when thrust forcibly
into the corresponding hollow cone b on the other shaft,
compels the shafts to rotate together, by the hold the friction of
the conical surfaces gives. (b) A toothed
clutch, one member of which, instead of being made fast on its shaft,
is held by friction and can turn, by slipping, under excessive strain
or in starting. -- Friction drop hammer,
one in which the hammer is raised for striking by the friction of
revolving rollers which nip the hammer rod. -- Friction
gear. See Frictional gearing, under
Frictional. -- Friction machine, an
electrical machine, generating electricity by friction. --
Friction meter, an instrument for measuring
friction, as in testing lubricants. -- Friction
powder, Friction composition, a
composition of chlorate of potassium, antimony, sulphide, etc, which
readily ignites by friction. -- Friction
primer, Friction tube, a tube used
for firing cannon by means of the friction of a roughened wire in the
friction powder or composition with which the tube is filled. --
Friction wheel (Mach.), one of the
wheels in frictional gearing. See under Frictional.
Fric"tion*al (?), a. Relating to
friction; moved by friction; produced by friction; as,
frictional electricity.
Frictional gearing, wheels which transmit
motion by surface friction instead of teeth. The faces are sometimes
made more or less V-shaped to increase or decrease friction, as
required.
Fric"tion*less, a. Having no
friction.
Fri"day (?), n. [AS.
frigedæg, fr. Frigu, the gooddes of marriage;
friqu love + dæg day; cf. Icel. Frigg name
of a goddess, the wife of Odin or Wodan, OHG. Frīatag,
Icel. Frjādagr. AS. frigu is prob. from the root
of E. friend, free. See Free, and Day.]
The sixth day of the week, following Thursday and preceding
Saturday.
Fridge (?), v. t. [AS. frician
to dance, from free bold. Cf. Freak,
n.] To rub; to fray. [Obs.]
Sterne.
{ Frid"stol` (fr&ibreve;d"stōl`),
Frith`stool" (fr&ibreve;th"st&oomac;l`) },
n. [AS. friðstōl. See Fred,
and Stool.] A seat in churches near the altar, to which
offenders formerly fled for sanctuary. [Written variously
fridstool, freedstool, etc.] [Obs.]
Fried (frīd), imp. & p. p.
of Fry.
Friend (fr&ebreve;nd), n. [OR.
frend, freond, AS. freónd, prop. p. pr.
of freón, freógan, to love; akin to D.
vriend friend, OS. friund friend, friohan to
love, OHG. friunt friend, G. freund, Icel.
frændi kinsman, Sw. frände. Goth.
frijōnds friend, frijōn to love. √83.
See Free, and cf. Fiend.] 1. One
who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect, and
affection that he seeks his society and welfare; a wellwisher; an
intimate associate; sometimes, an attendant.
Want gives to know the flatterer from the
friend.
Dryden.
A friend that sticketh closer than a
brother.
Prov. xviii. 24.
2. One not inimical or hostile; one not a foe
or enemy; also, one of the same nation, party, kin, etc., whose
friendly feelings may be assumed. The word is some times used as a
term of friendly address.
Friend, how camest thou in hither?
Matt. xxii. 12.
3. One who looks propitiously on a cause, an
institution, a project, and the like; a favorer; a promoter; as, a
friend to commerce, to poetry, to an institution.
4. One of a religious sect characterized by
disuse of outward rites and an ordained ministry, by simplicity of
dress and speech, and esp. by opposition to war and a desire to live
at peace with all men. They are popularly called Quakers.
America was first visited by Friends in
1656.
T. Chase.
5. A paramour of either sex. [Obs.]
Shak.
A friend at court or in court,
one disposed to act as a friend in a place of special opportunity
or influence. -- To be friends with, to
have friendly relations with. "He's . . . friends with
Cæsar." Shak. -- To make friends with,
to become reconciled to or on friendly terms with. "Having
now made friends with the Athenians." Jowett
(Thucyd.).
Friend, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Friended; p. pr. & vb. n.
Friending.] To act as the friend of; to favor; to
countenance; to befriend. [Obs.]
Fortune friends the bold.
Spenser.
Friend"ed, a. 1.
Having friends; [Obs.]
2. Inclined to love; well-disposed.
[Obs.] Shak.
Friend"ing, n. Friendliness.
[Obs.] Shak.
Friend"less, a. [AS.
freóndleás.] Destitute of friends;
forsaken. -- Friend"less*ness,
n.
Friend"li*ly (?), adv. In a
friendly manner. Pope.
Friend"li*ness, n. The condition
or quality of being friendly. Sir P. Sidney.
Friend"ly, a. [AS.
freéndlīce.] 1. Having the
temper and disposition of a friend; disposed to promote the good of
another; kind; favorable.
2. Appropriate to, or implying, friendship;
befitting friends; amicable.
In friendly relations with his moderate
opponents.
Macaulay.
3. Not hostile; as, a friendly power
or state.
4. Promoting the good of any person;
favorable; propitious; serviceable; as, a friendly breeze or
gale.
On the first friendly bank he throws him
down.
Addison.
Syn. -- Amicable; kind; conciliatory; propitious;
favorable. See Amicable.
Friend"ly, adv. In the manner of
friends; amicably; like friends. [Obs.] Shak.
In whom all graces that can perfect beauty
Are friendly met.
Beau. & Fl.
Friend"ship, n. [AS.
freóndscipe. See Friend, and -ship.]
1. The state of being friends; friendly
relation, or attachment, to a person, or between persons; affection
arising from mutual esteem and good will; friendliness; amity; good
will.
There is little friendship in the
world.
Bacon.
There can be no friendship without confidence,
and no confidence without integrity.
Rambler.
Preferred by friendship, and not chosen by
sufficiency.
Spenser.
2. Kindly aid; help; assistance,
[Obs.]
Some friendship will it [a hovel] lend you
gainst the tempest.
Shak.
3. Aptness to unite; conformity; affinity;
harmony; correspondence. [Obs.]
Those colors . . . have a friendship with each
other.
Dryden.
Fri"er (?), n. One who
fries.
Friese (?), n. Same as
Friesic, n.
Fries"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining
to Friesland, a province in the northern part of the
Netherlands.
Fries"ic, n. The language of the
Frisians, a Teutonic people formerly occupying a large part of the
coast of Holland and Northwestern Germany. The modern dialects of
Friesic are spoken chiefly in the province of Friesland, and on some
of the islands near the coast of Germany and Denmark.
Fries"ish, a. Friesic.
[R.]
Frieze (?), n. [Perh. the same word as
frieze a, kind of cloth. Cf. Friz.] (Arch.)
(a) That part of the entablature of an order
which is between the architrave and cornice. It is a flat member or
face, either uniform or broken by triglyphs, and often enriched with
figures and other ornaments of sculpture. (b)
Any sculptured or richly ornamented band in a building or, by
extension, in rich pieces of furniture. See Illust. of
Column.
Cornice or frieze with bossy sculptures
graven.
Milton.
Frieze (?), n. [F. frise, perh.
originally a woolen cloth or stuff from Friesland (F.
Frise); cf. LL. frisii panni and frissatus
pannus, a shaggy woolen cloth, F. friser to friz, curl.
Cf. Friz.] A kind of coarse woolen cloth or stuff with a
shaggy or tufted (friezed) nap on one side. "Robes of
frieze." Goldsmith.
Frieze, v. t. To make a nap on
(cloth); to friz. See Friz, v. t.,
2.
Friezing machine, a machine for friezing
cloth; a friezing machine.
Friezed (?), a. Gathered, or
having the map gathered, into little tufts, knots, or protuberances.
Cf. Frieze, v. t., and Friz,
v. t., 2.
Frie"zer (?), n. One who, or that
which, friezes or frizzes.
Frig"ate (?), n. [F.
frégate, It. fregata, prob. contracted fr. L.
fabricata something constructed or built. See
Fabricate.] 1. Originally, a vessel of
the Mediterranean propelled by sails and by oars. The French, about
1650, transferred the name to larger vessels, and by 1750 it had been
appropriated for a class of war vessels intermediate between
corvettes and ships of the line. Frigates, from about 1750 to 1850,
had one full battery deck and, often, a spar deck with a lighter
battery. They carried sometimes as many as fifty guns. After the
application of steam to navigation steam frigates of largely
increased size and power were built, and formed the main part of the
navies of the world till about 1870, when the introduction of
ironclads superseded them. [Formerly spelled frigat and
friggot.]
2. Any small vessel on the water.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Frigate bird (Zoöl.), a web-
footed rapacious bird, of the genus Fregata; -- called also
man-of-war bird, and frigate pelican. Two species are
known; that of the Southern United States and West Indies is F.
aquila. They are remarkable for their long wings and powerful
flight. Their food consists of fish which they obtain by robbing
gulls, terns, and other birds, of their prey. They are related to the
pelicans. -- Frigate mackerel
(Zoöl.), an oceanic fish (Auxis Rochei) of
little or no value as food, often very abundant off the coast of the
United States. -- Frigate pelican.
(Zoöl.) Same as Frigate bird.
Frig"ate-built" (?), a. (Naut.)
Built like a frigate with a raised quarter-deck and
forecastle.
Frig"a*toon` (?), n. [It.
fregatone: cf. F. frégaton. See Frigate.]
(Naut.) A Venetian vessel, with a square stern, having
only a mainmast, jigger mast, and bowsprit; also a sloop of war ship-
rigged.
Frig"e*fac`tion (?), n. [L.
frigere to be cold + facere to make.] The act of
making cold. [Obs.]
Frig"e*fac`tive (?), a.
Cooling. [Obs.] Boyle.
Frig"er*ate (?), v. t. [L.
frigerare, fr. frigus cold.] To make cool.
[Obs.] Blount.
{ Frigg (?), Frig"ga (?) } n.
[Icel. Frigg. See Friday.] (Scand. Myth.)
The wife of Odin and mother of the gods; the supreme goddess;
the Juno of the Valhalla. Cf. Freya.
Fright (frīt), n. [OE.
frigt, freyht, AS. fyrhto, fyrhtu; akin
to OS. forhta, OHG. forhta, forahta, G.
furcht, Dan. frygt, Sw. fruktan, Goth.
faúrhtei fear, faúrhts timid.]
1. A state of terror excited by the sudden
appearance of danger; sudden and violent fear, usually of short
duration; a sudden alarm.
2. Anything strange, ugly or shocking,
producing a feeling of alarm or aversion. [Colloq.]
Syn. -- Alarm; terror; consternation. See Alarm.
Fright (?), v. t.
[imp. Frighted; p. pr. & vb.
n.. Frighting.] [OE. frigten to fear,
frighten, AS. fyrhtan to frighten, forhtian to fear;
akin to OS. forhtian, OHG. furihten, forahtan,
G. fürchten, Sw. frukta, Dan. frygte, Goth.
faurhtjan. See Fright, n., and cf.
Frighten.] To alarm suddenly; to shock by causing sudden
fear; to terrify; to scare.
Nor exile or danger can fright a brave
spirit.
Dryden.
Syn. -- To affright; dismay; daunt; intimidate.
Fright"en (?), v. t.
[imp. Frightened (#); p. pr. & vb.
n. Frightening (#).] [See Fright, v.
t.] To disturb with fear; to throw into a state of
alarm or fright; to affright; to terrify.
More frightened than hurt.
Old
Proverb.
Fright"ful (?), a. 1.
Full of fright; affrighted; frightened. [Obs.]
See how the frightful herds run from the
wood.
W. Browne.
2. Full of that which causes fright; exciting
alarm; impressing terror; shocking; as, a frightful chasm, or
tempest; a frightful appearance.
Syn. -- Terrible; dreadful; alarming; fearful; terrific;
awful; horrid; horrible; shocking. -- Frightful,
Dreadful, Awful. These words all express fear. In
frightful, it is a sudden emotion; in dreadful, it is
deeper and more prolonged; in awful, the fear is mingled with
the emotion of awe, which subdues us before the presence of some
invisible power. An accident may be frightful; the approach of
death is dreadful to most men; the convulsions of the
earthquake are awful.
Fright"ful*ly (?), adv. In a
frightful manner; to a frightful dagree.
Fright"ful*ness, n. The quality of
being frightful.
Fright"less, a. Free from fright;
fearless. [Obs.]
Fright"ment (?), n. Fear;
terror. [Obs.]
Frig"id (?), a. [L. frigidus,
fr. frigere to be cold; prob. akin to Gr. &?; to shudder, or
perh. to &?; cold. Cf. Frill.] 1. Cold;
wanting heat or warmth; of low temperature; as, a frigid
climate.
2. Wanting warmth, fervor, ardor, fire,
vivacity, etc.; unfeeling; forbidding in manner; dull and unanimated;
stiff and formal; as, a frigid constitution; a frigid
style; a frigid look or manner; frigid obedience or
service.
3. Wanting natural heat or vigor sufficient
to excite the generative power; impotent. Johnson.
Frigid zone, that part of the earth which
lies between either polar circle and its pole. It extends 23&?; 28&?;
from the pole. See the Note under Arctic.
||Frig"i*da`ri*um (?), n.; pl.
Frigidaria (#). [L., neut. of frigidarium
cooling.] The cooling room of the Roman thermæ, furnished
with a cold bath.
Fri*gid"i*ty (?), n. [L.
frigiditas: cf. F. frigidité.]
1. The condition or quality of being frigid;
coldness; want of warmth.
Ice is water congealed by the frigidity of the
air.
Sir T. Browne.
2. Want of ardor, animation, vivacity, etc.;
coldness of affection or of manner; dullness; stiffness and
formality; as, frigidity of a reception, of a bow,
etc.
3. Want of heat or vigor; as, the
frigidity of old age.
Frig"id*ly (?), adv. In a frigid
manner; coldly; dully; without affection.
Frig"id*ness, n. The state of
being frigid; want of heat, vigor, or affection; coldness;
dullness.
{ Frig"o*rif"ic (?), Frig"o*rif`ic*al (?) }
a. [L. frigorificus; frigus,
frigoris, cold + facere to make: cf. F.
frigorifique.] Causing cold; producing or generating
cold. Quincy.
Frill (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Frilled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frilling.] [OF. friller, fr. L. frigidulus
somewhat cold, dim. of frigidus cold; akin to F.
frileux chilly.] 1. To shake or shiver as
with cold; as, the hawk frills. Johnson.
2. (Photog.) To wrinkle; -- said of
the gelatin film.
Frill, v. t. To provide or
decorate with a frill or frills; to turn back. in crimped plaits; as,
to frill a cap.
Frill, n. [See Frill, v.
i.]. (Zoöl.) (a) A ruffing
of a bird's feathers from cold. (b) A
ruffle, consisting of a fold of membrane, of hairs, or of feathers,
around the neck of an animal. See Frilled lizard
(below). (c) A similar ruffle around the legs or
other appendages of animals. (d) A ruffled
varex or fold on certain shells.
2. A border or edging secured at one edge and
left free at the other, usually fluted or crimped like a very narrow
flounce.
Frilled (?), a. Furnished with a
frill or frills.
Frilled lizard (Zoöl.), a large
Australian lizard (Chlamydosaurus Kingii) about three feet
long, which has a large, erectile frill on each side of the
neck.
Frim (?), a. [Cf. AS. freme
good, bold, and E. frame.] Flourishing; thriving; fresh;
in good case; vigorous. [Obs.] "Frim pastures."
Drayton.
||Fri"maire` (?), n. [F., fr.
frimas hoarfrost.] The third month of the French
republican calendar. It commenced November 21, and ended December
20., See Vendémiaire.
Fringe (?), n. [OF, fringe, F.
frange, prob. fr. L. fimbria fiber, thread, fringe, cf.
fibra fiber, E. fiber, fimbriate.]
1. An ornamental appendage to the border of a
piece of stuff, originally consisting of the ends of the warp,
projecting beyond the woven fabric; but more commonly made separate
and sewed on, consisting sometimes of projecting ends, twisted or
plaited together, and sometimes of loose threads of wool, silk, or
linen, or narrow strips of leather, or the like.
2. Something resembling in any respect a
fringe; a line of objects along a border or edge; a border; an
edging; a margin; a confine.
The confines of grace and the fringes of
repentance.
Jer. Taylor.
3. (Opt.) One of a number of light or
dark bands, produced by the interference of light; a diffraction
band; -- called also interference fringe.
4. (Bot.) The peristome or fringelike
appendage of the capsules of most mosses. See
Peristome.
Fringe tree (Bot.), a small tree
(Chionanthus Virginica), growing in the Southern United
States, and having snow-white flowers, with long pendulous
petals.
Fringe, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fringed (?); p. pr. & vb. a.
Fringing.] To adorn the edge of with a fringe or as with
a fringe.
Precipices fringed with grass.
Bryant.
Fringing reef. See Coral reefs, under
Coral.
Fringed (?), a. Furnished with a
fringe.
Fringed lear (Bot.), a leaf edged
with soft parallel hairs.
Fringe"less, a. Having no
fringe.
Frin"gent (?), a. Encircling like
a fringe; bordering. [R.] "The fringent air."
Emerson.
||Frin*gil"la (?), a. [NL., fr. L.
fringilla a chaffinch.] (Zoöl.) A
genus of birds, with a short, conical, pointed bill. It formerly
included all the sparrows and finches, but is now restricted to
certain European finches, like the chaffinch and brambling.
Frin`gil*la"ceous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Fringilline.
Frin*gil"line (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Pertaining to the family
Fringillidæ; characteristic of finches;
sparrowlike.
Frin"gy (?), a. Aborned with
fringes. Shak.
Frip"per (?), n. [F. fripier,
fr. friper to rumple, fumble, waste.] One who deals in
frippery or in old clothes. [Obs.] Bacon.
Frip"per*er (?), n. A
fripper. [Obs.] Johnson.
Frip"per*y (?), n. [F. friperie,
fr. fruper. See Fripper.] 1.
Coast-off clothes. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
2. Hence: Secondhand finery; cheap and tawdry
decoration; affected elegance.
Fond of gauze and French frippery.
Goldsmith.
The gauzy frippery of a French
translation.
Sir W. Scott.
3. A place where old clothes are sold.
Shak.
4. The trade or traffic in old
clothes.
Frip"per*y (?), a. Trifling;
contemptible.
||Fri"seur' (?), n. [F., fr.
friser to curl, frizzle. See Frizzle.] A
hairdresser.
Fri"sian (?), a. Of or pertaining
to Friesland, a province of the Netherlands; Friesic.
Fri"sian, n. A native or
inhabitant of Friesland; also, the language spoken in Friesland. See
Friesic, n.
Frisk (?), a. [OF. frieque, cf.
OHG. frise lively, brisk, fresh, Dan. & Sw. frisk,
Icel. friskr. See Fresh, a.]
Lively; brisk; frolicsome; frisky. [Obs.] Bp.
Hall.
Frisk, a. A frolic; a fit of
wanton gayety; a gambol: a little playful skip or leap.
Johnson.
Frisk, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Frisked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frisking.] To leap, skip, dance, or gambol, in fronc and
gayety.
The frisking satyrs on the summits
danced.
Addison.
Frisk"al (?), n. A leap or
caper. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Frisker (?), n. One who frisks;
one who leaps of dances in gayety; a wanton; an inconstant or
unsettled person. Camden.
Fris"ket (?), n. [F. frisguette.
Perh. so named from the velocity or frequency of its motion. See
Frisk a.] (Print.) The light
frame which holds the sheet of paper to the tympan in
printing.
Frisk"ful (?), a. Brisk; lively;
frolicsome.
Frisk"i*ly' (?), adv. In a frisky
manner.
Frisk"i*ness, n. State or quality
of being frisky.
Frisk"y, a. Inclined to frisk;
frolicsome; gay.
