F F (êf) (continued 8)
Reading edition
FLUENCE Flu"ence, n.
Defn: Fluency. [Obs.] Milton.
FLUENCY Flu"en*cy, n. Etym: [L. fluentia: cf. F. fluence. See Fluent.]
Defn: The quality of being fluent; smoothness; readiness of utterance; volubility. The art of expressing with fluency and perspicuity. Macaulay.
FLUENT Flu"ent, a. Etym: [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.
FLUENT Flu"ent, n.
1. A current of water; a stream. [Obs.]
2. Etym: [Cf. F. fluente.] (Math.)
Defn: A variable quantity, considered as increasing or diminishing; - - called, in the modern calculus, the function or integral.
FLUENTLY Flu"ent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a fluent manner.
FLUENTNESS Flu"ent*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being fluent.
FLUE PIPE Flue pipe. (Music)
Defn: A pipe, esp. an organ pipe, whose tone is produced by the impinging of a current of air upon an edge, or lip, causing a wave motion in the air within; a mouth pipe; — distinguished from reed pipe. Flue pipes are either open or closed (stopped at the distant end). The flute and flageolet are open pipes; a bottle acts as a closed pipe when one blows across the neck. The organ has both open and closed flue pipes, those of metal being usually round in section, and those of wood triangular or square.
FLUEWORK Flue"work`, n. (Mus.)
Defn: 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.
FLUEY Flue"y, a. Etym: [2d Flue.]
Defn: Downy; fluffy. [R.]
FLUFF Fluff, n. Etym: [Cf. 2d Flue.
Defn: Nap or down; flue; soft, downy feathers.
FLUFFY Fluff"y, a. [Compar. Fluffier; superl. Fluffiest.]
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, fluff or nap; soft and downy. "The carpets were fluffy." Thackeray. The present Barnacle . . . had a youthful aspect, and the fluffiest little whisker, perhaps, that ever was seen. Dickens. — Fluff"i*ness, n.
FLUGEL; FLUEGEL Flü"gel, n. Etym: [G., a wing.] (Mus.)
Defn: A grand piano or a harpsichord, both being wing-shaped.
FLUGELMAN Flu"gel*man, n. Etym: [G. flügelman.] (Mil.)
Defn: Same as Fugleman.
FLUID Flu"id, a. Etym: [L. fluidus, fr. fluere to flow: cf. F. fluide. See Fluent.]
Defn: 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.
FLUID Flu"id, n.
Defn: A fluid substance; a body whose particles move easily among themselves.
Note: Fluid is a generic term, including liquids and gases as species. Water, air, and steam are fluids. By analogy, the term is sometimes applied to electricity and magnetism, as in phrases electric fluid, magnetic fluid, though not strictly appropriate. Fluid dram, or Fluid drachm, a measure of capacity equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce. — Fluid ounce. (a) In the United States, a measure of capacity, in apothecaries' or wine measure, equal to one sixteenth of a pint or 29.57 cubic centimeters. This, for water, is about 1.04158 ounces avoirdupois, or 455.6 grains. (b) In England, a measure of capacity equal to the twentieth part of an imperial pint. For water, this is the weight of the avoirdupois ounce, or 437.5 grains. — Fluids of the body. (Physiol.) The circulating blood and lymph, the chyle, the gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal juices, the saliva, bile, urine, aqueous humor, and muscle serum are the more important fluids of the body. The tissues themselves contain a large amount of combined water, so much, that an entire human body dried in vacuo with a very moderate degree of heat gives about 66 per cent of water. — Burning fluid, Elastic fluid, Electric fluid, Magnetic fluid, etc. See under Burning, Elastic, etc.
FLUIDAL Flu"id*al, a.
Defn: 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.
FLUIDITY Flu*id"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluidité.]
Defn: The quality of being fluid or capable of flowing; a liquid, aëriform. or gaseous state; — opposed to solidity. It was this want of organization, this looseness and fluidity of the new movement, that made it penetrate through every class of society. J. R. Green.
FLUIDIZE Flu"id*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fluidized; p. pr. & vb. n. Fluidizing.]
Defn: To render fluid.
FLUIDNESS Flu"id*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being flluid; fluidity.
FLUIDOUNCE Flu"id*ounce`, n.
Defn: See Fluid ounce, under Fluid.
FLUIDRACHM Flu"i*drachm`, n.
Defn: See Fluid dram, under Fluid. Pharm. of the U. S.
FLUKAN Flu"kan, n. (Mining)
Defn: Flucan.
FLUKE Fluke, n. Etym: [Cf. LG. flunk, flunka wing, the palm of an anchor; perh. akin to E. fly.]
1. The part of an anchor which fastens in the ground; a flook. See Anchor.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: 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.
FLUKEWORM Fluke"worm`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as 1st Fluke, 2.
FLUKY Fluk"y, a.
Defn: Formed like, or having, a fluke.
FLUME Flume, n. Etym: [Cf. OE. flum river, OF, flum, fr. L. flumen, fr. fluere to flow. *84. See Fluent.]
Defn: 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.
FLUMINOUS Flu"mi*nous, a. Etym: [L. flumen, fluminis, river.]
Defn: Pertaining to rivers; abounding in streama.
FLUMMERY Flum"mer*y, n. Etym: [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 Flung,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Fling.
FLUNK Flunk, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flunked; p. pr. & vb. n. Flunking.] Etym: [Cf. Funk.]
Defn: To fail, as on a lesson; to back out, as from an undertaking, through fear.
FLUNK Flunk, v. t.
Defn: To fail in; to shirk, as a task or duty. [Colloq. U.S.]
FLUNK Flunk, n.
Defn: A failure or backing out; specifically (College cant),
Defn: a total failure in a recitation. [U.S.]
FLUNKY Flun"ky, n.; pl. Flunkies. Etym: [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.]
FLUNKYDOM Flun"ky*dom, n.
Defn: The place or region of flunkies. C. Kingsley.
FLUNLYISM Flun"ly*ism, n.
Defn: The quality or characteristics of a flunky; readiness to cringe to those who are superior in wealth or position; toadyism. Thackeray.
FLUO- Flu"o- (. (Chem.)
Defn: A combining form indicating fluorine as an ingredient; as in fluosilicate, fluobenzene.
FLUOBORATE Flu`o*bo"rate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluoborate.] (Chem.)
Defn: A salt of fluoboric acid; a fluoboride.
FLUOBORIC Flu`o*bo"ric, a. Etym: [Fluo- boric: cf. F. fluoborique.] (Chem.)
Defn: 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.
FLUOBORIDE Flu`o*bo"ride, n. (Chem.)
Defn: See Borofluoride.
FLUOCERINE; FLUOCERITE Flu`o*ce"rine, Flu`o*ce"rite, n. Etym: [Fluo- + cerium.] (Min.)
Defn: A fluoride of cerium, occuring near Fahlun in Sweden. Tynosite, from Colorado, is probably the same mineral.
FLUOHYDRIC Flu`o*hy"dric, a. Etym: [Fluo- + hydrogen.] (Chem.)
Defn: See Hydrofluoric.
FLUOPHOSPHATE Flu`o*phos"phate, n. Etym: [Fluo- + phosphate.] (Chem.)
Defn: A double salt of fluoric and phosphoric acids.
FLUOR Flu"or, n. Etym: [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.)
Defn: See Fluorite.
FLUOR ALBUS Flu"or albus. Etym: [L., white flow.] (Med.)
Defn: The whites; leucorrhæa.
FLUORANTHENE Flu`or*an"thene, n. Etym: [Fluorene + anthra (Chem.)
Defn: A white crystalline hydrocarbon C
FLUORATED Flu"or*a`ted, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Combined with fluorine; subjected to the action of fluoride. [R.]
FLUORENE Flu`or*ene, n. (Chem.)
Defn: 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.
FLUORESCEIN Flu`o*res"ce*in, n. (Chem.)
Defn: 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.
FLUORESCENCE Flu`o*res"cence, n. Etym: [From Fluor.] (Opt.)
Defn: 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.
FLUORESCENT Flu`o*res"cent, a.
Defn: Having the property of fluorescence.
FLUORESCIN Flu`o*res"cin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A colorless, amorphous substance which is produced by the reduction of fluoresceïn, and from which the latter may be formed by oxidation.
FLUORIC Flu*or"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. fluorique.] (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, obtained from, or containing, fluorine.
FLUORIDE Flu"or*ide ( or ; 104), n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluoride.] (Chem.)
Defn: A binary compound of fluorine with another element or radical. Calcium fluoride (Min.), fluorite, CaF2. See Fluorite.
FLUORINE Flu"or*ine ( or ; 104), n. Etym: [NL. fluorina: cf. G. fluorin, F. fluorine. So called from its occurrence in the mineral fluorite.] (Chem.)
Defn: 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.
Note: 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.
FLUORITE Flu"or*ite, n. (Min.)
Defn: 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.
FLUOROID Flu"or*oid, n. Etym: [Fluor + -oid.] (Crystallog.)
Defn: A tetrahexahedron; — so called because it is a common form of fluorite.
FLUOROSCOPE Flu*or"o*scope, n. Etym: [Fluorescence + -scope.] (Phys.)
Defn: An instrument for observing or exhibiting fluorescence.
FLUOROSCOPY Flu`or*os"co*py, n.
Defn: Examination of an object, as the human body, by exposing it to the X rays and observing the shadow cast upon a fluorescent screen; cryptoscopy.
FLUOROUS Flu"or*ous, a.
Defn: Pertaining to fluor.
FLUOR SPAR Flu"or spar`. (Min.)
Defn: See Fluorite.
FLUOSILICATE Flu`o*sil"i*cate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluosilicate.] (Chem.)
Defn: A double fluoride of silicon and some other (usually basic) element or radical, regarded as a salt of fluosilicic acid; — called also silicofluoride.
FLUOSILICIC Flu`o*si*lic"ic, a. Etym: [Fluo- + silicic: cf. F. fluosilicique.] (Chem.)
Defn: 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.
FLURRIED Flur"ried, a.
Defn: Agitated; excited. — Flur"ried*ly adv.
FLURRY Flur"ry, n.; pl. Flurries. Etym: [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.
FLURRY Flur"ry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flurried; p. pr. & vb. n. Flurrying.]
Defn: To put in a state of agitation; to excite or alarm. H. Swinburne.
FLURT Flurt, n.
Defn: A flirt. [Obs.] Quarles.
FLUSH Flush, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flushed; p. pr. & vb. n. Flushing.] Etym: [Cf. OE. fluschen to fly up, penetrate, F. fluz a flowing, E. flux, dial. Sw. flossa to blaze, and E. flash; perh. influenced by blush. *84.]
1. To flow and spread suddenly; to rush; as, blood flushes into the face. The flushing noise of many waters. Boyle. It flushes violently out of the cock. Mortimer.
