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<-- Begin file 4 of 10: F and G and H (Version 0.4) of
An electronic field-marked version of:
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<-- p. 535 -->
F.
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 w consonant. The form and value of Greek
letter came from the Ph\'d2nician, the ultimate source being
probably Egyptian. Etymologically fis most closely
related to p,k,v, and
b; as in E. five, Gr. f, L. lupus, Gr. fox,
vixen ; fragile, break ;
fruit, brook, v. t.; E.
bear, L. ferre. See Guide to
Pronunciation,
2. (Mus.) The name of the fourth tone of
the model scale, or scale of C. F sharp (F
F clef, the bass clef. See under
Clef.
Fa (?), n. [It.]
(Mus.) (a) A syllable applied to the
fourth tone of the diatonic scale in solmization.
(b) The tone F.
Fa*ba"ceous (?), a. [L.
fabaceus, fr. faba bean.] Having
the nature of a bean; like a bean.
\'d8Fa*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 (?), 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. \'bdOld wives' fables. \'b8
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. \'bdHe Fables not.\'b8
Shak.
Vain now the tales which fabling poets tell.
Prior.
He fables, yet speaks truth.
M. Arnold.
Fa"ble, v. t. To fiegn; to invent; to
devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely.
The hell thou fablest.
Milton.
Fa"bler (?), n. A writer of
fables; a fabulist; a dealer in untruths or falsehoods.
Br. Hall.
\'d8Fa`bli`au" (?), n.; pl.
Fabliaux . [F., fr.
OF.fablel, dim. of fable a fable.]
(Fr. Lit.) One of the metrical tales of the
Trouv\'8ares, 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
fabricof 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
built; to construct. [Obs.]
\'bdFabric their mansions.\'b8
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. fabulosit\'82.]
1. Fabulousness. [R.]
Abp. Abbot.
2. A fabulous or fictitious story.
[R.]
Sir T. Browne.
Fab"u*lous (?), 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 Greek and
Rome.
-- Fab"u*lous*ly (#),
adv. -- Fab"u*lous*ness,
n.
Fab"ur*den (?), n. [F.
foux bpirdon. 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 (?), 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.
\'d8Fa`\'87ade" (?), n. [F.,
fr. It. facciata, fr. fassia 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
facade 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
presenceof.
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.<-- = face
value -->
McElrath.
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
(Zo\'94ll.), 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.<-- face value =
face, 13. Also used metaphorically, = apparent value: "Take at
its face value" -->
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. \'bdNow
we see through a glass darkly; but then face to
face.\'b8 1 Cor. xiii. 12. (c)
With the faces or finished surfaces turned inward or toward
one another; vis \'85 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 battale.
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. \'bdHe faced men down.\'b8
Prior. -- To face (a thing) out, to
persist boldly or impudently in an assertion or in a line of
conduct. \'bdThat thinks with oaths to face the matter
out.\'b8 Shak
Face, v. i. 1. To carry a false
appearance; to play the hypocrite. \'bdTo lie, to
face, to forge.\'b8
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 (?), a. Having (such) a
face, or (so many) faces; as, smooth-faced,
two-faced.
Fa"ser (?), 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.
<-- p. 536 -->
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. (Zo\'94l.) 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] \'bdA facete discourse.\'b8
Jer. Taylor.
\'bdHow to interpose\'b8 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.
\'d8Fa*ce"ti*\'91 (, n. pl.
[L., fr. facetus. See Facete.]
Witty or humorous writings or saying; witticisms; merry
conceits.
Fa*ce"tious (?), a. [Cf. F.
fac\'82tieux. See Faceti\'91.]
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.]
Br. Hacket.
2. (Mach.) (a) One of the
variables of a quantic as distinguished from a coefficient.
(b) The multiplier.
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.
\'d8Fa"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. (Zo\'94l.) 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 (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Facilitated
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Facilitating
(?).] [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 (?), n.; pl.
Facilities (#). [L.
facilitas, fr. facilis easy: cf. F.
facilitFacile.] 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 bunker, great expertness in
casting accounts; both need great readiness in passing
from one employment to another. \'bdThe facility which
we get of doing things by a custom of doing, makes them often
pass in us without our notice.\'b8 Locke. \'bdThe army
was celebrated for the expertness and valor of the
soldiers.\'b8 \'bdA readiness obey the known will of
God is the surest means to enlighten the mind in respect to
duty.\'b8
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. [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, (
Fact (?), 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.
fact has in jurisprudence
peculiar uses in contrast with low; as, attorney at
low, and attorney in fact; issue in
low, and issue in fact. There is also a
grand distinction between low and fact with
reference to the province of the judge and that of the jury, the
latter generally determining the fact, the former the
low.
Burrill Bouvier.
Accessary before, 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 (?), 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.] \'bdYou are . . .
factive, not destructive.\'b8
Bacon.
\'d8Fac"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, from 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. [Cf. F.
factorerie.] 1. A house or place
where factors, or commercial agents, reside, to transact business
for their employers. \'bdThe Company's factory
at Madras.\'b8
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 (?), n.; pl.
Factotums (-t. [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 (?), a. Relating to,
or containing, facts. [R.]
<-- p. 537 -->
\'d8Fac"tum (?), 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.
\'d8Fac"u*l\'91 (?), 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
facul\'91.
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.] \'bdPassages that are
somewhat fade.\'b8
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.
\'bdFlowers that never fade.\'b8
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. \'bdHis
faded cheek.\'b8
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 to join,
unit, G. f\'81gen, or AS. \'bef\'91gian 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. \'bdFading is a fine jig.\'b8
[Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
Fad"me (?), n. A fathom.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fad"y (?), a. Faded.
[R.]
Shenstone.
F\'91"cal (?), a. See
Fecal.
\'d8F\'91"ces (?), n.pl. [L.
faex, pl. faeces, dregs.]
Excrement; ordure; also, settlings; sediment after infusion
or distillation. [Written also
feces.]
\'d8F\'91c"u*la (?), n.
[L.] See Fecula.
Fa"\'89r*y (?), n. & a.
Fairy. [Archaic]
Spenser.
Faf"fle (?), v. i. [Cf.
Famble, Maffle.] To stammer.
[Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Fag (?) n. A knot or coarse
part in cloth. [Obs.]
Fag, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Fagged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fagging (?).] [Cf. LG.
fakk wearied, weary, vaak slumber,
drowsiness, OFries. fai, equiv. to f\'bech
devoted to death, OS. f, OHG. feigi,
G. feig, feige, cowardly, Icel.
feigr fated to die, AS. f, Scot.
faik, to fail, stop, lower the price; or perh. the
same word as E. flag to droop.] 1.
To become weary; to tire.
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 (?), n. Laborious
drudgery; esp., the acting as a drudge for another at an English
school.
Fag"ot (?) n. [F., prob. aug.
of L. fax, facis, torch, perh. orig., a
bundle of sticks; cf. Gr. 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.
\'d8Fa*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.
\'d8Fa"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.
\'d8Fahl"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 (?), n. [From
Falhun, a place in Sweden.] (Min.)
A hydration of iolite.
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 termometer or
scale.
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.
\'d8Fa`\'8b*ence" (?), n. [F.,
fr. Faenza, a town in Italy, the original place of
manufacture.] Glazed earthenware; esp., that which is
decorated in color.
Fail (?) v. i. [imp.
& p. p. Failed (?); 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. \'bdHis
highness' fail of issue.\'b8
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 cas about
For that unnoticed failing in herself.
Tennyson.
2. The act of becoming insolvent of bankrupt.
Syn. -- See Fault.
\'d8Faille (?), 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. Decau, 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. f\'91gen; akin
to OS. fagan, Icel. faginn glad; AS.
f\'91gnian to rejoice, OS. fagan,
Icel. fagna, Goth. fagin, cf. Goth.
fah 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.
\'d8Fai`n\'82`ant" (?), a. [F.;
fait he does + n\'82ant nothing.]
Doing nothing; shiftless. -- n.
A do-nothing; an idle fellow; a sluggard.
Sir W. Scott.
Faint (?), a.
[Compar. Fainter (-?r);
superl. Faintest.] [OE.
faint, feint, false, faint, F.
feint, p.p. of feindre to feign, suppose,
hesitate. See Faign, 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, \'bdFaint heart
ne'er won fair lady.\'b8
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.
<-- p. 538 -->
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.] \'bdA
fainting, silly creature.\'b8
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 (?), a.
[Compar. Fairer (?);
superl. Fairest.] [OE.
fair, fayer, fager, AS.
f\'91ger; akin to OS. & OHG. fagar, Isel.
fagr, Sw. fager, Dan. faver,
Goth. fagrs fit, also to E. fay, G.
f\'81gen, 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; fowing; -- 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. \'bdI would call it
fair play.\'b8
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; 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.
(Zo\'94l.) (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. \'bdFor slander's mark was ever yet the
fair.\'b8
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
fairmanner; 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 traade.
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. \'bdA fair-natured
prince.\'b8
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.
Faair"-spo`ken (?), a. Using
fair speech, or uttered with fairness; bland; civil; courteous;
plausible. \'bdA marvelous fair-spoken man.\'b8
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.
<-- [2]. That part of a golf course between the tee and the green
which is of closely mowed grass, as contrasted to the
rough. -->
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. f\'82er,
fr. LL. Fata one of the goddesses of fate. See
Fate, and cf. Fay a fairy.]
[Written also fa\'89ry.] 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 (Zo\'94l.), the
Euoropean little tern (Sterna minuta); -- called also
sea swallow, and hooded
tern. -- Fairy bluebird.
(Zo\'94l.) See under Bluebird. --
Fairy martin (Zo\'94l.), a European
swallow (Hirrundo ariel) that builds flask-shaped
nests of mud on overhanging cliffs. --
Fairy rings ,
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
(Zo\'94l.), 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 (?), n. [OE.
feith, fayth, fay, OF.
feid, feit, fei, F.
foi, fr. L. fides; akin to
fidere to trust, Gr. 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 \'bdtrust\'b8 or \'bdconfidence\'b8 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-f\'82.
-- 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 healing, faith healer = faith cure. -->
Faith (?), interj. By my faith;
in truth; verily.
Faithed (?), a. Having faith or
a faith; honest; sincere. [Obs.] \'bdMake thy
words faithed.\'b8
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, be 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. \'bdYonder faithless phantom.\'b8
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. f\'91c
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.
faq\'c6r poor.] An Oriental religious
ascetic or begging monk. [Written also
faquir anf fakeer.]
\'d8Fa"la*na"ka (?), n. [Native
name.] (Zo\'94l.) A viverrine mammal of
Madagascar (Eupleres Goudotii), allied to the civet;
-- called also Falanouc.
Fal*cade" (f, 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.
<-- p. 539 -->
{ 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.]
(Zo\'94l.) One of the mandibles of a
spider.
Fal"chion (?), n. [OE.
fauchon, OF. fauchon, LL.
f\'84lcio, fr. L. falx, falcis,
a sickle, cf. Gr. 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. (Zo\'94l.)
(a) One of a family (Falconid\'91) 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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. (Zo\'94l.) (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.] (Zo\'94l.) The female or
young of the goshawk (Astur palumbarius).