He is too frisky for an old man.
Jeffrey.
Fris"let (fr&ibreve;z"l&ebreve;t), n.
[Cf. Fraise a kind of defense; also Friz.] A kind
of small ruffle. Halliwell.
Frist (fr&ibreve;st), v. t. [OE.
fristen, firsten, to lend, give respite, postpone, AS.
firstan to give respite to; akin to first time, G.
frist, Icel. frest delay.] To sell upon credit, as
goods. [R.] Crabb.
||Fri"sure` (?), n. [F.] The
dressing of the hair by crisping or curling.
Smollett.
Frit (?), n. [F. fritte, fr.
frit fried, p. p. of frire to fry. See Far,
v. t.] 1. (Glass Making)
The material of which glass is made, after having been calcined
or partly fused in a furnace, but before vitrification. It is a
composition of silex and alkali, occasionally with other
ingredients. Ure.
2. (Ceramics) The material for glaze
of pottery.
Frit brick, a lump of calcined glass
materials, brought to a pasty condition in a reverberatory furnace,
preliminary to the perfect vitrification in the melting pot.
Frit, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fritted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fritting.] To prepare by heat (the materials for making
glass); to fuse partially. Ure.
Frit, v. t. To fritter; -- with
away. [R.] Ld. Lytton.
Frith (fr&ibreve;th), n. [OE.
firth, Icel. fjörðr; akin to Sw.
fjärd, Dan. fiord, E. ford. √78. See
Ford, n., and cf. Firth,
Fiord, Fret a frith, Port a harbor.]
1. (Geog.) A narrow arm of the sea; an
estuary; the opening of a river into the sea; as, the Frith of
Forth.
2. A kind of weir for catching fish.
[Eng.] Carew.
Frith, n. [OE. frith peace,
protection, land inclosed for hunting, park, forest, AS.
frið peace; akin to frenoð peace, protection,
asylum, G. friede peace, Icel. friðr, and from the
root of E. free, friend. See Free, a., and
cf. Affray, Defray.] 1. A forest;
a woody place. [Obs.] Drayton.
2. A small field taken out of a common, by
inclosing it; an inclosure. [Obs.] Sir J. Wynne.
Frith"y (?), a. Woody.
[Obs.] Skelton.
||Frit"il*la`ri*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
fritillus dicebox: cf. F. fritillaire. So named from
the checkered markings of the petals.] (Bot.) A genus of
liliaceous plants, of which the crown-imperial (Fritillaria
imperialis) is one species, and the Guinea-hen flower (F.
Meleagris) another. See Crown-imperial.
Frit"il*la*ry (?), n.
1. (Bot.) A plant with checkered petals,
of the genus Fritillaria: the Guinea-hen flower. See
Fritillaria.
2. (Zoöl.) One of several species
of butterflies belonging to Argynnis and allied genera; -- so
called because the coloring of their wings resembles that of the
common Fritillaria. See Aphrodite.
Frit"i*nan*cy (?), n. [L.
fritinnire to twitter.] A chirping or creaking, as of a
cricket. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Frit"ter (?), n. [OR. fritour,
friture, pancake, F. friture frying, a thing fried,
from frire to fry. See Far, v. t.]
1. A small quantity of batter, fried in boiling
lard or in a frying pan. Fritters are of various kinds, named from
the substance inclosed in the batter; as, apple fritters, clam
fritters, oyster fritters.
2. A fragment; a shred; a small
piece.
And cut whole giants into
fritters.
Hudibras.
Corn fritter. See under
Corn.
Frit"ter, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Frittered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frittering.] 1. To cut, as meat, into
small pieces, for frying.
2. To break into small pieces or
fragments.
Break all nerves, and fritter all their
sense.
Pope.
To fritter away, to diminish; to pare off;
to reduce to nothing by taking away a little at a time; also, to
waste piecemeal; as, to fritter away time, strength, credit,
etc.
Frit"ting (?), n. [See Frit to
expose to heat.] The formation of frit or slag by heat with but
incipient fusion.
Friv"o*lism (?), n.
Frivolity. [R.] Pristley.
Fri*vol"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Frivolities (#). [Cg. F. frivolité.
See Frivolous.] The condition or quality of being
frivolous; also, acts or habits of trifling; unbecoming levity of
disposition.
Friv"o*lous (?), a. [L.
frivolus; prob. akin to friare to rub, crumble, E.
friable: cf. F. frivole.]
1. Of little weight or importance; not worth
notice; slight; as, a frivolous argument.
Swift.
2. Given to trifling; marked with unbecoming
levity; silly; interested especially in trifling matters.
His personal tastes were low and
frivolous.
Macaulay.
Syn. -- Trifling; trivial; slight; petty; worthless.
-- Friv"o*lous*ly, adv. --
Friv"o*lous*ness, n.
Friz (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Frizzed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frizzing (?).] [Cf. F. friser to curl, crisp,
frizzle, to raise the nap (on certain stuffs); prob.akin to
OFries. frisle hair of the head. Cf. Frieze kind of
cloth.] [Written also frizz.] 1. To curl
or form into small curls, as hair, with a crisping pin; to
crisp.
With her hair frizzed short up to her
ears.
Pepys.
2. To form into little burs, prominences,
knobs, or tufts, as the nap of cloth.
3. (Leather Manufacture) To soften and
make of even thickness by rubbing, as with pumice stone or a blunt
instrument.
Frizzing machine. (a)
(Fabrics) A machine for frizzing the surface of
cloth. (b) (Wood Working) A bench
with a revolving cutter head slightly protruding above its surface,
for dressing boards.
Friz, n.; pl.
Frizzes (&?;). That which is frizzed; anything
crisped or curled, as a wig; a frizzle. [Written also
frizz.]
He [Dr. Johnson], who saw in his glass how his wig
became his face and head, might easily infer that a similar
fullbottomed, well-curled friz of words would be no less
becoming to his thoughts.
Hare.
Frize (?), n. (Arch.) See
1st Frieze.
Friz"el (?), a. (Firearms)
A movable furrowed piece of steel struck by the flint, to throw
sparks into the pan, in an early form of flintlock.
Knight.
Fri*zette" (?), n. [F. frisette
curl.] A curl of hair or silk; a pad of frizzed hair or silk
worn by women under the hair to stuff it out.
Frizz (?), v. t. & n. See
Friz, v. t. & n.
Friz"zle (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Frizzled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frizzling (?).] [Dim. of friz.] To curl or crisp,
as hair; to friz; to crinkle. Gay.
To frizzle up, to crinkle or crisp
excessively.
Friz"zle, n. A curl; a lock of
hair crisped. Milton.
Friz"zler` (?), n. One who
frizzles.
{ Friz"zly (?), Friz"zy (?), }
a. Curled or crisped; as, frizzly,
hair.
Fro (frō), adv. [OE. fra,
fro, adv. & prep., Icel. frā, akin to Dan.
fra from, E. from. See From.] From; away;
back or backward; -- now used only in opposition to the word
to, in the phrase to and fro, that is, to and
from. See To and fro under To.
Milton.
Fro, prep. From. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Frock (?), n. [F. froc a monk's
cowl, coat, garment, LL. frocus, froccus,
flocus, floccus, fr. L. floccus a flock of wool;
hence orig., a flocky cloth or garment; cf. L. flaccus flabby,
E. flaccid.] 1. A loose outer garment;
especially, a gown forming a part of European modern costume for
women and children; also, a coarse shirtlike garment worn by some
workmen over their other clothes; a smock frock; as, a marketman's
frock.
2. A coarse gown worn by monks or friars, and
supposed to take the place of all, or nearly all, other garments. It
has a hood which can be drawn over the head at pleasure, and is
girded by a cord.
Frock coat, a body coat for men, usually
double-breasted, the skirts not being in one piece with the body, but
sewed on so as to be somewhat full. -- Smock
frock. See in the Vocabulary.
Frock, v. t. 1. To
clothe in a frock.
2. To make a monk of. Cf.
Unfrock.
Frocked (?), a. Clothed in a
frock.
Frock"less (?), a. Destitute of a
frock.
Froe (frō), n. [See Frow.]
A dirty woman; a slattern; a frow. [Obs.] "Raging frantic
froes." Draylon.
Froe, n. [See Frow the tool]
An iron cleaver or splitting tool; a frow. [U. S.]
Bartlett.
Frog (fr&obreve;g), n. [AS.
froggu, frocga a frog (in sensel); akin to D.
vorsch, OHG. frosk, G. frosch, Icel.
froskr, fraukr, Sw. & Dan. frö.]
1. (Zoöl.) An amphibious animal of
the genus Rana and related genera, of many species. Frogs swim
rapidly, and take long leaps on land. Many of the species utter loud
notes in the springtime.
&fist; The edible frog of Europe (Rana esculenta) is
extensively used as food; the American bullfrog (R.
Catesbiana) is remarkable for its great size and loud voice.
2. [Perh. akin to E. fork, cf. frush
frog of a horse.] (Anat.) The triangular prominence of
the hoof, in the middle of the sole of the foot of the horse, and
other animals; the fourchette.
3. (Railroads) A supporting plate
having raised ribs that form continuations of the rails, to guide the
wheels where one track branches from another or crosses it.
4. [Cf. fraco of wool or silk, L.
floccus, E. frock.] An oblong cloak button,
covered with netted thread, and fastening into a loop instead of a
button hole.
5. The loop of the scabbard of a bayonet or
sword.
Cross frog (Railroads), a frog
adapted for tracks that cross at right angles. -- Frog
cheese, a popular name for a large puffball. --
Frog eater, one who eats frogs; -- a term of
contempt applied to a Frenchman by the vulgar class of English.
-- Frog fly. (Zoöl.) See
Frog hopper. -- Frog hopper
(Zoöl.), a small, leaping, hemipterous insect living
on plants. The larvæ are inclosed in a frothy liquid called
cuckoo spit or frog spit. -- Frog
lily (Bot.), the yellow water lily
(Nuphar). -- Frog spit
(Zoöl.), the frothy exudation of the frog
hopper; -- called also frog spittle. See Cuckoo
spit, under Cuckoo.
Frog (?), v. t. To ornament or
fasten (a coat, etc.) with trogs. See Frog,
n., 4.
Frog"bit` (?), n. (Bot.)
(a) A European plant (Hydrocharis Morsus-
ranæ), floating on still water and propagating itself by
runners. It has roundish leaves and small white flowers.
(b) An American plant (Limnobium
Spongia), with similar habits.
Frog"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) See Angler, n.,
2. (b) An oceanic fish of the genus
Antennarius or Pterophrynoides; -- called also
mousefish and toadfish.
Frogged (?), a. Provided or
ornamented with frogs; as, a frogged coat. See Frog,
n., 4. Ld. Lytton.
Frog"gy (?), a. Abounding in
frogs. Sherwood.
Frog"mouth` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of several species of Asiatic and East Indian birds of the
genus Batrachostomus (family Podargidæ); -- so
called from their very broad, flat bills.
Frog"s`-bit" (?), n. (Bot.)
Frogbit.
Frog"shell` (?), n. (Zoöl.)
One of numerous species of marine gastropod shells, belonging to
Ranella and allied genera.
Froise (?), n. [OE. froise cf.
F. froisser to bruise, E. frush to bruise,] A kind
of pancake. See 1st Fraise. [Written also
fraise.]
Frol"ic (fr&obreve;l"&ibreve;k), a. [D.
vroolijk; akin to G. frölich, fr. froh,
OHG. frō, Dan. fro, OS. frāh, cf.
Icel. frār swift; all perh. akin to Skr. pru to
spring up.] Full of levity; dancing, playing, or frisking about;
full of pranks; frolicsome; gay; merry.
The frolic wind that breathes the
spring.
Milton.
The gay, the frolic, and the loud.
Waller.
Frol"ic, n. 1. A
wild prank; a flight of levity, or of gayety and mirth.
He would be at his frolic once
again.
Roscommon.
2. A scene of gayety and mirth, as in lively
play, or in dancing; a merrymaking.
Frol"ic, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Frolicked (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frolicking.] To play wild pranks; to play tricks of
levity, mirth, and gayety; to indulge in frolicsome play; to
sport.
Hither, come hither, and frolic and
play.
Tennyson.
Frol"ic*ful (?), a.
Frolicsome. [R.]
Frol"ick*y (?), a.
Frolicsome. [Obs.] Richardson.
Frol"ic*ly, adv. In a frolicsome
manner; with mirth and gayety. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
Frol"ic*some (?), a. Full of
gayety and mirth; given to pranks; sportive.
Old England, who takes a frolicsome brain fever
once every two or three years, for the benefit of her
doctors.
Sir W. Scott.
-- Frol"ic*some*ly, adv. --
Frol"ic*some*ness, n.
From (fr&obreve;m), prep. [AS.
fram, from; akin to OS. fram out, OHG. & Icel.
fram forward, Sw. fram, Dan. frem, Goth.
fram from, prob. akin to E. forth. &?;202. Cf.
Fro, Foremost.] Out of the neighborhood of;
lessening or losing proximity to; leaving behind; by reason of; out
of; by aid of; -- used whenever departure, setting out, commencement
of action, being, state, occurrence, etc., or procedure, emanation,
absence, separation, etc., are to be expressed. It is construed with,
and indicates, the point of space or time at which the action, state,
etc., are regarded as setting out or beginning; also, less
frequently, the source, the cause, the occasion, out of which
anything proceeds; -- the antithesis and correlative of to;
as, it, is one hundred miles from Boston to Springfield; he
took his sword from his side; light proceeds from the sun;
separate the coarse wool from the fine; men have all sprung
from Adam, and often go from good to bad, and
from bad to worse; the merit of an action depends on the
principle from which it proceeds; men judge of facts
from personal knowledge, or from testimony.
Experience from the time past to the time
present.
Bacon.
The song began from Jove.
Drpden.
From high Mæonia's rocky shores I
came.
Addison.
If the wind blow any way from
shore.
Shak.
&fist; From sometimes denotes away from, remote
from, inconsistent with. "Anything so overdone is
from the purpose of playing." Shak. From, when
joined with another preposition or an adverb, gives an opportunity
for abbreviating the sentence. "There followed him great multitudes
of people . . . from [the land] beyond Jordan."
Math. iv. 25. In certain constructions, as from forth,
from out, etc., the ordinary and more obvious arrangment is
inverted, the sense being more distinctly forth from, out
from -- from being virtually the governing preposition,
and the word the adverb. See From off, under Off,
adv., and From afar, under Afar,
adv.
Sudden partings such as press
The life from out young hearts.
Byron.
{ From"ward (?), From"wards (?), }
prep. [AS. framweard about to depart. Cf.
Froward] A way from; -- the contrary of toward.
[Obs.]
Towards or fromwards the zenith.
Cheyne.
Frond (?), n. [L. frons,
frondis, a leafy branch, foliage.] (Bot.) The
organ formed by the combination or union into one body of stem and
leaf, and often bearing the fructification; as, the frond of a
fern or of a lichen or seaweed; also, the peculiar leaf of a palm
tree.
Fron*da"tion (?), n. [L.
frondatio, from frons. See Frond.] The act
of stripping, as trees, of leaves or branches; a kind of
pruning. Evelyn.
||Fronde (?), n. [F.] (F. Hist.)
A political party in France, during the minority of Louis XIV.,
who opposed the government, and made war upon the court
party.
Frond"ed (?), a. Furnished with
fronds. "Fronded palms." Whittier.
Fron"dent (?), a. [L. frondens,
p. pr. of frondere to put forth leaves. See Frond.]
Covered with leaves; leafy; as, a frondent tree.
[R.]
Fron*desce" (?), v. i. [L.
frondescere, inchoative fr. frondere. See
Frondent.] To unfold leaves, as plants.
Fron*des"cence (?), n. (Bot.)
(a) The time at which each species of plants
unfolds its leaves. (b) The act of
bursting into leaf. Milne. Martyn.
||Fron"deur` (?), n. [F.] (F.
Hist.) A member of the Fronde.
Fron*dif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
frondifer frons a leafy branch + ferre to bear: cf. F.
frondifere.] Producing fronds.
Frond"let (?), n. (Bot.) A
very small frond, or distinct portion of a compound frond.
Fron*dose" (?), a. [L. frondosus
leafy.] (Bot.) (a) Frond bearing;
resembling a frond; having a simple expansion not separable into stem
and leaves. (b) Leafy.
Gray.
Fron"dous (?), a. (Bot.)
Frondose. [R.]
||Frons (?), n. [L., front.]
(Anal.) The forehead; the part of the cranium between the
orbits and the vertex.
Front (?), n. [F. frant
forehead, L. frons, frontis; perh. akin to E.
brow.] 1. The forehead or brow, the part
of the face above the eyes; sometimes, also, the whole
face.
Bless'd with his father's front, his mother's
tongue.
Pope.
Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled
front.
Shak.
His front yet threatens, and his frowns
command.
Prior.
2. The forehead, countenance, or personal
presence, as expressive of character or temper, and especially, of
boldness of disposition, sometimes of impudence; seeming; as, a bold
front; a hardened front.
With smiling fronts encountering.
Shak.
The inhabitants showed a bold
front.
Macaulay.
3. The part or surface of anything which
seems to look out, or to be directed forward; the fore or forward
part; the foremost rank; the van; -- the opposite to back or rear;
as, the front of a house; the front of an
army.
Had he his hurts before?
Ay, on the front.
Shak.
4. A position directly before the face of a
person, or before the foremost part of a thing; as, in front
of un person, of the troops, or of a house.
5. The most conspicuous part.
The very head and front of my
offending.
Shak.
6. That which covers the foremost part of the
head: a front piece of false hair worn by women.
Like any plain Miss Smith's, who wears s
front.
Mrs. Browning.
7. The beginning. "Summer's
front." Shak.
Bastioned front (Mil.), a curtain
connerting two half bastions. -- Front door,
the door in the front wall of a building, usually the principal
entrance. -- Front of fortification, the
works constructed upon any one side of a polygon. Farrow.
-- Front of operations, all that part of the
field of operations in front of the successive positions occupied by
the army as it moves forward. Farrow. -- To come
to the front, to attain prominence or
leadership.
Front, a. Of or relating to the
front or forward part; having a position in front; foremost; as, a
front view.
Front, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fronted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fronting.] 1. To oppose face to face; to
oppose directly; to meet in a hostile manner.
You four shall front them in the narrow
lane.
Shak.
2. To appear before; to meet.
[Enid] daily fronted him
In some fresh splendor.
Tennyson.
3. To face toward; to have the front toward;
to confront; as, the house fronts the street.
And then suddenly front the changed
reality.
J. Morley.
4. To stand opposed or opposite to, or over
against as, his house fronts the church.
5. To adorn in front; to supply a front to;
as, to front a house with marble; to front a head with
laurel.
Yonder walls, that pertly front your
town.
Shak.
Front, v. t. To have or turn the
face or front in any direction; as, the house fronts toward
the east.
Front"age (?), n. The front part
of an edifice or lot; extent of front.
Fron"tal (?), a. [Cf. F.
frontal.] Belonging to the front part; being in
front; esp. (Anat.), Of or pertaining to the
forehead or the anterior part of the roof of the brain case; as, the
frontal bones.
Fron"tal, n. [F. frontal,
fronteau, OF. Frontel, frontal, L.
frontale an ornament for the forehead, frontlet. See
Front.] 1. Something worn on the forehead
or face; a frontlet; as: (a) An ornamental
band for the hair. (b) (Mil.) The
metal face guard of a soldier.
2. (Arch.) A little pediment over a
door or window.
3. (Eccl.) A movable, decorative
member in metal, carved wood, or, commonly, in rich stuff or in
embroidery, covering the front of the altar. Frontals are usually
changed according to the different ceremonies.