2. To become suddenly suffused, as the cheeks; to turn red; to blush.
3. To snow red; to shine suddenly; to glow. In her cheek, distemper flushing glowed. Milton.
4. To star Flushing from one spray unto another. W. Browne.
FLUSH 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 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. Etym: [From F. or Sp. flux. Cf. Flux.]
Defn: A hand of cards of the same suit.
FLUSH 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.)
Defn: 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)
Defn: 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 Flush, adv.
Defn: So as to be level or even.
FLUSHBOARD Flush"board`, n.
Defn: Same as Flashboard.
FLUSHER Flush"er, n.
1. A workman employed in cleaning sewers by flushing them with water.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The red-backed shrike. See Flasher.
FLUSHING Flush"ing, n.
1. A heavy, coarse cloth manufactured from shoddy; — commonly in the [Eng.]
2. (Weaving)
Defn: A surface formed of floating threads.
FLUSHINGLY Flush"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a flushing manner.
FLUSHNESS Flush"ness, n.
Defn: The state of being flush; abundance.
FLUSTER Flus"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flustered; p. pr. & vb. n. Flustering.] Etym: [Cf. Icel. flaustra to be flustered, flaustr a fluster.]
Defn: 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.
FLUSTER Flus"ter, v. i.
Defn: To be in a heat or bustle; to be agitated and confused. The flstering, vainglorious Greeks. South.
FLUSTER Flus"ter, n.
Defn: Heat or glow, as from drinking; agitation mingled with confusion; disorder.
FLUSTERATION Flus`ter*a"tion, n.
Defn: The act of flustering, or the state of being flustered; fluster. [Colloq.]
FLUSTRATE Flus"trate, v. t. Etym: [See Fluster, v. t.]
Defn: To fluster. [Colloq.] Spectator.
FLUSTRATION Flus*tra"tion, n.
Defn: The act of flustrating; confusion; flurry. [Colloq.] Richardson.
FLUTE Flute, n. Etym: [OE. floute, floite, fr. OF. flaüte, 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.)
Defn: 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 Flute, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fl a transport, D. fluit.]
Defn: A kindof flyboat; a storeship. Armed en flûte ( (Nav.), partially armed.
FLUTE Flute, v. i. Etym: [OE. flouten, floiten, OF. flaüter, fleüter, flouster, F. flûter, cf. D. fluiten; ascribed to an assumed LL. flautare, flatuare, fr. L. flatus a blowing, fr. flare to blow. Cf. Flout, Flageolet, Flatulent.]
Defn: To play on, or as on, a flute; to make a flutelike sound.
FLUTE 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.
FLUTE A BEC Flûte` à bec". Etym: [F.] (Mus.)
Defn: A beak flute, an older form of the flute, played with a mouthpiece resembling a beak, and held like a flageolet.
FLUTED 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.
FLUTEMOUTH Flute"mouth`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish of the genus Aulostoma, having a much elongated tubular snout.
FLUTER Flut"er, n.
1. One who plays on the flute; a flutist or flautist.
2. One who makes grooves or flutings.
FLUTING Flut"ing, n.
Defn: 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.
FLUTIST Flut"ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. flûtiste.]
Defn: A performer on the flute; a flautist. Busby.
2. To move with quick vibrations or undulations; as, a sail flutters in the wind; a fluttering fan.
3. To move about briskly, irregularly, or with great bustle and show, without much result. No rag, no scrap, of all the beau, or wit, That once so fluttered, and that once so writ. Pope.
4. To be in agitation; to move irregularly; to flucttuate; to be uncertainty. Long we fluttered on the wings of doubtful success. Howell. His thoughts are very fluttering and wandering. I. Watts.
FLUTTER 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.
FLUTTER 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.
FLUTTERER Flut"ter*er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, flutters.
FLUTTERINGLY Flut"ter*ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a fluttering manner.
FLUTY Flut"y, a.
Defn: Soft and clear in tone, like a flute.
FLUVIAL Flu"vi*al, a. Etym: [L. fluvialis, from fluvius river, fr. fluere to flow: cf.F. fluvial. See Fluent.]
Defn: Belonging to rivers; growing or living in streams or ponds; as, a fluvial plant.
FLUVIALIST Flu"vi*al*ist, n.
Defn: One who exlpains geological phenomena by the action of streams. [R.]
FLUVIATIC Flu`vi*at"ic, a. Etym: [L. fluviaticus. See Fluvial.]
Defn: Belonging to rivers or streams; fluviatile. Johnson.
FLUVIATILE Flu"vi*a*tile, a. Etym: [L. fluviatilis, fr. fluvius river: cf. F. fluviatile.]
Defn: Belonging to rivers or streams; existing in or about rivers; produced by river action; fluvial; as, fluviatile starta, plants. Lyell.
FLUVIOGRAPH Flu"vi*o*graph, n. [L. fluvius river + -graph.]
Defn: An instrument for measuring and recording automatically the rise and fall of a river.
FLUVIO-MARINE Flu`vi*o-ma*rine", a. Etym: [L. fluvius river + E. marine.] (Geol.)
Defn: Formed by the joint action of a river and the sea, as deposits at the mouths of rivers.
FLUVIOMETER Flu`vi*om"e*ter, n. [L. fluvius river + -meter.]
Defn: An instrument for measuring the height of water in a river; a river gauge.
FLUX Flux, n. Etym: [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.)
Defn: Any substance or mixture used to promote the fusion of metals or minerals, as alkalies, borax, lime, fluorite.
Note: 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)
Defn: The quantity of a fluid that crosses a unit area of a given surface in a unit of time.
FLUX Flux, a. Etym: [L. fluxus, p. p. of fluere. See Flux, n.]
Defn: Flowing; unstable; inconstant; variable. The flux nature of all things here. Barrow.
FLUX 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.)
Defn: To cause a discharge from; to purge.
FLUXATION Flux*a"tion, n.
Defn: The act of fluxing.
FLUXIBILITY Flux`i*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. LL. fluxibilitas fluidity.]
Defn: The quality of being fluxible. Hammond.
FLUXIBLE Flux"i*ble, a. Etym: [Cf.LL. fluxibilis fluid, OF. fluxible.]
Defn: Capable of being melted or fused, as a mineral. Holland. — Flux"i*ble*ness, n.
FLUXILE Flux"ile, a. Etym: [L. fluxilis, a., fluid.]
Defn: Fluxible. [R.]
FLUXILITY Flux*il"i*ty, n.
Defn: State of being fluxible.[Obs.]
FLUXION Flux"ion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluxion.]
Defn: The act of flowing. Cotgrave.
2. The matter that flows. Wiseman.
3. Fusion; the running of metals into a fluid state.
4. (Med.)
Defn: 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.
Defn: A method of analysis developed by Newton, and based on the conception of all magnitudes as generated by motion, and involving in their changes the notion of velocity or rate of change. Its results are the same as those of the differential and integral calculus, from which it differs little except in notation and logical method.
FLUXIONAL Flux"ion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or having the nature of, fluxion or fluxions; variable; inconstant. The merely human,the temporary and fluxional. Coleridge. Fluxional structure (Geol.), fluidal structure.
FLUXIONARY Flux"ion*a*ry, a.
1. Fluxional. Berkeley.
2. (Med.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or caused by, an increased flow of blood to a part; congestive; as, a fluxionary hemorrhage.
FLUXIONIST Flux"ion*ist, n.
Defn: One skilled in fluxions. Berkeley.
FLUXIONS Flux"ions, n. pl. (Math.)
Defn: See Fluxion, 6(b).
FLUXIVE Flux"ive, a.
Defn: Flowing; also, wanting solidity. B. Jonson.
FLUXURE Flux"ure (; 138), n. Etym: [L. fluxura a flowing.]
1. The quality of being fluid. [Obs.] Fielding.
2. Fluid matter. [Obs.] Drayton.
FLY Fly, v. i. [imp. Flew; p. p. Flown; p. pr. & vb. n. Flying.] Etym: [OE. fleen, fleen, fleyen, flegen, AS. fleógan; akin to D. vliegen, ONG. fliogan, G. fliegen, Icel. flj, Sw. flyga, Dan. flyve, Goth. us- flaugjan to cause to fly away, blow about, and perh. to L. pluma feather, E. plume. Fledge, Flight, Flock of animals.]
1. To move in or pass thorugh the air with wings, as a bird.
2. To move through the air or before the wind; esp., to pass or be driven rapidly through the air by any impulse.
3. To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag. Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job v. 7.
4. To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away; to circulate rapidly; as, a ship flies on the deep; a top flies around; rumor flies. Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race. Milton. The dark waves murmured as the ships flew on. Bryant.
5. To run from danger; to attempt to escape; to flee; as, an enemy or a coward flies. See Note under Flee. Fly, ere evil intercept thy flight. Milton. Whither shall I fly to escape their hands Shak.
6. To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly; — usually with a qualifying word; as, a door flies open; a bomb flies apart. To fly about (Naut.), to change frequently in a short time; — said of the wind. — To fly around, to move about in haste. [Colloq.] — To fly at, to spring toward; to rush on; to attack suddenly. — To fly in the face of, to insult; to assail; to set at defiance; to oppose with violence; to act in direct opposition to; to resist. — To fly off, to separate, or become detached suddenly; to revolt. — To fly on, to attack. — To fly open, to open suddenly, or with violence. — To fly out. (a) To rush out. (b) To burst into a passion; to break out into license. — To let fly. (a) To throw or drive with violence; to discharge. "A man lets fly his arrow without taking any aim." Addison. (b) (Naut.) To let go suddenly and entirely; as, to let fly the sheets.
FLY Fly, v. t.
1. To cause to fly or to float in the air, as a bird, a kite, a flag, etc. The brave black flag I fly. W. S. Gilbert.
2. To fly or flee from; to shun; to avoid. Sleep flies the wretch. Dryden. To fly the favors of so good a king. Shak.
3. To hunt with a hawk. [Obs.] Bacon. To fly a kite (Com.), to raise money on commercial notes. [Cant or Slang]
FLY Fly, n.; pl. Flies. Etym: [OE. flie, flege, AS. flge, fleóge, fr. fleógan to fly; akin to D. vlieg, OHG. flioga, G. fliege, Icel. & Sw. fluga, Dan. flue. Fly, v. i.]
1. (Zoöl.) (a) Any winged insect; esp., one with transparent wings; as, the Spanish fly; firefly; gall fly; dragon fly. (b) Any dipterous insect; as, the house fly; flesh fly; black fly. See Diptera, and Illust. in Append.
2. A hook dressed in imitation of a fly, — used for fishing. "The fur-wrought fly." Gay.
3. A familiar spirit; a witch's attendant. [Obs.] A trifling fly, none of your great familiars. B. Jonson.
4. A parasite. [Obs.] Massinger.
5. A kind of light carriage for rapid transit, plying for hire and usually drawn by one horse. [Eng.]
6. The length of an extended flag from its staff; sometimes, the length from the "union" to the extreme end.
7. The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.
8. (Naut.)
