2. Want of vigor or energy. Spenser.
3. Feebleness, as of color or light; lack of distinctness; as, faintness of description.
4. Faint-heartedness; timorousness; dejection. I will send a faintness into their hearts. Lev. xxvi. 36.
FAINTSFaints, n.pl.
Defn: The impure spirit which comes over first and last in the distillation of whisky; — the former being called the strong faints, and the latter, which is much more abundant, the weak faints. This crude spirit is much impregnated with fusel oil. Ure.
FAINTYFaint"y, a.
Defn: Feeble; languid. [R.] Dryden.
FAIR Fair, a. [Compar. Fairer; superl. Fairest.] Etym: [OE. fair, fayer, fager, AS. fæger; akin to OS. & OHG. fagar, Isel. fagr, Sw. fager, Dan. faver, Goth. fagrs fit, also to E. fay, G. fügen, to fit. fegen to sweep, cleanse, and prob. also to E. fang, peace, pact, Cf. Fang, Fain, Fay to fit.]
1. Free from spots, specks, dirt, or imperfection; unblemished; clean; pure. A fair white linen cloth. Book of Common Prayer.
2. Pleasing to the eye; handsome; beautiful. Who can not see many a fair French city, for one fair French made. Shak.
3. Without a dark hue; light; clear; as, a fair skin. The northern people large and fair-complexioned. Sir M. Hale.
4. Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; favorable; - - said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.; as, a fair sky; a fair day. You wish fair winds may waft him over. Prior.
5. Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unincumbered; open; direct; — said of a road, passage, etc.; as, a fair mark; in fair sight; a fair view. The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a fair way to have enlarged. Sir W. Raleigh.
6. (Shipbuilding)
Defn: Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; fowing; — said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.
7. Characterized by frankness, honesty, impartiality, or candor; open; upright; free from suspicion or bias; equitable; just; — said of persons, character, or conduct; as, a fair man; fair dealing; a fair statement. "I would call it fair play." Shak.
8. Pleasing; favorable; inspiring hope and confidence; — said of words, promises, etc. When fair words and good counsel will not prevail on us, we must be frighted into our duty. L' Estrange.
9. Distinct; legible; as, fair handwriting.
10. Free from any marked characteristic; average; middling; as, a fair specimen. The news is very fair and good, my lord. Shak. Fair ball. (Baseball) (a) A ball passing over the home base at the height called for by the batsman, and delivered by the pitcher while wholly within the lines of his position and facing the batsman. (b) A batted ball that falls inside the foul lines; — called also a fair hit. — Fair maid. (Zoöl.) (a) The European pilchard (Clupea pilchardus) when dried. (b) The southern scup (Stenotomus Gardeni). [Virginia] — Fair one, a handsome woman; a beauty, — Fair play, equitable or impartial treatment; a fair or equal chance; justice. — From fair to middling, passable; tolerable. [Colloq.] — The fair sex, the female sex.
Syn. — Candid; open; frank; ingenuous; clear; honest; equitable; impartial; reasonable. See Candid.
FAIRFair, adv.
Defn: Clearly; openly; frankly; civilly; honestly; favorably; auspiciously; agreeably. Fair and square, justly; honestly; equitably; impartially. [Colloq.] — To bid fair. See under Bid. — To speak fair, to address with courtesy and frankness. [Archaic]
FAIRFair, n.
1. Fairness, beauty. [Obs.] Shak.
2. A fair woman; a sweetheart. I have found out a gift for my fair. Shenstone.
3. Good fortune; good luck. Now fair befall thee ! Shak. The fair, anything beautiful; women, collectively. "For slander's mark was ever yet the fair." Shak.
FAIRFair, v. t.
1. To make fair or beautiful. [Obs.] Fairing the foul. Shak.
2. (Shipbuilding)
Defn: To make smooth and flowing, as a vessel's lines.
FAIR Fair, n. Etym: [OE. feire, OF. feire, F. foire, fr. L. fariae, pl., days of rest, holidays, festivals, akin to festus festal. See Feast.]
1. A gathering of buyers and sellers, assembled at a particular place with their merchandise at a stated or regular season, or by special appointment, for trade.
2. A festival, and sale of fancy articles. erc., usually for some charitable object; as, a Grand Army fair.
3. A competitive exhibition of wares, farm products, etc., not primarily for purposes of sale; as, the Mechanics' fair; an agricultural fair. After the fair, Too late. [Colloq.]
FAIR CATCHFair catch. (Football)
Defn: A catch made by a player on side who makes a prescribed signal that he will not attempt to advance the ball when caught. He must not then be interfered with.
FAIR-HAIREDFair"-haired`, a.
Defn: Having fair or light-colored hair.
FAIRHOODFair"hood, n.
Defn: Fairness; beauty. [Obs.] Foxe.
FAIRILYFair"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In the manner of a fairy.Numerous as shadows haunting fairily The brain. Keats.
FAIRINGFair"ing, n.
Defn: A present; originally, one given or purchased at a fair. Gay.Fairing box, a box receiving savings or small sums of money. HannahMore.
FAIRISHFair"ish, a.
Defn: Tolerably fair. [Colloq.] W. D. Howells.
FAIR-LEADERFair"-lead`er, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A block, or ring, serving as a guide for the running rigging or for any rope.
FAIRLYFair"ly, adv.
1. In a fairmanner; clearly; openly; plainly; fully; distinctly; frankly. Even the nature of Mr. Dimmesdale's disease had never fairly been revealed to him. Hawthorne.