Fal"co*nine (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Like a falcon or hawk; belonging to
the Falconid\'91
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.
\'d8Fal"cu*la (?), n. [L., a
small sickle, a billhook.] (Zo\'94l.) A
curved and sharp-pointed claw.
Fal"cu*late (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
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, n.
(Zo\'94l.) The razorbill. [Written
also falc, and faik.] [Prov.
Eng.]
Fall (f, v. i.
[imp. Fell (?); 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
falls; stocks fell two points.
I am a poor falle 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; asm 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 somewha 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. \'bdThese . . . for a while
believe, and in time of temptation fall away.\'b8
Luke viii. 13. (d) To perish; to
vanish; to be lost. \'bdHow . . . can the soul . . . fall
away into nothing?\'b8 Addison. (e)
To decline gradually; to fade; to languish, or become faint.
\'bdOne color falls away by just degrees, and another
rises insensibly.\'b8 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. \'bdAll kings shall fall down before
him.\'b8 Ps. lxxii. 11. (b) To sink;
to come to the ground. \'bdDown fell the beauteous
youth.\'b8 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. \'bdThe
reversion, to which he had been nominated twenty years before,
fell in.\'b8 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. \'bdYou will find it difficult to persuade learned men
to fall in with your projects.\'b8
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. \'bdLove cools,
friendship falls off, brothers divide.\'b8
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.
\'bdO Hamlet, what a falling off was there!\'b8
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. \'bdFall on, and try the
appetite to eat.\'b8 Dryden. (c) To
begin an attack; to assault; to assail. \'bdFall on,
fall on, and hear him not.\'b8 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. \'bdThere
fell out a bloody quarrel betwixt the frogs and the
mice.\'b8 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.
\'bdFall to, with eager joy, on homely food.\'b8
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. \'bdI do not intend to
fall upon nice disquisitions.\'b8 Holder.
(c) To rush against.
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.
\'bdThe fall of timber.\'b8
Johnson.
15. Lapse or declinsion 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 (Zo\'94l.), 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.
<-- p. 540 -->
Fal"la*cy (?), n.; pl.
Fallacies (#). [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.
\'bdMen 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.\'b8 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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 a\'89rolite. -- 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. f\'94lr, and
prob. to Lith. palvas, OSlav. plavpallidus pale, pallere to be pale, Gr.
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
(Zo\'94l.), a small European bird, the wheatear
(Saxicola \'91nanthe). 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.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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 (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. (Zo\'94l.) 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
(Zo\'94l.), 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 (Zo\'94l.), 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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. \'bdYou play me false.\'b8
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.] \'bdAnd falsed oft his blows.\'b8
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. \'bdO falsely, falsely
murdered.\'b8
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.
\'d8Fal"si*cri"men (?). [L.]
(Civ. Law) The crime of falsifying.
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 baffie or escape; as, to falsify
a blow.
Bulter.
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. fausset\'82, OF. also,
falsit\'82. 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.
\'bdHe found his legs falter.\'b8
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 \'bdI am
thine.\'b8
Tennyson.
<-- p. 541 -->
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. \'bdWith faltering speech.\'b8
Milton. -- n. Falter; halting;
hesitation. -- Fal"ter*ing*ly,
adv.
\'d8Fa`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.
\'d8Falx (?), 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, Isel.
f\'belma to grope. Cf. Famble.] To
stammer. [Obs.]
Nares.
Fam"ble, n. [Cf. Famble,
v.] A hand [Slang &
Obs.] \'bdWe clap our fambles.\'b8
Beau. & Fl.
Fame (?), n. [OF.
fame, L. fama, fr. fari to
speak, akin to Gr. 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. \'bdFamiliar feuds.\'b8
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. \'bdIn loose, familiar strains.\'b8
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. familiarit\'82fr. 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.
familist\'8are.] 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.
dh\'beman house, fr. dh\'beto 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 pretennd 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 groupe of kindred or closely related
individuals; as, a family of languages; a
family of States; the chlorine
family.
7. (Biol.) A groupe 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 zo\'94logy 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. \'bdThe Jews are generally, when married, most exemplary
family men.\'b8 Mayhew. --
Family of curves
(Geom.), a group of curves or surfaces derived
from a single equation. -- In a family way,
like one belonging to the family. \'bdWhy don't we ask him
and his ladies to come over in a family way, and dine
with some other plain country gentlefolks?\'b8
Thackeray. -- In the family way,
pregnant. [Colloq.]
Fam"ine (?), n. [F.
famine, fr. L. fames hunger; cf. Gr.
h\'beni loss, lack,
h\'be to leave.] General scarcity of food;
dearth; a want of provisions; destitution. \'bdWorn with
famine.\'b8
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. famosit\'82. 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
(Zo\'94l.), 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 (Zo\'94l.),
any shell of the family Pectinid\'91. 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
axcites a flame; to stimulate; as, this conduct
fanned the excitement of the populace.
Fanning machine, Fanning
mill, a machine for separating seed from chaff,
etc., by a blast of air; a fanner.
\'d8Fa`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.<-- and politics, terrorism -->
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. \'bdNot reasoners, but
fanciers.\'b8
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.
<-- p. 542 -->
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. bh\'beto
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. \'bdWe fancy not the cardinal.\'b8
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. \'bdIn maiden meditation,
fancy-free.\'b8
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.]
\'d8Fa*ne"ga (?), n.
[Sp.] A dry measure in Spain and Spanish America,
varying from 1
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.
\'d8Fan"fa*ron (?), n. [F., fr.
Sp. fanfarron; cf. It. fanfano, and OSp.
fanfa swaggering, boasting, also Ar.
farf\'ber 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.
(Zo\'94l.) (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 (?), v. t. [OE.
fangen, fongen, fon
(g orig. only in p.p. and imp. tense), AS.
f; akin to D. vangen, OHG.
f\'behan, G. fahen, fangen,
Isel. f\'be, Sw. f, f,
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. \'bdChariots fanged with scythes.\'b8
Philips.
Fang, n. [From Fang, v.
t.; cf. AS. fang a taking, booty, G.
fang.] 1.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
\'bdOur fangled world.\'b8
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. \'bdA fangless lion.\'b8
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. &
Zo\'94l.) Having the nerves or veins arranged in a
radiating manner; -- said of certain leaves, and of the winfs of
some insects.
Fan"on (?), n. [F.
fanon, LL. fano, fr. OHG. fano
banner cloth, G. fahne banner. See Vane, and
cf. Fanion, Confalon.] (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
Cham\'91rops 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` (?), 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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. 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 drow 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.]
\'d8Fan*tas"tic*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
Being 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).
\'d8Fan`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.] (Zo\'94l.) 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.
fa\'c6rra, adv., Gr. 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.
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. \'bdThe examinations are
few and far between.\'b8 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. \'bdBut now, in Christ Jesus, ye who some
time were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ.\'b8 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.
\'bdFar and wide his eye commands.\'b8
Milton. -- From far, from a great
distance; from a remote place.
Far often occurs in self-explaining
compounds, such as far-extended,
far-reaching, far-spread.
<-- p. 543 -->
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. 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 \'bdgrotesque\'b8 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. \'bdThe farce of state.\'b8
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
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.
Farcy, although more common in horses, is
communicable to other animals and to human beings.
Farcy bud, a hard, prominent swelling
occurrinng 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.] \'bdPainted with French fard.\'b8
J. Whitaker.
Fard, v. t. [F. farder to
paint one's face.] To paint; -- said esp. of one's
face. [Obs.]
Shenstone.
\'d8Far`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., Isel., & Sw. fara, Dan.
fare, Gr. peritus experienced,
portus port, Skr. par to bring over.
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 wwhich . . . 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.
Sso 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.
\'bdPhilosophic fare.\'b8
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 ,
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.
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.] \'bdPolitic farfetches.\'b8
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 (?), 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; pertainiing to meal; as, a
farinaceous taste, smell, or appearance.
Far`i*nose" (?), a. [L.
farinosus: cf. F. farineux.]
1. Yielding farinaa; as, farinose
substances.
2. (Bot. & Zo\'94l.)Civered 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\'d6rl\'c6c 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.
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
cardds, in whiich 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 farotable 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.
AA farraginous concurrence of all conditions,
tempers, sexes, and ages.
Sir T. Browne.
\'d8Far*ra"go (?), n. [L.
farrago, -aginis, mi8xed fodder for cattle,
mash, medley, fr. far a sort of grain. See
Farina.] A mass ccomposed 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"fand (?), 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.
<-- p. 544 -->
Far"row (?), 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.
Pork.] A little of
pigs.
Shak.
Far"fow, 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. f\'84rse, AS.
fearr bull, G. farre. Cf.
Heifer.] Not producing young in a given
season or year; -- said only of cows.
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.
Streatched beyond ordinary limits.
Far"ther (?), a., compar. of
Far. [superl.
Farthest (. 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 renotely; 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 Furtherence.
Far"ther*more*" (?), adv.
[Obs.] See Furthermore.
Far"ther*most` (?), a. Most
distant or remote; as, the farthest degree. See
Furthest.
Far"thing (?), n. [OE.
furthing, AS. fe\'a2r, fr.
fe\'a2r fourth, fe\'a2r,
fe\'a2wer, 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 hand. [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.
\'d8Fas"ces (?), n. pl. [L.,
pl. of fascis bundle; cf. fascia
a band, and Gr. ,
(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; -- calles also pontee and
punty.
\'d8Fas"ci*a (?), n.; pl.
Fasci\'91 (#). [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. (Zo\'94l.) 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
\'d8Fas*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.
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 bewhich 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, bewhiching, 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.] \'bdFascinous
diseases.\'b8
Harvey.
\'d8Fas*ci"o*la (?), n.;pl.
Fasciol\'91 (#). [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.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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, 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. \'bdAfter his sour
fashion.\'b8
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.
<-- # in a sort? s.b. of a sort? -->
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.
f; akin to D. vasten,
OHG. fast, 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. f, OHG.
fasta, G. faste. See Fast, v.
i.] 1. Abstinence from food; omission
to take nounrishment.
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; akin to OS. fast, D.
vast, OHG. fasti, festi, G.
fest, Isel. 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 \'bdPlay fast and loose with faith.\'b8
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 re\'89ngage 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.
<-- p. 545 -->
Fast (?), adv. [OE.
Faste firmly, strongly, quickly, AS.
f. 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, 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. f\'91stnian; akin
to OHG. festin. 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, 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.
\'d8Fas"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 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. \'bdWhoever examines his own imperfections
will cease to be fastidious; whoever restrains his
caprice and scrupulosity will cease to be
squeamish.\'b8 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
f\'91stnes, fr. f\'91st 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; 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.
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. 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. fatalit\'82]
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, . Quality of being fatal.
Johnson.
\'d8Fa"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 Morg\'a0na.
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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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 Parc\'91who
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.
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.] \'bdThe fated
sky.\'b8
Shak.
3. Exempted by fate. [Obs. or
R.]
Dryden.
Fate"ful (?), a. . Having the
power of serving or accomplishing fate. \'bdThe
fateful steel.\'b8
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.