Defn: That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card. Totten.
9. (Mech.) (a) Two or more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the air, as in the striking part of a clock. (b) A heavy wheel, or cross arms with weights at the ends on a revolving axis, to regulate or equalize the motion of machinery by means of its inertia, where the power communicated, or the resistance to be overcome, is variable, as in the steam engine or the coining press. See Fly wheel (below).
10. (Knitting Machine)
Defn: The piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch. Knight.
11. The pair of arms revolving around the bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the yarn.
12. (Weaving)
Defn: A shuttle driven through the shed by a blow or jerk. Knight.
13. (a) Formerly, the person who took the printed sheets from the press. (b) A vibrating frame with fingers, attached to a power to a power printing press for doing the same work.
14. The outer canvas of a tent with double top, usually drawn over the ridgepole, but so extended as to touch the roof of the tent at no other place.
15. One of the upper screens of a stage in a theater.
16. The fore flap of a bootee; also, a lap on trousers, overcoats, etc., to conceal a row of buttons.
17. (Baseball)
Defn: A batted ball that flies to a considerable distance, usually high in the air; also, the flight of a ball so struck; as, it was caught on the fly. Black fly, Cheese fly, Dragon fly, etc. See under Black, Cheese, etc. — Fly agaric (Bot.), a mushroom (Agaricus muscarius), having a narcotic juice which, in sufficient quantities, is poisonous. — Fly block (Naut.), a pulley whose position shifts to suit the working of the tackle with which it is connected; — used in the hoisting tackle of yards. — Fly board (Printing Press), the board on which printed sheets are deposited by the fly. — Fly book, a case in the form of a book for anglers' flies. Kingsley. — Fly cap, a cap with wings, formerly worn by women. — Fly drill, a drill having a reciprocating motion controlled by a fly wheel, the driving power being applied by the hand through a cord winding in reverse directions upon the spindle as it rotates backward and forward. Knight. — Fly fishing, the act or art of angling with a bait of natural or artificial flies. Walton. — Fly flap, an implement for killing flies. — Fly governor, a governor for regulating the speed of an engine, etc., by the resistance of vanes revolving in the air. — Fly honeysuckle (Bot.), a plant of the honeysuckle genus (Lonicera), having a bushy stem and the flowers in pairs, as L. ciliata and L. Xylosteum. — Fly hook, a fishhook supplied with an artificial fly. — Fly leaf, an unprinted leaf at the beginning or end of a book, circular, programme, etc. — Fly maggot, a maggot bred from the egg of a fly. Ray. — Fly net, a screen to exclude insects. — Fly nut (Mach.), a nut with wings; a thumb nut; a finger nut. — Fly orchis (Bot.), a plant (Ophrys muscifera), whose flowers resemble flies. — Fly paper, poisoned or sticky paper for killing flies that feed upon or are entangled by it. — Fly powder, an arsenical powder used to poison flies. — Fly press, a screw press for punching, embossing, etc., operated by hand and having a heavy fly. — Fly rail, a bracket which turns out to support the hinged leaf of a table. — Fly rod, a light fishing rod used in angling with a fly. — Fly sheet, a small loose advertising sheet; a handbill. — Fly snapper (Zoöl.), an American bird (Phainopepla nitens), allied to the chatterers and shrikes. The male is glossy blue-black; the female brownish gray. — Fly wheel (Mach.), a heavy wheel attached to machinery to equalize the movement (opposing any sudden acceleration by its inertia and any retardation by its momentum), and to accumulate or give out energy for a variable or intermitting resistance. See Fly, n., 9. — On the fly (Baseball), still in the air; — said of a batted ball caught before touching the ground..
FLY Fly, a.
Defn: Knowing; wide awake; fully understanding another's meaning. [Slang] Dickens.
FLY AMANITA; FLY FUNGUS Fly amanita, Fly fungus. (Bot.)
Defn: A poisonous mushroom (Amanita muscaria, syn. Agaricus muscarius), having usually a bright red or yellowish cap covered with irregular white spots. It has a distinct volva at the base, generally an upper ring on the stalk, and white spores. Called also fly agaric, deadly amanita.
FLYAWAY Fly"a*way`, a.
Defn: Disposed to fly away; flighty; unrestrained; light and free; — used of both persons and things. — n.
Defn: A flyaway person or thing. "Truth is such a flyaway." Emerson.
FLYAWAY flyaway adj.
1. frivolous; — of people. serious Syn. — flighty. [WordNet 1.5]
2. Tending to move away from a center, rather than remain in a compact group; — used of hair or clothing or of small particles of matter. Light objects or particles readily taking a static electric charge may be moved apart by acquisition of a charge, or by approach of a charged object. Such a property is called flyaway. Syn. — fluttering. [WordNet 1.5]
FLYAWAY GRASS Flyaway grass. (Bot.)
Defn: The hair grass (Agrostis scabra). So called from its light panicle, which is blown to great distances by the wind.
FLYBANE Fly"bane`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A kind of catchfly of the genus Silene; also, a poisonous mushroom (Agaricus muscarius); fly agaric.
FLY-BITTEN Fly"-bit`ten, a.
Defn: Marked by, or as if by, the bite of flies. Shak.
FLYBLOW Fly"blow`, v. t.
Defn: To deposit eggs upon, as a flesh fly does on meat; to cause to be maggoty; hence, to taint or contaminate, as if with flyblows. Bp. Srillingfleet.
FLYBLOW Fly"blow`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the eggs or young larvæ deposited by a flesh fly, or blowfly.
FLYBLOWN Fly"blown`, a.
Defn: Tainted or contaminated with flyblows; damaged; foul. Wherever flyblown reputations were assembled. Thackeray.
FLYBOAT Fly"boat`, n. Etym: [Fly + boat: cf. D. vlieboot.]
1. (Naut.)
Defn: A large Dutch coasting vessel. Captain George Weymouth made a voyage of discovery to the northwest with two flyboats. Purchas.
2. A kind of passenger boat formerly used on canals.
FLY-CASE Fly"-case`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The covering of an insect, esp. the elytra of beetles.
FLYCATCHER Fly"catch`er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of numerous species of birds that feed upon insects, which they take on the wing.
Note: The true flycatchers of the Old World are Oscines, and belong to the family Muscicapidæ, as the spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola). The American flycatchers, or tyrant flycatchers, are Clamatores, and belong to the family Tyrannidæ, as the kingbird, pewee, crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus), and the vermilion flycatcher or churinche (Pyrocephalus rubineus). Certain American flycatching warblers of the family Sylvicolidæ are also called flycatchers, as the Canadian flycatcher (Sylvania Canadensis), and the hooded flycatcher (S. mitrata). See Tyrant flycatcher.
FLY-CATCHING Fly"-catch`ing, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having the habit of catching insects on the wing.
FLYER Fly"er, n. Etym: [See Flier.]
1. One that uses wings.
2. The fly of a flag: See Fly, n., 6.
3. Anything that is scattered abroad in great numbers as a theatrical programme, an advertising leaf, etc.
4. (Arch.)
Defn: One in a flight of steps which are parallel to each other(as in ordinary stairs), as distinguished from a winder.
5. The pair of arms attached to the spindle of a spinning frame, over which the thread passes to the bobbin; — so called from their swift revolution. See Fly, n., 11.
6. The fan wheel that rotates the cap of a windmill as the wind veers. Internat. Cyc.
7. (Stock Jobbing)
Defn: A small operation not involving considerable part of one's capital, or not in the line of one's ordinary business; a venture. [Cant] Bartlett.
FLYFISH Fly"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A California scorpænoid fish (Sebastichthys rhodochloris), having brilliant colors.
FLY-FISH Fly"-fish, v. i.
Defn: To angle, using flies for bait. Walton.
FLYING Fly"ing, a. Etym: [From Fly, v. i.]
Defn: Moving in the air with, or as with, wings; moving lightly or rapidly; intended for rapid movement.
Flying army (Mil.) a body of cavalry and infantry, kept in motion, to cover its own garrisons and to keep the enemy in continual alarm. Farrow. —Flying artillery (Mil.), artillery trained to rapid evolutions, — the men being either mounted or trained to spring upon the guns and caissons when they change position. — Flying bridge, Flying camp. See under Bridge, and Camp. — Flying buttress (Arch.), a contrivance for taking up the thrust of a roof or vault which can not be supported by ordinary buttresses. It consists of a straight bar of masonry, usually sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid pier or buttress sufficient to receive the thrust. The word is generally applied only to the straight bar with supporting arch. — Flying colors, flags unfurled and waving in the air; hence: To come off with flying colors, to be victorious; to succeed thoroughly in an undertaking. — Flying doe (Zoöl.), a young female kangaroo. — Flying dragon. (a) (Zoöl.) See Dragon, 6. (b) A meteor. See under Dragon. — Flying Dutchman. (a) A fabled Dutch mariner condemned for his crimes to sail the seas till the day of judgment. (b) A spectral ship. — Flying fish. (Zoöl.) See Flying fish, in the Vocabulary. — Flying fox (Zoöl.), the colugo. — Flying frog (Zoöl.), an East Indian tree frog of the genus Rhacophorus, having very large and broadly webbed feet, which serve as parachutes, and enable it to make very long leaps. — Flying gurnard (Zoöl.), a species of gurnard of the genus Cephalacanthus or Dactylopterus, with very large pectoral fins, said to be able to fly like the flying fish, but not for so great a distance.
Note: Three species are known; that of the Atlantic is Cephalacanthus volitans. — Flying jib (Naut.), a sail extended outside of the standing jib, on the flying-jib boom. — Flying-jib boom (Naut.), an extension of the jib boom. — Flying kites (Naut.), light sails carried only in fine weather. — Flying lemur. (Zoöl.) See Colugo. — Flying level (Civil Engin.), a reconnoissance level over the course of a projected road, canal, etc. — Flying lizard. (Zoöl.) See Dragon, n, 6. — Flying machine, an apparatus for navigating the air; a form of balloon. — Flying mouse (Zoöl.), the opossum mouse (Acrobates pygmæus), of Australia.