2. Favorably; auspiciously; commodiously; as, a town fairly situated for foreign traade.
3. Honestly; properly. Such means of comfort or even luxury, as lay fairly within their grasp. Hawthorne.
4. Softly; quietly; gently. [Obs.] Milton.
FAIR-MINDEDFair"-mind`ed, a.
Defn: Unprejudiced; just; judicial; honest.— Fair"*mind`ed*ness, n.
FAIR-NATUREDFair"-na`tured, a.
Defn: Well-disposed. "A fair-natured prince." Ford.
FAIRNESSFair"ness, n.
Defn: The state of being fair, or free form spots or stains, as of the skin; honesty, as of dealing; candor, as of an argument, etc.
FAIR-SPOKENFair"-spo`ken, a.
Defn: Using fair speech, or uttered with fairness; bland; civil; courteous; plausible. "A marvelous fair-spoken man." Hooker.
FAIRWAYFair"way`, n.
Defn: The navigable part of a river, bay, etc., through which vessels enter or depart; the part of a harbor or channel ehich is kept open and unobstructed for the passage of vessels. Totten. the rough.
FAIR-WEATHERFair"-weath`er, a.
1. Made or done in pleasant weather, or in circumstances involving but little exposure or sacrifice; as, a fair-weather voyage. Pope.
2. Appearing only when times or circumstances are prosperous; as, a fair-weather friend. Fair-weather sailor, a make-believe or inexperienced sailor; — the nautical equivalent of carpet knight.
FAIR-WORLDFair"-world` n.
Defn: State of prosperity. [Obs.]They think it was never fair-world with them since. Milton.
FAIRY Fair"y, n.; pl. Fairies. Etym: [OE. fairie, faierie, enchantment, fairy folk, fairy, OF. faerie enchantment, F. féer, fr. LL. Fata one of the goddesses of fate. See Fate, and cf. Fay a fairy.] [Written also faëry.]
1. Enchantment; illusion. [Obs.] Chaucer. The God of her has made an end, And fro this worlde's fairy Hath taken her into company. Gower.
2. The country of the fays; land of illusions. [Obs.] He [Arthur] is a king y-crowned in Fairy. Lydgate.
3. An imaginary supernatural being or spirit, supposed to assume a human form (usually diminutive), either male or female, and to meddle for good or evil in the affairs of mankind; a fay. See Elf, and Demon. The fourth kind of spirit [is] called the Fairy. K. James. And now about the caldron sing, Like elves and fairies in a ring. Shak.
5. An enchantress. [Obs.] Shak. Fairy of the mine, an imaginary being supposed to inhabit mines, etc. German folklore tells of two species; one fierce and malevolent, the other gentle, See Kobold. No goblin or swart fairy of the mine Hath hurtful power over true virginity. Milton.
FAIRYFair"y, a.
1. Of or pertaining to fairies.
2. Given by fairies; as, fairy money. Dryden. Fairy bird (Zoöl.), the Euoropean little tern (Sterna minuta); — called also sea swallow, and hooded tern. — Fairy bluebird. (Zoöl.) See under Bluebird. — Fairy martin (Zoöl.), a European swallow (Hirrundo ariel) that builds flask-shaped nests of mud on overhanging cliffs. — Fairy rings or circles, the circles formed in grassy lawns by certain fungi (as Marasmius Oreades), formerly supposed to be caused by fairies in their midnight dances. — Fairy shrimp (Zoöl.), a European fresh-water phyllopod crustacean (Chirocephalus diaphanus); — so called from its delicate colors, transparency, and graceful motions. The name is sometimes applied to similar American species. — Fairy stone (Paleon.), an echinite.
FAIRYLANDFair"y*land` n.
Defn: The imaginary land or abode of fairies.
FAIRYLIKEFair"y*like`, a.
Defn: Resembling a fairy, or what is made or done be fairies; as, fairylike music.
FAITH Faith, n. Etym: [OE. feith, fayth, fay, OF. feid, feit, fei, F. foi, fr. L. fides; akin to fidere to trust, Gr. th is perhaps due to the influence of such words as truth, health, wealth. See Bid, Bide, and cf. Confide, Defy, Fealty.]
1. Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony.
2. The assent of the mind to the statement or proposition of another, on the ground of the manifest truth of what he utters; firm and earnest belief, on probable evidence of any kind, especially in regard to important moral truth. Faith, that is, fidelity, — the fealty of the finite will and understanding to the reason. Coleridge.
3. (Theol.) (a) The belief in the historic truthfulness of the Scripture narrative, and the supernatural origin of its teachings, sometimes called historical and speculative faith. (b) The belief in the facts and truth of the Scriptures, with a practical love of them; especially, that confiding and affectionate belief in the person and work of Christ, which affects the character and life, and makes a man a true Christian, — called a practical, evangelical, or saving faith. Without faith it is impossible to please him [God]. Heb. xi. 6. The faith of the gospel is that emotion of the mind which is called "trust" or "confidence" exercised toward the moral character of God, and particularly of the Savior. Dr. T. Dwight. Faith is an affectionate, practical confidence in the testimony of God. J. Hawes.
4. That which is believed on any subject, whether in science, politics, or religion; especially (Theol.), a system of religious belief of any kind; as, the Jewish or Mohammedan faith; and especially, the system of truth taught by Christ; as, the Christian faith; also, the creed or belief of a Christian society or church. Which to believe of her, Must be a faith that reason without miracle Could never plant in me. Shak. Now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. Gal. i. 23.