(Zo\'94l.) (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 (?), n. [OE.
fader, AS. f\'91der; akin to OS.
fadar, D. vader, OHG. fatar, G.
vater, Icel. Fa Sw. & Dan.
fader, OIr. athir, L. pater, Gr.
pitr, perh. fr. Skr.
p\'be protect. 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 og 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 esslesiastical 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 upon,
to ascribe to, or charge upon, as one's offspring or work; to
put or lay upon as being responsible. \'bdNothing can be so
uncouth or extravagant, which may not be fathered on
some fetch of wit, or some caprice of humor.\'b8
Barrow.
<-- p. 546 -->
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.
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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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` (?). (Zo\'94l.)
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 (?), n. [fadme, fa, AS.
f\'91 fathom, the embracing arms; akin to OS.
fa the outstretched arms, D. vadem,
vaam, fathom, OHG. fadom, fadum,
G. faden fathom, thread, Icel. fa
fathom, Sw. famn, Dan. favn; cf. Gr.
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. The 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. Fattining
(?).] [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.
fatuit\'82 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`ed (?), a. Dull;
stupid.
Shak.
\'d8Fau`bourg" (?), n.
[F.] A suburb of 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).
\'d8Fau"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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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; hance, in trouble ot embarrassment, and unable to
proceed; puzzled; thhrown 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. \'bdMatter to find fault
at.\'b8
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 failling short
in a man's character, disposition, or habits; a defect
is also negative, and as applied to character is the absence of
anyything 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. \'bdI have failings in common
with every human being, besides my own peculiar
faults; but of avarice I have generally held myself
guiltless.\'b8 Fox. \'bdPresumption and self-applause
are the foibles of mankind.\'b8
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 off 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.] (Zo\'94l.)
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.
\'d8Fau"nus (?), n.;pl.
Fauni (#). [L.]
(Myth.) See Faun.
Fau"sen (?), n. [Cf. W.
llysowen eel, ll sounding in Welsh almost
like fl.] (Zo\'94l.) A young
eel. [Prov. Eng.]
\'d8Fausse`-braye" (?), n. [F.
fausse-braie.] (Mil.) A second
raampart, exterior to, and parallel to, the main rampart, and
considerably below its level.
\'d8Fau`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.
\'d8Fau`vette" (?), n. [F.,
dim. fr. fauve fawn-colored.]
(Zo\'94l.) A small singing bird, as the
nightingale and warblers.
<-- p. 547 -->
\'d8Faux (?), n.; pl.
Fauces (#). [L.] See
Fauces.
<-- no pos in original = n. -->
\'d8faux` 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 [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.
\'d8Fa*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 alg\'91.
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 asges.] Of or
pertaining to ashes. [Obs.]
Light and favollous 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. bh\'bevaya to further, foster,
causative of bhBe. 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 fabor 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 (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, 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. \'bdHis
favorite argument.\'b8
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.] \'bdFortune favorless.\'b8
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.
(Zo\'94l.) Like or pertaining to the genus
Favosites.
\'d8Fav`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.
\'d8Fa"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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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. f\'91gnian 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.
f\'82e. See Fate, and cf.
Fairy.] A fairy; an elf.
\'bdYellow-skirted fays.\'b8
Milton.
Fay, n. [OF. fei, F.
foi. See Faith.] Faith; as, by
my fay. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fay (f\'be), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. fayed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Faying.]
[OE. feien, v.t. & i., AS. f\'c7gan to
join, unite; akin to OS. f\'d3gian, D.
voegen, OHG. fuogen, G.
f\'81gen, 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.
\'d8Fa`y*ence" (?), n. See
Fa.
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. f\'91gia 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. fid\'8ale, L. fidelis
faithful, fr. fides faith. See Faith.]
Faithful; loyal. [Obs.]
Wright.
Fe"al*ty (?), n. [OE.
faute, OF. faut\'82, fealt\'82,
feel\'82, 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.
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 a coming
suddenly upon, fear, danger; akin to D. vaar, OHG.
f\'bera danger, G. gefahr, Icel.
f\'ber 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.
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. \'bdFor
fear you ne'er see chain nor money more.\'b8
Shak.
Fear, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Feared (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Fearing.] [OE. feren,
faeren, to frighten, to be afraid, AS.
fFear,
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. z2
fera their people from doing evil.
Robynsin (More's utopia).
Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.
Shak.
Syn. -- To apprehend; drad; 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 fera, 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
fain-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; ho
Fera"ful*ly, adv. In a fearful
manner.
Fera"ful*ness, n. The state of being
fearful.
Fera"less, a. Free from fear.
Syn. -- Bold; courageous; interpid; valor
-- Fear"less*ly, adv. --
Fera"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] \'bdThis
fearsome wind.\'b8
Sir W. Scott
2 . Easily frightened; timid; timorous. \'bdA silly
fearsome thing.\'bd
B. Taylor
<-- p. 548 -->
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 (?), n. [OE.
feste festival, holiday, feast, OF. feste
festival, F. f\'88te, fr. L. festum, pl.
festa, fr. festus joyful, festal; of
uncertain origin. Cf. Fair, n.,
Festal, F.] 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.
fasts 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
commemo
Syn. -- Entertainment; regale; banquet; treat; carousal;
festivity; festival. -- Feast,
Banquet, Festival, Carousal. A
feast sets before us viands superior in quantity,
variety, and abudance; 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. f\'88ter
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.
\'bdFeastful days.\'b8
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 (?), n. [OE.
fether, AS. fe; akin to D.
veder, OHG. fedara, G. feder,
Icel. fj\'94, Sw. fj\'84der, Dan.
fj\'91der, Gr. pattra wing, feathr, pat to fly, and prob.
to L. penna feather, wing. Pen a feather.] 1. One of the
peculiar dermal appendages, of several kinds, belonging to birds,
as contour feathers, quills, and down.
Down, Quill,
Plumage.
2. Kind; nature; species; -- from the proverbial
phrase, \'bdBirds of a feather,\'b8 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.
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, 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. (Zo\'94l.)
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 tedions
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 \'bdfeathers;\'b8 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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*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.
Feat"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.
f\'91s 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.<-- now
faze-->] 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 (? , 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. f\'82brifuge.
see Febrile, Feverfew.] (Med.)
A medicine serving to mitigate or remove fever. --
a. Antifebrile.
Fe"brile (?; 277), a. [F.
f\'82brile, 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 (?), a. [Cf. F.
f\'82cal. See Feces.] relating to,
or containing, dregs, feces, or ordeure; f\'91cal.
Fec"che (?), v. t. To
fetch. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fe"ces (?), n. pl. dregs;
sediment; excrement. See F\'92ces.
<-- p. 549 -->
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.]
(Zo\'94l.) The anal fork on which the larv\'91 of
certain insects carry their f\'91ces.
Feck"less (?), a. [Perh. a
corruption of effectless.] Spiritless;
weak; worthless. [Scot]
Fecks (?), n. A corruption of
the word faith.
Shak.
Fec"u*la (?), n.; pl.
Fecul\'92 [L.fae burnt
tartar or salt of tartar, dim. of faex,
faecis, sediment, dregs: cf. F.
f\'82cule.] 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.
f\'82culence.] 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.
f\'82culent. 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.
f\'82cond. 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.
f\'82condation.] (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. f\'82condit\'82. 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. f\'82d\'82ral. 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.
f\'82d\'82ralisme.] the principles of
Federalists or of federal union.
Fed"er*al*ist, n. [Cf. F.
f\'82d\'82raliste.] 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.
f\'82d\'82raliser.] 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.
f\'82d\'82ration.] 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.
f\'82d\'82ratif.] Uniting in a league;
forming a confederacy; federal. \'bdA federative
society.\'b8
Burke.
Fed"i*ty (?), n. [L.
foeditas, fr. foedus foul, fikthy.]
Turpitude; vileness. [Obs.]
Bp. Hall.
Fee (?), n. [OE. fe,
feh, feoh, cattle, property, money, fiet,
AS. feoh cattle, property, money; the senses of
\'bdproperty, money,\'b8 arising from cattle being used in early
times as a medium of exchange or payment, property chiefly
consisting of cattle; akin to OS. feuh cattle,
property, D. vee cattle, OHG. fihu,
fehu, G. vieh, Icel. f
cattle, property, money, Goth. fa\'a1hu, L.
pecus cattle, pecunia property. money, Skr.
pa cattle, perh. orig., \'bda fastened or tethered
animal,\'b8 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. Feud, Fief,
Fellow, Pecuniary.] 1.
property; possession; tenure. \'bdLaden with rich
fee.\'b8
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.
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
qualitified 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 (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Feed (?); 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 (?), a.
[Compar. Feebler (?);
superl. Feeblest (?).]
[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 strenght; 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. \'bdA lady's feeble voice.\'b8
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;
vacilating; imbecile. \'bdcomfort the
feeble-minded.\'b8
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 (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Fed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Feeding
(?).] [AS. f, fr.
f food; akin to C?. f, OFries
f, f, D. voeden, OHG.
fuottan, Icel. f\'91, Sw.
f\'94da, Dan. f\'94de. 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 reatures feed their young.
Shak.
2. To satisfy; grafity 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 people Israel.
2 Sam. v. 2.
Mightiest powers by deepest calms are feed.
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. \'bdHe feeds upon the cooling
shade.\'b8
Spenser.
4. To place cattle to feed; to pasture; to
graze.
If a man . . . shall put in his beast, and shall
feed in anothe
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, 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. \'bdThe feeder of my riots.\'b8
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. \'bdImpudent fee-faw-fums.\'b8
J. H. Newman.
Fee"jee (?), a. & n.
(Ethnol) See Fijian.
Feel (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Felt (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Feeling.]
[AS. f; akin to OS. gif
to perceive, D. voelen to feel, OHG.
fuolen, G. f\'81hlen, Icel.
f\'belma to grope, and prob. to AS. folm
paim 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 sensetive
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.
<-- p. 550 -->
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. \'bdIf haply they might
feel after him, and find him.\'b8
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. (Zo\'94l.) 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 antenn\'91.
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. f\'c7sian,
f\'dfsian, f\'dfsan, fr. f\'d4s,
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.
\'d8Feh"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. \'bdA
feigned friend.\'b8
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.
\'d8Fei`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.
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. 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.
f\'82liciter.] 1. To make very
happy; to delight.
What a glorius 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. f\'82licitation.] The act of
felicitating; a wishing of joy or happiness;
congratulation.
Fe*lic"i*tous (?), a.
Characterized by felicity; happy; prosperous; delightful;
skilful; 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. f\'82licit\'82, 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. \'bdFelicity of expression.\'b8
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. f\'82lin. See
Fetus.] 1. (Zo\'94l.)
Catlike; of or pertaining to the genus Felis, or family
Felid\'91; as, the feline race;
feline voracity.
2. Characteristic of cats; sly; stealthy;
treacherous; as, a feline nature; feline
manners.
\'d8Fe"lis (?), n. [L.,
cat.] (Zo\'94l.) 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
\'edrutsfill leprosy, L. pellis skin, G.