4. (Med.) A medicament or application
for the forehead. [Obs.] Quincy.
5. (Anat.) The frontal bone, or one of
the two frontal bones, of the cranium.
Frontal hammer or helve, a
forge hammer lifted by a cam, acting upon a "tongue" immediately in
front of the hammer head. Raymond.
{ Fron"tate (?), Fron'ta*ted (?), }
a. Growing broader and broader, as a leaf;
truncate.
Front"ed (?), a. Formed with a
front; drawn up in line. "Fronted brigades."
Milton.
Fron"tier (?), n. [F.
frontière, LL. frontaria. See Front.]
1. That part of a country which fronts or faces
another country or an unsettled region; the marches; the border,
confine, or extreme part of a country, bordering on another country;
the border of the settled and cultivated part of a country; as, the
frontier of civilization.
2. (Fort.) An outwork.
[Obs.]
Palisadoes, frontiers, parapets.
Shak.
Fron"tier, a. 1.
Lying on the exterior part; bordering; conterminous; as, a
frontier town.
2. Of or relating to a frontier.
"Frontier experience." W. Irving.
Fron"tier, v. i. To constitute or
form a frontier; to have a frontier; -- with on. [Obs.] Sir
W. Temple.
Fron"tiered (?), p. a. Placed on
the frontiers. [R.]
Fron"tiers*man (?), n.; pl.
Frontiersmen (&?;). A man living on the
frontier.
||Fron`ti*gnac" (?), Fron`ti`gnan" (&?;),
n. [So called from Frontignan, a town in
Southern France.] 1. A sweet muscadine wine made
in Frontignan (Languedoc), France.
2. (Bot.) A grape of many varieties
and colors.
Front"ing*ly (?), adv. In a
fronting or facing position; opposingly.
Fron`tin*iac" (?), n. See
Frontignac.
Fron"tis*piece (?), n. [F.
frontispice, LL. frontispicium beginning, front of a
church, fr. L. frons front + spicere, specere,
to look at, view: cf. It. frontispizio. See Front and
Spy.] The part which first meets the eye; as:
(a) (Arch.) The principal front of a
building. [Obs. or R.] (b) An ornamental
figure or illustration fronting the first page, or titlepage, of a
book; formerly, the titlepage itself.
Front"less (?), a. Without face or
front; shameless; not diffident; impudent. [Obs.]
"Frontless vice." Dryden. "Frontless flattery."
Pope.
Front"less*ly, adv. Shamelessly;
impudently. [Obs.]
Front"let (?), n. [OF. frontelet brow
band, dim. of frontel, frontal. See Frontal,
n.] 1. A frontal or brow band;
a fillet or band worn on the forehead.
They shall be as frontlets between thine
eyes.
Deut. vi. 8.
2. A frown (likened to a frontlet). [R.
& Poetic]
What makes that frontlet on? Methinks you are
too much of late i' the frown.
Shak.
3. (Zoöl.) The margin of the
head, behind the bill of birds, often bearing rigid
bristles.
Fron"to- (?). [L. frons, frontis, the
forehead.] (Anat.) A combining form signifying
relating to the forehead or the frontal bone; as,
fronto-parietal, relating to the frontal and the parietal
bones; fronto-nasal, etc.
||Fron`ton" (?), n. [F., a pediment.
See Front.] (Arch.) Same as Frontal,
2.
Frop"pish (?), a. [Cf. Frap,
Frape.] Peevish; froward. [Obs.]
Clarendon.
Frore (?), adv. [See Frorn.]
Frostily. [Obs.]
The parching air
Burns frore, and cold performs the effect of
fire.
Milton.
Frorn (?), p. a. [AS. froren, p.
p. of freósun to freeze. See Freeze.]
Frozen. [Obs.]
Well nigh frorn I feel.
Spenser.
Fro"ry (?), a. [AS.
freórig. See Frorn.] 1.
Frozen; stiff with cold. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. Covered with a froth like hoarfrost.
[Archaic]
The foaming steed with frory bit to
steer.
Fairfax.
Frost (fr&obreve;st; 115), n. [OE.
frost, forst, AS. forst, frost. fr.
freósan to freeze; akin to D. varst, G., OHG.,
Icel., Dan., & Sw. frost. √18. See Freeze,
v. i.] 1. The act of freezing;
-- applied chiefly to the congelation of water; congelation of
fluids.
2. The state or temperature of the air which
occasions congelation, or the freezing of water; severe cold or
freezing weather.
The third bay comes a frost, a killing
frost.
Shak.
3. Frozen dew; -- called also
hoarfrost or white frost.
He scattereth the hoarfrost like
ashes.
Ps. cxlvii. 16.
4. Coldness or insensibility; severity or
rigidity of character. [R.]
It was of those moments of intense feeling when the
frost of the Scottish people melts like a snow
wreath.
Sir W. Scott.
Black frost, cold so intense as to freeze
vegetation and cause it to turn black, without the formation of
hoarfrost. -- Frost bearer (Physics),
a philosophical instrument illustrating the freezing of water in
a vacuum; a cryophorus. -- Frost grape
(Bot.), an American grape, with very small, acid
berries. -- Frost lamp, a lamp placed
below the oil tube of an Argand lamp to keep the oil limpid on cold
nights; -- used especially in lighthouses. Knight. --
Frost nail, a nail with a sharp head driven
into a horse's shoe to keep him from slipping. -- Frost
smoke, an appearance resembling smoke, caused by
congelation of vapor in the atmosphere in time of severe
cold.
The brig and the ice round her are covered by a
strange black
obscurity: it is the frost smoke of arctic
winters.
Kane.
--
Frost valve, a valve to drain the portion
of a pipe, hydrant, pump, etc., where water would be liable to
freeze. -- Jack Frost, a popular
personification of frost.
Frost (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Frosted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Frosting.] 1. To injure by frost; to
freeze, as plants.
2. To cover with hoarfrost; to produce a
surface resembling frost upon, as upon cake, metals, or
glass.
While with a hoary light she frosts the
ground.
Wordsworth.
3. To roughen or sharpen, as the nail heads
or calks of horseshoes, so as to fit them for frosty
weather.
Frost"bird (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The golden plover.
Frost"bite (?), n. The freezing,
or effect of a freezing, of some part of the body, as the ears or
nose. Kane.
[1913 Webster]
Frost`bite", v. t. To expose to
the effect of frost, or a frosty air; to blight or nip with
frost.
My wife up and with Mrs. Pen to walk in the fields to
frostbite themselves.
Pepys.
Frost`-bit"ten (?), p. a. Nipped,
withered, or injured, by frost or freezing.
Frost`-blite" (?), n. (Bot.)
(a) A plant of the genus Atriplex;
orache. Gray. (b) The lamb's-
quarters (Chenopodium album). Dr. Prior.
Frost"ed, a. Covered with
hoarfrost or anything resembling hoarfrost; ornamented with frosting;
also, frost-bitten; as, a frosted cake; frosted
glass.
Frosted work is introduced as a foil or
contrast to burnished work.
Knight.
Frost`fish" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
(a) The tomcod; -- so called because it is
abundant on the New England coast in autumn at about the commencement
of frost. See Tomcod. (b) The
smelt. [Local, U. S.] (c) A name applied
in New Zealand to the scabbard fish (Lepidotus) valued as a
food fish.
Frost"i*ly (?), adv. In a frosty
manner.
Frost"i*ness, n. State or quality
of being frosty.
Frost"ing, n. 1. A
composition of sugar and beaten egg, used to cover or ornament cake,
pudding, etc.
2. A lusterless finish of metal or glass; the
process of producing such a finish.
Frost"less, a. Free from frost;
as, a frostless winter.
Frost"weed` (?), n. (Bot.)
An American species of rockrose (Helianthemum Canadense),
sometimes used in medicine as an astringent or aromatic
tonic.
&fist; It has large yellow flowers which are often sterile, and
later it has abundant but inconspicuous flowers which bear seed. It
is so called because, late in autumn, crystals of ice shoot from the
cracked bark at the root; -- called also frostwort.
Frost`work" (?), n. The
figurework, often fantastic and delicate, which moisture sometimes
forms in freezing, as upon a window pane or a flagstone.
Frost`wort" (?), n. (Bot.)
Same as Frostweed.
Frost"y (?), a. [Cf. AS.
fyrstig.] 1. Attended with, or producing,
frost; having power to congeal water; cold; freezing; as, a
frosty night.
2. Covered with frost; as, the grass is
frosty.
3. Chill in affection; without warmth of
affection or courage. Johnson.
4. Appearing as if covered with hoarfrost;
white; gray-haired; as, a frosty head. Shak.
Frote (?), v. t. [F. frotter.]
To rub or wear by rubbing; to chafe. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
Fro"ter*er (?), n. One who frotes;
one who rubs or chafes. [Obs.] Marston.
Froth (?), n. [OE. frothe, Icel.
froða; akin to Dan. fraade, Sw. fradga, AS.
āfreoðan to froth.]
1. The bubbles caused in fluids or liquors by
fermentation or agitation; spume; foam; esp., a spume of saliva
caused by disease or nervous excitement.
2. Any empty, senseless show of wit or
eloquence; rhetoric without thought. Johnson.
It was a long speech, but all
froth.
L'Estrange.
3. Light, unsubstantial matter.
Tusser.
Froth insect (Zoöl.), the cuckoo
spit or frog hopper; -- called also froth spit, froth
worm, and froth fly. -- Froth spit.
See Cuckoo spit, under Cuckoo.
Froth, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Frothed (?); p. pr. & vb. n..
Frothing.] 1. To cause to foam.
2. To spit, vent, or eject, as
froth.
He . . . froths treason at his
mouth.
Dryden.
Is your spleen frothed out, or have ye
more?
Tennyson.
3. To cover with froth; as, a horse
froths his chain.
Froth, v. i. To throw up or out
spume, foam, or bubbles; to foam; as beer froths; a horse
froths.
Froth"i*ly (?), adv. In a frothy
manner.
Froth"i*ness, n. State or quality
of being frothy.
Froth"ing, n. Exaggerated
declamation; rant.
Froth"less, a. Free from
froth.
Froth"y (?), a.
[Compar. Frothier (?);
superl. Frothiest.] 1.
Full of foam or froth, or consisting of froth or light bubbles;
spumous; foamy.
2. Not firm or solid; soft; unstable.
Bacon.
3. Of the nature of froth; light; empty;
unsubstantial; as, a frothy speaker or harangue.
Tillotson.
Frounce (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Frounced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frouncing (?).] [OE. frouncen, fronsen, to told,
wrinkle, OF. froncier, F. froncer, perh. fr. an assumed
LL. frontiare to wrinkle the forehead, L. frons
forehead. See Front, and cf. Flounce part of a dress.]
To gather into or adorn with plaits, as a dress; to form
wrinkles in or upon; to curl or frizzle, as the hair.
Not tricked and frounced, as she was
wont.
Milton.
Frounce, v. i. To form wrinkles in
the forehead; to manifest displeasure; to frown. [Obs.]
The Commons frounced and stormed.
Holland.
Frounce, n. 1. A
wrinkle, plait, or curl; a flounce; -- also, a frown. [Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
2. An affection in hawks, in which white
spittle gathers about the hawk's bill. Booth.
Frounce"less, a. Without
frounces. Rom. of R.
Frou"zy (?), a. [Prov. E. frouzy
froward, peevish, offensive to the eye or smell; cf. froust a
musty smell, frouse to rumple, frouze to curl, and E. frounce,
frowy.] Fetid, musty; rank; disordered and offensive to
the smell or sight; slovenly; dingy. See Frowzy.
"Petticoats in frouzy heaps." Swift.
Frow (?), n. [D. vrouw; akin to
G. frau woman, wife, goth, fráuja master, lord,
AS. freá.] 1. A woman; especially,
a Dutch or German woman. Beau. & Fl.
2. A dirty woman; a slattern. [Prov.
Eng.] Halliwell.
Frow (?), n. [Cf. Frower.]
A cleaving tool with handle at right angles to the blade, for
splitting cask staves and shingles from the block; a
frower.
Frow (?), a. Brittle. [Obs.]
Evelyn.
Fro"ward (?), a. [Fro + -
ward. See Fro, and cf. Fromward.] Not willing
to yield or compIy with what is required or is reasonable; perverse;
disobedient; peevish; as, a froward child.
A froward man soweth strife.
Prov. xvi. 28.
A froward retention of custom is as turbulent a
thing as innovation.
Bacon.
Syn. -- Untoward; wayward; unyielding; ungovernable:
refractory; obstinate; petulant; cross; peevish. See
Perverse.
-- Fro"ward*ly, adv. --
Fro"ward*ness, n.
Frow"er (?), n. [Cf. frow a
frower, and Prov. E, frommard.] A tool. See 2d
Frow. Tusser.
Frow"ey (?), a. [See Frow,
a.] (Carp.) Working smoothly, or
without splitting; -- said of timber.
Frown (?), v. i. [imp. &, p.
p. Frowned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frowning.] [OF. froignier, F. frogner, in se
refrogner, se renfrogner, to knit the brow, to frown;
perh. of Teutonic origin; cf. It. in frigno wrinkled,
frowning, Prov. It. frignare to cringe the face, to make a wry
face, dial. Sw. fryna to make a wry face,] 1.
To contract the brow in displeasure, severity, or sternness; to
scowl; to put on a stern, grim, or surly look.
The frowning wrinkle of her brow.
Shak.
2. To manifest displeasure or disapprobation;
to look with disfavor or threateningly; to lower; as, polite society
frowns upon rudeness.
The sky doth frown and lower upon our
army.
Shak.
Frown, v. t. To repress or repel
by expressing displeasure or disapproval; to rebuke with a look; as,
frown the impudent fellow into silence.
Frown, n. 1. A
wrinkling of the face in displeasure, rebuke, etc.; a sour, severe,
or stere look; a scowl.
His front yet threatens, and his frowns
command.
Prior.
Her very frowns are fairer far
Than smiles of other maidens are.
H.
Coleridge.
2. Any expression of displeasure; as, the
frowns of Providence; the frowns of Fortune.
Frown"ing*ly, adv. In a frowning
manner.
Frown"y (?), a. Frowning;
scowling. [Obs.]
Her frowny mother's ragged
shoulder.
Sir F. Palgrave.
Frow"y (?), a. [Cf. Frowzy,
Frouzy.] Musty. rancid; as, frowy butter.
"Frowy feed." Spenser
Frow"zy (?), a. [See Frouzy.]
Slovenly; unkempt; untidy; frouzy. "With head all
frowzy." Spenser.
The frowzy soldiers' wives hanging out
clothes.
W. D. Howells.
Froze (?), imp. of
Freeze.
Fro"zen (?), a. 1.
Congealed with cold; affected by freezing; as, a frozen
brook.
They warmed their frozen feet.
Dryden.
2. Subject to frost, or to long and severe
cold; chilly; as, the frozen north; the frozen
zones.
3. Cold-hearted; unsympathetic;
unyielding. [R.]
Be not ever frozen, coy.
T.
Carew.
Fro"zen*ness, n. A state of being
frozen.
Frub"ish (?), v. t. [See
Furbish.] To rub up: to furbish. [Obs.] Beau.
c& Et.
Fruc"ted (?), a. [L. fructus
fruit. See Fruit.] (Her.) Bearing fruit; -- said
of a tree or plant so represented upon an escutcheon.
Cussans.
Fruc*tes"cence (?), n. [L.
fructus fruit.] (Bot.) The maturing or ripening of
fruit. [R.] Martyn.
Fruc*tic"u*lose` (?), a. Fruitful;
full of fruit.
||Fruc`ti`dor" (?), n. [F., fr. L.
fructus fruit.] The twelfth month of the French
republican calendar; -- commencing August 18, and ending September
16. See Vendémiaire.
||Fruc*tif"er*uos (?), a. [L.
fructifer; fructus fruit + ferre to bear; cf. F.
fructifère.] Bearing or producing fruit.
Boyle.
||Fruc`ti*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
fructificatio: cf. F. fructification.]
1. The act of forming or producing fruit; the
act of fructifying, or rendering productive of fruit;
fecundation.
The prevalent fructification of
plants.
Sir T. Brown.
2. (Bot.) (a) The
collective organs by which a plant produces its fruit, or seeds, or
reproductive spores. (b) The process of
producing fruit, or seeds, or spores.
Fruc"ti*fy (frŭk"t&ibreve;*fī), v.
i. [F. fructifier, L. fructificare;
fructus fruit + -ficare (only in comp.), akin to L.
facere to make. See Fruit, and Fact.] To
bear fruit. "Causeth the earth to fructify."
Beveridge.
Fruc"ti*fy, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fructified (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fructifying.] To make fruitful; to render productive; to
fertilize; as, to fructify the earth.
Fruc*tose" (frŭk*tōs" or
frŭk"tōs), n. [L. fructus
fruit.] (Chem.) Fruit sugar; levulose. [R.]
Fruc"tu*a*ry (frŭk"t&usl;*&asl;*r&ybreve;),
n.; pl. Fructuaries (-
r&ibreve;z). [L. fructuarius.] One who enjoys the
profits, income, or increase of anything.
Kings are not proprietors nor
fructuaries.
Prynne.
Fruc"tu*a`tion (-ā"shŭn),
n. Produce; fruit. [R.]
Fruc"tu*ous (?), a. [L.
fructuosus: cf, F. fructueux.] Fruitful;
productive; profitable. [Obs.]
Nothing fructuous or profitable.
Chaucer.
-- Fruc"tu*ous*ly, adv. --
Fruc"tu*ous*ness, n. [Obs.]
Fruc"ture (?), n. [L. frui,
p. p. fructus, to enjoy. See Fruit,
n.] Use; fruition; enjoyment. [Obs.]
Cotgrave.
Frue" van"ner (?). [Etymol. uncertain.] (Mining)
A moving, inclined, endless apron on which ore is concentrated
by a current of water; a kind of buddle.
Fru"gal (?), a. [L. frugalis,
fr. frugi, lit., for fruit; hence, fit for food,
useful, proper, temperate, the dative of frux, frugis,
fruit, akin to E. fruit: cf. F. frugal. See
Fruit, n.] 1.
Economical in the use or appropriation of resources; not
wasteful or lavish; wise in the expenditure or application of force,
materials, time, etc.; characterized by frugality; sparing;
economical; saving; as, a frugal housekeeper; frugal of
time.
I oft admire
How Nature, wise and frugal, could commit
Such disproportions.
Milton.
2. Obtained by, or appropriate to, economy;
as, a frugal fortune. "Frugal fare." Dryden.
Fru*gal"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Frugalities (#). [L. frugalitas: cf. F.
frugalité.] 1. The quality of
being frugal; prudent economy; that careful management of anything
valuable which expends nothing unnecessarily, and applies what is
used to a profitable purpose; thrift; --- opposed to
extravagance.
Frugality is founded on the principle that all
riches have
limits.
Burke.
2. A sparing use; sparingness; as, frugality
of praise.
Syn. -- Economy; parsimony. See Economy.
Fru"gal*ly (?), adv. Thriftily;
prudently.
Fru"gal*ness, n. Quality of being
frugal; frugality.
Fru*gif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
frugifer; frux, frugis, fruit + ferre to
bear: cf. F. frugifere.] Producing fruit; fruitful;
fructiferous. Dr. H. More.
||Fru*giv"o*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See
Frugivorous.] (Zoöl.) The fruit bate; a group
of the Cheiroptera, comprising the bats which live on fruits. See
Eruit bat, under Fruit.
Fru*giv"o*rous (?), a. [L. frux,
frugis, fruit + vorare to devour.: cf. F.
frugivore.] Feeding on fruit, as birds and other
animals. Pennant.