5. Fidelity to one's promises, or allegiance to duty, or to a person honored and beloved; loyalty. Children in whom is no faith. Deut. xxvii. 20. Whose failing, while her faith to me remains, I should conceal. Milton.
6. Word or honor pledged; promise given; fidelity; as, he violated his faith. For you alone I broke me faith with injured Palamon. Dryden.
7. Credibility or truth. [R.]The faith of the foregoing narrative. Mitford.Act of faith. See Auto-da-fé.— Breach of faith, Confession of faith, etc. See under Breach,Confession, etc.— Faith cure, a method or practice of treating diseases by prayerand the exercise of faith in God.— In good faith, with perfect sincerity.
FAITHFaith, interj.
Defn: By my faith; in truth; verily.
FAITHEDFaithed, a.
Defn: Having faith or a faith; honest; sincere. [Obs.] "Make thy words faithed." Shak.
FAITHFULFaith"ful, a.
1. Full of faith, or having faith; disposed to believe, especially in the declarations and promises of God. You are not faithful, sir. B. Jonson.
2. Firm in adherence to promises, oaths, contracts, treaties, or other engagements. The faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him. Deut. vii. 9.
3. True and constant in affection or allegiance to a person to whom one is bound by a vow, be ties of love, gratitude, or honor, as to a husband, a prince, a friend; firm in the observance of duty; loyal; of true fidelity; as, a faithful husband or servant. So spake the seraph Abdiel, faithful found, Among the faithless, faithful only he. Milton.
4. Worthy of confidence and belief; conformable to truth ot fact; exact; accurate; as, a faithful narrative or representation. It is a faithful saying. 2 Tim. ii. 11. The Faithful, the adherents of any system of religious belief; esp. used as an epithet of the followers of Mohammed.
Syn.— Trusty; honest; upright; sincere; veracious; trustworthy.— Faith"ful*ly, adv. -Faith"ful*ness, n.
FAITHLESSFaith"less, a.
1. Not believing; not giving credit. Be not faithless, but believing. John xx. 27.
2. Not believing on God or religion; specifically, not believing in the Christian religion. Shak.
3. Not observant of promises or covenants.
4. Not true to allegiance, duty, or vows; perfidious; trecherous; disloyal; not of true fidelity; inconstant, as a husband or a wife. A most unnatural and faithless service. Shak.
5. Serving to disappoint or deceive; delusive; unsatisfying. "Yonder faithless phantom." Goldsmith. — Faith"less*ly, adv.Faith"less*ness, n.
FAITOURFai"tour, n. Etym: [OF. faitor a doer, L. factor. See Factor.]
Defn: A doer or actor; particularly, an evil doer; a scoundrel.[Obs.]Lo! faitour, there thy meed unto thee take. Spenser.
FAKEFake, n. Etym: [Cf. Scot. faik fold, stratum of stone, AS. fæc space,interval, G. fach compartment, partition, row, and E. fay to fit.](Naut.)
Defn: One of the circles or windings of a cable or hawser, as it lies in a coil; a single turn or coil.
FAKEFake, v. t. (Naut.)
Defn: To coil (a rope, line, or hawser), by winding alternately in opposite directions, in layers usually of zigzag or figure of eight form,, to prevent twisting when running out. Faking box, a box in which a long rope is faked; used in the life-saving service for a line attached to a shot.
FAKE Fake, v. t. Etym: [Cf. Gael. faigh to get, acquire, reach, or OD. facken to catch or gripe.] [Slang in all its senses.]
1. To cheat; to swindle; to steal; to rob.
2. To make; to construct; to do.
3. To manipulate fraudulently, so as to make an object appear better or other than it really is; as, to fake a bulldog, by burning his upper lip and thus artificially shortening it.
FAKEFake, n.
Defn: A trick; a swindle. [Slang]
FAKERFak"er, n. [Often erroneously written fakir.]
Defn: One who fakes something, as a thief, a peddler of petty things, a workman who dresses things up, etc. [Slang]
FAKIRFa"kir, n. Etym: [Ar. faqir poor.]
Defn: An Oriental religious ascetic or begging monk. [Written also faquir anf fakeer.]
FALANAKAFa"la*na"ka, n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A viverrine mammal of Madagascar (Eupleres Goudotii), allied to the civet; — called also Falanouc.
FALCADE Fal*cade" (fâl*kad"), n. Etym: [F., ultimately fr. L. falx, falcis, a sickle or scythe.] (Man.)
Defn: The action of a horse, when he throws himself on his haunches two or three times, bending himself, as it were, in very quick curvets. Harris.
FALCATE; FALCATED Fal"cate, Fal"ca*ted, a. Etym: [L. falcatus, fr. falx, falcis, a sickle or scythe.]
Defn: Hooked or bent like a sickle; as, a falcate leaf; a falcate claw; — said also of the moon, or a planet, when horned or crescent- formed.
FALCATIONFal*ca"tion, n.
Defn: The state of being falcate; a bend in the form of a sickle. SirT. Browne.
FALCERFal"cer, n. Etym: [From L. falx, falcis, a sickle.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the mandibles of a spider.
FALCHIONFal"chion, n. Etym: [OE. fauchon, OF. fauchon, LL. fälcio, fr. L.falx, falcis, a sickle, cf. Gr. falcon; cf. It. falcione. Cf.Defalcation.]