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.
fj\'84ll 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. f\'84llen, Icel.
fella, Sw. f\'84lla, Dan.
f\'91lde. 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. f\'86ll 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.
\'d8Fel"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"tare` (?), n. [Cf. AS.
fealafor, and E. fieldfare.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
f\'c7lagi, fr. f\'c7lag companionship,
prop., a laying together of property; f\'c7 property +
lag a laying, pl. l\'94g 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.
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.
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.
<-- p. 551 -->
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.
<-- p. 551 -->
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.
<-- why "foundation"? stipend is more accurate now. This use is
sense 4 of this dictionary, an "endowment" -->
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.
\'d8Fe"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.
f\'82lon 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.
f\'82lonie 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.
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.
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.
from Feel.
Felt (?), n. [AS.
felt; akin to D. vilt, G. filz,
and possibly to Gr. 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 emgine.
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
harr\'beqah 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. \'bdFemale 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.
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
Filixf\'91mina), growing in many countries; lady
fern.
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. \'bdFemale
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.\'b8
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.
\'d8Feme (? , 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 (Eng. Law), a
married woman, 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. Read
Fem"i*nine (?), a. [L.
femininus, fr. femina woman; prob. akin to
L. fetus, or to Gr. f\'d6mme woman, maid: cf. F.
f\'82minin. 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.]
\'bdTrained up in true feminity.\'b8
Spenser.
Fem`i*ni*za"tion (?), n. The
act of feminizing, or the state of being feminized.
Fem"i*nize (?), v. t. [Cf. F.
f\'82miniser.] 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.] \'bd[The reign of] feminye.\'b8
Chaucer.
\'d8Femme (? , 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.
f\'82moral.] Pertaining to the femur or
thigh; as, the femoral artery.
\'bdFemoral habiliments.\'b8 Sir W. Scott.
\'d8Fe"mur (?), n.; pl.
Femora (. [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.
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 (Zo\'94l.), a
wild duck inhabiting fens; the shoveler. [Prov.
Eng.] -- Fen fowl (Zo\'94l.),
any water fowl that frequent fens. -- Fen
goose (Zo\'94l.), 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.
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.
\'bdThey fitted their shields close to one another in manner of a
fence roof.\'b8
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.]
<-- p. 552 -->
Fence, v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Fenced ( 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
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 s,allword. 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. To aggregate of the fences put up for inclosure
or protection; as, the fencing of a farm.
Fen" crick`et (?). (Zo\'94l.)
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 (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.
\'d8Fen`es-tel"la (?), n. [L.,
dim. of fenestra (Arch.)
Any small windowlike opening or recess, esp. one to show the
relics within an altar, or the like.
\'d8Fe*nes"tra (?), n.; pl.
Fenestr\'91 (#). [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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.] (Zo\'94l.)
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 Irishment, 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 (?), n. The refuse whale
blubber, used as a manure, and in the manufacture of Prussian
blue.
Ure.
Fen"nec (?), n. [Ar.
fanek.] (Zo\'94l.) A small,
African, foxlike animal (Vulpes zerda) of a pale fawn
color, remarkable for the large size of its ears.
Fen"nel (?), 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 F\'91niculum
(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, ,
fennel, (F\'91niculum 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 \'bdfitches\'b8
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. \'bdFenny
snake.\'b8
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. \'bdFen-sucked fogs.\'b8
Shak.
Fen"u*greek (? , n. [L.
faenum Graecum, lit., Greek hay: cf. F.
fenugrec. Cf. Fennel.]
(Bot.) A plant (trigonella F\'d2num
Gr\'91cum) cultivated for its strong-smelling seeds, which
are \'bdnow only used for giving false importance to horse
medicine and damaged hay.\'b8 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.
feoff\'82.] (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 abudantly.
[R.]
Thomson.
Fe*rac"i*ty (?), n. [L.
feracitas.] The state of being feracious or
fruitful. [Obs.]
Beattie.
\'d8Fe"r\'91 (?), n. pl. [L.,
wild animals, fem. pl. of ferus wild.]
(Zo\'94l.) A group of mammals which formerly
included the Carnivora, Insectivora, Marsupialia, and lemurs, but
is now often restricted to the Carnivora.
<-- no pos in original = adv. -->
\'d8Fe"r\'91 na*tu"r\'91 (?). [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. &
Zo\'94l.) Wild; untamed; ferine; not domesticated; --
said of beasts, birds, and plants.
<-- also feral child, not raised by humans -->
Fe"ral, a. [L. feralis,
belonging to the dead.] Funereal; deadly; fatal;
dangerous. [R.] \'bdFeral
accidents.\'b8
Burton.
Ferde (?), obs.
imp. of Fare.
Chaucer.
\'d8Fer`-de-lance" (?), n. [F.,
the iron of a lance, lance head.] (Zo\'94l.)
A large, venomous serpent (Trigonocephalus
lanceolatus<-- now Bothrops atrox-->) of Brazil and the
West Indies. It is allied to the rattlesnake, but has no
rattle.
<-- also in Central America. -->
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. gef, from
f to go, travel, faran to travel.
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. 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.
\'d8Fe"ri*a (?), n.; pl.
Feri\'91 (. (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. f\'82rial.
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.
\'d8Fer*in"gee (?), n. [Per.
Farang\'c6, or Ar. Firanj\'c6, 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 sudden, unexpected. See Fear,
n.] Singular; wonderful;
extraordinary. [Obs.] -- n.
A wonder; a marvel. [Obs.]
Who hearkened ever such a ferly thing.
Chaucer.
Fer"ma*cy (?), n. [OE. See
Pharmacy.] Medicine; pharmacy.
[Obs.]
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"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.
a) Formed
or organized ferments. (b) Unorganized or
structureless ferments. The latter are also called soluble
, 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. <-- by 1960
the term "ferment" to mean "enzyme" fell out of use. Enzymes are
now known to be globular proteins, capable of catalyzing
a wide variety of chemical reactions, not merely hydrolytic. The
full set of enzymes causing production of ethyl alcohol from
sugar has been identified and individually purified and studied.
See enzyme -->
2. Intestine motion; heat; tumult; agitation.
Subdue and cool the ferment of desire.
Rogers.
the nation is in a ferment.
Walpole.
<-- in a ferment in a state of agitation, applied
to human groups. -->
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 oarticles of an animal or
vegetable fluid; to work; to effervesce.
2. To be agitated or excited by violent
emotions.
But finding no redress, ferment an 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.]
<-- p. 553 -->
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.
<-- in industrial microbiology -- = the production of chemical
substances by use of microorganisms -->
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, ,
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 Torul\'91
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 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.] \'bdPilgrimages to . . .
ferne halwes.\'b8 [saints].
Chaucer.
Fern (?), n. [AS.
fearn; akin to D. varen, G.
farn, farnkraut; cf. Skr.
par\'c9a 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.
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.
(Zo\'94l.) (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.
f\'82roce. 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.
ferocit\'82. See Fierce.] Savage
wildness or fierceness; fury; cruelty; as, ferocity
of countenance.
The pride and ferocity of a Highland chief.
Macaulay.
\'d8Fer*o"her (?), n.
(Arch\'91ol.) 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 (? , 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.] (Zo\'94l.) An
animal of the Weasel family (Mustela ), 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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*nat (?), 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.
ferrif\'8are.] Producing or yielding
iron.
Fer`ri*prus"si*ate (? Prussiate, 277), n.
[Ferri- + prussiate.]
(Chem.) A ferricyanate; a ferricyanide.
[R.]
Fer`ri*prus"sic (? 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 (? , 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 (? Prussiate, 277), n. )
[Ferro- + prussiate.]
(Chem.) A ferrocyanate; a ferocyanide.
[R.]
Fer`ro*prus"sic (? 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.
\'d8Fer*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 (? , 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 ir uniting of me
[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. f\'84rja, Dan.
f\'91rge, G. f\'84hre. 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 (? , a.
[L. fertilis, fr. ferr 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.
<-- p. 554 -->
Fer"tile*ly (? , 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. fertilit\'82.]
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.
\'bdfertility of resource.\'b8
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.
\'d8Fer"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.
f\'82rulac\'82.] Pertaining to reeds and
canes; having a stalk like a reed; as, ferulaceous
plants.
Fer"u*lar (?), n. A
ferule. [Obs.]
Milton.
Fer"ule (? , n. [L.
ferula: cf. F. f\'82rule. 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
asaf\'d2tida); 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 (?), n. [OE.
festu, OF. festu, F. f\'82tu,
fr. L. festuca stalk, straw.] 1. A
straw, wire, stick, etc., used chiefly to point out letters to
children when learning to read. \'bdPedantic
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 (?), 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 fstered 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
discharge 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. festivit\'82.]
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.] \'bdA
festlich man.\'b8
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 (? , 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.
f\'91t a journey, and to E. foot; cf. G.
fassen to seize. 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 (?; 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. 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
(Naut.), to move ahead or astern. -- To
fetch out, to develop. \'bdThe skill of the
polisher fetches out the colors [of marble]\'b8
Addison. -- To fetch up. (a) To
overtake. [Obs.] \'bdSays [the hare], I can
fetch up the tortoise when I please.\'b8
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.
Fethc"er (?), n. One wo fetches
or brings.
Fete (?), n. [See
feat.] A feat. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fete, n. pl. [See Foot.]
Feet. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
\'d8F\'88te (?), n. [F. See
Feast.] A festival.
F\'88te champ\'88tre (
[F.], a festival or entertainment in the open air;
a rural festival.
F\'88te (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. F\'88ted; p.
pr. & vb. n. F\'88ting.] [Cf. F.
f\'88ter.] To feast; to honor with a
festival.
{ Fe"tich, Fe"tish (?),
n. }[F. f\'82tiche, from Pg.
feiti, 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 (? ; 277), n. }[Cf. F.
f\'82tichisme.] [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 (? , n.
[Written also f\'d2ticide.]
[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 (? , a. [L.
fetidus, foetidus, fr. fetere,
foetere, to have an ill smell, to stink: cf. F.
f\'82tide.] Having an offensive smell;
stinking.
Most putrefactions . . . smell either fetid or
moldy.
Bacon.
Fet*id"i*ty (? , n.
Fetidness.
Fet"id*ness, n. The quality or state of
being fetid.
Fe*tif"er*ous (?), a.
[Fetus + -ferous.]
Producing young, as animals.
<-- p. 555 -->
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 (, 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. 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 (? , v.t.
[imp. Fette, p.p.
Fet.] [See Fet, v.
t.] To fetch. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fet"ter (?), n. [AS.
fetor, feter; akin to OS.
feter, pl., OD. veter, OHG.
fezzera, Icel. fj\'94turr, L.
pedi, Gr. foot. 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 (n.
Fettering.] 1. To put fetters upon; to shakle
or confine the feet of with a chain; to bind.
My heels are fettered, but my fist is free.
Milton.
2. To reastrain from motion; to impose restrains
on; to confine; to enchain; as, fettered by
obligations.
My conscience! thou art fettered
More than my shanks and wrists.
Shak.
Fet"tered (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Seeming as if fettered, as the feet pf
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 f\'d2tus.]
\'d8Fet"wah (?), n. [Ar.]