Note: It has lateral folds of skin, like the flying squirrels. — Flying party (Mil.), a body of soldiers detailed to hover about an enemy. — Flying phalanger (Zoöl.), one of several species of small marsuupials of the genera Petaurus and Belideus, of Australia and New Guinea, having lateral folds like those of the flying squirrels. The sugar squirrel (B. sciureus), and the ariel (B. ariel), are the best known; — called also squirrel petaurus and flying squirrel. See Sugar squirrel. — Flying pinion, the fly of a clock. — Flying sap (Mil.), the rapid construction of trenches (when the enemy's fire of case shot precludes the method of simple trenching), by means of gabions placed in juxtaposition and filled with earth. — Flying shot, a shot fired at a moving object, as a bird on the wing. — Flying spider. (Zoöl.) See Ballooning spider. — Flying squid (Zoöl.), an oceanic squid (Ommastrephes, or Sthenoteuthis, Bartramii), abundant in the Gulf Stream, which is able to leap out of the water with such force that it often falls on the deck of a vessel. — Flying squirrel (Zoöl.) See Flying squirrel, in the Vocabulary. — Flying start, a start in a sailing race in which the signal is given while the vessels are under way. — Flying torch (Mil.), a torch attached to a long staff and used for signaling at night.
FLYING BOAT Flying boat.
Defn: A compact form of hydro-aëroplane having one central body, or hull.
FLYING FISH Fly"ing fish`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish which is able to leap from the water, and fly a considerable distance by means of its large and long pectoral fins. These fishes belong to several species of the genus Exocoetus, and are found in the warmer parts of all the oceans.
FLYING SQUIRREL Fly"ing squir"rel ( or ). (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of a group of squirrels, of the genera Pteromus and Sciuropterus, having parachute-like folds of skin extending from the fore to the hind legs, which enable them to make very long leaps.
Note: The species of Pteromys are large, with bushy tails, and inhabit southern Asia and the East Indies; those of Sciuropterus are smaller, with flat tails, and inhabit the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America. The American species (Sciuropterus volucella) is also called Assapan. The Australian flying squrrels, or flying phalangers, are marsupials. See Flying phalanger (above).
FLYMAN Fly"man, n.; pl. Flymen (-mn).
Defn: The driver of a fly, or light public carriage.
FLYSCH Flysch (flsh), n. Etym: [A Swiss word, fr. G. fliessen to flow, melt.] (Geol.)
Defn: A name given to the series of sandstones and schists overlying the true nummulitic formation in the Alps, and included in the Eocene Tertiary.
FLYSPECK Fly"speck (fl'spk), n.
Defn: A speck or stain made by the excrement of a fly; hence, any insignificant dot.
FLYSPECK Fly"speck, v. t.
Defn: To soil with flyspecks.
FLYTRAP Fly"trap, n.
1
Defn: . A trap for catching flies.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Dionæa muscipula), called also Venus's flytrap, the leaves of which are fringed with stiff bristles, and fold together when certain hairs on their upper surface are touched, thus seizing insects that light on them. The insects so caught are afterwards digested by a secretion from the upper surface of the leaves.
FNESE Fnese, v. i. Etym: [AS. fnsan, gefnsan.]
Defn: To breathe heavily; to snort. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FO Fo, n.
Defn: The Chinese name of Buddha.
FOAL Foal, n. Etym: [OE. fole, AS. fola; akin to OHG. folo, G. fohlen, Goth. fula, Icel. foli, Sw Lfle, Gr., L. pullus a young animal. Cf. Filly, Poultry, Pullet.] (Zoö.)
Defn: The young of any animal of the Horse family (Equidæ); a colt; a filly. Foal teeth (Zoöl.), the first set of teeth of a horse. — In foal, With foal, being with young; pregnant; — said of a mare or she ass.
FOAL Foal, v.t. [imp.& p.p. Foaled; p. pr. & vb. n. Foaling.]
Defn: To bring forth (a colt); — said of a mare or a she ass.
FOAL Foal, v.i.
Defn: To bring forth young, as an animal of the horse kind.
FOALFOOT Foal"foot`, n.
Defn: (Bot.) See Coltsfoot.
FOAM Foam, n. Etym: [OE. fam, fom, AS. fm; akin to OHG. & G. feim.]
Defn: The white substance, consisting of an aggregation of bubbles, which is formed on the surface of liquids,or in the mouth of an animal, by violent agitation or fermentation; froth; spume; scum; as, the foam of the sea. Foam cock, in steam boilers, a cock at the water level, to blow off impurities.
FOAM Foam, v.i. [imp.& p.p. Foamed; p. pr. & vb. n. Foaming.] Etym: [AS. fman. See Foam, n.]
1. To gather foam; to froth; as, the billows foam. He foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth. Mark ix. 18.
2. To form foam, or become filled with foam; — said of a steam boiler when the water is unduly agitated and frothy, as because of chemical action.
FOAM Foam, v.t.
Defn: To cause to foam; as,to foam the goblet; also (with out), to throw out with rage or violence, as foam. "Foaming out their own shame." Jude 13.
FOAMINGLY Foam"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: With foam; frothily.
FOAMLESS Foam"less, a.
Defn: Having no foam.
FOAMY Foam"y, a.
Defn: Covered with foam; frothy; spumy. Behold how high the foamy billows ride! Dryden.
FOB Fob, n. Etym: [Cf.Prov. G. fuppe pocket.]
Defn: A little pocket for a watch. Fob chain, a short watch chain worn a watch carried in the fob.
FOB Fob, v.t. [imp. & p. p. Fobbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Fobbing.] Etym: [Cf.Fop.]
1. To beat; to maul. [Obs.]
2. To cheat; to trick; to impose on. Shak. To fob off, to shift off by an artifice; to put aside; to delude with a trick."A conspiracy of bishops could prostrate and fob off the right of the people." Milton.
FOCAL Fo"cal, a. Etym: [Cf.F. focal. See Focus.]
Defn: Belonging to,or concerning, a focus; as, a focal point. Focal distance, or length,of a lens or mirror (Opt.), the distance of the focus from the surface of the lens or mirror, or more exactly, in the case of a lens, from its optical center. —Focal distance of a telescope, the distance of the image of an object from the object glass.
FOCALIZATION Fo`cal*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act of focalizing or bringing to a focus, or the state of being focalized.
FOCALIZE Fo"cal*ize, v. t. [imp.& p. p. Focalized; p. pr. & vb. n. Focalizing.]
Defn: To bring to a focus; to focus; to concentrate. Light is focalized in the eye, sound in the ear. De Quincey.
FOCILLATE Foc"il*late, v. t. Etym: [L. focilatus,p.p. of focillare.]
Defn: To nourish. [Obs.] Blount.
FOCILLATION Foc`il*la"tion, n.
Defn: Comfort; support. [Obs.]
FOCIMETER Fo*cim"e*ter, n. Etym: [Focus + -meter.]
Defn: (Photog.) An assisting instrument for focusing an object in or before a camera. Knight.
FOCUS Fo"cus, n.; pl. E. Focuses, L. Foci. Etym: [L. focus hearth, fireplace; perh. akin to E. bake. Cf. Curfew, Fuel, Fusil the firearm.]
1. (Opt.)
Defn: A point in which the rays of light meet, after being reflected or refrcted, and at which the image is formed; as, the focus of a lens or mirror.
2. (Geom.)
Defn: A point so related to a conic section and certain straight line called the directrix that the ratio of the distace between any point of the curve and the focus to the distance of the same point from the directrix is constant.
Note: Thus, in the ellipse FGHKLM, A is the focus and CD the directrix, when the ratios FA:FE, GA:GD, MA:MC, etc., are all equal. So in the hyperbola, A is the focus and CD the directrix when the ratio HA:HK is constant for all points of the curve; and in the parabola, A is the focus and CD the directrix when the ratio BA:BC is constant. In the ellipse this ratio is less than unity, in the parabola equal to unity, and in the hyperbola greater than unity. The ellipse and hyperbola have each two foci, and two corresponding directrixes, and the parabola has one focus and one directrix. In the ellipse the sum of the two lines from any point of the curve to the two foci is constant; that is: AG+GB=AH+HB; and in the hyperbola the difference of the corresponding lines is constant. The diameter which passes through the foci of the ellipse is the major axis. The diameter which being produced passes through the foci of the hyperbola is the transverse axis. The middle point of the major or the transverse axis is the center of the curve. Certain other curves, as the lemniscate and the Cartesian ovals, have points called foci, possessing properties similar to those of the foci of conic sections. In an ellipse, rays of light coming from one focus, and reflected from the curve, proceed in lines directed toward the other; in an hyperbola, in lines directed from the other; in a parabola, rays from the focus, after reflection at the curve, proceed in lines parallel to the axis. Thus rays from A in the ellipse are reflected to B; rays from A in the hyperbola are reflected toward L and M away from B.
3. A central point; a point of concentration. Aplanatic focus. (Opt.) See under Aplanatic. — Conjugate focus (Opt.), the focus for rays which have a sensible divergence, as from a near object; — so called because the positions of the object and its image are interchangeable. — Focus tube (Phys.), a vacuum tube for Roentgen rays in which the cathode rays are focused upon the anticathode, for intensifying the effect. — Principal, or Solar, focus (Opt.), the focus for parallel rays.
FOCUS Fo"cus, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Focused; p. pr. & vb. n. Focusing.]
Defn: To bring to a focus; to focalize; as, to focus a camera. R. Hunt.
FODDER Fod"der, n. Etym: [See 1st Fother.]
Defn: A weight by which lead and some other metals were formerly sold, in England, varying from 19 [Obs.]
FODDER Fod"der, n. Etym: [AS. fdder, fddor, fodder (also sheath case), fr. fda food; akin to D. voeder, OHG. fuotar, G. futter, Icel. fr, Sw. & Dan. foder. sq. root75. See Food Land cf. Forage, Fur.]
Defn: That which is fed out to cattle horses, and sheep, as hay, cornstalks, vegetables, etc.
FODDER Fod"der, v.t. [imp.& p.p. Foddered (-drd); p. pr. & vb. n. Foddering.]
Defn: To feed, as cattle, with dry food or cut grass, etc.;to furnish with hay, straw, oats, etc.
FODDERER Fod"der*er, n.
Defn: One who fodders cattle.
FODIENT Fo"di*ent, a. Etym: [L. fodiens, p. pr. of fodere to dig.]
Defn: Fitted for, or pertaining to, digging.
FODIENT Fo"di*ent, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Fodientia.
FODIENTIA Fo`di*en"ti*a, n.pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. fodiens p. pr., digging.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of African edentates including the aard-vark.
FOE Foe, n. Etym: [OE. fo, fa, AS. fh hostile; prob. akin to E. fiend. sq. root81.]
Defn: See Fiend, and cf. Feud a quarrel.
1. One who entertains personal enmity, hatred, grudge, or malice, against another; an enemy. A man's foes shall be they of his own household. Matt. x. 36
2. An enemy in war; a hostile army.
3. One who opposes on principle; an opponent; an adversary; an ill- wisher; as, a foe to religion. A foe to received doctrines. I. Watts
FOE Foe, v. t.
Defn: To treat as an enemy. [Obs.] Spenser.