1. A broad-bladed sword, slightly curved, shorter and lighter than the ordinary sword; — used in the Middle Ages.
2. A name given generally and poetically to a sword, especially to the swords of Oriental and fabled warriors.
FALCIDIANFal*cid"i*an, a. Etym: [L. Falcidius.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Publius Falcidius, a Roman tribune. Falcidian law (Civil Law), a law by which a testator was obliged to leave at least a fourth of his estate to the heir. Burrill.
FALCIFORM Fal"ci*form, a. Etym: [L. falx, falcis, a sickle + -form: cf. F. falciforme.]
Defn: Having the shape of a scithe or sickle; resembling a reaping hook; as, the falciform ligatment of the liver.
FALCON Fal"con, n. Etym: [OE. faucon, faucoun, OF. faucon, falcon, faucon, fr. LL. falco, perh. from L. falx, falcis, a sickle or scythe, and named from its curving talons. Cf. Falchion.]
1. (Zoöl.) (a) One of a family (Falconidæ) of raptorial birds, characterized by a short, hooked beak, strong claws, and powerful flight. (b) Any species of the genus Falco, distinguished by having a toothlike lobe on the upper mandible; especially, one of this genus trained to the pursuit of other birds, or game. In the language of falconry, the female peregrine (Falco peregrinus) is exclusively called the falcon. Yarrell.
2. (Gun.)
Defn: An ancient form of cannon. Chanting falcon. (Zoöl.) See underChanting.
FALCONER Fal"con*er, n. Etym: [OE. fauconer, OF. falconier, fauconier, F. fauconnier. See Falcon.]
Defn: A person who breeds or trains hawks for taking birds or game; one who follows the sport of fowling with hawks. Johnson.
FALCONET Fal"co*net, n. Etym: [Dim. of falcon: cf. F. fauconneau, LL. falconeta, properly, a young falcon.]
1. One of the smaller cannon used in the 15th century and later.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) One of several very small Asiatic falcons of the genus Microhierax. (b) One of a group of Australian birds of the genus Falcunculus, resembling shrikes and titmice.
FALCONGENTILFal"con*gen`til, n. Etym: [F. faucon-gentil. See Falcon, andGenteel.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The female or young of the goshawk (Astur palumbarius).
FALCONINEFal"co*nine, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like a falcon or hawk; belonging to the Falconidæ
FALCONRYFal"con*ry, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fauconnerie. See Falcon.]
1. The art of training falcons or hawks to pursue and attack wild fowl or game.
2. The sport of taking wild fowl or game by means of falcons or hawks.
FALCULAFal"cu*la, n. Etym: [L., a small sickle, a billhook.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A curved and sharp-pointed claw.
FALCULATEFal"cu*late, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Curved and sharppointed, like a falcula, or claw of a falcon.
FALDAGEFald"age, n. Etym: [LL. faldagium, fr. AS. fald, E. fold. Cf.Foldage.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: A privilege of setting up, and moving about, folds for sheep, in any fields within manors, in order to manure them; — often reserved to himself by the lord of the manor. Spelman.
FALDFEEFald"fee`, n. Etym: [AS. fald (E.fold) + E. fee. See Faldage.] (O.Eng. Law)
Defn: A fee or rent paid by a tenant for the privilege of faldage on his own ground. Blount.
FALDINGFald"ing, n.
Defn: A frieze or rough-napped cloth. [Obs.]
FALDISTORY Fal"dis*to*ry, n. Etym: [LL. faldistorium, faldestorium, from OHG. faldstuol; faldan, faltan, to fold (G. falten) + stuol stool. So called because it could be folded or laid together. See Fold, and Stool, and cf. Faldstool, Fauteuil.]
Defn: The throne or seat of a bishop within the chancel. [Obs.]
FALDSTOOLFald"stool`, n. Etym: [See Faldistory.]
Defn: A folding stool, or portable seat, made to fold up in the manner of a camo stool. It was formerly placed in the choir for a bishop, when he offciated in any but his own cathedral church. Fairholt.
Note: In the modern practice of the Church of England, the term faldstool is given to the reading desk from which the litany is read. This esage is a relic of the ancient use of a lectern folding like a camp stool.
FALERNIANFa*ler"ni*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Mount Falernus, in Italy; as,Falernianwine.
FALKFalk (falk), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The razorbill. [Written also falc, and faik.] [Prov. Eng.]
FALL Fall (fall), v. i. [imp. Fell; p. p. Fallen; p. pr. & vb. n. Falling.] Etym: [AS. feallan; akin to D. vallen, OS. & OHG. fallan, G. fallen, Icel. Falla, Sw. falla, Dan. falde, Lith. pulti, L. fallere to deceive, Gr. sfa`llein to cause to fall, Skr. sphal, sphul, to tremble. Cf. Fail, Fell, v. t., to cause to fall.]
1. To Descend, either suddenly or gradually; particularly, to descend by the force of gravity; to drop; to sink; as, the apple falls; the tide falls; the mercury falls in the barometer. I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke x. 18.
2. To cease to be erect; to take suddenly a recumbent posture; to become prostrate; to drop; as, a child totters and falls; a tree falls; a worshiper falls on his knees. I fell at his feet to worship him. Rev. xix. 10.
3. To find a final outlet; to discharge its waters; to empty; — with into; as, the river Rhone falls into the Mediterranean.
4. To become prostrate and dead; to die; especially, to die by violence, as in battle. A thousand shall fall at thy side. Ps. xci. 7. He rushed into the field, and, foremost fighting, fell. Byron.
5. To cease to be active or strong; to die away; to lose strength; to subside; to become less intense; as, the wind falls.