A written decision of a Turkish mufti on some point of
law.<-- written also fatwah -->
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 (?), n. [OE.
feide, AS. f, fr. f\'beh
hostile; akin to OHG. f, 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.
f\'82odal, 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.
f\'82odalisme.] 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.
f\'82odalit\'82.] The state or quality of
being feudal; feudal form or constitution.
Burke.
Fe`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 toa 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*ty (?), 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"dto*ry, a. Held from another on some
conditional tenure; as, a feudatory
title.
Bacon.
<-- no pos in original = n. -->
\'d8Feu` 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.
\'d8Feu`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.
\'d8Feu`ille*ton" (? , 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. f\'81tterer 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.
fi\'8avre. 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.
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, )
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. \'bdThe feverish
north.\'b8
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.
fi\'82vreux.] 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 (?), a.
[Compar. Fewer (?);
superl. Fewest.] [OE.
fewe, feawe, AS. fe\'a0, pl.
fe\'a0we; akin to OS. f\'beh, OHG.
f\'b5, Icel. f\'ber, Sw.
f\'86, pl., Dan. faa, pl., Goth.
faus, L. paucus, cf. Gr. 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. \'bdAre not my days few?\'b8
Job x. 20.
Few know and fewer care.
Proverb.
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, 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.
\'d8Fia"cre (?), n. [F.]
A kind of French hackney coach.
Fi"ance (?), v. t. [F.
fiancer. See Affiance.] To
betroth; to affiance. [Obs.]
Harmar.
\'d8Fi`an`c\'82" (?), n.
[F.] A betrothed man.
\'d8Fi`an`c\'82e" (?), n.
[F.] A betrothed woman.
Fi"ants (?), n. [F.
fiente dung.] The dung of the fox, wolf,
boar, or badger.
Fi"ar (? , 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.
\'d8Fi*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 (? , 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.
\'d8Fi*bril"la (?), n.; pl.
Fibrill\'92 (#). [NL. See
Fibril.] A minute thread of 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 (? , a. Of
of pertaining to fibrils.
Fi"bril*la`ted (? , a.
Furnished with fibrils; fringed.
Fi`bril*la"tion (?), n. The
state of being reduced to fibers.
Carpenter.
Fi*bril"lose (? , a.
Covered with hairlike appendages, as the under surface of
some lichens; also, composed of little strings or fibers; as,
fibrillose appendages.
<-- p. 556 -->
Fi*bril"lous (? , 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.
(Physiol.Chem.) An albuminous substance, existing
in the blood, which in combination with fibrinogen forms fibrin;
-- called also paraglobulin.
Fi"bri*nous (? , 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. (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 (? , 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 (? , 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.
\'d8Fi*bro"ma (?), n. [NL. See
Fiber, and -oma.] (Med.)
A tumor consisting mainly of fibrous tissue, or of same
modification of such tissue.
\'d8Fi`bro*spon"gi*\'91 (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. L. fibra a fiber + spongia a
sponge.] (Zo\'94l.) 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]
\'d8Fib"u*la (?), n.; pl.
Fibul\'92 (#). [L., clasp,
buckle.] 1. A brooch, clasp, or buckle.
Mere fibul\'91, 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.
\'d8Fib`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*ch\'82 (?), a. (Her.)
See Fitch\'90.
Fict"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.
f\'becen deceit, OS. f, 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.
\'d8Fi"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.\'bdFictional rather than
historical.\'b8
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.
\'bdThe fount of fictive tears.\'b8
Tennyson.
Fic"tor (?), n. [L.]
An artist who models or forms statues and reliefs in any
plastic material. [R.]
Elmes.
\'d8Fi"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.
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.
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 (?), n. [OE.
fidele, fithele, AS. fi;
akin to D. vedel, OHG. fidula, G.
fiedel, Icel. fi, 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 (Zo\'94l.), 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
(Zo\'94l.), 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,
, 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.]
Fod"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.
fi.] 1. One who plays on a
fiddle or violin.
2. (Zo\'94l.) 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. (Zo\'94l.) The common European
sandpiper (Tringoides hypoleucus); -- so called
because it continually oscillates its body.
Fiddler crab. (Zo\'94l.) 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-fid\'8ale, 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.
fid\'82jussion.] (Civil Law) The
act or state of being bound as surety for another;
suretyship.
Fi`de*jus"sor (?), n. [L.: cf.
F. fid\'82jusseur.] (Civil Law)
A surety; one bound for another, conjointly with him; a
guarantor.
Blackstone.
Fi*del"i*ty (?), n. [L.
fidelitas: cf. F. fid\'82lit\'82. 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.
\'d8Fi"des (?), n. [L.,
faith.] (Roman Muth.) Faith personified as
a goddess; the goddess of faith.
Fidge (?), n. & 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.
\'d8Fid"i*a (?), n. [NL., prob.
fr. L. fidus trusty.] (Zo\'94l.)
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.
\'bdFiducial reliance on the promises of God.\'b8
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 (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*di"ci*a*ry (? , a.
[L. fiduciarus, fr. fiducia: cf. F.
fiduciaire. See Fiducial.] 1.
Involving confidence or trust; confident; undoubting;
faithful; firm; as, in a fiduciary
capacity. \'bdFiduciary obedience.\'b8
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.
<-- p. 557 -->
Field (?), n. [OE.
feld, fild, AS. feld; akin to D.
veld, G. feld, Sw. f\'84lt, 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.
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 (Zo\'94l.), 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 (Zo\'94l.), 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.
(Zo\'94l.) (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
(Zo\'94l.), 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
(Zo\'94l.), the black-bellied plover
(Charadrius squatarola); also sometimes applied to the
Bartramian sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda). --
Field spaniel (Zo\'94l.), a small
spaniel used in hunting small game. -- Field
sparrow. (Zo\'94l.) (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 (Zo\'94l.), the European
meadow mouse. -- Field of ice, a large body
of floating ice; a pack. -- Field, 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, 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, , 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.] (Zo\'94l.) 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. fe\'a2nd; akin to
OS. f\'c6ond, D. vijand enemy, OHG.
f\'c6ant, G. feind, Icel.
fj\'bend, Sw. & Dan. fiende, Goth.
fijands; orig. p.pr. of a verb meaning to
hate, AS. fe\'a2n, fe\'a2gan, OHG.
f\'c6, Goth. fijan, Skr.
p\'c6y to scorn; prob. akin to E. feud a
quarrel. \'fb81. 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.
fe\'a2ndlic.] Fiendlike; monstrous;
devilish. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
\'d8Fi`e*ras"fer (?), n.
[NL.] (Zo\'94l.) 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.
\'bdA fierce whisper.\'b8 Dickens. \'bdA
fierce tyrant.\'b8 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.
\'d8Fi"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 (? , 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 kniw 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. pf\'c6fa, 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. f\'c6ft,
f\'c6ft. 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.
f\'c6fte. 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. f\'c6fta. 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.<-- a fifth of whiskey = a fifth of a gallon -->
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.
f\'c6ftigo. 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.
f\'c6ftig; akin to OHG. finfzug,
fimfzug, G. f\'81nfzig, 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.
Caprification.
3. A small piece of tobacco.
[U.S.]
4. The value of a fig, practically nothing; a fico;
-- used in scorn or contempt. \'bdA fig for
Peter.\'b8
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. \'bdTherefore shall dragons dwell there with the
fig fauns.\'b8 Jer. i. 39. (Douay
version). -- Fig gnat (Zo\'94l.),
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 [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.
\'d8Fi`ga`ro" (?), n. [From the
name of the barber in Beaumarchais' \'bdBarber of
Seville.\'b8] An adroi
Fig"a*ry (?), n. [Corrupted fr.
vagary.] A frolic; a vagary; a whim.
[Obs.]
Beau. & Fl.
Fig"eat`er (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) (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 (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Fought (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Fighting.]
[OE. fihten, fehten, AS.
feohtan; akin to D. vechten, OHG.
fehtan, G. fechten, Sw.
f\'84kta, Dan. fegte, and perh. to E.
fist; cf. L. pugnare to fight,
pugnus fist.] 1. To strive or
contened 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.
<-- p. 558 -->
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 (Zo\'94l.), the fiddler
crab. -- Fighting fish (Zo\'94l.),
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.
Pig"peck`er (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The European garden warbler
(Sylvia, ); -- called also
beccafico and greater
pettychaps.
Fig"-shell` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) 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 (? , 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. figurabilit\'82.] 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` (? , 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` (? , 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 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. Ambounding 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 counterpointdescant. See under
Figurate.
-- Fig"ur*a*tive*ly, adv. --
Fig"ur*a*tive*ness, n.
Fig"ure (?; 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 surface; any arrangement made
up of points, lines, angles, surfaces, etc.
5. The appearance or impression made by the conduct
or carrer 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 or motive; a florid
embellishment.
2/4 signifies that the measure contains two
quarter notes. The following are the principal figures used for
this purpose: --
<-- the "figures" illustrated here have a bar through each number
and cannot be represented as simple fractions, thus the special
"musfig" field notation. The following numbers are contained in
a single line of large (ca. 14 pt.) bold type -->
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, Figure
flinger, an astrologer. This figure
caster.\'b8 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. t. 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.
\'d8Fi`gu`rine" (? , 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 (? , 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*metoid` (?), 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
\'d8Fi*la"ri*a (?), n. [NL.,
fr. L. filum a thread.] (Zo\'94l.)
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.
filberts are usually large
hazelnuts, especially the nuts from selected and cultivated
trees. The American hazelnuts are of two other species.
Filbert gall (Zo\'94l.), a gall
resembling a filbert in form, growing in clusters on grapevines.
It is produced by the larva of a gallfly
(Cecidomyia).
Filch (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Filched
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Filching.] [Cf. AS. feol
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 (?), n. One who
filches; a thief.
Filch"ing*ly, adv. By pilfering or petty
stealing.
<-- p. 559 -->
File (?), 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.
files in a company
describes its width, as the number of ranks does its depth; thus,
100 men in \'bdfours deep\'b8 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. \'bdA file of
all the gentry.\'b8
Shak.
<-- (e) (computer) a collection of data on a recording medium
treated as a unit for the purpose of recording or reading,
accesible by use of a file name. -->
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, 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 (?), n. [AS.
fe\'a2l; akin to D. viji, OHG.
f\'c6la, f\'c6hala, G. feile,
Sw. fil, Dan. fiil, cf. Icel.
, Russ. pila, and Skr.
pi 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.
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 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, fr.
fFoul, and cf. Defile,
v.t.] To make f [Obs.]
All his hairy breast with blood was
filed.Spenser.
For Banquo's issue have I filed mind.Shak.
File"fish` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) 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 ather; 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. filicoi\'8bde.] (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 papill\'91 of the tongue;
a filiform style or peduncle. See Illust.
of Antenn\'92.
{ 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 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. f\'81llen,
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. \'bdThe bliss that fills
up all the mind.\'b8 Pope. \'bdAnd fill
up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ.\'b8
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. \'bdYe shall eat your fill.\'b8
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 filer, 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.
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.