Fruit (?), n. [OE. fruit,
frut, F. fruit, from L. fructus enjoyment,
product, fruit, from frui, p. p. fructus, to enjoy;
akin to E. brook, v. t. See Brook,
v. t., and cf. Fructify, Frugal.]
1. Whatever is produced for the nourishment or
enjoyment of man or animals by the processes of vegetable growth, as
corn, grass, cotton, flax, etc.; -- commonly used in the
plural.
Six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in
the
fruits thereof.
Ex. xxiii. 10.
2. (Hort.) The pulpy, edible seed
vessels of certain plants, especially those grown on branches above
ground, as apples, oranges, grapes, melons, berries, etc. See
3.
3. (Bot.) The ripened ovary of a
flowering plant, with its contents and whatever parts are
consolidated with it.
&fist; Fruits are classified as fleshy, drupaceous,
and dry. Fleshy fruits include berries, gourds, and
melons, orangelike fruits and pomes; drupaceous fruits are
stony within and fleshy without, as peaches, plums, and cherries; and
dry fruits are further divided into achenes,
follicles, legumes, capsules, nuts, and
several other kinds.
[1913 Webster]
4. (Bot.) The spore cases or
conceptacles of flowerless plants, as of ferns, mosses, algae, etc.,
with the spores contained in them.
6. The produce of animals; offspring; young;
as, the fruit of the womb, of the loins, of the
body.
King Edward's fruit, true heir to the English
crown.
Shak.
6. That which is produced; the effect or
consequence of any action; advantageous or desirable product or
result; disadvantageous or evil consequence or effect; as, the
fruits of labor, of self-denial, of intemperance.
The fruit of rashness.
Shak.
What I obtained was the fruit of no
bargain.
Burke.
They shall eat the fruit of their
doings.
Is. iii 10.
The fruits of this education became
visible.
Macaulay.
&fist; Fruit is frequently used adjectively, signifying
of, for, or pertaining to a fruit or
fruits; as, fruit bud; fruit frame; fruit
jar; fruit knife; fruit loft; fruit show;
fruit stall; fruit tree; etc.
Fruit bat (Zoöl.), one of the
Frugivora; -- called also fruit-eating bat. --
Fruit bud (Bot.), a bud that produces
fruit; -- in most oplants the same as the power bud.
Fruit dot (Bot.), a collection of fruit
cases, as in ferns. See Sorus. -- Fruit
fly (Zoöl.), a small dipterous insect of
the genus Drosophila, which lives in fruit, in the larval
state. -- Fruit jar, a jar for holding
preserved fruit, usually made of glass or earthenware. --
Fruit pigeon (Zoöl.), one of
numerous species of pigeons of the family Carpophagidæ,
inhabiting India, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. They feed
largely upon fruit. and are noted for their beautiful colors. --
Fruit sugar (Chem.), a kind of sugar
occurring, naturally formed, in many ripe fruits, and in honey;
levulose. The name is also, though rarely, applied to invert
sugar, or to the natural mixture or dextrose and levulose
resembling it, and found in fruits and honey. -- Fruit
tree (Hort.), a tree cultivated for its edible
fruit. -- Fruit worm (Zoöl.),
one of numerous species of insect larvæ: which live in the
interior of fruit. They are mostly small species of Lepidoptera and
Diptera. -- Small fruits (Hort.),
currants, raspberries, strawberries, etc.
Fruit (?), v. i. To bear
fruit. Chesterfield.
Fruit"age (?), n. [F. fruitage.]
1. Fruit, collectively; fruit, in general;
fruitery.
The trees . . . ambrosial fruitage
bear.
Milton.
2. Product or result of any action; effect,
good or ill.
Fruit"er (?), a. A ship for
carrying fruit.
Fruit"er*er (?), n. [Cf. F.
fruitier.] One who deals in fruit; a seller of
fruits.
Fruit"er*ess, n. A woman who sells
fruit.
Fruit"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Fruiteries (#). [F. fruiterie place where
fruit is kept, in OF. also, fruitage.]
1. Fruit, taken collectively; fruitage.
J. Philips.
2. A repository for fruit.
Johnson.
Fruit"es*tere (?), n. A
fruiteress. [Obs.]
Fruit"ful (?), a. Full of fruit;
producing fruit abundantly; bearing results; prolific; fertile;
liberal; bountiful; as, a fruitful tree, or season, or soil; a
fruitful wife. -- Fruit"ful*ly,
adv. -- Fruit"ful*ness,
n.
Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the
earth.
Gen. i. 28.
[Nature] By disburdening grows
More fruitful.
Milton.
The great fruitfulness of the poet's
fancy.
Addison.
Syn. -- Fertile; prolific; productive; fecund; plentiful;
rich; abundant; plenteous. See Fertile.
Fruit"ing, a. Pertaining to, or
producing, fruit.
Fruit"ing, n. The bearing of
fruit.
Fru*i"tion (?), n. [OF.
fruition, L. fruitio, enjoyment, fr. L. frui, p.
p. fruitus, to use or enjoy. See Fruit,
n.] Use or possession of anything, especially
such as is accompanied with pleasure or satisfaction; pleasure
derived from possession or use. "Capacity of fruition."
Rogers. "Godlike fruition." Milton.
Where I may have fruition of her
love.
Shak.
Fru"i*tive (?), a. [See
Fruition.] Enjoying; possessing. [Obs.]
Boyle.
Fruit"less (?), a. 1.
Lacking, or not bearing, fruit; barren; destitute of offspring;
as, a fruitless tree or shrub; a fruitless
marriage. Shak.
2. Productive of no advantage or good effect;
vain; idle; useless; unprofitable; as, a fruitless attempt; a
fruitless controversy.
They in mutual accusation spent
The fruitless hours.
Milton.
Syn. -- Useless; barren; unprofitable; abortive;
ineffectual; vain; idle; profitless. See Useless.
-- Fruit"less*ly, adv. --
Fruit"lness*ness, n.
Fruit'y (?), a. Having the odor,
taste, or appearance of fruit; also, fruitful.
Dickens.
Fru"men*ta"ceous (?), a. [L.
frumentaceus, fr. frumentum corn or grain, from the
root of frux fruit: cf. F. frumentacé. See
Frugal.] Made of, or resembling, wheat or other
grain.
Fru`men*ta"ri*ous (?), a. [L.
frumentarius.] Of or pertaining to wheat or grain. [R.]
Coles.
Fru`men*ta"tion (?), n. [L.
frumentatio.] (Rom. Antiq.) A largess of grain
bestowed upon the people, to quiet them when uneasy.
Fru"men*ty (?), n. [OF.
fromentée, fr. L. frumentum. See
Frumentaceous.] Food made of hulled wheat boiled in milk,
with sugar, plums, etc. [Written also furmenty and
furmity.] Halliwell.
Frump (?), v. t. [Cf. Prov. E.
frumple to wrinkle, ruffle, D. frommelen.] To
insult; to flout; to mock; to snub. [Obs.] Beau. &
Fl.
Frump, n. 1. A
contemptuous speech or piece of conduct; a gibe or flout.
[Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
2. A cross, old-fashioned person; esp., an
old woman; a gossip. [Colloq.] Halliwell.
Frump"er (?), n. A mocker.
[Obs.] Cotgrave.
Frump"ish, a. 1.
Cross-tempered; scornful. [Obs.]
2. Old-fashioned, as a woman's
dress.
Our Bell . . . looked very
frumpish.
Foote.
Frush (?), v. t. [F. froisser to
bruise. Cf. Froise.] To batter; to break in
pieces. [Obs.]
I like thine armor well;
I'll frush it and unlock the rivets all.
Shak.
Frush, a. Easily broken; brittle;
crisp.
Frush, n. Noise; clatter;
crash. [R.] Southey.
Frush, n. [Cf. OE. frosch,
frosk, a frog (the animal), G. frosch frog (the
animal), also carney or lampass of horses. See Frog,
n., 2.] 1. (Far.) The
frog of a horse's foot.
2. A discharge of a fetid or ichorous matter
from the frog of a horse's foot; -- also caled
thrush.
Frus"tra*ble (?), a. [L.
frustrabilis: cf. F. frustable.] Capable of beeing
frustrated or defeated.
Frus*tra"ne*ous (?), a. [See
Frustrate, a.] Vain; useless;
unprofitable. [Obs.] South.
Frus"trate (?), a. [L.
frustratus, p. p. of frustrare, frustrari, to
deceive, frustrate, fr. frustra in vain, witout effect, in
erorr, prob. for frudtra and akin to fraus, E.
fraud.] Vain; ineffectual; useless; unprofitable; null;
voil; nugatory; of no effect. "Our frustrate search."
Shak.
Frus"trate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Frustrated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Frustrating.] 1. To bring to
nothing; to prevent from attaining a purpose; to disappoint; to
defeat; to baffle; as, to frustrate a plan, design, or
attempt; to frustrate the will or purpose.
Shall the adversary thus obtain
His end and frustrate thine ?
Milton.
2. To make null; to nullifly; to render
invalid or of no effect; as, to frustrate a conveyance or
deed.
Syn. -- To balk; thwart; foil; baffle; defeat.
Frus"trate*ly (?), adv. In
vain. [Obs.] Vicars.
Frus*tra"tion (?), n. [L.
frustratio: cf. OF. frustration.] The act of
frustrating; disappointment; defeat; as, the frustration of
one's designs
Frus"tra*tive (?), a. Tending to
defeat; fallacious. [Obs.] Ainsworth.
Frus"tra*to*ry (?), a. [L.
frustratorius: cf. F. frustratoire.] Making void;
rendering null; as, a frustratory appeal. [Obs.]
Ayliffe.
Frus"tule (?), n. [L. frustulum,
dim. fr. frustum a piece: cf. F. frustule.]
(Bot.) The siliceous shell of a diatom. It is composed of
two valves, one overlapping the other, like a pill box and its
cover.
Frus"tu*lent (?), a. [L.
frustulentus. See Frustule.] Abounding in
fragments. [R.]
||Frus"tum (?), n.; pl. L.
Frusta (#), E. Frustums (#). [L.
fruslum piece, bit.]
1. (Geom.) The part of a solid next
the base, formed by cutting off the, top; or the part of any solid,
as of a cone, pyramid, etc., between two planes, which may be either
parallel or inclined to each other.
2. (Arch.) One of the drums of the
shaft of a column.
Frut"age (?), n. [Cf. Fruitage.]
1. A picture of fruit; decoration by
representation of fruit.
The cornices consist of frutages and
festoons.
Evelyn.
2. A confection of fruit. [Obs.]
Nares.
Fru*tes"cent (?), a. [L. frutex,
fruticis, shrub, bush: cf. F. frutescent, L.
fruticescens, p. pr.] (Bot.) Somewhat
shrubby in character; imperfectly shrubby, as the American species of
Wistaria.
||Fru"tex (?), n. [L.] (Bot.)
A plant having a woody, durable stem, but less than a tree; a
shrub.
Fru"ti*cant (?), a. [L.
fruticans, p. pr. of fruticare, to become bushy,
fr. frutex, fruticis, shrub.] Full of shoots.
[Obs.] Evelyn.
Fru"ti*cose` (?), a. [L.
fruticosus, from frutex, fruticis, shrub] (Bot.)
Pertaining to a shrub or shrubs; branching like a shrub;
shrubby; shrublike; as, a fruticose stem.
Gray.
Fru"ti*cous (?), a. (Bot.)
Fruticose. [R.]
Fru*tic"u*lose` (?), a. [Dim. fr. L.
fruticosus bushy: cf. F. fruticuleux.] (Bot.)
Like, or pertaining to, a small shrub. Gray.
Fry (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Frying.] [OE. frien, F. frire, fr. L. frigere to
roast, parch, fry, cf. Gr. &?;, Skr. bhrajj. Cf.
Fritter.] To cook in a pan or on a griddle (esp. with the
use of fat, butter, or olive oil) by heating over a fire; to cook in
boiling lard or fat; as, to fry fish; to fry
doughnuts.
Fry, v. i. 1. To
undergo the process of frying; to be subject to the action of heat in
a frying pan, or on a griddle, or in a kettle of hot fat.
2. To simmer; to boil. [Obs.]
With crackling flames a caldron
fries.
Dryden
The frothy billows fry.
Spenser.
3. To undergo or cause a disturbing action
accompanied with a sensation of heat.
To keep the oil from frying in the
stomach.
Bacon.
4. To be agitated; to be greatly moved.
[Obs.]
What kindling motions in their breasts do
fry.
Fairfax.
Fry, n. 1. A dish
of anything fried.
2. A state of excitement; as, to be in a
fry. [Colloq.]
Fry, n. [OE. fri, fry,
seed, descendants, cf. OF. froye spawning, spawn of. fishes,
little fishes, fr. L. fricare tosub (see Friction), but
cf. also Icel. fræ, frjō, seed, Sw. & Dan.
frö, Goth. fraiw seed, descendants.]
1. (Zoöl.) The young of any
fish.
2. A swarm or crowd, especially of little
fishes; young or small things in general.
The fry of children young.
Spenser.
To sever . . . the good fish from the other
fry.
Milton.
We have burned two frigates, and a hundred and twenty
small fry.
Walpole.
Fry"ing, n. The process denoted by
the verb fry.
Frying pan, an iron pan with a long handle,
used for frying meat, vegetables, etc.
Fu"age (?), n. Same as
Fumage.
Fu"ar (?), n. Same as
Feuar.
Fub (?), Fubs (&?;), n. [Cf.
Fob a pocket.] A plump young person or child.
[Obs.] Smart.
Fub, v. t. [The same word as fob
to cheat.] To put off by trickery; to cheat. [Obs.]
I have been fubbed off, and fubbed off,
and fabbed off, from this day to that day.
Shak.
Fub"ber*y (?), n. Cheating;
deception. Marston.
{ Fub"by (?), Fub"sy (?) } a.
Plump; chubby; short and stuffy; as a fubsy sofa.
[Eng.]
A fubsy, good-humored, silly . . . old
maid.
Mme. D'Arblay.
{ Fu"cate (?), Fu"ca*ted (?) }
a. [L. fucatus, p. p. of fucare to
color, paint, fr. fucus.] Painted; disguised with paint,
or with false show.
||Fuchs (?), n. [G., prop., a fox.]
(German Univ.) A student of the first year.
Fuch"si*a (?), n.; pl. E.
Fuchsias (#), L. Fuchsiæ
(#). [NL. Named after Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist.]
(Bot.) A genus of flowering plants having elegant
drooping flowers, with four sepals, four petals, eight stamens, and a
single pistil. They are natives of Mexico and South America. Double-
flowered varieties are now common in cultivation.
Fuch"sine (?), n. [Named by the French
inventor, from Fuchs a fox, the German equivalent of his own
name, Renard.] (Chem.) Aniline red; an artificial
coal-tar dyestuff, of a metallic green color superficially,
resembling cantharides, but when dissolved forming a brilliant dark
red. It consists of a hydrochloride or acetate of rosaniline. See
Rosaniline.
Fu*civ"o*rous (?), a. [Fucus +
L. vorare to eat.] (Zoöl.) Eating fucus or
other seaweeds.
Fu"coid (?), a. [Fucus + -
oid.] (Bot.) (a) Properly, belonging
to an order of alga: (Fucoideæ) which are blackish in
color, and produce oöspores which are not fertilized until they
have escaped from the conceptacle. The common rockweeds and the
gulfweed (Sargassum) are fucoid in character.
(b) In a vague sense, resembling seaweeds, or of
the nature of seaweeds.
Fu"coid, n. (Bot.) A plant,
whether recent or fossil, which resembles a seaweed. See
Fucoid, a.
Fu*coid"al (?), a. 1.
(Bot.) Fucoid.
2. (Geol.) Containing impressions of
fossil fucoids or seaweeds; as, fucoidal sandstone.
Fu"cus (?), n.; pl.
Fuci (#). [L. rock lichen, orchil, used as a red
dye, red or purple color, disguise, deceit.] 1.
A paint; a dye; also, false show. [Obs.]
2. (Bot.) A genus of tough, leathery
seaweeds, usually of a dull brownish green color; rockweed.
&fist; Formerly most marine algæ were called
fuci.
Fu"cu*sol (?), n. [Fucus + L.
oleum oil.] (Chem.) An oily liquid, resembling,
and possibly identical with, furfurol, and obtained from fucus, and
other seaweeds.
Fud (?), n. [Of uncertain origin.]
1. The tail of a hare, coney, etc. [Prov.
Eng. & Scot.] Burns.
2. Woolen waste, for mixing with mungo and
shoddy.
Fud"der (?), n. See Fodder,
a weight.
Fud"dle (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p., Fuddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fuddling (?).] [Perh. formed as a kind of dim. of full. Cf.
Fuzzle.] To make foolish by drink; to cause to become
intoxicated. [Colloq.]
I am too fuddled to take care to observe your
orders.
Steele.
Fud"dle, v. i. To drink to
excess. [Colloq.]
Fud"dler (?), n. A drunkard.
[Colloq.] Baxter.
Fudge (?), n. [Cf. Prov. F.
fuche, feuche, an interj. of contempt.] A made-up
story; stuff; nonsense; humbug; -- often an exclamation of
contempt.
Fudge, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fudged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fudging.] 1. To make up; to devise; to
contrive; to fabricate; as, he never did the experiment, and merely
fudged the data.
Fudged up into such a smirkish
liveliness.
N. Fairfax.
2. To foist; to interpolate.
That last "suppose" is fudged in.
Foote.
Fudge" wheel" (?). (Shoemaking) A tool for
ornamenting the edge of a sole.
Fu*e"gi*an (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Terra del Fuego. -- n. A
native of Terra del Fuego.
Fu"el (?), n. [OF. fouail,
fuail, or fouaille, fuaille, LL.
focalium, focale, fr. L. focus hearth,
fireplace, in LL., fire. See Focus.] [Formerly written also
fewel.] 1. Any matter used to produce
heat by burning; that which feeds fire; combustible matter used for
fires, as wood, coal, peat, etc.
2. Anything that serves to feed or increase
passion or excitement.
Artificial fuel, fuel consisting of small
particles, as coal dust, sawdust, etc., consolidated into lumps or
blocks.
Fu"el, v. t. 1. To
feed with fuel. [Obs.]
Never, alas I the dreadful name,
That fuels the infernal flame.
Cowley.
2. To store or furnish with fuel or
firing. [Obs.]
Well watered and well fueled.
Sir H. Wotton.
Fu"el*er (?), n. One who, or that
which, supplies fuel. [R.] [Written also fueller.]
Donne.
||Fu*e"ro (?), n. [Sp., fr. L.
forum.] (Sp. Law) (a) A code; a
charter; a grant of privileges. (b) A
custom having the force of law. (c) A
declaration by a magistrate. (d) A place
where justice is administered. (e) The
jurisdiction of a tribunal. Burrill.
Fuff (?), v. t. & i. [Of imitative
origin. Cf. Puff.] To puff. [Prov. Eng. A Local,
U. S.] Halliwel.
Fuff"y, a. Light; puffy.
[Prov. Eng. & Local, U. S.]
||Fu"ga (?), n. [It.] (Mus.)
A fugue.
Fu*ga"cious (?), a. [L. fugax,
fugacis, from fugere: cf. F. fugace. See
Fugitive.] 1. Flying, or disposed to fly;
fleeing away; lasting but a short time; volatile.
Much of its possessions is so hid, so fugacious, and
of so uncertain purchase.
Jer. Taylor.
2. (Biol.) Fleeting; lasting but a
short time; -- applied particularly to organs or parts which are
short-lived as compared with the life of the individual.
Fu*ga"cious*ness, n.
Fugacity. [Obs.]