FOEHN Foehn, n. [G. dial. (Swiss), fr. L. Favonius west wind. Cf. Favonian.] (Meteor.) (a) A warm dry wind that often blows in the northern valleys of the Alps, due to the indraught of a storm center passing over Central Europe. The wind, heated by compression in its descent from the mountains, reaches the base, particularly in winter, dry and warm. (b) Any similar wind, as the chinook, in other parts of the world.
FOEHOOD Foe"hood, n.
Defn: Enmity. Br. Bedell.
FOEMAN Foe"man, n.; pl. Foemen (-men). Etym: [AS. fhman.]
Defn: An enemy in war. And the stern joy which warriors feel In foemen worthy of their steel. Sir W. Scott
FOETAL Foe"tal, a.
Defn: Same as Fetal.
FOETATION Foe*ta"tion, n.
Defn: Same as Fetation.
FOETICIDE Foe"ti*cide, n.
Defn: Same as Feticide.
FOETOR Foe"tor, n.
Defn: Same as Fetor.
FOETUS Foe"tus, n.
Defn: Same as Fetus.
FOG Fog, n. Etym: [Cf. Scot. fog, fouge, moss, foggag rank grass, LL. fogagium, W. ffug dry grass.] (Agric.) (a) A second growth of grass; aftergrass. (b) Dead or decaying grass remaining on land through the winter; — called also foggage. [Prov.Eng.] Halliwell.
Note: Sometimes called, in New England, old tore. In Scotland, fog is a general name for moss.
FOG Fog, v. t.
Defn: (Agric.) To pasture cattle on the fog, or aftergrass, of; to eat off the fog from.
FOG Fog, v. i. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]
Defn: To practice in a small or mean way; to pettifog. [Obs.] Where wouldst thou fog to get a fee Dryden.
FOG Fog, n. Etym: [Dan. sneefog snow falling thick, drift of snow, driving snow, cf. Icel. fok spray, snowdrift, fj snowstorm, fjka to drift.]
1. Watery vapor condensed in the lower part of the atmosphere and disturbing its transparency. It differs from cloud only in being near the ground, and from mist in not approaching so nearly to fine rain. See Cloud.
2. A state of mental confusion. Fog alarm, Fog bell, Fog horn, etc., a bell, horn, whistle or other contrivance that sounds an alarm, often automatically, near places of danger where visible signals would be hidden in thick weather. — Fog bank, a mass of fog resting upon the sea, and resembling distant land. — Fog ring, a bank of fog arranged in a circular form, — often seen on the coast of Newfoundland.
FOG Fog, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fogged; p. pr. & vb. n. Fogging.]
Defn: To envelop, as with fog; to befog; to overcast; to darken; to obscure.
FOG Fog, v. i. (Photog.)
Defn: To show indistinctly or become indistinct, as the picture on a negative sometimes does in the process of development.
FOG BELT Fog belt.
Defn: A region of the ocean where fogs are of marked frequency, as near the coast of Newfoundland.
FOGBOW Fog"bow`, n.
Defn: A nebulous arch, or bow, of white or yellowish light sometimes seen in fog, etc.
FOGE Foge, n.
Defn: The Cornish name for a forge used for smelting tin. Raymond
FOGEY Fogey, n.
Defn: See Fogy.
FOGGAGE Foggage (; 48), n. (Agric.)
Defn: See 1st Fog.
FOGGER Fogger, n.
Defn: One who fogs; a pettifogger. [Obs.] A beggarly fogger. Terence in English(1614)
FOGGILY Fog"gi*ly, adv.
Defn: In a foggy manner; obscurely. Johnson.
FOGGINESS Fog"gi*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being foggy. Johnson.
FOGGY Fog"gy, a. [Compar. Foggier; superl. Foggiest.] Etym: [From 4th Fog.]
1. Filled or abounding with fog, or watery exhalations; misty; as, a foggy atmosphere; a foggy morning. Shak.
2. Beclouded; dull; obscure; as, foggy ideas. Your coarse, foggy, drowsy conceit. Hayward.
FOGIE Fo"gie, n.
Defn: See Fogy.
FOGLESS Fog"less, a.
Defn: Without fog; clear. Kane.
FOGY Fo"gy, n.; pl. Fogies (.
Defn: A dull old fellow; a person behind the times, over- conservative, or slow; — usually preceded by old. [Written also fogie and fogey.] [Colloq.] Notorious old bore; regular old fogy. Thackeray.
Note: The word is said to be connected with the German vogt, a guard or protector. By others it is regareded as a diminutive of folk (cf. D. volkje). It is defined by Jamieson, in his Scottish Dictionary, as "an invalid or garrison soldier," and is applied to the old soldiers of the Royal Hospital at Dublin, which is called the Fogies' Hospital. In the fixed habits of such persons we see the origin of the present use of the term. Sir F. Head.
FOGYISM Fo"gy*ism, n.
Defn: The principles and conduct of a fogy. [Colloq.]
FOH Foh, interj. Etym: [Cf. Faugh.]
Defn: An exclamation of abhorrence or contempt; poh; fle. Shak.
FOHIST Fo"hist, n.
Defn: A Buddhist priest. See Fo.
FOIBLE Foi"ble, a. Etym: [OF. foible. See Feeble.]
Defn: Weak; feeble. [Obs.] Lord Herbert.
FOIBLE Foi"ble, n.
1. A moral weakness; a failing; a weak point; a frailty. A disposition radically noble and generous, clouded and overshadowed by superficial foibles. De Quincey.
2. The half of a sword blade or foil blade nearest the point; — opposed to forte. [Written also faible.]
Syn. — Fault; imperfection; failing; weakness; infirmity; frailty; defect. See Fault.
FOIL Foil (foil), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Foiled (foild); p. pr. & vb. n. Foiling.] Etym: [F. fouler to tread or trample under one's feet, to press, oppress. See Full, v. t.]
1. To tread under foot; to trample. King Richard . . . caused the ensigns of Leopold to be pulled down and foiled under foot. Knoless. Whom he did all to pieces breake and foyle, In filthy durt, and left so in the loathely soyle. Spenser.
2. To render (an effort or attempt) vain or nugatory; to baffle; to outwit; to balk; to frustrate; to defeat. And by foiled. Dryden. Her long locks that foil the painter's power. Byron.
3. To blunt; to dull; to spoil; as, to foil the scent in chase. Addison.
FOIL Foil, v. t. Etym: [See 6th File.]
Defn: To defile; to soil. [Obs.]
FOIL Foil, n.
1. Failure of success when on the point of attainment; defeat; frustration; miscarriage. Milton. Nor e'er was fate so near a foil. Dryden.
2. A blunt weapon used in fencing, resembling a smallsword in the main, but usually lighter and having a button at the point. Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not. Shak. socrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a word. Mitford.
3. The track or trail of an animal. To run a foil,to lead astray; to puzzle; — alluding to the habits of some animals of running back over the same track to mislead their pursuers. Brewer.
FOIL Foil, n. Etym: [OE. foil leaf, OF. foil, fuil, fueil, foille, fueille, F. feuille, fr. L. folium, pl. folia; akin to Gr.blade. Cf. Foliage, Folio.]
1. A leaf or very thin sheet of metal; as, brass foil; tin foil; gold foil.
2. (Jewelry)
Defn: A thin leaf of sheet copper silvered and burnished, and afterwards coated with transparent colors mixed with isinglass; — employed by jewelers to give color or brilliancy to pastes and inferior stones. Ure.
3. Anything that serves by contrast of color or quality to adorn or set off another thing to advantage. As she a black silk cap on him began To set, for foil of his milk- white to serve. Sir P. Sidney. Hector has a foil to set him off. Broome.
4. A thin coat of tin, with quicksilver, laid on the back of a looking-glass, to cause reflection.
5. (Arch.)
Defn: The space between the cusps in Gothic architecture; a rounded or leaflike ornament, in windows, niches, etc. A group of foils is called trefoil, quatrefoil, quinquefoil, etc., according to the number of arcs of which it is composed. Foil stone, an imitation of a jewel or precious stone.
FOILABLE Foil"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being foiled.
FOILER Foil"er, n.
Defn: One who foils or frustrates. Johnson.
FOILING Foil"ing, n. (Arch.)
Defn: A foil. Simmonds.
FOILING Foil"ing, n. Etym: [Cf. F. foulées. See 1st Foil.] (Hunting)
Defn: The track of game (as deer) in the grass.
FOIN Foin (foin), n. Etym: [F. fouine a marten.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The beech marten (Mustela foina). See Marten.
2. A kind of fur, black at the top on a whitish ground, taken from the ferret or weasel of the same name.[Obs.] He came to the stake in a fair black gown furred and faced with foins. Fuller.
FOIN Foin, v. i. Etym: [OE. foinen, foignen; of uncertain origin; cf. dial. F. fouiner to push for eels with a spear, fr. F. fouine an eelspear, perh. fr. L. fodere to dig, thrust.]
Defn: To thrust with a sword or spear; to lunge. [Obs.] He stroke, he soused, he foynd, he hewed, he lashed. Spenser. They lash, they foin, they pass, they strive to bore Their corselets, and the thinnest parts explore. Dryden.
FOIN Foin, v. t.
Defn: To prick; to stng. [Obs.] Huloet.
FOIN Foin, n.
Defn: A pass in fencing; a lunge. [Obs.] Shak.
FOINERY Foin"er*y, n.
Defn: Thrusting with the foil; fencing with the point, as distinguished from broadsword play. [Obs.] Marston.
FOININGLY Foin"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: With a push or thrust. [Obs.]
FOISON Foi"son, n. Etym: [F. foison, fr. L. fusio a pouring, effusion. See Fusion.]
Defn: Rich harvest; plenty; abundance. [Archaic] Lowell. That from the seedness the bare fallow brings To teeming foison. Shak.
FOIST Foist (foist), n. Etym: [OF. fuste stick, boat, fr. L. fustis cudgel. Cf. 1st Fust.]
Defn: A light and fast-sailing ship. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
FOIST Foist, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Foisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Foisting.] Etym: [Cf. OD. vysten to fizzle, D. veesten, E. fizz, fitchet, bullfist.]
Defn: To insert surreptitiously, wrongfully, or without warrant; to interpolate; to pass off (something spurious or counterfeit) as genuine, true, or worthy; — usually followed by in. Lest negligence or partiality might admit or fois in abuses corruption. R. Carew. When a scripture has been corrupted . . . by a supposititious foisting of some words in. South.
FOIST Foist, n.
1. A foister; a sharper. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
2. A trick or fraud; a swindle. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
FOISTER Foist"er, n.
Defn: One who foists something surreptitiously; a falsitier. Mir. for Mag.
FOISTIED Foist"ied, a. Etym: [See 2d Fust.]
Defn: Fusty. [Obs.]
FOISTINESS Foist"i*ness, n.
Defn: Fustiness; mustiness. [Obs.]
FOISTY Foist"y, a.
Defn: Fusty; musty. [Obs.] Johnson.