6. To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; — said of the young of certain animals. Shak.
7. To decline in power, glory, wealth, or importance; to become insignificant; to lose rank or position; to decline in weight, value, price etc.; to become less; as, the falls; stocks fell two points. I am a poor falle man, unworthy now To be thy lord and master. Shak. The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly fell and vanished. Sir J. Davies.
8. To be overthrown or captured; to be destroyed. Heaven and earth will witness, If Rome must fall, that we are innocent. Addison.
9. To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin; to depart from the faith; to apostatize; to sin. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Heb. iv. 11.
10. To become insnared or embarrassed; to be entrapped; to be worse off than before; asm to fall into error; to fall into difficulties.
11. To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; — said of the countenance. Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Gen. iv. 5. I have observed of late thy looks are fallen. Addison.
12. To sink; to languish; to become feeble or faint; as, our spirits rise and fall with our fortunes.
13. To pass somewha suddenly, and passively, into a new state of body or mind; to become; as, to fall asleep; to fall into a passion; to fall in love; to fall into temptation.
14. To happen; to to come to pass; to light; to befall; to issue; toterminate.The Romans fell on this model by chance. Swift.Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall.Ruth. iii. 18.They do not make laws, they fall into customs. H. Spencer.
15. To come; to occur; to arrive. The vernal equinox, which at the Nicene Council fell on the 21st of March, falls now [1694] about ten days sooner. Holder.
16. To begin with haste, ardor, or vehemence; to rush or hurry; as,they fell to blows.They now no longer doubted, but fell to work heart and soul. Jowett(Thucyd. ).
17. To pass or be transferred by chance, lot, distribution, inheritance, or otherwise; as, the estate fell to his brother; the kingdom fell into the hands of his rivals.
18. To belong or appertain. If to her share some female errors fall, Look on her face, and you'll forget them all. Pope.
19. To be dropped or uttered carelessly; as, an unguarded expression fell from his lips; not a murmur fell from him. To fall abroad of (Naut.), to strike against; — applied to one vessel coming into collision with another. — To fall among, to come among accidentally or unexpectedly. — To fall astern (Naut.), to move or be driven backward; to be left behind; as, a ship falls astern by the force of a current, or when outsailed by another. — To fall away. (a) To lose flesh; to become lean or emaciated; to pine. (b) To renounce or desert allegiance; to revolt or rebel. (c) To renounce or desert the faith; to apostatize. "These . . . for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." Luke viii. 13. (d) To perish; to vanish; to be lost. "How . . . can the soul . . . fall away into nothing" Addison. (e) To decline gradually; to fade; to languish, or become faint. "One color falls away by just degrees, and another rises insensibly." Addison. — To fall back. (a) To recede or retreat; to give way. (b) To fail of performing a promise or purpose; not to fulfill. — To fall back upon. (a) (Mil.) To retreat for safety to (a stronger position in the rear, as to a fort or a supporting body of troops). (b) To have recourse to (a reserved fund, or some available expedient or support). — To fall calm, to cease to blow; to become calm. — To fall down. (a) To prostrate one's self in worship. "All kings shall fall down before him." Ps. lxxii. 11. (b) To sink; to come to the ground. "Down fell the beauteous youth." Dryden. (c) To bend or bow, as a suppliant. (d) (Naut.) To sail or drift toward the mouth of a river or other outlet. — To fall flat, to produce no response or result; to fail of the intended effect; as, his speech fell flat. — To fall foul of. (a) (Naut.) To have a collision with; to become entangled with (b) To attack; to make an assault upon. — To fall from, to recede or depart from; not to adhere to; as, to fall from an agreement or engagement; to fall from allegiance or duty. — To fall from grace (M. E. Ch.), to sin; to withdraw from the faith. — To fall home (Ship Carp.), to curve inward; — said of the timbers or upper parts of a ship's side which are much within a perpendicular. — To fall in. (a) To sink inwards; as, the roof fell in. (b) (Mil.) To take one's proper or assigned place in line; as, to fall in on the right. (c) To come to an end; to terminate; to lapse; as, on the death of Mr. B., the annuuity, which he had so long received, fell in. (d) To become operative. "The reversion, to which he had been nominated twenty years before, fell in." Macaulay. — To fall into one's hands, to pass, often suddenly or unexpectedly, into one's ownership or control; as, to spike cannon when they are likely to fall into the hands of the enemy. — To fall in with. (a) To meet with accidentally; as, to fall in with a friend. (b) (Naut.) To meet, as a ship; also, to discover or come near, as land. (c) To concur with; to agree with; as, the measure falls in with popular opinion. (d) To comply; to yield to. "You will find it difficult to persuade learned men to fall in with your projects." Addison. — To fall off. (a) To drop; as, fruits fall off when ripe. (b) To withdraw; to separate; to become detached; as, friends fall off in adversity. "Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide." Shak. (c) To perish; to die away; as, words fall off by disuse. (d) To apostatize; to forsake; to withdraw from the faith, or from allegiance or duty. Those captive tribes . . . fell off From God to worship calves. Milton. (e) To forsake; to abandon; as, his customers fell off. (f) To depreciate; to change for the worse; to deteriorate; to become less valuable, abundant, or interesting; as, a falling off in the wheat crop; the magazine or the review falls off. "O Hamlet, what a falling off was there!" Shak. (g) (Naut.) To deviate or trend to the leeward of the point to which the head of the ship was before directed; to fall to leeward. — To fall on. (a) To meet with; to light upon; as, we have fallen on evil days. (b) To begin suddenly and eagerly. "Fall on, and try the appetite to eat." Dryden. (c) To begin an attack; to assault; to assail. "Fall on, fall on, and hear him not." Dryden. (d) To drop on; to descend on. — To fall out. (a) To quarrel; to begin to contend. A soul exasperated in ills falls out With everything, its friend, itself. Addison. (b) To happen; to befall; to chance. "There fell out a bloody quarrel betwixt the frogs and the mice." L'Estrange. (c) (Mil.) To leave the ranks, as a soldier. — To fall over. (a) To revolt; to desert from one side to another. (b) To fall beyond. Shak. — To fall short, to be deficient; as, the corn falls short; they all fall short in duty. — To fall through, to come to nothing; to fail; as, the engageent has fallen through. — To fall to, to begin. "Fall to, with eager joy, on homely food." Dryden. — To fall under. (a) To come under, or within the limits of; to be subjected to; as, they fell under the jurisdiction of the emperor. (b) To come under; to become the subject of; as, this point did not fall under the cognizance or deliberations of the court; these things do not fall under human sight or observation. (c) To come within; to be ranged or reckoned with; to be subordinate to in the way of classification; as, these substances fall under a different class or order. — To fall upon. (a) To attack. [See To fall on.] (b) To attempt; to have recourse to. "I do not intend to fall upon nice disquisitions." Holder. (c) To rush against.