Fu*gac"i*ty (?), a. [L
fugacitas: cf. F. fugacité.] 1.
The quality of being fugacious; fugaclousness; volatility; as,
fugacity of spirits. Boyle.
2. Uncertainty; instability.
Johnson.
Fu"ga*cy (?), n. Banishment.
[Obs.] Milton.
||Fu*ga"to (?), a. (Mus.)
in the gugue style, but not strictly like a fugue. --
n. A composition resembling a fugue.
Fugh (?), interj. An exclamation
of disgust; foh; faugh. Dryden.
||Fu*ghet"ta (?), n. [It.]
(Mus.) a short, condensed fugue. Grove.
Fu"gi*tive (?), a. [OE. fugitif,
F. fugitif, fr. L. fugitivus, fr. fugere to
flee. See Bow to bend, and cf. Feverfew.]
1. Fleeing from pursuit, danger, restraint,
etc., escaping, from service, duty etc.; as, a fugitive
solder; a fugitive slave; a fugitive debtor.
The fugitive Parthians follow.
Shak.
Can a fugitive daughter enjoy herself while her
parents are in tear?
Richardson
A libellous pamphlet of a fugitive
physician.
Sir H. Wotton.
2. Not fixed; not durable; liable to
disappear or fall away; volatile; uncertain; evanescent; liable to
fade; -- applied to material and immaterial things; as,
fugitive colors; a fugitive idea.
The me more tender and fugitive parts, the leaves . .
. of vegatables.
Woodward.
Fugitive compositions, Such as are short and
occasional, and so published that they quickly escape
notice.
Syn. -- Fleeting; unstable; wandering; uncertain; volatile;
fugacious; fleeing; evanescent.
Fu"gi*tive (?), n. 1.
One who flees from pursuit, danger, restraint, service, duty,
etc.; a deserter; as, a fugitive from justice.
2. Something hard to be caught or
detained.
Or Catch that airy fugitive called
wit.
Harte.
Fugitive from justice (Law), one who,
having committed a crime in one jurisdiction, flees or escapes into
another to avoid punishment.
Fu"gi*tive*ly, adv. In a fugitive
manner.
Fu"gi*tive*ness, n. The quality or
condition of being fugitive; evanescence; volatility; fugacity;
instability.
Fu"gle (?), v. i. To maneuver; to
move hither and thither. [Colloq.]
Wooden arms with elbow joints jerking and
fugling in the
air.
Carlyle.
Fu"gle*man (?), n.; pl.
Fuglemen (#). [G. flügelmann file
leader; flügel wing (akin to E. fly) + mann man.
Cf. Flugrelman.] 1. (Mil.) A
soldier especially expert and well drilled, who takes his place in
front of a military company, as a guide for the others in their
exercises; a file leader. He originally stood in front of the right
wing. [Written also flugelman.]
2. Hence, one who leads the way.
[Jocose]
Fugue (?), n. [F., fr. It. fuga,
fr. L. fuga a fleeing, flight, akin to fugere to fiee.
See Fugitive.] (Mus.) A polyphonic composition,
developed from a given theme or themes, according to strict
contrapuntal rules. The theme is first given out by one voice or
part, and then, while that pursues its way, it is repeated by another
at the interval of a fifth or fourth, and so on, until all the parts
have answered one by one, continuing their several melodies and
interweaving them in one complex progressive whole, in which the
theme is often lost and reappears.
All parts of the scheme are eternally chasing each
other, like the parts of a fugue.
Jer.
Taylor.
Fu"guist (?), n. (Mus.) A
musician who composes or performs fugues. Busby.
-ful (?). [See Full, a.] A
suffix signifying full of, abounding with; as,
boastful, harmful, woeful.
Fu"lahs`, Foo"lahs` (&?;), n.
pl.; sing. Fulah,
Foolah (&?;). (Ethnol.) A peculiar
African race of uncertain origin, but distinct from the negro tribes,
inhabiting an extensive region of Western Soudan. Their color is
brown or yellowish bronze. They are Mohammedans. Called also
Fellatahs, Foulahs, and Fellani. Fulah is also
used adjectively; as, Fulah empire, tribes,
language.
Ful"be (?), n. (Ethnol.)
Same as Fulahs.
Ful"ci*ble (?), a. [L. fulcire
to prop.] Capable of being propped up. [Obs.]
Cockeram.
Ful"ci*ment (?), n. [L.
fulcimentum, fr. fulcire to prop.] A prop; a
fulcrum. [Obs.] Bp. Wilkins.
Ful"cra (?), n. pl. See
Fulcrum.
Ful"crate (?), a. [See Fulcrum.]
1. (Bot.) Propped; supported by accessory
organs. [R.] Gray.
2. Furnished with fulcrums.
Ful"crum (?), n.; pl. L.
Fulcra (#), E. Fulcrums (#). [L.,
bedpost, fr. fulcire to prop.]
1. A prop or support.
2. (Mech.) That by which a lever is
sustained, or about which it turns in lifting or moving a
body.
3. (Bot.) An accessory organ such as a
tendril, stipule, spine, and the like. [R.] Gray.
4. (Zoöl.) (a)
The horny inferior surface of the lingua of certain
insects. (b) One of the small, spiniform
scales found on the front edge of the dorsal and caudal fins of many
ganoid fishes.
5. (Anat.) The connective tissue
supporting the framework of the retina of the eye.
Ful*fill" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fulfilled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fulfilling.] [OE. fulfillen, fulfullen, AS.
fulfyllan; ful full + fyllan to fill. See
Full, a., and Fill, v.
t.] [Written also fulfil.] 1.
To fill up; to make full or complete. [>Obs.]
"Fulfill her week" Gen. xxix. 27.
Suffer thou that the children be fulfilled
first, for it is not good to take the bread of children and give to
hounds.
Wyclif (Mark vii. 27).
2. To accomplish or carry into effect, as an
intention, promise, or prophecy, a desire, prayer, or requirement,
etc.; to complete by performance; to answer the requisitions of; to
bring to pass, as a purpose or design; to effectuate.
He will, fulfill the desire of them fear
him.
Ps. cxlv. 199.
Here Nature seems fulfilled in all her
ends.
Milton.
Servants must their masters' minds
fulfill.
Shak.
Ful*fill"er (?), n. One who
fulfills. South.
Ful*fill"ment (?), n. [Written also
fulfilment.]
1. The act of fulfilling; accomplishment;
completion; as, the fulfillment of prophecy.
2. Execution; performance; as, the
fulfillment of a promise.
Fulgen*cy (?), n. [See fulgent.]
Brightness; splendor; glitter; effulgence.
Bailey.
Ful"gent (?), a. [L. fulgens,
-entis, p. pr. of fulgere to flash, glitter,
shine, akin to Gr. &?; to burn. See Phlox, Flagrant.]
Exquisitely bright; shining; dazzling; effulgent.
Other Thracians . . . fulgent morions
wore.
Glower.
Ful"gent*ly, adv. Dazzlingly;
glitteringly.
Ful"gid (?), a. [L. fulgidus.
See Fulgent.] Shining; glittering; dazzling. [R.]
Pope.
Ful*gid"i*ty (?), n. Splendor;
resplendence; effulgence. [R.] Bailey.
Ful"gor (?), n. [L. fulgor, fr.
fulgere to shine.] Dazzling brightness; splendor.
[R.] Sir T. Browne.
Ful"gu*rant (?) a. [L.
fulgurans, p. pr. of fulgurare.]
Lightening. [R.] Dr. H. More.
||Ful"gu*ra"ta (?), n. [NL.]
(Electricity) A spectro-electric tube in which the
decomposition of a liquid by the passage of an electric spark is
observed. Knight.
Ful"gu*rate (?), v. i. [L.
fulguratus, p. p. of fulgurare to flash, fr.
fulgur lightning, fr. fulgere to shine. See
Fulgent.] To flash as lightning. [R.]
Ful"gu*ra`ting (?), a. (Med.)
Resembling lightning; -- used to describe intense lancinating
pains accompanying locomotor ataxy.
Ful"gu*ra`tion (?), n. [L.
fulguratio: cf. F. fulguration.] 1.
The act of lightening. [R.] Donne.
2. (Assaying) The sudden brightening
of a fused globule of gold or silver, when the last film of the oxide
of lead or copper leaves its surface; -- also called
blick.
A phenomenon called, by the old chemists,
fulguration.
Ure.
Ful"gu*rite (?), n. [L.
fulguritus, p. p. of fulgurire to strike with
lightning, fr. fulgur lightning: cf. F. fulgurite.]
A vitrified sand tube produced by the striking of lightning on
sand; a lightning tube; also, the portion of rock surface fused by a
lightning discharge.
Ful"gu*ry (?), n. [L. fulgur.]
Lightning. [Obs.]
Ful"ham (?), n. [So named because
supposed to have been chiefly made at Fulham, in Middlesex, Eng.]
A false die. [Cant] [Written also fullam.]
Shak.
Fu*lig"i*nos"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
fuliginosité.] The condition or quality of being
fuliginous; sootiness; matter deposited by smoke. [R.]
Fu*lig"i*nous (?), a. [L.
fuliginosus, from fuligo soot: cf. F.
fuligineux. See Fume.] 1.
Pertaining to soot; sooty; dark; dusky.
2. Pertaining to smoke; resembling
smoke.
Fu*lig"i*nous*ly, adv. In a smoky
manner.
Fu"li*mart (?), n. Same as
Foumart.
Full (f&usdot;l), a.
[Compar. Fuller (-&etilde;r); superl.
Fullest.] [OE. & AS. ful; akin to OS. ful, D.
vol, OHG. fol, G. voll, Icel. fullr, Sw.
full, Dan. fuld, Goth. fulls, L. plenus,
Gr. plh`rhs, Skr. pū&rsdot;na full,
prā to fill, also to Gr. poly`s much, E.
poly-, pref., G. viel, AS. fela. √80. Cf.
Complete, Fill, Plenary, Plenty.]
1. Filled up, having within its limits all that
it can contain; supplied; not empty or vacant; -- said primarily of
hollow vessels, and hence of anything else; as, a cup full of
water; a house full of people.
Had the throne been full, their meeting would
not have been regular.
Blackstone.
2. Abundantly furnished or provided;
sufficient in quantity, quality, or degree; copious; plenteous;
ample; adequate; as, a full meal; a full supply; a
full voice; a full compensation; a house full of
furniture.
3. Not wanting in any essential quality;
complete; entire; perfect; adequate; as, a full narrative; a
person of full age; a full stop; a full face;
the full moon.
It came to pass, at the end of two full years,
that Pharaoh
dreamed.
Gen. xii. 1.
The man commands
Like a full soldier.
Shak.
I can not
Request a fuller satisfaction
Than you have freely granted.
Ford.
4. Sated; surfeited.
I am full of the burnt offerings of
rams.
Is. i. 11.
5. Having the mind filled with ideas; stocked
with knowledge; stored with information.
Reading maketh a full man.
Bacon.
6. Having the attention, thoughts, etc.,
absorbed in any matter, and the feelings more or less excited by it,
as, to be full of some project.
Every one is full of the miracles done by cold
baths on decayed and weak constitutions.
Locke.
7. Filled with emotions.
The heart is so full that a drop overfills
it.
Lowell.
8. Impregnated; made pregnant.
[Obs.]
Ilia, the fair, . . . full of
Mars.
Dryden.
At full, when full or complete.
Shak. -- Full age (Law) the age
at which one attains full personal rights; majority; -- in England
and the United States the age of 21 years. Abbott. --
Full and by (Naut.), sailing
closehauled, having all the sails full, and lying as near the
wind as poesible. -- Full band (Mus.),
a band in which all the instruments are employed. --
Full binding, the binding of a book when made
wholly of leather, as distinguished from half binding. --
Full bottom, a kind of wig full and
large at the bottom. -- Full brother
or sister, a brother or sister having the same parents
as another. -- Full cry (Hunting),
eager chase; -- said of hounds that have caught the scent, and
give tongue together. -- Full dress, the
dress prescribed by authority or by etiquette to be worn on occasions
of ceremony. -- Full hand (Poker),
three of a kind and a pair. -- Full moon.
(a) The moon with its whole disk illuminated, as
when opposite to the sun. (b) The time when
the moon is full. -- Full organ (Mus.),
the organ when all or most stops are out. -- Full
score (Mus.), a score in which all the parts for
voices and instruments are given. -- Full sea,
high water. -- Full swing, free
course; unrestrained liberty; "Leaving corrupt nature to . . . the
full swing and freedom of its own extravagant actings." South
(Colloq.) -- In full, at length;
uncontracted; unabridged; written out in words, and not indicated by
figures. -- In full blast. See under
Blast.
Full (?), n. Complete measure;
utmost extent; the highest state or degree.
The swan's-down feather,
That stands upon the swell at full of tide.
Shak.
Full of the moon, the time of full
moon.
Full, adv. Quite; to the same
degree; without abatement or diminution; with the whole force or
effect; thoroughly; completely; exactly; entirely.
The pawn I proffer shall be full as
good.
Dryden.
The diapason closing full in man.
Dryden.
Full in the center of the sacred
wood.
Addison.
&fist; Full is placed before adjectives and adverbs to heighten or
strengthen their signification. "Full sad." Milton. "Master of
a full poor cell." Shak. "Full many a gem of
purest ray serene." T. Gray.
Full is also prefixed to participles to express utmost
extent or degree; as, full-bloomed, full-blown,
full-crammed full-grown, full-laden,
full-stuffed, etc. Such compounds, for the most part, are
self-defining.
Full, v. i. To become full or
wholly illuminated; as, the moon fulls at midnight.
Full, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fulled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fulling.] [OE. fullen, OF. fuler, fouler,
F. fouler, LL. fullare, fr. L. fullo fuller,
cloth fuller, cf. Gr. &?; shining, white, AS. fullian to
whiten as a fuller, to baptize, fullere a fuller. Cf.
Defile to foul, Foil to frustrate, Fuller.
n. ] To thicken by moistening, heating, and
pressing, as cloth; to mill; to make compact; to scour, cleanse, and
thicken in a mill.
Full, v. i. To become fulled or
thickened; as, this material fulls well.
Full"age (?), n. The money or
price paid for fulling or cleansing cloth. Johnson.
Ful"lam (?), n. A false die. See
Fulham.
Full"-blood`ed (?), a.
1. Having a full supply of blood.
2. Of pure blood; thoroughbred; as, a
full-blooded horse.
Full"-bloomed` (?), a. Like a
perfect blossom. "Full-bloomed lips."
Crashaw.
Full"-blown` (?), a. 1.
Fully expanded, as a blossom; as, a full-bloun
rose. Denham.
2. Fully distended with wind, as a
sail. Dryden.
Full"-bot"tomed (?), a.
1. Full and large at the bottom, as wigs worn by
certain civil officers in Great Britain.
2. (Naut.) Of great capacity below the
water line.
Full"-butt" (?), adv. With direct
and violent opposition; with sudden collision. [Colloq.]
L'Estrange.
Full`-drive" (?), adv. With full
speed. [Colloq.]
Full"er (?), n. [AS. fullere,
fr. L. fullo. See Full, v. t.]
One whose occupation is to full cloth.
Fuller's earth, a variety of clay, used in
scouring and cleansing cloth, to imbibe grease. --
Fuller's herb (Bot.), the soapwort
(Saponaria officinalis), formerly used to remove stains from
cloth. -- Fuller's thistle or weed
(Bot.), the teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) whose burs
are used by fullers in dressing cloth. See Teasel.
Full"er, n. [From Full,
a.] (Blacksmith's Work) A die; a half-
round set hammer, used for forming grooves and spreading iron; --
called also a creaser.
Full"er, v. t. To form a groove or
channel in, by a fuller or set hammer; as, to fuller a
bayonet.
Full"er*y (?), n.; pl.
Fulleries (&?;). The place or the works where
the fulling of cloth is carried on.
Full"-formed` (?), a. Full in form
or shape; rounded out with flesh.
The full-formed maids of Afric.
Thomson.
Full"-grown` (?), a. Having
reached the limits of growth; mature. "Full-grown
wings." Lowell.
Full"-heart`ed (?), a. Full of
courage or confidence. Shak.
Full"-hot` (?), a. Very
fiery. Shak.
Full"ing, n. The process of
cleansing, shrinking, and thickening cloth by moisture, heat, and
pressure.
Fulling mill, a mill for fulling cloth as by
means of pesties or stampers, which alternately fall into and rise
from troughs where the cloth is placed with hot water and fuller's
earth, or other cleansing materials.
Full"-manned` (?), a. Completely
furnished wiith men, as a ship.
Full"mart" (?), n. See
Foumart. B. Jonson.
Full"ness, n. The state of being
full, or of abounding; abundance; completeness. [Written also
fulness.]
"In thy presence is fullness of
joy."
Ps. xvi. 11.
Ful*lon"i*cal (?), a. [L.
fullonicus, from fullo a cloth fuller.] Pertaining to a
fuller of cloth. [Obs.] Blount.
Full"-orbed` (&?;), a. Having the
orb or disk complete or fully illuminated; like the full
moon.
Full"-sailed` (?), a. Having all
its sails set,; hence, without restriction or reservation.
Massinger.
Full"-winged` (?), a.
1. Having large and strong or complete
wings. Shak.
2. Ready for flight; eager. [Archaic]
Beau. & Fl.
Ful"ly (?), adv. In a full manner
or degree; completely; entirely; without lack or defect; adequately;
satisfactorily; as, to be fully persuaded of the truth of a
proposition.
Fully committed (Law), committed to
prison for trial, in distinction from being detained for
examination.
Syn. -- Completely; entirely; maturely; plentifully;
abundantly; plenteously; copiously; largely; amply; sufficiently;
clearly; distinctly; perfectly.
Ful"mar (fŭlmär), n. [Icel.
fūlmār. See foul, and Man a gull.]
(Zoöl.) One of several species of sea birds, of the
family Procellariidæ, allied to the albatrosses and
petrels. Among the well-known species are the arctic fulmar
(Fulmarus glacialis) (called also fulmar petrel,
malduck, and mollemock), and the giant fulmar
(Ossifraga gigantea).
Ful"mi*nant (?), a. [L.
fulminans, p. pr. of fulminare to lighten: cf.
F. fulminant.] Thundering; fulminating. [R.]
Bailey.
Ful"mi*nate (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Fulminated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fulminating.] [L. fulminatus, p. p. of
fulminare to lighten, strike with lightning, fr. fulmen
thunderbolt, fr. fulgere to shine. See Fulgent, and cf.
Fulmine.] 1. To thunder; hence, to make a
loud, sudden noise; to detonate; to explode with a violent
report.
2. To issue or send forth decrees or censures
with the assumption of supreme authority; to thunder forth
menaces.
Ful"mi*nate, v. t. 1.
To cause to explode. Sprat.
2. To utter or send out with denunciations or
censures; -- said especially of menaces or censures uttered by
ecclesiastical authority.
They fulminated the most hostile of all
decrees.
De Quincey.
Ful"mi*nate (?), n. [Cf. P.
fulminate. See Fulminate, v. i.]
(Chem.) (a) A salt of fulminic acid. See
under Fulminic. (b) A fulminating
powder.
Fulminate of gold, an explosive compound of
gold; -- called also fulminating gold, and aurum
fulminans.
Ful"mi*na"ting (?), a.
1. Thundering; exploding in a peculiarly sudden
or violent manner.
2. Hurling denunciations, menaces, or
censures.
Fulminating oil, nitroglycerin. --
Fulminating powder (Chem.) any violently
explosive powder, but especially one of the fulminates, as mercuric
fulminate.
Ful"mi*na`tion (?), n. [L.
fulminatio a darting of lightning: cf. F. fulmination.]