FOLD Fold, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Folded; p. pr. & vb. n. Folding.] Etym: [OE. folden, falden, AS. fealdan; akin to OHG. faltan, faldan, G. falten, Icel. falda, Dan. folde, Sw. fålla, Goth. fal, cf. Gr.pu a fold. Cf. Fauteuil.]
1. To lap or lay in plaits or folds; to lay one part over another part of; to double; as, to fold cloth; to fold a letter. As a vesture shalt thou fold them up. Heb. i. 12.
2. To double or lay together, as the arms or the hands; as, he folds his arms in despair.
3. To inclose within folds or plaitings; to envelop; to infold; to clasp; to embrace. A face folded in sorrow. J. Webster. We will descend and fold him in our arms. Shak.
4. To cover or wrap up; to conceal. Nor fold my fault in cleanly coined excuses. Shak.
FOLD Fold, v. i.
Defn: To become folded, plaited, or doubled; to close over another of the same kind; to double together; as, the leaves of the door fold. 1 Kings vi. 34.
FOLD Fold, n. Etym: [From Fold, v. In sense 2 AS. -feald, akin to fealdan to fold.]
1. A doubling,esp. of any flexible substance; a part laid over on another part; a plait; a plication. Mummies . . . shrouded in a number of folds of linen. Bacon. Folds are most common in the rocks of mountainous regions. J. D. Dana.
2. Times or repetitions; — used with numerals, chiefly in composition, to denote multiplication or increase in a geometrical ratio, the doubling, tripling, etc., of anything; as, fourfold, four times, increased in a quadruple ratio, multiplied by four.
3. That which is folded together, or which infolds or envelops; embrace. Shall from your neck unloose his amorous fold. Shak. Fold net, a kind of net used in catching birds.
FOLD Fold, n. Etym: [OE. fald, fold, AS. fald, falod.]
1. An inclosure for sheep; a sheep pen. Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold. Milton.
2. A flock of sheep; figuratively, the Church or a church; as, Christ's fold. There shall be one fold and one shepherd. John x. 16. The very whitest lamb in all my fold. Tennyson.
3. A boundary; a limit. [Obs.] Creech. Fold yard, an inclosure for sheep or cattle.
FOLD Fold, v. t.
Defn: To confine in a fold, as sheep.
FOLD Fold, v. i.
Defn: To confine sheep in a fold. [R.] The star that bids the shepherd fold. Milton.
FOLDAGE Fold"age, ( n. Etym: [See Fold inclosure, Faldage.] (O.Eng.Law.)
Defn: See Faldage.
FOLDER Fold"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, folds; esp., a flat, knifelike instrument used for folding paper.
FOLDEROL Fol"de*rol`, n.
Defn: Nonsense. [Colloq.]
FOLDING Fold"ing, n.
1. The act of making a fold or folds; also, a fold; a doubling; a plication. The lower foldings of the vest. Addison.
2. (Agric.)
Defn: The keepig of sheep in inclosures on arable land, etc. Folding boat, a portable boat made by stretching canvas, etc., over jointed framework, used in campaigning, and by tourists, etc. Ham. Nav. Encyc. Folding chairFolding door, one of two or more doors filling a single and hung upon hinges.
FOLDLESS Fold"less, a.
Defn: Having no fold. Milman.
FOLIACEOUS Fo`li*a"ceous, a. Etym: [L. foliaceus, fr. folium leaf.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Belonging to, or having the texture or nature of, a leaf; having leaves intermixed with flowers; as, a foliaceous spike.
2. (Min.)
Defn: Consisting of leaves or thin laminæ; having the form of a leaf or plate; as, foliaceous spar.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Leaflike in form or mode of growth; as, a foliaceous coral.
FOLIAGE Fo"li*age, n. Etym: [OF. foillage, fueillage, F. feuillage, fr. OF. foille, fueille, fueil, F. feulle, leaf, L. folium. See 3d Foil, and cf. Foliation, Filemot.]
1. Leaves, collectively, as produced or arranged by nature; leafage; as, a tree or forest of beautiful foliage.
2. A cluster of leaves, flowers, and branches; especially, the representation of leaves, flowers, and branches, in architecture, intended to ornament and enrich capitals, friezes, pediments, etc. Foliage plant (Bot.), any plant cultivated for the beauty of its leaves, as many kinds of Begonia and Coleus.
FOLIAGE Fo"li*age, v. t.
Defn: To adorn with foliage or the imitation of foliage; to form into the representation of leaves. [R.] Drummond.
FOLIAGED Fo"li*aged, a.
Defn: Furnished with foliage; leaved; as, the variously foliaged mulberry.
FOLIAR Fo"li*ar, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Consisting of, or pertaining to, leaves; as, foliar appendages. Foliar gap (Bot.), an opening in the fibrovascular system of a stem at the point of origin of a leaf. — Foliar trace (Bot.), a particular fibrovascular bundle passing down into the stem from a leaf.
FOLIATE Fo"li*ate (, a. Etym: [L. foliatus leaved, leafy, fr. folium leaf. See Foliage.] (Bot.)
Defn: Furnished with leaves; leafy; as, a foliate stalk. Foliate curve. (Geom.) Same as Folium.
FOLIATE Fo"li*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Foliated; p. pr. & vb. n. Foliating.]
1. To beat into a leaf, or thin plate. Bacon.
2. To spread over with a thin coat of tin and quicksilver; as, to foliate a looking-glass.
FOLIATED Fo"li*a`ted, a.
1. Having leaves, or leaflike projections; as, a foliated shell.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: Containing, or consisting of, foils; as, a foliated arch.
3. (Min.)
Defn: Characterized by being separable into thin plates or folia; as, graphite has a foliated structure.
4. (Geol.)
Defn: Laminated, but restricted to the variety of laminated structure found in crystalline schist, as mica schist, etc.; schistose.
5. Spread over with an amalgam of tin and quicksilver. Foliated telluium. (Min.) See Nagyagite.
FOLIATION Fo"li*a"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. foliation.]
1. The process of forming into a leaf or leaves.
2. The manner in which the young leaves are dispo The . . . foliation must be in relation to the stem. De Quincey.
3. The act of beating a metal into a thin plate, leaf, foil, or lamina.
4. The act of coating with an amalgam of tin foil and quicksilver, as in making looking-glasses.
5. (Arch.)
Defn: The enrichment of an opening by means of foils, arranged in trefoils, quatrefoils, etc.; also, one of the ornaments. See Tracery.
6. (Geol.)
Defn: The property, possessed by some crystalline rocks, of dividing into plates or slabs, which is due to the cleavage structure of one of the constituents, as mica or hornblende. It may sometimes include slaty structure or cleavage, though the latter is usually independent of any mineral constituent, and transverse to the bedding, it having been produced by pressure.
FOLIATURE Fo"li*a*ture, n. Etym: [L. foliatura foliage.]
Defn: 1. Foliage; leafage. [Obs.] Shuckford.
2. The state of being beaten into foil. Johnson.
FOLIER Fo"li*er, n.
Defn: Goldsmith's foil. [R.] Sprat.
FOLIFEROUS Fo*lif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. folium leaf+ -ferous: cf. F. foliifère.]
Defn: Producing leaves. [Written also foliiferous.]
FOLILY Fol"i*ly, a.
Defn: Foolishly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FOLIO Fol"io, n.; pl. Folios. Etym: [Ablative of L. folium leaf. See 4th Foil.]
1. A leaf of a book or manuscript.
2. A sheet of paper once folded.
3. A book made of sheets of paper each folded once (four pages to the sheet); hence, a book of the largest kind. See Note under Paper.
4. (Print.)
Defn: The page number. The even folios are on the left-hand pages and the odd folios on the right-hand.
5. A page of a book; (Bookkeeping) a page in an account book; sometimes, two opposite pages bearing the same serial number.
6. (Law)
Defn: A leaf containing a certain number of words, hence, a certain number of words in a writing, as in England, in law proceedings 72, and in chancery, 90; in New York, 100 words. Folio post, a flat writing paper, usually 17 by 24 inches.
FOLIO Folio, v. t.
Defn: To put a serial number on each folio or page of (a book); to page.
FOLIO Folio, a.
Defn: Formed of sheets each folded once, making two leaves, or four pages; as, a folio volume. See Folio, n., 3.
FOLIOLATE Fo"li*o*late, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to leaflets; — used in composition; as, bi- foliolate. Gray.
FOLIOLE Fo"li*ole, n. Etym: [Dim. of L. folium leaf: cf. F. foliole.] (Bot.)
Defn: One of the distinct parts of a compound leaf; a leaflet.
FOLIOMORT Fo`li*o*mort", a.
Defn: See Feuillemort.
FOLIOSE Fo`li*ose", a. Etym: [L. foliosus, fr. folium leaf.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having many leaves; leafy.
FOLIOSITY Fo`li*os"i*ty, n.
Defn: The ponderousness or bulk of a folio; voluminousness. [R.] De Quincey.
FOLIOUS Fo"li*ous (, a. Etym: [See Foliose.]
1. Like a leaf; thin; unsubstantial. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Foliose. [R.]
FOLIUM Fo"li*um, n.; pl. E. Foliums, L. Folia. Etym: [L., a leaf.]
1. A leaf, esp. a thin leaf or plate.
2. (Geom.)
Defn: A curve of the third order, consisting of two infinite branches, which have a common asymptote. The curve has a double point, and a leaf-shaped loop; whence the name. Its equation is x3 + y3 = axy.
FOLK; FOLKS Folk, Folks, n. collect. & pl. Etym: [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.]
1. (Eng. Hist.)
Defn: In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [Obs.] The organization of each folk, as such, sprang mainly from war. J. R. Green.
2. People in general, or a separate class of people; — generally used in the plural form, and often with a qualifying adjective; as, the old folks; poor folks. [Colloq.] In winter's tedious nights, sit by the fire With good old folks, and let them tell thee tales. Shak.
3. The persons of one's own family; as, our folks are all well. [Colloq. New Eng.] Bartlett. Folk song, one of a class of songs long popular with the common people. — Folk speech, the speech of the common people, as distinguished from that of the educated class.
FOLKETHING Fol"ke*thing`, n. [Dan. See Folk, and Thing.]
Defn: The lower house of the Danish Rigsdag, or Parliament. See Legislature, below.
FOLKLAND Folk"land`, n. Etym: [AS. folcland.] (O.Eng. Law)
Defn: Land held in villenage, being distributed among the folk, or people, at the pleasure of the lord of the manor, and resumed at his discretion. Not being held by any assurance in writing, it was opposed to bookland or charter land, which was held by deed. Mozley & W.
FOLKLORE; FOLK LORE Folk"lore`, n., or; Folk" lore`
Defn: . Tales, legends, or superstitions long current among the people. Trench.
FOLKMOTE Folk"mote`, n. Etym: [AS. folcm folk meeting.]