\'bdFillet of a fenny snake.\'b8
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
re\'89ntrant 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. \'bdYou
filip me o' the head.\'b8
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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) Having the structure of a
filoplume.
Fil"o*plume (?), n. [L.
filum a thread pluma a soft
feather.] (Zo\'94l.) A hairlike feather; a
father with a slender scape and without a web in most or all of
its length.
<-- p. 560 -->
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, 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, ful\'ebe, AS. f,
fr. f\'d4l foul; akin to OHG. f\'d4lida.
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. \'bdIn the filthy-mantled
pool.\'b8
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.
{ Fin"ble, n., Fim"ble
hemp` (?). }[Corrupted from female
hemp.] Light summer hemp, that bears no
seed.
\'d8Fim"bri*a (?), n.; pl.
Fimbri\'91 (#). [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. (Zo\'94l.) fringed, on one side only,
by long, straight hairs, as the antenn\'91 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.] \'bdShe knew eke the fin of his
intent.\'b8
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. (Zo\'94l.)
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.
2. (Zo\'94l.) 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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 (Zo\'94l.), a
finback. -- Paired fins (Zo\'94l.),
the pectoral and ventral fins, corresponding to the fore and
hind legs of the higher animals. -- Unpaired,
, fins (Zo\'94l.),
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 (?), 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.
\'d8Fi*na"le (?), 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; revennue;
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. \'bdVersed in the details of
finance.\'b8
Macaulay.
Fi*nan"cial (?), a. Pertaining
to finance. \'bdOur financial and commercial
system.\'b8
Macaulay.
Fi*nan"cial*ist, n. A financier.
Fi*nan"cial*ly, adv. In a dfinancial
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.
(Zo\'94l.) Any whale of the genera
Sibbaldius, Bal\'91noptera, and allied
genera, of the family Bal\'91nopterid\'91,
characterized by a prominent fin on the back. The common finbacks
of the New England coast are Sibbaldius tectirostris
and S. tuberosus.
Finch (?), n.; pl.
Fishes (#). [AS. finc;
akin to D. vink, OHG. fincho, G.
fink; cf. W. pinc a finch; also E.
spink.] (Zo\'94l.) A small
singing bird of many genera and species, belonging to the family
Fringillid\'91.
finch, goldfinch,
grassfinch, pinefinch, etc.
Bramble finch. See Brambling. --
Canary finch, the canary bird. -- Copper
finch. See Chaffinch. -- Diamond
finch. See under Diamond. -- Finch
falcon (Zo\'94l.), one of several very small
East Indian falcons of the genus Hierax. --
To pull a finch, to swindle an ignorant or
unsuspecting person. [Obs.] \'bdPrivily a
finch eke could he pull.\'b8
Chaucer.
Finch"backed` (?), a. Streaked
or spotted on the back; -- said of cattle.
Finched (?), a. Same as
Finchbacked.
Find (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Found (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Finding.]
[AS. findan; akin to D. vinden, OS. &
OHG. findan, G. finden, Dan.
finde, icel. & Sw. finna, Goth.
fin; and perh. to L. petere to seek,
Gr. 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. \'bdI find you passing
gentle.\'b8
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 \'9c14 and all found.
London Times.
Nothing a day and find yourself.
Dickens.
<-- obsolete?? -->
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. \'bdCanst thou by searching find out
God?\'b8 Job. xi. 7. \'bdWe do hope to find
out all your tricks.\'b8 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
arch\'91ologists, of objects of prehistoric or unknown
origin.
Find"a*ble (?), a. Capable of
beong 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; substemtial.
[Obs.]
A cold May and a windy
Makes the barn fat amd findy.
Old Prover
Fine (?), 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.
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 \'bdordinary thing of its kind.\'b8
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.
<-- p. 561 -->
Fine, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Fined (?); 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.] \'bdTo see
their fatal fine.\'b8
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
dept 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.
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" (? , 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.
(Zo\'94l.) (a) A finback whale.
(b) (pl.) True fish, as distinguished
from shellfish.
Fin"foot` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) 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. (Zo\'94l.)
(a) Having palmate feet. (b)
Having lobate toes, as the coot and grebe.
Fin"ger (?), 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 extermities of the hand, other than the
thumb.
2. Anything that does 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 , 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 (Zo\'94l.),
a marine shell (Pholas dactylus) resembling a
finger in form. -- Finger sponge
(Zo\'94l.), 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.]
(Zo\'94l.) A young salmon. See
Parr.
Fin"gle-fan`gle (?), n. [From
fangle.] A trifle. [Low]
Hudibras.
\'d8Fin"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.
\'bdFinical taste.\'b8
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. \'bdA
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.\'b8
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 (? , 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 (? , 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.
\'d8Fi"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
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. (Zo\'94l.)
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 FinnFinns.
Fin"nan had"die (?). [See
Haddock.] Haddock cured in peat smoke,
originally at Findon (pron. f\'ccn"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.
(Zo\'94l.) A finback whale.
Finn"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to the Finns.
Fin"ni*kin (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) Having, or abounding in, fins, as
fishes; pertaining to fishes.
2. Abounding in fishes.
With patient angle trolls the finny deep.
Goldsmoth.
\'d8Fi*no"chi*o (?; 277), n.
[It. finocchio fennel, LL. fenuclum.
See Fennel.] (Bot.) An
umbelliferous plant (F\'d2niculum dulce) having a
somewhat tuberous stem; sweet fennel. The blanched stems are used
in France and Italy as a culinary vegetable.
<-- p. 562 -->
\'d8Fi"nos (?), n. pl. [Sp.,
pl., fr. fino fine.] Second best wool from
Merino sheep.
Gardner.
Fin"pike` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The bichir. See
Crossopterygii.
Fint (?), 3d pers. sing. pr. of
Find, for findeth. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fin"-toed` (?), a.
(Zo\'94l.) Having toes connected by a membrane;
palmiped; palmated; also, lobate.
\'d8Fiord (fyi or y
consonant, , 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.
\'d8Fio`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.
<-- no pos in original. = n. -->
Fip"pen*ny bit` (? . [Corruption of
five penny bit.] The Spanish half real, or
one sixteenth of a dollar, -- so called in Pennsylvania and the
adjacent States. [Obs.]
fourpence
ha'penny or fourpence; in New York a
sixpence; in Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc., a
fip; and in Louisiana, a picayune.
Fip"ple (f, 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 (?), n. [Dan.
fyr, fyrr; akin to Sw. furu,
Icel. fura, AS. furh in furhwudu
fir wood, G. f\'94hre, OHG. forha pine,
vereheih a sort of oak, L. quercus
(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
Scoth fir is a Pinus.
Fir in the Bible means any one of several
coniferous trees, including, cedar, cypress, and probably three
species of pine.
J. D. Hooker.
Fire (?), n. [OE.
fir, fyr, fur AS.
fr; akin to D. vuur, OS. &
OHG. fiur, G. feuer, Icel.
f, f, Gr. purus pure, E. pure Cf. Empyrean,
Pyre.] 1. The evolution of light and
heat in the combustion of bodies; combustion; state of
ignition.
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
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; consumingviolence 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<-- = hot-air balloon -->.
(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. (Zo\'94l.)
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.<-- figuratively, to start up any machine -->
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. \'bdHe
. . . fired up, and stood vigorously on his
defense.\'b8
Macaulay.
Fire"arm` (?), n. A gun,
pistol, or any weapon from a shot is discharged by the force of
an explosive substance, as gunpowder.
Fire"back` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.<-- large mass of fire caused
by a large explosion, as of inflammable liquids or a nuclear
explosion -->
Fire"bare` (?), n. A
beacon. [Obs.]
Burrill.
Fire" bee`tle (?). (Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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; f 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.
(Zo\'94l.) A singular marine fish of the genus
Pterois, family Scorp\'91nid\'91, 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.]
(Zo\'94l.) A European sting ray of the genus
Trygon (T. pastinaca); -- called also
fireflare and fiery
flaw.
Fire"flame` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The European band fish (Cepola
rubescens).
Fire"fly` (?), n.; pl.
Fireflies (. (Zo\'94l.)
Any luminous winged insect, esp. luminous beetles of the
family Lampyrid\'91.
Photinus and Photuris, in which both sexes
are winged. The name is also applied to luminous species of
Elaterid\'91. 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"prrof`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 flint; f fire +
st\'ben 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
2. pl. A pyrotechnic exhibition.
[Obs. in the sing.]
Night before last, the Duke of Richmond gave a
firework.
Walpole.
Fire"worm` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) 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
disharging 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.
<-- p. 563 -->
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.
fe\'a2wer 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
mi
Gen. i. 6.
And God said, Let there be lights in the
firmament.
Gen. i. 14.
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 (? , n.; pl.
Firmans (#) or (#).
[Pers. ferm\'ben.] 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. \'bdFirmless
sands.\'b8
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; \'bdwithout
constancy,\'b8 says Addison, \'bdthere is neither
love, friendship, nor virtue in the world.\'b8
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. f\'94rste, OHG.
furist, G. f\'81rst 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 .
(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
pre\'89minence 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 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; pre\'89minent 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\'3eHamilton.
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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
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.
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 (Zo\'94l.), 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
(Zo\'94l.), 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, Fishing
line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc.,
used in angling. -- Fish louse
(Zo\'94l.), any crustacean parasitic on fishes,
esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus,
Argulus, and other related genera. See
Branchiura. -- Fish maw
(Zo\'94l.), 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 (Zo\'94l.), 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 , 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, Goth.
fisk. 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. (Zo\'94l.) A carnivorous animal of
the Weasel family (Mustela Canadensis); the pekan; the
\'bdblack cat.\'b8
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.] \'bdMy fishful pond.\'b8
R. Carew.
Fish"gig` (?), n. A spear with
barbed prongs used for harpooning fish.
Knight.
Fish"hawk` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) The osprey (Pandion
halia\'89tus), 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.<-- fishing expedition
(metaphorical usage). an investigation searching for evidence of
wrongdoing, without specifying in advance the wrongdoing to be
proven, and often with no evidence of such wrongdoing available
at the outset of the investigation -->
<-- p. 564 -->
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.]
<--3. creating suspicion that the surface appearances are
misleading -->
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.] (Zo\'94l.) Having the
tongue forked.
\'d8Fis`si*lin"gui*a (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. L. fissus (p.p. o f findere
to split) + lingua tongue.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.] (Zo\'94l.)
Semipalmate and loboped, as a grebe's foot. See
Illust. under Aves.
\'d8Fis*sip"a*ra (?), n. pl.
[NL. See Fissiparous.] (Zo\'94l.)
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.
fissip\'8ade.] (Zo\'94l.) Having
the toes separated to the base. [See Aves.]
Fis"si*ped, n. (Zo\'94l.) One
of the Fissipedia.
\'d8Fis`si*pe"di*a (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. L. fissus (p.p. of findere
to cleave) + pes, pedis, a foot.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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.] (Zo\'94l.) Having
the bill cleft beyond the horny part, as in the case of swallows
and goatsuckers.
\'d8Fis`si*ros"tres (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr. L. fissus (p.p. of findere
to cleave) + rostrum beak.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
\'d8Fis`su*rel"la (?), n. [NL.,
dim. of L. fissura a fissure.]