1. The act of fulminating or exploding;
detonation.
2. The act of thundering forth threats or
censures, as with authority.
3. That which is fulminated or thundered
forth; vehement menace or censure.
The fulminations from the Vatican were turned
into ridicule.
Ayliffe.
Ful"mi*na*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
fulminatoire.] Thundering; striking terror.
Cotgrave.
Ful"mine (?), v. i. [F.
fulminer. See Fulminate, v.] To
thunder. [Obs.] Spenser. Milton.
Ful"mine, v. t. To shoot; to dart
like lightning; to fulminate; to utter with authority or
vehemence.
She fulmined out her scorn of laws
Salique.
Tennyson.
Ful*min"e*ous (?), a. [L. fulmen
thunder.] Of, or concerning thunder.
Ful*min"ic (?), a. [Cf. F.
fulminique.] Pertaining to fulmination; detonating;
specifically (Chem.), pertaining to, derived from, or
denoting, an acid, so called; as, fulminic acid.
Fulminic acid (Chem.), a complex
acid, H2C2N2O2, isomeric
with cyanic and cyanuric acids, and not known in the free state, but
forming a large class of highly explosive salts, the fulminates. Of
these, mercuric fulminate, the most common, is used, mixed
with niter, to fill percussion caps, charge cartridges, etc.
Fulminic acid is made by the action of nitric acid on
alcohol.
Ful"mi*nu"ric (?), a. [Fulminic
+ cyanuric.] (Chem.) Pertaining to fulminic and
cyanuric acids, and designating an acid so called.
Fulminuric acid (Chem.), a white,
crystalline, explosive substance,
H3C3N3O3, forming well
known salts, and obtained from the fulminates. It is isomeric with
cyanuric acid, and hence is also called isocyanuric acid.
Ful"ness (?), n. See
Fullness.
Ful*sam"ic (?), a. [See
Fulsome.] Fulsome. [Obs.]
Ful"some (?), a. [Full, a. +
-some.] 1. Full; abundant; plenteous; not
shriveled. [Obs.]
His lean, pale, hoar, and withered corpse grew
fulsome, fair, and fresh.
Golding.
2. Offending or disgusting by overfullness,
excess, or grossness; cloying; gross; nauseous; esp., offensive from
excess of praise; as, fulsome flattery.
And lest the fulsome artifice should fail
Themselves will hide its coarseness with a veil.
Cowper.
3. Lustful; wanton; obscene; also, tending to
obscenity. [Obs.] "Fulsome ewes." Shak.
-- Ful"some*ly, adv. --
Ful"some*ness, n. Dryden.
Ful"vid (?), a. [LL. fulvidus,
fr. L. fulvus.] Fulvous. [R.] Dr. H.
More.
Ful"vous (?), a. [L. fulvus.]
Tawny; dull yellow, with a mixture of gray and brown.
Lindley.
Fum (?), v. i. To play upon a
fiddle. [Obs.]
Follow me, and fum as you go.
B. Jonson.
Fu*ma"cious (?), a. [From Fume.]
Smoky; hence, fond of smoking; addicted to smoking
tobacco.
Fu*made" (?), Fu*ma"do (&?;),
n.; pl. Fumades (#),
Fumadoes (#). [Sp. fumodo smoked, p. p. of
fumar to smoke, fr. L. fumare. See Fume,
v. i.] A salted and smoked fish, as the
pilchard.
Fu"mage (?), n. [OF. fumage,
fumaige, fr. L. fumus smoke.] Hearth
money.
Fumage, or fuage, vulgarly called smoke
farthings.
Blackstone.
Fu"ma*rate (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of fumaric acid.
Fu*mar"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or derived from, fumitory (Fumaria
officinalis).
Fumaric acid (Chem.), a widely
occurring organic acid, extracted from fumitory as a white
crystallline substance,
C2H2(CO2H)2, and produced
artificially in many ways, as by the distillation of malic acid;
boletic acid. It is found also in the lichen, Iceland moss, and hence
was also called lichenic acid.
Fu"ma*rine (?), n. [L. fumus
smoke, fume.] (Chem.) An alkaloid extracted from
fumitory, as a white crystalline substance.
Fu"ma*role (?), n. [It.
fumaruola, fr. fumo smoke, L. fumus: cf. F.
fumerolle, fumarolle.] A hole or spot in a
volcanic or other region, from which fumes issue.
Fu"ma*to*ry (?), n. See
Fumitory. [Obs.]
Fum"ble (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fumbled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fumbling (?).] [Akin to D. fommelen to crumple, fumble,
Sw. fumla to fusuble, famla to grope, Dan. famle
to grope, fumble, Icel. falme, AS. folm palm of
the hand. See Feel, and cf. Fanble, Palm.]
1. To feel or grope about; to make awkward
attempts to do or find something.
Adams now began to fumble in his
pockets.
Fielding.
2. To grope about in perplexity; to seek
awkwardly; as, to fumble for an excuse.
Dryden.
My understanding flutters and my memory
fumbles.
Chesterfield.
Alas! how he fumbles about the
domains.
Wordsworth.
3. To handle much; to play childishly; to
turn over and over.
I saw him fumble with the sheets, and play with
flowers.
Shak.
Fum"ble, v. t. To handle or manage
awkwardly; to crowd or tumble together. Shak.
Fum"bler (?), n. One who
fumbles.
Fum"bling*ly (?), adv. In the
manner of one who fumbles.
Fume (fūm), n. [L. fumus;
akin to Skr. dhūma smoke, dhū to shake, fan
a flame, cf. Gr. qy`ein to sacrifice, storm, rage,
qy`mon, qy`mos, thyme, and perh. to E. dust:
cf. OF. fum smoke, F. fumée. Cf. Dust,
n., Femerell, Thyme.]
1. Exhalation; volatile matter (esp. noxious
vapor or smoke) ascending in a dense body; smoke; vapor; reek; as,
the fumes of tobacco.
The fumes of new shorn hay.
T.
Warton.
The fumes of undigested wine.
Dryden.
2. Rage or excitement which deprives the mind
of self-control; as, the fumes of passion. South.
3. Anything vaporlike, unsubstantial, or
airy; idle conceit; vain imagination.
A show of fumes and fancies.
Bacon.
4. The incense of praise; inordinate
flattery.
To smother him with fumes and
eulogies.
Burton.
In a fume, in ill temper, esp. from
impatience.
Fume, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fumed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fuming.] [Cf. F. fumer, L. fumare to smoke. See
Fume, n.] 1. To smoke;
to throw off fumes, as in combustion or chemical action; to rise up,
as vapor.
Where the golden altar fumed.
Milton.
Silenus lay,
Whose constant cups lay fuming to his brain.
Roscommon.
2. To be as in a mist; to be dulled and
stupefied.
Keep his brain fuming.
Shak.
3. To pass off in fumes or vapors.
Their parts are kept from fuming away by their
fixity.
Cheyne.
4. To be in a rage; to be hot with
anger.
He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the
ground.
Dryden.
While her mother did fret, and her father did
fume.
Sir W. Scott.
To fume away, to give way to excitement and
displeasure; to storm; also, to pass off in fumes.
Fume, v. t. 1. To
expose to the action of fumes; to treat with vapors, smoke, etc.; as,
to bleach straw by fuming it with sulphur; to fill with fumes,
vapors, odors, etc., as a room.
She fumed the temple with an odorous
flame.
Dryden.
2. To praise inordinately; to
flatter.
They demi-deify and fume him so.
Cowper.
3. To throw off in vapor, or as in the form
of vapor.
The heat will fume away most of the
scent.
Montimer.
How vicious hearts fume frenzy to the
brain!
Young.
Fume"less, a. Free from
fumes.
Fum"er (?), n. 1.
One that fumes.
2. One who makes or uses perfumes.
[Obs.]
Embroiderers, feather makers,
fumers.
Beau. & Fl.
Fu"mer*ell (?), n. (Arch.)
See Femerell.
Fu"met (?), n. [Cf. F. fumier
dung, OF. femier, fr. L. fimus dung.] The dung of
deer. B. Jonson.
{ Fu"met (?) ||Fu*mette" (?), }
n. [F. fumet odor, fume of wine or
meat, fr. L. fumus smoke. See Fume,
n.] The stench or high flavor of game or other
meat when kept long. Swift.
Fu"me*tere" (?), n.
Fumitory. [Obs.]
Fu"mid (?), a. [L. fumidus, fr.
fumus smoke. See Fume.] Smoky; vaporous.
Sir T. Broune.
{ Fu*mid"i*ty (?), Fu"mid*ness (?) }
n. The state of being fumid;
smokiness.
Fu*mif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
fumifer; fumus smoke + ferre to bear.]
Producing smoke.
Fu*mif"u*gist (?), n. [L. fumus
smoke + fugare to put to flight, fugere to flee.] One
who, or that which, drives away smoke or fumes.
Fu"mi*fy (?), v. t. [Fume + -
fy.] To subject to the action of smoke. [Obs.] Sir
T. Browne.
Fu"mi*gant (?), a. [L. fumigans,
p. pr. of fumigare. See Fumigate.]
Fuming. [R.]
Fu"mi*gate (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fumigated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fumigating (?).] [L. fumigate, p. p. of
fumigare to fumigate, fr. fumus smoke. See Fume,
n.] 1. To apply smoke to; to
expose to smoke or vapor; to purify, or free from infection, by the
use of smoke or vapors.
2. To smoke; to perfume.
Dryden.
Fum`iga"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
fumigation.]
1. The act of fumigating, or applying smoke
or vapor, as for disinfection.
2. Vapor raised in the process of
fumigating.
Fu"mi*ga`tor (?), n. One who, or
that which, fumigates; an apparattus for fumigating.
Fu"mi*ga*to*ry (?), a. [Cf. F.
fumigatoire.] Having the quality of purifying by
smoke. [R.]
Fum"i*ly (?), adv. Smokily; with
fume.
Fum"ing, a. Producing fumes, or
vapors.
Cadet's fuming liquid (Chem.),
alkarsin. -- Fuming liquor of Libavius
(Old Chem.), stannic chloride; the chloride of tin,
SnCl4, forming a colorless, mobile liquid which fumes in
the air. Mixed with water it solidifies to the so-called butter of
tin. -- Fuming sulphuric acid.
(Chem.) Same as Disulphuric acid, uder
Disulphuric.
Fum"ing*ly, adv. In a fuming
manner; angrily. "They answer fumingly."
Hooker.
Fum"ish, a. Smoky; hot;
choleric.
Fum"ish*ness, n. Choler;
fretfulness; passion.
Fu"mi*ter` (?), n. (Bot.)
Fumitory. [Obs.]
Fu"mi*to*ry (?), n. [OE.
fumetere, F. fumeterre, prop., smoke of the ground, fr.
L. fumus smoke + terra earth. See Fume, and
Terrace.] (Bot.) The common uame of several
species of the genus Fumaria, annual herbs of the Old World, with
finely dissected leaves and small flowers in dense racemes or spikes.
F. officinalis is a common species, and was formerly used as
an antiscorbutic.
Climbing fumitory (Bot.), the
Alleghany vine (Adlumia cirrhosa); a biennial climbing plant
with elegant feathery leaves and large clusters of pretty white or
pinkish flowers looking like grains of rice.
Fum"mel (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A hinny.
Fu*mos"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. OF.
fumosité.] The fumes of drink. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fum"ous (?), a. [L. fumosus, fr.
fumus smoke: cf. F. fumeux.] 1.
Producing smoke; smoky.
2. Producing fumes; full of fumes.
Garlic, onions, mustard, and such-like fumous
things.
Barough (1625).
Fum"y (?), a. Producing fumes;
fumous. "Drowned in fumy wine." H. Brooke.
Fun (?), n. [Perh. of Celtic origin;
cf. Ir. & Gael. fonn pleasure.] Sport; merriment;
frolicsome amusement. "Oddity, frolic, and fun."
Goldsmith.
To make fun of, to hold up to, or turn into,
ridicule.
Fu*nam"bu*late (?), v. i. [See
Funambulo.] To walk or to dance on a rope.
Fu*nam"bu*la`tion (?), n.
Ropedancing.
Fu*nam"bu*la`to*ry (?), a.
1. Performing like a ropedancer.
Chambers.
2. Narrow, like the walk of a
ropedancer.
This funambulatory track.
Sir T.
Browne.
Fu*nam"bu*list (?), n. A
ropewalker or ropedancer.
{ ||Fu*nam"bu*lo (?), ||Fu*nam"bu*lus (?) }
n. [Sp. funambulo, or It. funambolo,
fr. L. funambulus; funis rope (perh. akin to E. bind) +
ambulare to walk. See Amble, and cf.
Funambulist.] A ropewalker or ropedancer. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Func"tion (?), n. [L. functio,
fr. fungi to perform, execute, akin to Skr. bhuj to
enjoy, have the use of: cf. F. fonction. Cf. Defunct.]
1. The act of executing or performing any duty,
office, or calling; performance. "In the function of his
public calling." Swift.
2. (Physiol.) The appropriate action
of any special organ or part of an animal or vegetable organism; as,
the function of the heart or the limbs; the function of
leaves, sap, roots, etc.; life is the sum of the functions of
the various organs and parts of the body.
3. The natural or assigned action of any
power or faculty, as of the soul, or of the intellect; the exertion
of an energy of some determinate kind.
As the mind opens, and its functions
spread.
Pope.
4. The course of action which peculiarly
pertains to any public officer in church or state; the activity
appropriate to any business or profession.
Tradesmen . . . going about their
functions.
Shak.
The malady which made him incapable of performing
his
regal functions.
Macaulay.
5. (Math.) A quantity so connected
with another quantity, that if any alteration be made in the latter
there will be a consequent alteration in the former. Each quantity is
said to be a function of the other. Thus, the circumference of
a circle is a function of the diameter. If x be a
symbol to which different numerical values can be assigned, such
expressions as x2, 3x, Log. x, and Sin.
x, are all functions of x.
Algebraic function, a quantity whose
connection with the variable is expressed by an equation that
involves only the algebraic operations of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division, raising to a given power, and extracting a
given root; -- opposed to transcendental function. --
Arbitrary function. See under
Arbitrary. -- Calculus of functions.
See under Calculus. -- Carnot's
function (Thermo-dynamics), a relation between
the amount of heat given off by a source of heat, and the work which
can be done by it. It is approximately equal to the mechanical
equivalent of the thermal unit divided by the number expressing the
temperature in degrees of the air thermometer, reckoned from its zero
of expansion. -- Circular functions. See
Inverse trigonometrical functions (below). -- Continuous
function, a quantity that has no interruption in the continuity of
its real values, as the variable changes between any specified
limits. -- Discontinuous function. See
under Discontinuous. -- Elliptic
functions, a large and important class of functions, so
called because one of the forms expresses the relation of the arc of
an ellipse to the straight lines connected therewith. --
Explicit function, a quantity directly
expressed in terms of the independently varying quantity; thus, in
the equations y = 6x2, y = 10 -
x3, the quantity y is an explicit function of
x. -- Implicit function, a quantity
whose relation to the variable is expressed indirectly by an
equation; thus, y in the equation x2 +
y2 = 100 is an implicit function of x. --
Inverse trigonometrical functions, or
Circular function, the lengths of arcs relative
to the sines, tangents, etc. Thus, AB is the arc whose sine is BD,
and (if the length of BD is x) is written sin -1x,
and so of the other lines. See Trigonometrical function
(below). Other transcendental functions are the exponential
functions, the elliptic functions, the gamma
functions, the theta functions, etc. -- One-
valued function, a quantity that has one, and only one,
value for each value of the variable. -- Transcendental
functions, a quantity whose connection with the
variable cannot be expressed by algebraic operations; thus, y
in the equation y = 10x is a transcendental
function of x. See Algebraic function (above). --
Trigonometrical function, a quantity whose
relation to the variable is the same as that of a certain straight
line drawn in a circle whose radius is unity, to the length of a
corresponding are of the circle. Let AB be an arc in a circle, whose
radius OA is unity let AC be a quadrant, and let OC, DB, and AF be
drawnpependicular to OA, and EB and CG parallel to OA, and let OB be
produced to G and F. E Then BD is the sine of the arc AB; OD or EB is
the cosine, AF is the tangent, CG is the cotangent, OF is the secant
OG is the cosecant, AD is the versed sine, and CE is the coversed
sine of the are AB. If the length of AB be represented by x
(OA being unity) then the lengths of Functions. these lines (OA being
unity) are the trigonometrical functions of x, and are written
sin x, cos x, tan x (or tang x), cot x, sec x, cosec x, versin x,
coversin x. These quantities are also considered as functions of the
angle BOA.
{ Func"tion (?), Func"tion*ate (?), } v.
i. To execute or perform a function; to transact one's
regular or appointed business.
Func"tion*al (?), a. 1.
Pertaining to, or connected with, a function or duty;
official.
2. (Physiol.) Pertaining to the
function of an organ or part, or to the functions in
general.
Functional disease (Med.), a disease
of which the symptoms cannot be referred to any appreciable lesion or
change of structure; the derangement of an organ arising from a
cause, often unknown, external to itself opposed to organic
disease, in which the organ itself is affected.
Func"tion*al*ize (?), v. t. To
assign to some function or office. [R.]
Func"tion*al*ly, adv. In a
functional manner; as regards normal or appropriate
activity.
The organ is said to be functionally
disordered.
Lawrence.
Func"tion*a*ry (?), n.; pl.
Functionaries (#). [Cf. F. fonctionnaire.]
One charged with the performance of a function or office; as, a
public functionary; secular functionaries.
Func"tion*less, a. Destitute of
function, or of an appropriate organ. Darwin.
Fund (?), n. [OF. font,
fond, nom. fonz, bottom, ground, F. fond bottom,
foundation, fonds fund, fr. L. fundus bottom, ground,
foundation, piece of land. See Found to establish.]
1. An aggregation or deposit of resources from
which supplies are or may be drawn for carrying on any work, or for
maintaining existence.
2. A stock or capital; a sum of money
appropriated as the foundation of some commercial or other operation
undertaken with a view to profit; that reserve by means of which
expenses and credit are supported; as, the fund of a bank,
commercial house, manufacturing corporation, etc.
3. pl. The stock of a national debt;
public securities; evidences (stocks or bonds) of money lent to
government, for which interest is paid at prescribed intervals; --
called also public funds.
4. An invested sum, whose income is devoted
to a specific object; as, the fund of an ecclesiastical
society; a fund for the maintenance of lectures or poor
students; also, money systematically collected to meet the expenses
of some permanent object.
5. A store laid up, from which one may draw
at pleasure; a supply; a full provision of resources; as, a
fund of wisdom or good sense.
An inexhaustible fund of stories.
Macaulay.
Sinking fund, the aggregate of sums of money
set apart and invested, usually at fixed intervals, for the
extinguishment of the debt of a government, or of a corporation, by
the accumulation of interest.
Fund, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Funded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Funding.] 1. To provide and appropriate a
fund or permanent revenue for the payment of the interest of; to make
permanent provision of resources (as by a pledge of revenue from
customs) for discharging the interest of or principal of; as, to
fund government notes.
2. To place in a fund, as money.
3. To put into the form of bonds or stocks
bearing regular interest; as, to fund the floating
debt.
Fund"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being funded, or converted into a fund; convertible into
bonds.
Fun"da*ment (?), n. [OE.
fundament, fundement, fondement, OF.
fundement, fondement, F. fondement, fr. L.
fundamentum foundation, fr. fundare to lay the bottom,
to found, fr. fundus bottom. See Fund.]
1. Foundation. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. The part of the body on which one sits;
the buttocks; specifically (Anat.), the anus.
Hume.