Defn: An assembly of the people; esp. (Sax. Law),
Defn: a general assembly of the people to consider and order matters of the commonwealth; also, a local court. [Hist.] To which folkmote they all with one consent Agreed to travel. Spenser.
FOLKMOTER Folk"mot`er, n.
Defn: One who takes part in a folkmote, or local court. [Obs.] Milton.
FOLLICLE Fol"li*cle, n. Etym: [L. folliculus a small bag, husk, pod, dim of follis bellows, an inflated ball, a leathern money bag, perh. akin to E. bellows: cf. F. follicule. Cf. 2d Fool.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A simple podlike pericarp which contains several seeds and opens along the inner or ventral suture, as in the peony, larkspur and milkweed.
2. (Anat.) (a) A small cavity, tubular depression, or sac; as, a hair follicle. (b) A simple gland or glandular cavity; a crypt. (c) A small mass of adenoid tissue; as, a lymphatic follicle.
FOLLICULAR Fol*lic"u*lar, a.
1. Like, pertaining to, or consisting of, a follicles or follicles.
2. (Med.)
Defn: Affecting the follicles; as, follicular pharyngitis.
FOLLICULATED Fol*lic"u*la`ted, a.
Defn: Having follicles.
FOLLICULOUS Fol*lic"u*lous, a. Etym: [L. folliculosus full of husks: cf. F. folliculeux.]
Defn: Having or producing follicles.
FOLLIFUL Fol"li*ful, a.
Defn: Full of folly. [Obs.]
FOLLOW Fol"low, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Followed; p. pr. & vb. n. Following.]Etym: [OE. foluwen, folwen, folgen, AS. folgian, fylgean, fylgan; akin to D. volgen, OHG. folg, G. folgen, Icel. fylgja, Sw. följa, Dan. fölge, and perh. to E. folk.]
1. To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend. It waves me forth again; I'll follow it. Shak.
2. To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. Ex. xiv. 17.
3. To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice. Approve the best, and follow what I approve. Milton. Follow peace with all men. Heb. xii. 14. It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites. J. Edwards.
4. To copy after; to take as an example. We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love. Hooker.
5. To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.
6. To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.
7. To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument. He followed with his eyes the flitting shade. Dryden.
8. To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling. O, had I but followed the arts! Shak. O Antony! I have followed thee to this. Shak. Follow board (Founding), a board on which the pattern and the flask lie while the sand is rammed into the flask. Knight. — To follow the hounds, to hunt with dogs. — To follow suit (Card Playing), to play a card of the same suit as the leading card; hence, colloquially, to follow an example set. — To follow up, to pursue indefatigably.
Syn.- To pursue; chase; go after; attend; accompany; succeed; imitate; copy; embrace; maintain. - To Follow, Pursue. To follow (v.t.) denotes simply to go after; to pursue denotes to follow with earnestness, and with a view to attain some definite object; as, a hound pursues the deer. So a person follows a companion whom he wishes to overtake on a journey; the officers of justice pursue a felon who has escaped from prison.
FOLLOW Fol"low, v. i.
Defn: To go or come after; — used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.
Syn.- To Follow, Succeed, Ensue. To follow (v.i.) means simply to come after; as, a crowd followed. To succeed means to come after in some regular series or succession; as, day succeeds to day, and night to night. To ensue means to follow by some established connection or principle of sequence. As wave follows wave, revolution succeeds to revolution; and nothing ensues but accumulated wretchedness.
FOLLOWER Fol"low*er, n. Etym: [OE. folwere, AS. folgere.]
Defn: 1. One who follows; a pursuer; an attendant; a disciple; a dependent associate; a retainer.
2. A sweetheart; a beau. [Colloq.] A. Trollope.
3. (Steam Engine) (a) The removable flange, or cover, of a piston. See Illust. of Piston. (b) A gland. See Illust. of Stuffing box.
4. (Mach.)
Defn: The part of a machine that receives motion from another part. See Driver.
5. Among law stationers, a sheet of parchment or paper which is added to the first sheet of an indenture or other deed.
Syn. — Imitator; copier; disciple; adherent; partisan; dependent; attendant.
FOLLOWING Fol"low*ing, n.
1. One's followers, adherents, or dependents, collectively. Macaulay.
2. Vocation; business; profession.
FOLLOWING Fol"low*ing, a.
1. Next after; succeeding; ensuing; as, the assembly was held on the following day.
2. (Astron.)
Defn: (In the field of a telescope) In the direction from which stars are apparently moving (in consequence of the erth's rotation); as, a small star, north following or south following. In the direction toward which stars appear to move is called preceding.
Note: The four principal directions in the field of a telescope are north, south, following, preceding.
FOLLOWING EDGE Following edge. (Aëronautics)
Defn: See Advancing-edge, above.
FOLLOWING SURFACE Following surface. (Aëronautics)
Defn: See Advancing-surface, above.
FOLLY Fol"ly, n.; pl. Follies. Etym: [OE. folie, foli, F. folie, fr. fol, fou, foolish, mad. See Fool.]
1. The state of being foolish; want of good sense; levity, weakness, or derangement of mind.
2. A foolish act; an inconsiderate or thoughtless procedure; weak or light-minded conduct; foolery. What folly 'tis to hazard life for ill. Shak.
3. Scandalous crime; sin; specifically, as applied to a woman, wantonness. [Achan] wrought folly in Israel. Josh. vii. 15. When lovely woman stoops to folly. Goldsmith.
4. The result of a foolish action or enterprise. It is called this man's or that man's "folly," and name of the foolish builder is thus kept alive for long after years. Trench.
FOLWE Fol"we, v. t.
Defn: To follow. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FOMALHAUT Fo"mal*haut`, n. [AFomalhaut.] (Astron.)
Defn: A star of the first magnitude, in the constellation Piscis Australis, or Southern Fish.
FOMENT Fo*ment", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fomented; p. pr. & vb. n. Fomenting.] Etym: [F. fomenter, fr. L. fomentare, fr. fomentum (for fovimentum) a warm application or lotion, fr. fovere to warm or keep warm; perh. akin to Gr. bake.]
1. To apply a warm lotion to; to bathe with a cloth or sponge wet with warm water or medicated liquid.
2. To cherish with heat; to foster. [Obs.] Which these soft fires . . . foment and warm. Milton.
3. To nurse to life or activity; to cherish and promote by excitements; to encourage; to abet; to instigate; — used often in a bad sense; as, to foment ill humors. Locke. But quench the choler you foment in vain. Dryden. Exciting and fomenting a religious rebellion. Southey.
FOMENTATION Fo`men*ta"tion, n. [fomentatio: cf. F. fomentation.]
1. (Med.) (a) The act of fomenting; the application of warm, soft, medicinal substances, as for the purpose of easing pain, by relaxing the skin, or of discussing tumors. (b) The lotion applied to a diseased part.
2. Excitation; instigation; encouragement. Dishonest fomentation of your pride. Young.
FOMENTER Fo*ment"er, n.
Defn: One who foments; one who encourages or instigates; as, a fomenter of sedition.
FOMES Fo"mes, n.; pl. Fomites. Etym: [L. fomes, -itis, touch-wood, tinder.] (Med.)
Defn: Any substance supposed to be capable of absorbing, retaining, and transporting contagious or infectious germs; as, woolen clothes are said to be active fomites.
FON Fon, n. Etym: [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. fani silly, fana to act silly, Sw. fåne fool. Cf. Fond, a.]
Defn: A fool; an idiot. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FOND Fond, obs.
Defn: imp. of Find. Found. Chaucer.
FOND Fond, a. [Compar. Fonder; superl. Fondest.] Etym: [For fonned, p. p. of OE. fonnen to be foolish. See Fon.]
1. Foolish; silly; simple; weak. [Archaic] Grant I may never prove so fond To trust man on his oath or bond. Shak.
2. Foolishly tender and loving; weakly indulgent; over-affectionate.
3. Affectionate; loving; tender; — in a good sense; as, a fond mother or wife. Addison.
4. Loving; much pleased; affectionately regardful, indulgent, or desirous; longing or yearning; — followed by of (formerly also by on). More fond on her than she upon her love. Shak. You are as fond of grief as of your child. Shak. A great traveler, and fond of telling his adventures. Irving.
5. Doted on; regarded with affection. [R.] Nor fix on fond abodes to circumscribe thy prayer. Byron.
6. Trifling; valued by folly; trivial. [Obs.] Shak.
FOND Fond, v. t.
Defn: To caress; to fondle. [Obs.] The Tyrian hugs and fonds thee on her breast. Dryden.
FOND Fond, v. i.
Defn: To be fond; to dote. [Obs.] Shak.
FONDANT Fon"dant (fon"dant; Fr. fôN`däN"), n. [F., lit., melting, p. pr. of fondre to melt, L. fundere. See Found to cast.]
Defn: A kind of soft sweetmeat made by boiling solutions to the point of crystallization, usually molded; as, cherry fondant.
FONDE Fond"e, v. t. & i. Etym: [AS. fandian to try.]
Defn: To endeavor; to strive; to try. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FONDLE Fon"dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fondled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fondling.] Etym: [From Fond, v.]
Defn: To treat or handle with tenderness or in a loving manner; to caress; as, a nurse fondles a child.
Syn.- See Caress.
FONDLER Fon"dler, n.
Defn: One who fondles. Johnson.
FONDLING Fon"dling, n. Etym: [From Fondle.]
Defn: The act of caressing; manifestation of tenderness. Cyrus made no . . . amorous fondling To fan her pride, or melt her guardless heart. Mickle.
FONDLING Fond"ling, n. Etym: [Fond + -ling.]
1. A person or thing fondled or caressed; one treated with foolish or doting affection. Fondlings are in danger to be made fools. L'Estrange.
2. A fool; a simpleton; a ninny. [Obs.] Chapman.
FONDLY Fond"ly, adv.
1. Foolishly. [Archaic] Verstegan (1673). Make him speak fondly like a frantic man. Shak.
2. In a fond manner; affectionately; tenderly. My heart, untarveled, fondly turns to thee. Goldsmith.
FONDNESS Fond"ness, n.
1. The quality or state of being fond; foolishness. [Obs.] Fondness it were for any, being free, To covet fetters, though they golden be. Spenser.
2. Doting affection; tender liking; strong appetite, propensity, or relish; as, he had a fondness for truffles. My heart had still some foolish fondness for thee. Addison.
Syn.- Attachment; affection; love; kindness.
FONDON Fon"don, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fondant flux.] (Metal.)
Defn: A large copper vessel used for hot amalgamation.
FONDU Fon`du" (fon"dus"), a. [F. fondu, p.p. of fondre to melt, blend. See Found to cast.]
Defn: Blended; passing into each other by subtle gradations; — said of colors or of the surface or material on which the colors are laid.