(Zo\'94l.) A genus of marine gastropod mollusks,
having a conical or limpetlike shell, with an opening at the
apex; -- called also keyhole limpet.
Fist (?), n. [OE.
fist, fust, AS. f; akin to
D. vuist, OHG. f, G. faust,
and prob. to L. pugnus, Gr. 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 [
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.
\'d8Fis*tu"ca (?), n.
[L.] An instrument used by the ancients in
driving piles.
\'d8Fis"tu*la (?; 135), n.; pl.
Fistul\'91 (#). [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.
\'d8Fis`tu*la"ri*a (?), n.
[NL., fr. L. fistula pipe.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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.] \'bdA fistulated
ulcer.\'b8
Fuller.
Fis"tule (?; 135), n. A
fistula.
Fis"tu*li*form (? , 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. f to adorn.
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 firnish 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. 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 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 insction;
an impulse 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 re
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.]
(Zo\'94l.) The European polecat; also, its
fur.
Fitch"\'82 (?), a. [Cf. F.
fich\'82, lit. p.p. of ficher to fasten,
OF. fichier to pierce. Cf. 1st Fish.]
(Her.) Sharpened to a point; pointed.
Cross fitch\'82, a cross having the lower arm
pointed.
Fitched (?), a. (her.)
Fitch\'82. [Also fiched.]
{ Fitch"et (?), Fitch"ew
(?) }, n. [Cf. OF.
fisseau, fissel, OD. fisse,
visse, vitsche, D. vies nasty,
loathsome, E. fizz.] (Zo\'94l.)
The European polecat (Putorius f\'d2tidus). See
Polecat.
Fitch"y (?), a. Having fitches
or vetches.
Fitch"y, a. [See
Fitch\'82.] (Her.)
Fitch\'82.
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 victorius 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 f\'d2tidum) 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. f\'c6f,
f\'c6fe; akin to D. vijf, OS.
f\'c6f, OHG. finf, funf, G.
f\'81nf, Icel. fimm, Sw. & Sw. Dan.
fem, Goth. fimf, Lith. penki,
W. pump, OIr. c\'a2ic, L.
quinque, Gr. pa. Fifth,
Cinque, Pentagon, Punch the drink,
Quinary.] Four and one added; one more than
four.
<-- p. 565 -->
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 (?), 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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 (?), 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 (?), 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 (?); 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 efinite.
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 a will make it
insensible to the action of light.
Abney.
5. To put in prder; 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; establis;
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; dillema.
[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 (?), a. Capable of
being fixed.
Fix*a"tion (?), 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 (?), 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 (?), 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 (?), n.
Fixedness. [Obs.]
Boyle.
Fix"ing (?), 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 (?), n. [Cf. F.
fixit\'82.] 1. Fixedness; as,
fixity of tenure; also, that which is fixed.
2. Coherence of parts.
Sir I. Newton.
Fix"ture (?; 135), n. [Cf.
Fixture.] 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.
fixure (formerly the word in common use) in new
editions of old works.
Fix"ure (?), n. [L.
fixura a fastening, fr. figere to fix. See
Fix, and cf. Fixture.] Fixed
position; stable condition; firmness. [Obs.]
Shak.
Fix"gig` (?), n. A
fishing. [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 (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Fizzed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Fizzing.]
[Cf. Icel. f\'c6sa 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 hising sound; as, the
fizz of a fly.
Fiz"zle (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Fizzled
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fizzling
(?).] [See Fizz.]
1. To make a hissing sound.
It is the easfizzling.
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 ridicuously; to prove a failure.
[Colloq.]
Fiz"zle, n. A failure or abortive
effort. [Colloq.]
\'d8Fjord (?), 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 + -fform: 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.
\'d8Fla*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.
flaccidit\'82.] 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 (?), 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 (?), 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. (Zo\'94l.) (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 , to raise it
only half way to the mast or staff, as a token or sign
of mourning. -- To strike, , 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.
\'d8Flag`el*la"ta (?), n. pl.
[NL., fr.L. flagellatus, p. p.
See Flagellate, v. t.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
\'d8Fla*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. (Zo\'94l.) (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 antenn\'91 and the
epipodite of the maxilipeds. See Maxilliped.
<-- p. 566 -->
Flag"eo*let` (?), n. [F.
flageolet, dim. of OF. flaj (as if fr.
a LL. flautio;us), of fla\'81te,
flahute, F. fl. 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. \'bdFlaggy
wings.\'b8
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 Atracious. --
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. 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
fl\'82au. 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 (?), 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 (?), 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.
\'bdLottle flakes of scurf.\'b8
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.
<-- 4. a flaky{2} person -->
Flake knife (Arch\'91ol.), 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.
<--2. (of persons) = prone to strange behavior; (of actions) odd
or unconventional = offbeat, whacky -->
What showers of mortal hail, what flaky fires!
Watts.
A flaky weight of winter's purest snows.
Wordsworth.
Flam (?), n. [Cf. AS.
fle\'a0m, fl, floght. 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
C\'91salpinia.
Flame (?), 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. \'bdIn a flame of zeal severe.\'b8
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. \'bdIn flaming yellow bright.\'b8
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.] (Zo\'94l.) Any bird of the
genus Ph\'d2nicopterus. 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.
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.
\'d8Fla`neur" (?), n. [F., fr.
fl\'83ner to stroll.] One who strolls about
aimlessly; a lounger; a loafer.
Flang (?), n. A miner's
two-pointed pick.
Flange (?), 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 wh
Flange, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flanged (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Flanging (?).]
(Mach.) To make a flange on; to furnish with a
flange.
Flange, v. i. To be bent into a
flange.
Flanged (?), a. Having a flange
or flanges; as, a flanged wheel.
Flank (?), 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 rids 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.
<-- p. 567 -->
Flank (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flanked
(?); 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.
Fla"nel (?), 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.]
\'bdFlannen robes.\'b8
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 abd eaten.
Johnson.
Cakes and ale, and flapdragtons 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. \'bdThe
flapper of a porpoise.\'b8
Buckley.
Flapper skate (Zo\'94l.), 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 exosed 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. \'bdPig's
flare.\'b8
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 (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Flashed
(?); 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 unumbered struggles.
Talfourd.
The object is made to flash upon the eye of the
mind.
M. Arnold.
A thought floashed 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 (?), 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 fictious strength to liquors.
Flash light, 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.
<-- different from flashy[3]? Not much used late 1900's. Perh.
because of sense 2? -->
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. \'bdA gang of
footpads, reveling with their favorite beauties at a flash
house.\'b8
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. an exhibitionist -->
3. (Zo\'94l.) (a) A large
sparoid fish of the Atlantic coast and all tropical seas
(Lobotes Surinamensis). (b) The
European red-backed shrile (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
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. 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. fl\'94tz 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]
<-- p. 568 -->
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.
<-- p. 568 -->
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<-- an apartment taking up a whole floor
-->.
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 [
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 fal 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.]<-- = to fall flat -->
Flat"bill` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) Any fish of the family
Pleuronectid\'91; 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.]
<-- catch flat-footed = catch unprepared -->
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"-heat`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"ing (?), adv.
[Flat, a. + adverbial suff.
-ing.] 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; peremptori;y;
positively, plainly. \'bdHe flatly refused his
aid.\'b8
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;
inspidity.
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 (?), 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 (?), 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 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 artiful 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"*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 a\'89rial 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.
flatuosit\'82.] Flatulence.
[Obs.]
Bacon.
Flat"u*ous (?), a. [Cf. F.
flatueux.] Windy; generating wind.
[Obs.]
Bacon.
\'d8Fla"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"wise` (?), a.
With the flat side downward, or next to another object; not
edgewise.
Flat"worm` (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) Any worm belonging to the
Plathelminthes; also, sometimes applied to the planarians.
Flaun"drish (? , a.
Flemish. [Obs.]
Flaunt (? , 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.
\'d8Flau"to (?), 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 fl\'96te a bec, with a mouth piece at the
end.
Fla*van"i*line (? , 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*les (?), 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 (?), 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; imoerfection; spot; speck.
Flaw, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Flawed (?); 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 (?), n. [OF.
flaon, F. flan, LL. flado, fr.
OHG. flado, G. fladen, a sort of pancake;
cf. Gr. Place.] A sort of flat
custard or pie. [Obs.]
Tusser.
Flaw"ter (?), v. t. [Cf.
Flay.] To scrape o
[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 (?), 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. 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 bicarbinate 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 (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flayed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Flaying.]
[OE. flean, flan, AS.
fle\'a0n; akin to D. vlaen, Icel.
fl\'be, Sw. fl\'86, Dan. flaae,
cf. Lith. ples to tear, plyszti, v.i.,
to burst tear; perh. akin to E. flag to 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.
<-- p. 569 -->
Flay"er (?), n. One who strips
off the skin.
Flea (?), v. t. [See
Flay.] To flay. [Obs.]
He will be fleaced first
And horse collars made of's skin.
J. Fletcher.
Flea, n. [OE. fle,
flee, AS. fle\'a0, fle\'a0h;
akin to D. fl, G. floh, Icel.
fl, Russ. blocha; prob. from the root of
E. flee. Flee.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) A small beetle of the family
Halticid\'91, 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 (?), obs.
imp. of Fly.
Fleak (?), 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.
(Zo\'94l.) A jumping plant louse of the family
Psyllid\'91, 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.
\'d8Fl\'8ache (?), n. [F.
fl\'8ache, prop., an arrow.] (Fort.)
A simple fieldwork, consisting of two faces forming a
salient angle pointing outward and open at the gorge.
Fleck (?), n. A flake; also, a
lock, as of wool. [Obs.]
J. Martin.
Fleck (?), n. [Cf. Icel.
flekkr; akin to Sw. fl\'84ck, D.
vlek, G. fleck, and perh. to E.
flitch.] A spot; a streak; a speckle.
\'bdA sunny fleck.\'b8
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. fl\'84cka, 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. fl\'81gge, fl\'81cke, OHG.
flucchi, Icel. fleygr, and to E.
fly. Fly, v. i.]
Feathered; furnished with feathers or wings; able to
fly.
Hfledge 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 (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Fled (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Fleeing.]
[OE. fleon, fleen, AS.
fle\'a2n (imperf. fle\'a0h);
akin to D. vlieden, OHG. & OS.
fliohan, G. fliehen, Icel.
fl (imperf. fl), Dan.
flye, Sw. fly (imperf. flydde),
Goth. pliuhan. (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.
fly, not flee; as, fly hence to
France with the utmost speed. \'bdWhither shall I fly
to 'scape their hands?\'b8 Shak. See Fly,
v. i., 5.
Fleece (?), n. [OE.
flees, AS. fle\'a2s; akin to D.
flies, vlies .] 1. The
entire coat of wood 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 frand; 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. \'bdFleecy
flocks.\'b8
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.
Flear, 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.
fle\'a2tan to swim, float; akin to D.
vlieten to flow, OS. fliotan, OHG.
fliozzan, G. fliessen, Icel.
flj to float, flow, Sw. flyta, D.
flyde, L. pluere to rain, Gr. plu to swim, sail. 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 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 penetring deep,
as soil. [Prov. Eng.]