Note: Fall primarily denotes descending motion, either in a perpendicular or inclined direction, and, in most of its applications, implies, literally or figuratively, velocity, haste, suddenness, or violence. Its use is so various, and so mush diversified by modifying words, that it is not easy to enumerate its senses in all its applications.
FALLFall, v. t.
1. To let fall; to drop. [Obs.] For every tear he falls, a Trojan bleeds. Shak.
2. To sink; to depress; as, to fall the voice. [Obs.]
3. To diminish; to lessen or lower. [Obs.] Upon lessening interest to four per cent, you fall the price of your native commodities. Locke.
4. To bring forth; as, to fall lambs. [R.] Shak.
5. To fell; to cut down; as, to fall a tree. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.]
FALLFall, n.
1. The act of falling; a dropping or descending be the force of gravity; descent; as, a fall from a horse, or from the yard of ship.
2. The act of dropping or tumbling from an erect posture; as, he was walking on ice, and had a fall.
3. Death; destruction; overthrow; ruin.They thy fall conspire. Denham.Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.Prov. xvi. 18.
4. Downfall; degradation; loss of greatness or office; termination of greatness, power, or dominion; ruin; overthrow; as, the fall of the Roman empire. Beholds thee glorious only in thy fall. Pope.
5. The surrender of a besieged fortress or town ; as, the fall of Sebastopol.
6. Diminution or decrease in price or value; depreciation; as, the fall of prices; the fall of rents.
7. A sinking of tone; cadence; as, the fall of the voice at the close of a sentence.
8. Declivity; the descent of land or a hill; a slope.
9. Descent of water; a cascade; a cataract; a rush of water down a precipice or steep; — usually in the plural, sometimes in the singular; as, the falls of Niagara.
10. The discharge of a river or current of water into the ocean, or into a lake or pond; as, the fall of the Po into the Gulf of Venice. Addison.
11. Extent of descent; the distance which anything falls; as, the water of a stream has a fall of five feet.
12. The season when leaves fall from trees; autumn. What crowds of patients the town doctor kills, Or how, last fall, he raised the weekly bills. Dryden.
13. That which falls; a falling; as, a fall of rain; a heavy fall of snow.
14. The act of felling or cutting down. "The fall of timber." Johnson.
15. Lapse or declinsion from innocence or goodness. Specifically: The first apostasy; the act of our first parents in eating the forbidden fruit; also, the apostasy of the rebellious angels.
16. Formerly, a kind of ruff or band for the neck; a falling band; a faule. B. Jonson.
17. That part (as one of the ropes) of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting. Fall herring (Zoöl.), a herring of the Atlantic (Clupea mediocris); — also called tailor herring, and hickory shad. — To try a fall, to try a bout at wrestling. Shak.
FALLACIOUS Fal*la"cious, a. Etym: [L. fallaciosus, fr. fallacia: cf. F. fallacieux. See Fallacy.]
Defn: Embodying or pertaining to a fallacy; illogical; fitted to deceive; misleading; delusive; as, fallacious arguments or reasoning. — Fal*la"cious*ly, adv. -Fal*la"cious*ness, n.
FALLACYFal"la*cy, n.; pl. Fallacies. Etym: [OE. fallace, fallas, deception,F. fallace, fr. L. fallacia, fr. fallax deceitful, deceptive, fr.fallere to deceive. See Fail.]
1. Deceptive or false appearance; deceitfulness; that which misleads the eye or the mind; deception. Winning by conquest what the first man lost, By fallacy surprised. Milton.
2. (Logic)
Defn: An argument, or apparent argument, which professes to be decisive of the matter at issue, while in reality it is not; a sophism.
Syn. — Deception; deceit; mistake. — Fallacy, Sophistry. A fallacy is an argument which professes to be decisive, but in reality is not; sophistry is also false reasoning, but of so specious and subtle a kind as to render it difficult to expose its fallacy. Many fallacies are obvious, but the evil of sophistry lies in its consummate art. "Men are apt to suffer their minds to be misled by fallacies which gratify their passions. Many persons have obscured and confounded the nature of things by their wretched sophistry; though an act be never so sinful, they will strip it of its guilt." South.