FONDUE; FONDU Fon`due", n. [Also erroneously Fon`du".] [F. See Fondu; cf. Fondant.] (Cookery)
Defn: A dish made of cheese, eggs, butter, etc., melted together.
FONDUS Fon`dus", n. Etym: [F. fondu, prop. p.p. of fondre to melt, blend. See Found to cast.]
Defn: A style of printing calico, paper hangings, etc., in which the colors are in bands and graduated into each other. Ure.
FONE Fone, n.;
Defn: pl. of Foe. [Obs.] Spenser.
FONGE Fong"e, v. t. Etym: [See Fang, v. t.]
Defn: To take; to receive. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FONLY Fon"ly, adv. Etym: [See Fon.]
Defn: Foolishly; fondly. [Obs.] Spenser.
FONNE Fon"ne, n.
Defn: A fon. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FONT Font, n. Etym: [F. fonte, fr. fondre to melt or cast. See Found to cast, and cf. Fount a font.] (Print.)
Defn: A complete assortment of printing type of one size, including a due proportion of all the letters in the alphabet, large and small, points, accents, and whatever else is necessary for printing with that variety of types; a fount.
FONT Font, n. Etym: [AS. font, fant, fr. L. fons, fontis, spring, fountain; cf. OF. font, funt, F. fonts, fonts baptismaux, pl. See Fount.]
1. A fountain; a spring; a source. Bathing forever in the font of bliss. Young.
2. A basin or stone vessel in which water is contained for baptizing. That name was given me at the font. Shak.
FONTAL Font"al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to a font, fountain, source, or origin; original; primitive. [R.] From the fontal light of ideas only can a man draw intellectual power. Coleridge.
FONTANEL Fon"ta*nel`, n. Etym: [F. fontanelle, prop., a little fountain, fr. fontaine fountain. See Fountain.]
1. (Med.)
Defn: An issue or artificial ulcer for the discharge of humors from the body.[Obs.] Wiseman.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the membranous intervals between the incompleted angles of the parietal and neighboring bones of a fetal or young skull; — so called because it exhibits a rhythmical pulsation.
Note: In the human fetus there are six fontanels, of which the anterior, or bregmatic, situated at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures, is much the largest, and remains open a considerable time after birth.
FONTANELLE Fon`ta`nelle", n. Etym: [F.] (Anat.)
Defn: Same as Fontanel, 2.
FONTANGE Fon`tange", n. Etym: [F., from the name of the first wearer, Mlle. de Fontanges, about 1679.]
Defn: A kind of tall headdress formerly worn. Addison.
FOOD Food, n. Etym: [OE. fode, AS. foda; akin to Icel. fæ\'eba, fæ\'ebi, Sw. föda, Dan. & LG. föde, OHG. fatunga, Gr. patei^sthai to eat, and perh. to Skr. pa to protect, L. pascere to feed, pasture, pabulum food, E. pasture. *75. Cf. Feed, Fodder food, Foster to cherish.]
1. What is fed upon; that which goes to support life by being received within, and assimilated by, the organism of an animal or a plant; nutriment; aliment; especially, what is eaten by animals for nourishment.
Note: In a physiological sense, true aliment is to be distinguished as that portion of the food which is capable of being digested and absorbed into the blood, thus furnishing nourishment, in distinction from the indigestible matter which passes out through the alimentary canal as fæces.
Note: Foods are divided into two main groups: nitrogenous, or proteid, foods, i.e., those which contain nitrogen, and nonnitrogenous, i.e., those which do not contain nitrogen. The latter group embraces the fats and carbohydrates, which collectively are sometimes termed heat producers or respiratory foods, since by oxidation in the body they especially subserve the production of heat. The proteids, on the other hand, are known as plastic foods or tissue formers, since no tissue can be formed without them. These latter terms, however, are misleading, since proteid foods may also give rise to heat both directly and indirectly, and the fats and carbohydrates are useful in other ways than in producing heat.
2. Anything that instructs the intellect, excites the feelings, or molds habits of character; that which nourishes. This may prove food to my displeasure. Shak. In this moment there is life and food For future years. Wordsworth.
Note: Food is often used adjectively or in self-explaining compounds, as in food fish or food-fish, food supply. Food vacuole (Zoöl.), one of the spaces in the interior of a protozoan in which food is contained, during digestion. — Food yolk. (Biol.) See under Yolk.
Syn. — Aliment; sustenance; nutriment; feed; fare; victuals; provisions; meat.
FOOD Food, v. t.
Defn: To supply with food. [Obs.] Baret.
FOODFUL Food"ful, a.
Defn: Full of food; supplying food; fruitful; fertile. "The foodful earth." Dryden. Bent by its foodful burden [the corn]. Glover.
FOODLESS Food"less, a.
Defn: Without food; barren. Sandys.
FOODY Food"y, a.
Defn: Eatable; fruitful. [R.] Chapman.
FOOL Fool, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fouler to tread, crush. Cf. 1st Foil.]
Defn: A compound of gooseberries scalded and crushed, with cream; — commonly called gooseberry fool.
FOOL Fool, n. Etym: [OE. fol, n. & adj., F. fol, fou, foolish, mad; a fool, prob. fr. L. follis a bellows, wind bag, an inflated ball; perh. akin to E. bellows. Cf. Folly, Follicle.]
1. One destitute of reason, or of the common powers of understanding; an idiot; a natural.
2. A person deficient in intellect; one who acts absurdly, or pursues a course contrary to the dictates of wisdom; one without judgment; a simpleton; a dolt. Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools. Milton. Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other. Franklin.
3. (Script.)
Defn: One who acts contrary to moral and religious wisdom; a wicked person. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Ps. xiv. 1.
4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional jester or buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments. Can they think me . . . their fool or jester Milton. April fool, Court fool, etc. See under April, Court, etc. — Fool's cap, a cap or hood to which bells were usually attached, formerly worn by professional jesters. — Fool's errand, an unreasonable, silly, profitless adventure or undertaking. — Fool's gold, iron or copper pyrites, resembling gold in color. — Fool's paradise, a name applied to a limbo (see under Limbo) popularly believed to be the region of vanity and nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or condition of vain self-satistaction. — Fool's parsley (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant (Æthusa Cynapium) resembling parsley, but nauseous and poisonous. — To make a fool of, to render ridiculous; to outwit; to shame. [Colloq.] — To play the fool, to act the buffoon; to act a foolish part. "I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly." 1 Sam. xxvi. 21.
FOOL Fool, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fooled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fooling.]
Defn: To play the fool; to trifle; to toy; to spend time in idle sport or mirth. Is this a time for fooling Dryden.
FOOL Fool, v. t.
1. To infatuate; to make foolish. Shak. For, fooled with hope, men favor the deceit. Dryden.
2. To use as a fool; to deceive in a shameful or mortifying manner; to impose upon; to cheat by inspiring foolish confidence; as, to fool one out of his money. You are fooled, discarded, and shook off By him for whom these shames ye underwent. Shak. To fool away, to get rid of foolishly; to spend in trifles, idleness, folly, or without advantage.
FOOLAHS Foo"lahs`, n. pl.; sing. Foolah. (Ethnol.)
Defn: Same as Fulahs.
FOOL-BORN Fool"-born`, a.
Defn: Begotten by a fool. Shak.
FOOLERY Fool"er*y, n.; pl. Fooleries (.
1. The practice of folly; the behavior of a fool; absurdity. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note, As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote. Shak.
2. An act of folly or weakness; a foolish practice; something absurd or nonsensical. That Pythagoras, Plato, or Orpheus, believed in any of these fooleries, it can not be suspected. Sir W. Raleigh.
FOOLFISH Fool"fish`, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The orange filefish. See Filefish. (b) The winter flounder. See Flounder.
FOOL-HAPPY Fool"-hap`py, a.
Defn: Lucky, without judgment or contrivance. [Obs.] Spenser.
FOOLHARDIHOOD Fool"har`di*hood, n.
Defn: The state of being foolhardy; foolhardiness.
FOOLHARDILY Fool"har`di*ly, adv.
Defn: In a foolhardy manner.
FOOLHARDINESS Fool"har`di*ness, n.
Defn: Courage without sense or judgment; foolish rashness; recklessness. Dryden.
FOOLHARDISE Fool"har`dise, n. Etym: [Fool, F. fol, fou + F. hardiesse boldness.]
Defn: Foolhardiness. [Obs.] Spenser.
FOOLHARDY Fool"har`dy, a. Etym: [OF. folhardi. See Fool idiot, and Hardy.]
Defn: Daring without judgment; foolishly adventurous and bold. Howell.
Syn. — Rash; venturesome; venturous; precipitate; reckless; headlong; incautious. See Rash.
FOOL-HASTY Fool"-has`ty, a.
Defn: Foolishly hasty. [R.]
FOOLIFY Fool"i*fy, v. t. Etym: [Fool + -fy.]
Defn: To make a fool of; to befool. [R.] Holland.
FOOLISH Fool"ish, a.
1. Marked with, or exhibiting, folly; void of understanding; weak in intellect; without judgment or discretion; silly; unwise. I am a very foolish fond old man. Shak.
2. Such as a fool would do; proceeding from weakness of mind or silliness; exhibiting a want of judgment or discretion; as, a foolish act.
3. Absurd; ridiculous; despicable; contemptible. A foolish figure he must make. Prior.
Syn. — Absurd; shallow; shallow-brained; brainless; simple; irrational; unwise; imprudent; indiscreet; incautious; silly; ridiculous; vain; trifling; contemptible. See Absurd.
FOOLISHLY Fool"ish*ly, adv.
Defn: In a foolish manner.
FOOLISHNESS Fool"ish*ness, n.
1. The quality of being foolish.
2. A foolish practice; an absurdity. The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. 1 Cor. i. 18.
FOOL-LARGE Fool"-large`, a. Etym: [OF. follarge. See Fool, and Large.]
Defn: Foolishly liberal. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FOOL-LARGESSE Fool"-lar*gesse`, n. Etym: [See Fool-large, Largess.]
Defn: Foolish expenditure; waste. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FOOLSCAP Fools"cap`, n. Etym: [So called from the watermark of a fool's cap and bells used by old paper makers. See Fool's cap, under Fool.]
Defn: A writing paper made in sheets, ordinarily 16 x 13 inches, and folded so as to make a page 13 x 8 inches. See Paper.
FOOT Foot, n.; pl. Feet. Etym: [OE. fot, foot, pl. feet. AS. f, pl. f; akin to D. voet, OHG. fuoz, G. fuss, Icel. f, Sw. fot, Dan. fod, Goth. f, L. pes, Gr. pad, Icel. fet step, pace measure of a foot, feta to step, find one's way. *77, 250. Cf. Antipodes, Cap-a-pie, Expedient, Fet to fetch, Fetlock, Fetter, Pawn a piece in chess, Pedal.]