Mortimer.
Fleet, n. [OE. flete,
fleote, AS. fle\'a2t ship, fr.
fle\'a2tan 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. fle\'a2t 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.
fl cream, fr. fle\'a2tan 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. \'bdYou know where you
are, you fleeten face.\'b8
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.
fl, fl.] To
banish; to drive out; to expel. [Obs.]
\'bdAppetite flemeth discretion.\'b8
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; akin
to OFries. fl\'besk, D. vleesch, OS.
fl, OHG. fleisc, G.
fleisch, Icel. & Dan. flesk lard, bacon,
pork, Sw. fl\'84sk.] 1. The
aggregate of the muscles, fat, and other tissues which cover the
framework of bones in man and other animals; especially, the
muscles.
, 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.
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. \'bdYe judge after the
flesh.\'b8 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 (Zo\'94l.), one of several
species of flies whose larv\'91 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
(Zo\'94l.), 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. \'bdFleshed in triumphs.\'b8
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.
<-- p. 570 -->
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 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"ing (?), n. A person
devoted to fleshly things. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Flesh"ly (?), a. [AS.
1. Of or pertaining to the flesh;
corporeal. \'bdFleshly bondage.\'b8
Denham.
2. Animal; not
Dryden.
3. Human; not celestial; not spiritual or
divine. \'bdFleshly wisdom.\'b8
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.
.] 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.]
\'bdFleshy tabernacle.\'b8
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. fl\'8ache
arrow.] To feather, as an arrow.
Bp. Warburton.
[Congress] fletched their complaint, by adding:
\'bdAmerica loved his brother.\'b8
Bancroft.
Fletch"er (?), n. [OF.
flechier.] One who fletches of feathers
arrows; a manufacturer of bows and arrows.
[Obs.]
Mortimer.
Flete (?), v. i. [See
Fleet, v. i.] To float; to
swim. [Obs.] \'bdWhether I sink or
flete.\'b8
Chaucer.
Fle*tif"er*ous (?), a. [L.
fletifer; fletus a weeping (from
flere, fletum, to weep) + ferre
to bear.] Producing tears. [Obs.]
Blount.
\'d8Fleur`-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. 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.] \'bdFlatterers
and flibbergibs.\'b8
Latimer.
Flib"ber*ti*gib`bet (?), n. An
imp.
Shak.
\'d8Fli`bus`tier" (?), n.
[F.] A buccaneer; an American pirate. See
Flibuster. [Obs.]
Flick (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flicked
(?); 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 (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Flickered
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flickering.] [OE. flikeren,
flekeren, to flutter, AS. flicerian,
flicorian, cf. D. flikkeren to sparkle. 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; flucuation; sudden and brief increase
of brightness; as, the last flicker of the dying
flame.
2. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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 (?), 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 (?), n. [AS.
fliht, flyht, a flying, fr.
fle\'a2gan to fly; cf. flyht a fleeing, fr.
fle\'a2n to flee, G. flucht a fleeing, Sw.
flykt, G. flug a flying, Sw.
flygt, D. vlugt a fleeing or flying, Dan.
flugt. Flee,
Fly.] 1. The act or 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 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
soaas, 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.
<-- 8. a trip made by or in a flying vehicle, as an airplane,
spacecraft, or aeronautical balloon. 9. A scheduled flight{8} --
to take a flight{9}. -->
Flight feathers (Zo\'94l.), 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.
\'bdDrowsy-flighted steeds.\'b8
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
disorder
Proofs of my flighty and paradoxical turn of
mind.
Coleridge.
A harsh disciplinarian and a flighty
enthusiast.
J. S. Har
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.
llumsi naked, bare, empty, slouggish, 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. fl\'82chir,
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.] (Zo\'94l.) 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 (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flung (?);
p. pr. & vb. n. Flinging.]
[OE. flingen, flengen, to rush, hurl;
cf. Icel. flengia to whip, ride furiously, OSw.
flenga to strike, Sw. fl\'84nga 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.
<-- p. 571 -->
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. \'bdWhen I was as young as you, I had my
fling. I led a life of pleasure.\'b8 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. 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. \'bdA heart of
flint.\'b8
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 (Arch\'91ol.), 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.
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 stricking 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 rockFlinty
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; inconsederate; pert;
petulant. \'bdFlippant epilogous.\'b8
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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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 contemptious 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; coquerty.
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.] \'bdThe
flisking flies.\'b8
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. 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. fl\'c6k
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.
fl\'c6tan 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. fledarm. Cf.
Flickermouse, Flindermouse.]
(Zo\'94l.) 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 (?), n.; pl.
Flon (#). [AS. fl\'be,
fl\'ben.] An arrow.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Float (?), n.[OE.
flote ship, boat, fleet, AS. flota ship,
fr. fle\'a2tan to float; akin to D. vloot
fleet, G. floss raft, Icel. floti float,
raft, fleet, Sw. flotta. 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
(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.
fle\'a2tan. 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
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.
<-- p. 572 -->
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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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. (Zo\'94l.) Applied to the down of
newly hatched or unfledged birds.
\'d8Floc"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.
\'d8Floc"cus (?), n.; pl.
Flocci (#). [L., a flock of
wool.] 1. (Zo\'94l.) (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 (Zo\'94l.), 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. fl, 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. ), 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. \'bdOnce a
flock bed, but repaired with straw.\'b8
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. 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 (?), 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 (Zo\'94l.), a seal
(Phoca f\'d2tida).
Flog (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Flogged
(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Flogging
(?).] [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 (? , obs.
imp. & p. p. of Fling.
Flood (?), n. [OE.
flod a flowing, stream, flood, AS.
fl; akin to D. vloed, OS.
fl, OHG. fluot, G. flut,
Icel. fl, Sw. & Dan. flod, Goth.
fl; from the root of E. flow.
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; akin to D. vloer, G.
flur field, floor, entrance hall, Icel.
fl 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.]
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 abd 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
\'d8Flo`r\'82al" (?), n. [F.
flor\'82al, fr. L. flos, floris,
flower.] The eight month of the French republican
calendar. It began April 20, and ended May 19. See
Vend\'82miare.
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 (? , 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, flori, flower.] Bloom;
blossom. [Obs.]
J. Scott.
Flo"ri*a`ted (?), a.
(Arch.) Having floral ornaments; as,
floriated capitals of Gothic pillars.
Flo*ric"mous (?), a. [L.
flos, floris, flower + coma
hair.] Having the head adorned with flowers.
[R.]
Flo`ri*cul"tur*al (? ,
a. Pertaining to the cultivation of flowering
plants.
Flo"ri*cul`ture (? ,
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.
\'d8Flo*rid"e*\'91 (?), n. pl.
[NL., from L. flos, floris, a
flower.] (Bot.) A subclass of alg\'91
including all the red or purplish seaweeds; the
Rhodosperme\'91 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. florif\'8are.]
Producing flowers.
Blount.
<-- p. 573 -->
Flo`ri*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L.
flos, floris, flower + facere to
make.] The act, process, or time of flowering;
florescence.
Flo"ri*form (? , a. [L.
flos, floris, flower + -form:
cf. F. floriforme.] Having the form of a
flower; flower-shaped.
Flo"ri*ken (?), n.
(Zo\'94l.) An Indian bustard (Otis
aurita). The Bengal floriken is Sypheotides
Bengalensis. [Written also
florikan, floriken,
florican.]
Flo"ri*lege (?), n. [L.
florilegus flower-culling; flos,
floris, flower + legere to gather: cf. F.
floril\'8age.] 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 (? , 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.] (Zo\'94l.)
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.
\'d8Flos`-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.
fl\'94sse a trough in which tin ore is washed.]
(Metallurgy) A hopper-shaped box or
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.
\'d8Flo"ta (?), n. [Sp. See
Flotilla.] A fleet; especially, a
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, , 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.] \'bdThe Mediterranean
flote.\'b8
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, G. flunder, and perh. to E.
flounder, v.i.] 1.
(Zo\'94l.) A flatfish of the family
Pleuronectid\'91, of many species.
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.
fl\'81r 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 , 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 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 wordas, 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 fluorish 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 standarts lout 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 (?), obs. imp.
sing. of Fly, v. i.
Chaucer.
Flow (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. FFlowed
(?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Flowing.] [AS. fl\'d3wan;
akin to D. vloeijen, OHG. flawen to wash,
Icel. fl\'d3a to deluge, Gr. float, fleet.
\'fb80. 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 pproceed; 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.
<-- p. 574 -->
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 (Zo\'94l.) 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 (Zo\'94l.),
any beetle which feeds upon flowers, esp. any one of numerous
small species of the genus Meligethes, family
Nitidulid\'91, some of which are injurious to
crops. -- Flower bird (Zo\'94l.),
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 (Zo\'94l.),
one of a family (Dic\'91id\'91) 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.
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, ) 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; cryptigamous 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 (? , n.
(Zo\'94l.) 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. 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. 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. Nap or down; flue; soft, downy
feathers.
Fluff"y (?), a.
[Compar. Fluffier (?);
superl. Fluffiest.]
Pertaining to, or resembling, fluff or nap; soft and
downy. \'bdThe carpets were fluffy.\'b8
Thackeray.
The present Barnacle . . . had a youthful aspect, and the
fluffiest little whisker, perhaps, that ever was
seen.
Dickens.
-- Fluff"i*ness, n.
\'d8Fl\'81"gel (?), n. [G., a
wing.] (Mus.) A grand piano or a
harpsichord, both being wing-shaped.
Flu"gel*man (?), n. [G.
fl\'81gelman.] (Mil.) Same as
Fugleman.
Flu"id (?), 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.
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, 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*in"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
fluidit\'82.] The quality of being fluid or
capable of flowing; a liquid, a\'89riform. 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
flluid; 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.
<-- p. 575 -->
Fluke (?), 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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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. \'fb84. 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 (?), v. i.
[imp. & p. p. Flunked
(?); 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 (?), n.; pl.
Flunkies (#). [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.
\'d8Flu"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.
\'d8Flu"or albus (?). [L., white
flow.] (Med.) The whites;
leucorrh\'91a.
Flu`or*an"thene (?), n.
[Fluorene + anthra
(Chem.) A white crystalline hydrocarbon C
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 fluoresce\'8bn, 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 (? , 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 (? , 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, or
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.
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.
\'fb84.] 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 star
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.<-- other than poker? -->
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. (Zo\'94l.) 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.
fla\'81te, flahute, flahuste, F.
fl; 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
Knight.
Flute (?), n. [Cf. F.
fl a transport, D. fluit.]
A kindof flyboat; a storeship.
Armed en fl\'96te (
(Nav.), partially armed.
Flute (?), v. i. [OE.
flouten, floiten, OF.
fla\'81ter, fle\'81ter,
flouster, F. fl\'96ter, 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.
\'d8Fl\'96te` \'85 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.
(Zo\'94l.) 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.
fl\'96tiste.] A performer on the flute; a
flautist.
Busby.
<-- p. 576 -->
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 (?), 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 (reflux.
3. The state of beinng 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.
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 (?); 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