Fun`da*men"tal (?), a. [Cf. F.
fondamental.] Pertaining to the foundation or basis;
serving for the foundation. Hence: Essential, as an element,
principle, or law; important; original; elementary; as, a
fundamental truth; a fundamental axiom.
The fundamental reasons of this
war.
Shak.
Some fundamental antithesis in
nature.
Whewell.
Fundamental bass (Mus.), the root
note of a chord; a bass formed of the roots or fundamental tones of
the chords. -- Fundamental chord
(Mus.), a chord, the lowest tone of which is its
root. -- Fundamental colors, red, green,
and violet-blue. See Primary colors, under
Color.
Fun"da*men`tal, n. A leading or
primary principle, rule, law, or article, which serves as the
groundwork of a system; essential part, as, the fundamentals
of the Christian faith.
Fun`da*men"tal*ly, adv. Primarily;
originally; essentially; radically; at the foundation; in origin or
constituents. "Fundamentally defective."
Burke.
Fund"ed (?), a. 1.
Existing in the form of bonds bearing regular interest; as,
funded debt.
2. Invested in public funds; as, funded
money.
Fund"hold"er (?), a. One who has
money invested in the public funds. J. S. Mill.
Fund"ing, a. 1.
Providing a fund for the payment of the interest or principal of
a debt.
2. Investing in the public funds.
Funding system, a system or scheme of
finance or revenue by which provision is made for paying the interest
or principal of a public debt.
Fund"less, a. Destitute of
funds.
||Fun"dus (fŭn"dŭs), n.
[L., bottom.] (Anat.) The bottom or base of any hollow
organ; as, the fundus of the bladder; the fundus of the
eye.
Fu*ne"bri*al (f&usl;*nē"br&ibreve;*al),
a. [L. funebris belonging to a funeral, fr.
funus funeral.] Pertaining to a funeral or funerals;
funeral; funereal. [Obs.] [Written also funebral.]
Sir T. Browne.
Fu*ne"bri*ous (?), a.
Funebrial. [Obs.]
Fu"ner*al (fū"n&etilde;r*al),
n. [LL. funeralia, prop. neut. pl. of
funeralis of a funeral, fr. L. funus, funeris,
funeral: cf. F. funérailles.] 1.
The solemn rites used in the disposition of a dead human body,
whether such disposition be by interment, burning, or otherwise;
esp., the ceremony or solemnization of interment; obsequies; burial;
-- formerly used in the plural.
King James his funerals were performed very
solemnly in the collegiate church at Westminster.
Euller.
2. The procession attending the burial of the
dead; the show and accompaniments of an interment. "The long
funerals." Pope.
3. A funeral sermon; -- usually in the
plural. [Obs.]
Mr. Giles Lawrence preached his
funerals.
South.
Fu"ner*al, a. [LL. funeralis.
See Funeral, n.] Per. taining to a
funeral; used at the interment of the dead; as, funeral rites,
honors, or ceremonies. Shak.
Funeral pile, a structure of combustible
material, upon which a dead body is placed to be reduced to ashes, as
part of a funeral rite; a pyre.
-- Fu"ner*al*ly, adv. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Fu"ner*ate (?), v. t. [L.
funeratus, p. p. of funerare to funerate, fr.
funus. See Funeral.] To bury with funeral
rites. [Obs.] Cockeram.
Fu`ner*a"tion (?), n. [L.
funeratio.] The act of burying with funeral rites.
[Obs.] Knatchbull.
Fu*ne"re*al (?), a. [L.
funereus, fr. fentus a funeral.] Suiting a
funeral; pertaining to burial; solemn. Hence: Dark; dismal;
mournful. Jer. Taylor.
What seem to us but sad funereal tapers May be
heaven's distant lamps.
Longfellow.
-- Fu*ne"re*al*ly, adv.
Fu*nest" (?), a. [L. funestus,
fr. funus a funeral, destruction: cf. F. funeste.]
Lamentable; doleful. [R.] "Funest and direful
deaths." Coleridge.
A forerunner of something very
funest.
Evelyn.
Fun"gal (?), a. Of or pertaining
to fungi.
Fun"gate (?), n. [Cf. F.
fongate.] (Chem.) A salt of fungic acid.
[Formerly written also fungiate.]
Funge (?), n. [L. fungus
mushroom, dolt.] A blockhead; a dolt; a fool. [Obs.]
Burton.
Fun"gi (?), n. pl. (Bot.)
See Fungus.
||Fun"gi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
fungus mushroom: cf. F. fongie.] (Zoöl.)
A genus of simple, stony corals; -- so called because they are
usually flat and circular, with radiating plates, like the gills of a
mushroom. Some of them are eighteen inches in diameter.
Fun"gi*an (?), a. (Zoöl.)
Of or pertaining to the Fungidæ, a family of stony
corals. -- n. One of the
Fungidæ.
Fun"gi*bles (?), n. pl. [LL.
(res) fungibiles, probably fr. L. fungi to
discharge. "A barbarous term, supposed to have originated in the use
of the words functionem recipere in the Digeste."
Bouvier. "Called fungibiles, quia una alterius
vice fungitur." John Taylor (1755). Cf. Function.]
1. (Civ. Law) Things which may be
furnished or restored in kind, as distinguished from specific things;
-- called also fungible things. Burrill.
2. (Scots Law) Movable goods which may
be valued by weight or measure, in contradistinction from those which
must be judged of individually. Jamieson.
Fun"gic (?), a. [L. fungus
mushroom: cf. F. fungique, fongique.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or obtained from, mushrooms; as, fungic
acid.
Fun"gi*cide` (?), n. [Fungi +
-cide, fr. L. caedere to kill.] Anything that
kills fungi. -- Fun`gi*ci"dal (#),
n.
Fun"gi*form (?), a. [Eungus +
-form: cf. F. fongiforme.] Shaped like a fungus or
mushroom.
Fungiform papillæ (Anat.),
numerous small, rounded eminences on the upper surface of the
tongue.
Fun*gil"li*form (?), a. Shaped
like a small fungus.
Fun"gin (?), n. [L. fungus
mushroom: cf. F, fongine, fungine.] (Chem.)
A name formerly given to cellulose found in certain fungi and
mushrooms.
Fun"gite (?), n. [L. fungus
mushroom: cf. F. pongite.] (Paleon.) A fossil
coral resembling Fungia.
Fun*giv"o*rous (?), a. [L.
fungus + vorare to eat greedily: cf. F.
fongivore.] (Zoöl.) Eating fungi; -- said of
certain insects and snails.
Fun"goid (?), a. [Fungus + -
oil: cf. F. fongoïde.] Like a fungus; fungous;
spongy.
Fun*gol"o*gist (?), n. A
mycologist.
Fun*gol"o*gy (?), n. [Fungus +
-logy.] Mycology.
Fun*gos"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
fungosité, fongosité.] The quality
of that which is fungous; fungous excrescence.
Dunglison.
Fun"gous (?), a. [L. fungosus:
cf. F. fungueux.] 1. Of the nature of
fungi; spongy.
2. Growing suddenly, but not substantial or
durable.
Fun"gus (?), n.; pl. L.
Fungi (#), E. Funguses (#). [L.,
a mushroom; perh. akin to a doubtful Gr. &?; sponge, for &?;; if so,
cf. E. sponge.] 1. (Bot.) Any one
of the Fungi, a large and very complex group of thallophytes of low
organization, -- the molds, mildews, rusts, smuts, mushrooms,
toadstools, puff balls, and the allies of each.
&fist; The fungi are all destitute of chorophyll, and, therefore,
to be supplied with elaborated nourishment, must live as saprophytes
or parasites. They range in size from single microscopic cells to
systems of entangled threads many feet in extent, which develop
reproductive bodies as large as a man's head. The vegetative system
consists of septate or rarely unseptate filaments called hyphæ;
the aggregation of hyphæ into structures of more or less
definite form is known as the mycelium. See Fungi, in the
Supplement.
2. (Med.) A spongy, morbid growth or
granulation in animal bodies, as the proud flesh of wounds.
Hoblyn.
Fu"nic (?), a. (Anat.)
Funicular.
Fu"ni*cle (?), n. [L. funiculus,
dim. of funis cord, rope: cf. F. funicule funicle (in
sense 2). Cf. Funambulo.] (Bot.) 1.
A small cord, ligature, or fiber.
2. (Bot.) The little stalk that
attaches a seed to the placenta.
Fu*nic"u*lar (?), a. [Cf. F.
funiculaire.]
1. Consisting of a small cord or
fiber.
2. Dependent on the tension of a
cord.
3. (Anat.) Pertaining to a funiculus;
made up of, or resembling, a funiculus, or funiculi; as, a funicular
ligament.
Funicular action (Mech.), the force
or action exerted by a rope in drawing together the supports to which
its ends are Fastened, when acted upon by forces applied in a
direction transverse to the rope, as in the archer's bow. --
Funicular curve. Same as Catenary.
-- Funicular machine (Mech.), an
apparatus for illustrating certain principles in statics, consisting
of a cord or chain attached at one end to a fixed point, and having
the other passed over a pulley and sustaining a weight, while one or
more other weights are suspended from the cord at points between the
fixed support and the pulley. -- Funicular
polygon (Mech.), the polygonal figure assumed by
a cord fastened at its extremities, and sustaining weights at
different points.
Fu*nic"u*late (?), a. Forming a
narrow ridge.
||Fu*nic"u*lus (?), n.; pl.
Funiculi (#). [L., a little cord. See
Funicle.] 1. (Anat.) A cord, baud,
or bundle of fibers; esp., one of the small bundles of fibers, of
which large nerves are made up; applied also to different bands of
white matter in the brain and spinal cord.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A
short cord which connects the embryo of some myriapods with the
amnion. (b) In Bryozoa, an organ extending
back from the stomach. See Bryozoa, and
Phylactolema.
Fu*nil"i*form (?), a. [L. funis
rope + -form.] (Bot.) Resembling a cord in
toughness and flexibility, as the roots of some endogenous
trees.
||Fu"nis (?), n. [L., a rope. ] A
cord; specifically, the umbilical cord or navel string.
Funk (?), n. [OE. funke a little
fire; akin to Prov. E. funk touchwood, G. funke spark,
and perh. to Goth. f&?;n fire.] An offensive smell; a
stench. [Low]
Funk, v. t. To envelop with an
offensive smell or smoke. [Obs.] King.
Funk, v. i. 1. To
emit an offensive smell; to stink.
2. To be frightened, and shrink back; to
flinch; as, to funk at the edge of a precipice. [Colloq.]
C. Kingsley.
To funk out, to back out in a cowardly
fashion. [Colloq.]
To funk right out o' political
strife.
Lowell (Biglow Papers).
{ Funk, Funk"ing, } n. A
shrinking back through fear. [Colloq.] "The horrid panic, or
funk (as the men of Eton call it)." De Quincey.
Funk"y (?), a. Pertaining to, or
characterized by, great fear, or funking. [Colloq. Eng.]
Fun"nel (?), n. [OE. funel,
fonel, prob. through OF. fr, L. fundibulum,
infundibulum, funnel, fr. infundere to pour in; in in +
fundere to pour; cf. Armor. founil funnel, W.
ffynel air hole, chimney. See Fuse, v.
t.] 1. A vessel of the shape of an
inverted hollow cone, terminating below in a pipe, and used for
conveying liquids into a close vessel; a tunnel.
2. A passage or avenue for a fluid or flowing
substance; specifically, a smoke flue or pipe; the iron chimney of a
steamship or the like.
Funnel box (Mining), an apparatus for
collecting finely crushed ore from water. Knight. --
Funnel stay (Naut.), one of the ropes or
rods steadying a steamer's funnel.
Fun"nel*form` (?), a. (Bot.)
Having the form of a funnel, or tunnel; that is, expanding
gradually from the bottom upward, as the corolla of some flowers;
infundibuliform.
Fun"ny (?), a.
[Compar. Funnier (?);
superl. Funniest.] [From Fun.]
Droll; comical; amusing; laughable.
Funny bone. See crazy bone, under
Crazy.
Fun"ny, n.; pl.
Funnies (&?;). A clinkerbuit, narrow boat for
sculling. [Eng.]
Fur (fûr), n. [OE. furre,
OF. forre, fuerre, sheath, case, of German origin; cf.
OHG. fuotar lining, case, G. futter; akin to Icel.
fōðr lining, Goth. fōdr, scabbard; cf.
Skr. pātra vessel, dish. The German and Icel. words also
have the sense, fodder, but this was probably a different word
originally. Cf. Fodder food, Fother, v.
t., Forel, n.] 1.
The short, fine, soft hair of certain animals, growing thick on
the skin, and distinguished from the hair, which is longer and
coarser.
2. The skins of certain wild animals with the
fur; peltry; as, a cargo of furs.
3. Strips of dressed skins with fur, used on
garments for warmth or for ornament.
4. pl. Articles of clothing made of
fur; as, a set of furs for a lady (a collar, tippet, or cape,
muff, etc.).
Wrapped up in my furs.
Lady M.
W. Montagu.
5. Any coating considered as resembling
fur; as: (a) A coat of morbid matter
collected on the tongue in persons affected with fever.
(b) The soft, downy covering on the skin of a
peach. (c) The deposit formed on the
interior of boilers and other vessels by hard water.
6. (Her.) One of several patterns or
diapers used as tinctures. There are nine in all, or, according to
some writers, only six. See Tincture.
Fur (?), a. Of or pertaining to
furs; bearing or made of fur; as, a fur cap; the fur
trade.
Fur seal (Zoöl.) one of several
species of seals of the genera Callorhinus and
Arclocephalus, inhabiting the North Pacific and the Antarctic
oceans. They have a coat of fine and soft fur which is highly prized.
The northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) breeds in vast
numbers on the Prybilov Islands, off the coast of Alaska; -- called
also sea bear.
Fur, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Furred (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Furring.] 1. To line, face, or cover with
fur; as, furred robes. "You fur your gloves with
reason." Shak.
2. To cover with morbid matter, as the
tongue.
3. (Arch.) To nail small strips of
board or larger scantling upon, in order to make a level surface for
lathing or boarding, or to provide for a space or interval back of
the plastered or boarded surface, as inside an outer wall, by way of
protection against damp. Gwill.
Fu*ra"cious (?), a. [L. furax,
-racis thievish, from fur thief.] Given to theft;
thievish. [Obs.]
Fu*rac"i*ty (?), n. [L. furacitas.]
Addictedness to theft; thievishness. [Obs.]
Fur"be*low (?), n. [Prov. F.
farbala, equiv. to F. falbala, It.
falbalà.] A plaited or gathered flounce on a
woman's garment.
Fur"be*low, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Furbelowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Furbelowing.] To put a furbelow on; to
ornament.
Fur"bish (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Furbished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Furbishing.] [OE. forbischen, OF. forbir,
furbir, fourbir, F. fourbir, fr. OHG.
furban to clean. See -ish.] To rub or scour to
brightness; to clean; to burnish; as, to furbish a sword or
spear. Shak.
Furbish new the name of John a
Gaunt.
Shak.
Fur"bish*a*ble (?), a. Capable of
being furbished.
Fur"bish*er (?), n. [Cf. F.
fourbisseur.] One who furbishes; esp., a sword cutler,
who finishes sword blades and similar weapons.
{ Fur"cate (?), Fur"ca*ted (?), }
a. [L. furca fork. See Fork.]
Forked; branching like a fork; as, furcate
twigs.
Fur*ca"tion (?), n. A branching
like a fork.
Fur*cif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
furcifer yoke bearer, scoundrel; furca fork, yoke,
fork-shaped instrument of punishment + ferre to bear.]
Rascally; scandalous. [R.] "Furciferous knaves."
De Quincey.
||Fur"cu*la (?), n. [L., a forked prop,
dim. of furca a fork.] (Anat.) A forked process;
the wishbone or furculum.
Fur"cu*lar (?), a. Shaped like a
fork; furcate.
||Fur"cu*lum (?), n. [NL., dim. of L.
furca a fork.] (Anat.) The wishbone or
merrythought of birds, formed by the united clavicles.
Fur"dle (?), v. t. [See Fardel,
and cf. Furl.] To draw up into a bundle; to roll
up. [Ods.]
||Fur"fur (?), n. [L.] Scurf;
dandruff.
Fur"fu*ra"ceous (?), a. [L.
furfuraceus.] Made of bran; like bran; scurfy.
Fur"fu*ran (?), n. [L. furfur
bran.] (Chem.) A colorless, oily substance,
C4H4O, obtained by distilling certain organic
substances, as pine wood, salts of pyromucic acid, etc.; -- called
also tetraphenol.
Fur"fu*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
furfur bran, scurf.] Falling of scurf from the head;
desquamation.
Fur"fu*rine (?), n. (Chem.)
A white, crystalline base, obtained indirectly from
furfurol.
Fur"fu*rol (?), n. [L. furfur
bran + oleum oil.] (Chem.) A colorless oily
liquid, C4H3O.CHO, of a pleasant odor, obtained
by the distillation of bran, sugar, etc., and regarded as an aldehyde
derivative of furfuran; -- called also furfural.
Fur"fu*rous (?), a. Made of bran;
furfuraceous. [R.] "Furfurous bread." Sydney
Smith.
Fu"ri*al (?), a. [L. furialis:
cf. OF. furial.] Furious; raging; tormenting.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Fu`ri*bun"dal (?), a. [L.
furibundus, fr. furere to rage.] Full of
rage. [Obs.] G. Harvey.
Fu"ries (?), n. pl. See
Fury, 3.
Fu"rile (?), n. [Furfurol +
benzile.] (Chem.) A yellow, crystalline substance,
(C4H3O)2.C2O2,
obtained by the oxidation of furoin. [Written also
furil.]
Fu*ril"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or derived from, furile; as, furilic
acid.
||Fu"ri*o"so (?), a. & adv. [It.]
(Mus.) With great force or vigor; vehemently.
Fu"ri*ous (?), a. [L. furiosus,
fr. furia rage, fury: cf. F. furieux. See Fury.]
1. Transported with passion or fury; raging;
violent; as, a furious animal.
2. Rushing with impetuosity; moving with
violence; as, a furious stream; a furious wind or
storm.
Syn. -- Impetuous; vehement; boisterous; fierce; turbulent;
tumultuous; angry; mad; frantic; frenzied.
-- Fu"ri*ous*ly, adv. --
Fu"ri*ous*ness, n.
Furl (fûrl), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Furled (fûrl); p. pr. & vb.
n. Furling.] [Contr. fr. furdle, fr.
fardel bundle: cf. F. ferler to furl, OF.
fardeler to pack. See Furdle, Fardel, and cf.
Farl.] To draw up or gather into close compass; to wrap
or roll, as a sail, close to the yard, stay, or mast, or, as a flag,
close to or around its staff, securing it there by a gasket or
line. Totten.
Fur"long (?), n. [OE. furlong,
furlang, AS. furlang, furlung, prop., the length
of a furrow; furh furrow + lang long. See
Furrow, and Long, a.] A measure
of length; the eighth part of a mile; forty rods; two hundred and
twenty yards.
Fur"lough (?), n. [Prob. fr. D.
verlof, fr. a prefix akin to E. for + the root of E.
lief, and akin to Dan. forlov, Sw. förlof,
G. verlaub permission. See Life, a.]
(Mil.) Leave of absence; especially, leave given to an
officer or soldier to be absent from service for a certain time;
also, the document granting leave of absence.
Fur"lough, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Furloughed (&?;); p. pr. & vb.
n. Furloughing.] (Mil.) To furnish with
a furlough; to grant leave of absence to, as to an officer or
soldier.
{ Fur"mon*ty (?), Fur"mi*ty (?) }
n. Same as Frumenty.
Fur"nace (?), n. [OE. fornais,
forneis, OF. fornaise, F. fournaise, from L.
fornax; akin to furnus oven, and prob. to E. forceps.]
1. An inclosed place in which heat is produced
by the combustion of fuel, as for reducing ores or melting metals,
for warming a house, for baking pottery, etc.; as, an iron
furnace; a hot-air furnace; a glass furnace; a
boiler furnace, etc.
&fist; Furnaces are classified as wind or air.
furnaces when the fire is urged only by the natural draught;
as blast furnaces, when the fire is urged by the injection
artificially of a forcible current of air; and as reverberatory
furnaces, when the flame, in passing to the chimney, is thrown
down by a low arched roof upon the materials operated upon.
2. A place or time of punishment, affiction,
or great trial; severe experience or discipline. Deut. iv.
20.
Bustamente furnace, a shaft furnace for
roasting quicksilver ores. -- Furnace bridge,
Same as Bridge wall. See Bridge,
n., 5. -- Furnace cadmiam
or cadmia, the oxide of zinc which accumulates in the
chimneys of furnaces smelting zinciferous ores. Raymond.
-- Furnace hoist (Iron Manuf.), a lift
for raising ore, coal, etc., to the mouth of a blast
furnace.
Fur"nace, n. 1. To
throw out, or exhale, as from a furnace; also, to put into a
furnace. [Obs. or R.]
He furnaces
The thick sighs from him.
Shak.
Fur"ni*ment (?), n. [Cf. F.
fourniment. See Furnish.] Furniture. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Fur"nish (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Furnished (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Furnishing.] [OF. furnir, fornir, to
furnish, finish, F. fournir; akin to Pr.
formir, furmir, fromir, to accomplish, satisfy,
fr. OHG. frumjan to further, execute, do, akin to E.
frame. See Frame, v. t., and -
ish.] 1. To supply with anything necessary,
useful, or appropriate; to provide; to equip; to fit out, or fit up;
to adorn; as, to furnish a family with provisions; to
furnish one with arms for defense; to furnish a Cable;
to furnish the mind with ideas; to furnish one with
knowledge or principles; to furnish an expedition or
enterprise, a room or a house.
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished
unto all good works.
2 Tim. iii. 17,
2. To offer for use; to provide (something);
to give (something); to afford; as, to furnish food to the
hungry: to furnish arms for defense.
Ye are they . . . that furnish the drink
offering unto that number.
Is. lxv. 11.
His writings and his life furnish abundant
proofs that he was not a man of strong sense.
Macaulay.
Fur"nish, n. That which is
furnished as a specimen; a sample; a supply. [Obs.]
Greene.
Fur"nish*er (?), n. One who
supplies or fits out.
Fur"nish*ment (?), n. The act of
furnishing, or of supplying furniture; also, furniture. [Obs.]
Daniel.
Fur"ni*ture (?), n. [F.
fourniture. See Furnish, v. t.]
1. That with which anything is furnished or
supplied; supplies; outfit; equipment.
The form and all the furniture of the
earth.
Tillotson.
The thoughts which make the furniture of their
minds.
M. Arnold.
2. Articles used for convenience or
decoration in a house or apartment, as tables, chairs, bedsteads,
sofas, carpets, curtains, pictures, vases, etc.
3. The necessary appendages to anything, as
to a machine, a carriage, a ship, etc. (a)
(Naut.) The masts and rigging of a ship.
(b) (Mil.) The mountings of a gun.
(c) Builders' hardware such as locks, door and
window trimmings. (d) (Print)
Pieces of wood or metal of a lesser height than the type, placed
around the pages or other matter in a form, and, with the quoins,
serving to secure the form in its place in the chase.
4. (Mus.) A mixed or compound stop in
an organ; -- sometimes called mixture.
Fu"ro*in (?), n. [See Furfurol.]
(Chem.) A colorless, crystalline substance,
C10H8O4, from furfurol.
Fu*ro"re (?), n. [It.] Excitement;
commotion; enthusiasm.
Fur"ri*er (?), n. [Cf. F.
fourreur.] A dealer in furs; one who makes or sells fur
goods.
Fur"ri*er*y (?), n. 1.
Furs, in general. Tooke.
2. The business of a furrier; trade in
furs.
Fur"ring (?), n. 1.
(Carp.) (a) The leveling of a surface, or
the preparing of an air space, by means of strips of board or of
larger pieces. See Fur, v. t., 3.
(b) The strips thus laid on.
2. (Shipbuilding) Double planking of a
ship's side.
3. A deposit from water, as on the inside of
a boiler; also, the operation of cleaning away this
deposit.
Fur"row (?), n. [OE. forow,
forgh, furgh, AS. furh; akin to D. voor,
OHG. furuh, G. furche, Dan. fure, Sw.
f&?;ra, Icel. for drain, L. porca ridge between two
furrows.] 1. A trench in the earth made by, or
as by, a plow.
2. Any trench, channel, or groove, as in wood
or metal; a wrinkle on the face; as, the furrows of age.
Farrow weed a weed which grows on plowed
land. Shak. -- To draw a straight
furrow, to live correctly; not to deviate from the
right line of duty. Lowell.
Fur"row, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Furrowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Furrowing.] [From Furrow, n.; cf. AS.
fyrian.] 1. To cut a furrow in; to make
furrows in; to plow; as, to furrow the ground or sea.
Shak.
2. To mark with channels or with
wrinkles.
Thou canst help time to furrow me with
age.
Shak.
Fair cheeks were furrowed with hot
tears.
Byron.
Fur"row*y (?), a. Furrowed.
[R.] Tennyson.
Fur"ry (?), a. [From Fur.]
1. Covered with fur; dressed in fur.
"Furry nations." Thomson.
2. Consisting of fur; as, furry spoils.
Dryden.
3. Resembling fur.
Fur"ther (?), adv. [A comparative of
forth; OE. further, forther, AS. fur&?;or,
far&?;ur; akin to G. fürder. See Forth,
adv.] To a greater distance; in addition;
moreover. See Farther.
Carries us, I know not how much further, into
familiar company.
M. Arnold.
They sdvanced us far as Eleusis and Thria; but no
further.
Jowett (Thucyd. ).
Further off, not so near; apart by a greater
distance.
Fur"ther, a. compar. [Positive
wanting; superl. Furthest.]
1. More remote; at a greater distance; more in
advance; farther; as, the further end of the field. See
Farther.
2. Beyond; additional; as, a further
reason for this opinion; nothing further to suggest.
&fist; The forms further and farther are in general
not differentiated by writers, but further is preferred by
many when application to quantity or degree is implied.
Fur"ther", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Furthered (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Furthering.] [OE. furthren, forthren, AS.
fyrðran, fyrðrian. See Further,
adv.] To help forward; to promote; to advance;
to forward; to help or assist.
This binds thee, then, to further my
design.
Dryden.
I should nothing further the weal
public.
Robynsom (More's Utopia).
Fur"ther*ance (?), n. The act of
furthering or helping forward; promotion; advancement;
progress.
I know that I shall abide and continue with you all
for your
furthersnce and joy of faith.
Phil. i.
25.
Built of furtherance and pursuing, Not of spent
deeds, but of doing.
Emerson.
Fur"ther*er (?), n. One who
furthers. or helps to advance; a promoter. Shak.
Fur"ther*more" (?), adv. or conj.
Moreover; besides; in addition to what has been said.
Fur"ther*most" (?), a. Most
remote; furthest.
Fur"ther*some (?), a. Tending to
further, advance, or promote; helpful; advantageous. [R.]
You will not find it furthersome.
Carlyle.
Fur"thest (?), a. superl. Most
remote; most in advance; farthest. See Further,
a.
Fur"thest, adv. At the greatest
distance; farthest.
Fur"tive (?), a. [L. furtivus,
fr. furtum theft, fr. fur thief, akin to ferre
to bear: cf. F. furtif. See Fertile.] Stolen;
obtained or characterized by stealth; sly; secret; stealthy; as, a
furtive look. Prior.
A hasty and furtive ceremony.
Hallam.
Fur"tive*ly, adv. Stealthily by
theft. Lover.
Fu"run*cle (?), n. [L.
furunculus a petty thief, a boil, dim. of fur thief:
cf. F. furoncle.] (Med.) A superficial,
inflammatory tumor, suppurating with a central core; a
boil.
Fu*run"cu*lar (?), a. Of or
pertaining to a furuncle; marked by the presence of
furuncles.
Fu"ry (?), n. [L. fur.] A
thief. [Obs.]
Have an eye to your plate, for there be
furies.
J. Fleteher.
Fu"ry, n.; pl.
Furies (#). [L. furia, fr. furere to
rage: cf. F. furie. Cf. Furor.] 1.
Violent or extreme excitement; overmastering agitation or
enthusiasm.
Her wit began to be with a divine fury
inspired.
Sir P. Sidney.
2. Violent anger; extreme wrath; rage; --
sometimes applied to inanimate things, as the wind or storms;
impetuosity; violence. "Fury of the wind."
Shak.
I do oppose my patience to his
fury.
Shak.
3. pl. (Greek Myth.) The avenging
deities, Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megæra; the Erinyes or
Eumenides.
The Furies, they said, are attendants on
justice, and if the sun in heaven should transgress his path would
punish him.
Emerson.
4. One of the Parcæ, or Fates, esp.
Atropos. [R.]
Comes the blind Fury with the abhorred
shears,
And slits the thin-spun life.
Milton.
5. A stormy, turbulent violent woman; a hag;
a vixen; a virago; a termagant.
Syn. -- Anger; indignation; resentment; wrath; ire; rage;
vehemence; violence; fierceness; turbulence; madness; frenzy. See
Anger.
Furze (?), n. [OE. firs, As.
fyrs.] (Bot.) A thorny evergreen shrub (Ulex
Europæus), with beautiful yellow flowers, very common upon
the plains and hills of Great Britain; -- called also gorse,
and whin. The dwarf furze is Ulex nanus.
Furze"chat" (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The whinchat; -- called also furzechuck.
Furze"ling (?), n. (Zoöl.)
An English warbler (Melizophilus provincialis); -- called
also furze wren, and Dartford warbler.
Furz"en (?), a. Furzy;
gorsy. [Obs.] Holland.
Furz"y (?), a. Abounding in, or
overgrown with, furze; characterized by furze. Gay.
||Fu"sain" (?), n. [F., the spindle
tree; also, charcoal made from it.] (Fine Arts)
(a) Fine charcoal of willow wood, used as a
drawing implement. (b) A drawing made with
it. See Charcoal, n. 2, and Charcoal
drawing, under Charcoal.
Fu"sa*role (?), n. [F.
fusarolle, fr. It. fusaruolo, fr. fuso spindle,
shaft of a column. See Fusee a conical wheel.] (Arch.)
A molding generally placed under the echinus or quarter round of
capitals in the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders of
architecture.
Fus*ca"tion (?), n. [L. fuscare,
fuscatum, to make dark, fr. fuscus dark.] A
darkening; obscurity; obfuscation. [R.] Blount.
Fus"cin (?), n. [L. fuscus dark-
colored, tawny.] (Physiol. Chem.) A brown, nitrogenous
pigment contained in the retinal epithelium; a variety of
melanin.
Fus"cine (?), n. (Chem.) A
dark-colored substance obtained from empyreumatic animal oil.
[R.]
Fus"cous (?), a. [L. fuscus.]
Brown or grayish black; darkish.
Sad and fuscous colors, as black or brown, or
deep purple
and the like.
Burke.
Fuse (fūz), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fused (fūzd); p. pr. & vb.
n. Fusing.] [L. fusus, p. p. of
fundere to pour, melt, cast. See Foundo to cast, and
cf. Futile.] 1. To liquefy by heat; to
render fluid; to dissolve; to melt.
2. To unite or blend, as if melted
together.
Whose fancy fuses old and new.
Tennyson.
Fuse, v. i. 1. To
be reduced from a solid to a fluid state by heat; to be melted; to
melt.
2. To be blended, as if melted
together.
Fusing point, the degree of temperature at
which a substance melts; the point of fusion.
Fuse, n. [For fusee,
fusil. See 2d Fusil.] (Gunnery, Mining, etc.)
A tube or casing filled with combustible matter, by means of
which a charge of powder is ignited, as in blasting; -- called also
fuzee. See Fuze.
Fuse hole, the hole in a shell prepared for
the reception of the fuse. Farrow.
Fu*see" (?), n. [See 2d Fusil,
and cf. Fuse, n.] 1. A
flintlock gun. See 2d Fusil. [Obs.]
2. A fuse. See Fuse,
n.
3. A kind of match for lighting a pipe or
cigar.
Fu*see", n. [Etymol. uncertain.]
The track of a buck. Ainsworth.
Fu*see", n. [F. fusée a
spindleful, fusee, LL. fusata, fr. fusare to use a
spindle, L. fusus spindle.] (a) The cone
or conical wheel of a watch or clock, designed to equalize the power
of the mainspring by having the chain from the barrel which contains
the spring wind in a spiral groove on the surface of the cone in such
a manner that the diameter of the cone at the point where the chain
acts may correspond with the degree of tension of the spring.
(b) A similar wheel used in other
machinery.
Fu"sel (?), n., Fu"sel oil.
[G. fusel bad liquor.] (Chem.) A hot, acrid, oily
liquid, accompanying many alcoholic liquors (as potato whisky, corn
whisky, etc.), as an undesirable ingredient, and consisting of
several of the higher alcohols and compound ethers, but particularly
of amyl alcohol; hence, specifically applied to amyl
alcohol.
Fu"si*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
fusibilité.] The quality of being
fusible.
Fu"si*ble (?), a. [F. fusible.
See Fuse, v. t.] CapabIe of being
melted or liquefied.
Fusible metal, any alloy of different metals
capable of being easily fused, especially an alloy of five parts of
bismuth, three of lead, and two of tin, which melts at a temperature
below that of boiling water. Ure. -- Fusible
plug (Steam Boiler), a piece of easily fusible
alloy, placed in one of the sheets and intended to melt and blow off
the steam in case of low water.
Fu"si*form (?), a. [L. fusus
spindle + -form: cf. F. fusiforme.] Shaped like a
spindle; tapering at each end; as, a fusiform root; a
fusiform cell.
Fu"sil (?), a. [L. fusilis
molten, fluid, fr. fundere, fusum, to pour, cast. See
Fuse, v. t.] 1. Capable
of being melted or rendered fluid by heat; fusible. [R.] "A
kind of fusil marble" Woodward.
2. Running or flowing, as a liquid.
[R.] "A fusil sea." J. Philips.
3. Formed by melting and pouring into a mold;
cast; founded. [Obs.] Milton.
Fu"sil (?), n. [F. fusil, LL.
fosile a steel for kindling fire, from L. focus hearth,
fireplace, in LL. fire. See Focus, and cf. Fusee a
firelock.] A light kind of flintlock musket, formerly in
use.
Fu"sil, n. [See 3d Fusee.]
(Her.) A bearing of a rhomboidal figure; -- named from
its shape, which resembles that of a spindle.
&fist; It differs from a lozenge in being longer in proportion to
its width.
Fu"sile (?), a. Same as
Fusil, a.
{ Fu"sil*eer", Fu"sil*ier" } (?),
n. [F. fusilier, fr. fusil.]
(Mil.) (a) Formerly, a soldier armed with
a fusil. Hence, in the plural: (b) A title
now borne by some regiments and companies; as, "The Royal
Fusiliers," etc.
Fu"sil*lade" (?), n. [F.
fusillade, cf. It. fucilata. See Fusil a
firelock.] (Mil.) A simultaneous discharge of
firearms.
Fu"sil*lade" (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Fusillader; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fusillading.] To shoot down of shoot at by a simultaneous
discharge of firearms.
Fu"sion (?), n. [L. fusio, fr.
fundere, fusum to pour, melt: cf. F. fusion. See
Fuse, v. t., and cf. Foison.]
1. The act or operation of melting or rendering
fluid by heat; the act of melting together; as, the fusion of
metals.
2. The state of being melted or dissolved by
heat; a state of fluidity or flowing in consequence of heat; as,
metals in fusion.
3. The union or blending together of things,
as, melted together.
The universal fusion of races, languages, and
customs . . .
had produced a corresponding fusion of creeds.
C. Kingsley.
Watery fusion (Chem.) the melting of
certain crystals by heat in their own water of
crystallization.
4. (Biol.) The union, or binding
together, of adjacent parts or tissues.
Fu"some (?), a. [AS. f&?;san to
hasten, fr. f&?;s ready, prompt, quick; akin to OS.
f&?;s, OHG. funs, Icel. fuss willing; prob. from
the root of E. find.] Handy; reat; handsome;
notable. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Fuss (?), n. [Cf. Fusome.]
1. A tumult; a bustle; unnecessary or annoying
ado about trifles. Byron.
Zealously, assiduously, and with a minimum of
fuss or noise
Carlyle.
2. One who is unduly anxious about
trifles. [R.]
I am a fuss and I don't deny it.
W. D. Howell.
Fuss, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fussed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fussing.] To be overbusy or unduly anxious about trifles;
to make a bustle or ado. Sir W. Scott.
Fuss"i*ly (?), adv. In a fussy
manner. Byron.
Fuss"i*ness, n. The quality of
being fussy.
Fuss"y (?), a.
[Compar. Fussier (?);
superl Fussiest.] Making a fuss;
disposed to make an unnecessary ado about trifles; overnice;
fidgety.
Not at all fussy about his personal
appearance.
R. G. White.
Fust (fŭst), n. [OF.
fust, F. fût, fr. L. fustis stick staff.]
(Arch.) The shaft of a column, or trunk of a
pilaster. Gwilt.
Fust, n. [OF. fust cask, F.
fût cask, taste or smell of the cask, fustiness,
cf. sentir le fût to taste of the cask. See 1st
Fust.] A strong, musty smell; mustiness.
Fust, v. i. To become moldy; to
smell ill. [Obs.]
Fust"ed, a. Moldy; ill-
smelling. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Fus"ter*ic (?), n. The coloring
matter of fustet. Ure.
Fus"tet (?), n. [F. fustet (cf.
Sp. & Pg. fustete), LL. fustetus, fr. L. fustis
stick, in LL., tree, See 1st Fust, and cf. Fustic.]
The wood of the Rhus Cotinus or Venice sumach, a
shrub of Southern Europe, which yields a fine orange color, which,
however, is not durable without a mordant. Ure.
Fus"tian (?), n. [OE. fustan,
fustian, OF. fustaine, F. futaine, It.
fustagno, fr. LL. fustaneum, fustanum; cf. Pr.
fustani, Sp. fustan. So called from
Fustāt, i. e., Cairo, where it was made.]
1. A kind of coarse twilled cotton or cotton and
linen stuff, including corduroy, velveteen, etc.
2. An inflated style of writing; a kind of
writing in which high-sounding words are used, above the dignity of
the thoughts or subject; bombast.
Claudius . . . has run his description into the most
wretched
fustian.
Addison.
Fus"tian, a. 1.
Made of fustian.
2. Pompous; ridiculously tumid; inflated;
bombastic; as, fustian history. Walpole.
Fus"tian*ist, n. A writer of
fustian. [R.] Milton.
Fus"tic (?), n. [F. fustoc, Sp.
fustoc. Cf. Fustet.] The wood of the Maclura
tinctoria, a tree growing in the West Indies, used in dyeing
yellow; -- called also old fustic. [Written also
fustoc.]
&fist; Other kinds of yellow wood are often called fustic;
as that of species of Xanthoxylum, and especially the Rhus
Cotinus, which is sometimes called young fustic to
distinguish it from the Maclura. See Fustet.
Fus"ti*gate (?), v. t. [L.
fust