FALLALS; FAL-LALSFal"*lals`, n.pl.
Defn: Gay ornaments; frippery; gewgaws. [Colloq.] Thackeray.
FALLAXFal"lax, n. Etym: [L. fallax deceptive. See Fallacy.]
Defn: Cavillation; a caviling. [Obs.] Cranmer.
FALLENFall"en, a.
Defn: Dropped; prostrate; degraded; ruined; decreased; dead.Some ruined temple or fallen monument. Rogers.
FALLENCYFal"len*cy, n. Etym: [LL. fallentia, L. fallens p.pr of fallere.]
Defn: An exception. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.
FALLERFall"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, falls.
2. (Mach.)
Defn: A part which acts by falling, as a stamp in a fulling mill, or the device in a spinning machine to arrest motion when a thread breaks.
FALLFISHFall"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fresh-water fish of the United States (Semotilus bullaris); - - called also silver chub, and Shiner. The name is also applied to other allied species.
FALLIBILITYFal`li*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The state of being fallible; liability to deceive or to be deceived; as, the fallibity of an argument or of an adviser.
FALLIBLEFal"li*ble, a. Etym: [LL. fallibilis, fr. L. fallere to deceive: cf.F. faillible. See Fail.]
Defn: Liable to fail, mistake, or err; liable to deceive or to be deceived; as, all men are fallible; our opinions and hopes are fallible.
FALLIBLYFal"li*bly, adv.
Defn: In a fallible manner.
FALLINGFall"ing, a. & n.
Defn: from Fall, v. i. Falling away, Falling off, etc. See To fallaway, To fall off, etc., under Fall, v. i.— Falling band, the plain, broad, linen collar turning down overthe doublet, worn in the early part of the 17th century.— Falling sickness (Med.), epilepsy. Shak.— Falling star. (Astron.) See Shooting star.— Falling stone, a stone falling through the atmosphere; ameteorite; an aërolite.— Falling tide, the ebb tide.— Falling weather, a rainy season. [Colloq.] Bartlett.
FALLOPIANFal*lo"pi*an, a. Etym: [From Fallopius, or Fallopio, a physician ofModena, who died in 1562.] (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or discovered by, Fallopius; as, the Fallopian tubes or oviducts, the ducts or canals which conduct the ova from the ovaries to the uterus.
FALLOW Fal"low, a. Etym: [AS. fealu, fealo, pale yellow or red; akin to D. vaal fallow, faded, OHG. falo, G. falb, fahl, Icel. fölr, and prob. to Lith. palvas, OSlav. plavpallidus pale, pallere to be pale, Gr. palita. Cf. Pale, Favel, a., Favor.]
1. Pale red or pale yellow; as, a fallow deer or greyhound. Shak.
2. Etym: [Cf. Fallow, n.]
Defn: Left untilled or unsowed after plowing; uncultivated; as, fallow ground. Fallow chat, Fallow finch (Zoöl.), a small European bird, the wheatear (Saxicola ænanthe). See Wheatear.
FALLOW Fal"low, n. Etym: [So called from the fallow, or somewhat yellow, color of naked ground; or perh. akin to E. felly, n., cf. MHG. valgen to plow up, OHG. felga felly, harrow.]
1. Plowed land. [Obs.] Who . . . pricketh his blind horse over the fallows. Chaucer.
2. Land that has lain a year or more untilled or unseeded; land plowed without being sowed for the season. The plowing of fallows is a benefit to land. Mortimer.
3. The plowing or tilling of land, without sowing it for a season; as, summer fallow, properly conducted, has ever been found a sure method of destroying weeds. Be a complete summer fallow, land is rendered tender and mellow. The fallow gives it a better tilth than can be given by a fallow crop. Sinclair. Fallow crop, the crop taken from a green fallow. [Eng.] — Green fallow, fallow whereby land is rendered mellow and clean from weeds, by cultivating some green crop, as turnips, potatoes, etc. [Eng.]
FALLOWFal"low, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fallowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Fallowing.]Etym: [From Fallow, n.]
Defn: To plow, harrow, and break up, as land, without seeding, for the purpose of destroying weeds and insects, and rendering it mellow; as, it is profitable to fallow cold, strong, clayey land.
FALLOW DEER Fal"low deer`. Etym: [So called from its fallow or pale yellow color.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A European species of deer (Cervus dama), much smaller than the red deer. In summer both sexes are spotted with white. It is common in England, where it is often domesticated in the parks.
FALLOWISTFal"low*ist, n.
Defn: One who favors the practice of fallowing land. [R.] Sinclair.
FALLOWNESSFal"low*ness, n.
Defn: A well or opening, through the successive floors of a warehouse or manufactory, through which goods are raised or lowered. [U.S.] Bartlett.
FALSARYFal"sa*ry, n. Etym: [L. falsarius, fr. falsus. See False, a.]
Defn: A falsifier of evidence. [Obs.] Sheldon.
FALSE False, a. [Compar. Falser; superl. Falsest.] Etym: [L. falsus, p.p. of fallere to deceive; cf. OF. faus, fals, F. faux, and AS. fals fraud. See Fail, Fall.]
1. Uttering falsehood; unveracious; given to deceit; dishnest; as, a false witness.
2. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous; perfidious; as, a false friend, lover, or subject; false to promises. I to myself was false, ere thou to me. Milton.
3. Not according with truth or reality; not true; fitted or likely to deceive or disappoint; as, a false statement.
4. Not genuine or real; assumed or designed to deceive; counterfeit; hypocritical; as, false tears; false modesty; false colors; false jewelry. False face must hide what the false heart doth know. Shak.
5. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous; as, a false claim; a false conclusion; a false construction in grammar. Whose false foundation waves have swept away. Spenser.
6. Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental.
7. (Mus.)
Defn: Not in tune. False arch (Arch.), a member having the appearance of an arch, though not of arch construction. — False attic, an architectural erection above the main cornice, concealing a roof, but not having windows or inclosing rooms. — False bearing, any bearing which is not directly upon a vertical support; thus, the weight carried by a corbel has a false bearing. — False cadence, an imperfect or interrupted cadence. — False conception (Med.), an abnormal conception in which a mole, or misshapen fleshy mass, is produced instead of a properly organized fetus. — False croup (Med.), a spasmodic affection of the larynx attended with the symptoms of membranous croup, but unassociated with the deposit of a fibrinous membrane. — False door or window (Arch.), the representation of a door or window, inserted to complete a series of doors or windows or to give symmetry. — False fire, a combustible carried by vessels of war, chiefly for signaling, but sometimes burned for the purpose of deceiving an enemy; also, a light on shore for decoying a vessel to destruction. — False galena. See Blende. — False imprisonment (Law), the arrest and imprisonment of a person without warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or the unlawful detaining of a person in custody. — False keel (Naut.), the timber below the main keel, used to serve both as a protection and to increase the shio's lateral resistance. — False key, a picklock. — False leg. (Zoöl.) See Proleg. — False membrane (Med.), the fibrinous deposit formed in croup and diphtheria, and resembling in appearance an animal membrane. — False papers (Naut.), documents carried by a ship giving false representations respecting her cargo, destination, ect., for the purpose of deceiving. — False passage (Surg.), an unnatural passage leading off from a natural canal, such as the urethra, and produced usually by the unskillful introduction of instruments. — False personation (Law), the intentional false assumption of the name and personality of another. — False pretenses (Law), false representations concerning past or present facts and events, for the purpose of defrauding another. — False rail (Naut.), a thin piece of timber placed on top of the head rail to strengthen it. — False relation (Mus.), a progression in harmony, in which a certain note in a chord appears in the next chord prefixed by a flat or sharp. — False return (Law), an untrue return made to a process by the officer to whom it was delivered for execution. — False ribs (Anat.), the asternal rebs, of which there are five pairs in man. — False roof (Arch.), the space between the upper ceiling and the roof. Oxford Gloss. — False token, a false mark or other symbol, used for fraudulent purposes. — False scorpion (Zoöl.), any arachnid of the genus Chelifer. See Book scorpion. — False tack (Naut.), a coming up into the wind and filling away again on the same tack. — False vampire (Zoöl.), the Vampyrus spectrum of South America, formerly erroneously supposed to have blood-sucking habits; — called also vampire, and ghost vampire. The genuine blood-sucking bats belong to the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. See Vampire. — False window. (Arch.) See False door, above. — False wing. (Zoöl.) See Alula, and Bastard wing, under Bastard. — False works (Civil Engin.), construction works to facilitate the erection of the main work, as scaffolding, bridge centering, etc.
FALSEFalse, adv.
Defn: Not truly; not honestly; falsely. "You play me false." Shak.
FALSE False, v. t. Etym: [L. falsare to falsify, fr. falsus: cf. F. fausser. See False, a.]
1. To report falsely; to falsify. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To betray; to falsify. [Obs.] [He] hath his truthe falsed in this wise. Chaucer.
3. To mislead by want of truth; to deceive. [Obs.] In his falsed fancy. Spenser.
4. To feign; to pretend to make. [Obs.] "And falsed oft his blows." Spenser.
FALSE-FACEDFalse"-faced`, a.
Defn: Hypocritical. Shak.
FALSE-HEARTFalse"-heart`, a.
Defn: False-hearted. Shak.
FALSE-HEARTEDFalse"-heart`ed, a.
Defn: Hollow or unsound at the core; treacherous; deceitful;perfidious. Bacon.— False"*heart`ed*ness, n. Bp. Stillingfleet.
FALSEHOODFalse"hood, n. Etym: [False + -hood]
1. Want of truth or accuracy; an untrue assertion or representation; error; misrepresentation; falsity. Though it be a lie in the clock, it is but a falsehood in the hand of the dial when pointing at a wrong hour, if rightly following the direction of the wheel which moveth it. Fuller.
2. A deliberate intentional assertion of what is known to be untrue; a departure from moral integrity; a lie.
3. Treachery; deceit; perfidy; unfaithfulness. Betrayed by falsehood of his guard. Shak.
4. A counterfeit; a false appearance; an imposture. For his molten image is falsehood. Jer. x. 14. No falsehood can endure Touch of celestial temper. Milton.
Syn.— Falsity; lie; untruth; fiction; fabrication. See Falsity.
FALSELYFalse"ly, adv.
Defn: In a false manner; erroneously; not truly; perfidiously ortreacherously. "O falsely, falsely murdered." Shak.Oppositions of science, falsely so called. 1 Tim. vi. 20.Will ye steal, murder . . . and swear falsely Jer. vii. 9.
FALSENESSFalse"ness, n.
Defn: The state of being false; contrariety to the fact; inaccuracy; want of integrity or uprightness; double dealing; unfaithfulness; treachery; perfidy; as, the falseness of a report, a drawing, or a singer's notes; the falseness of a man, or of his word.
FALSERFals"er, n.
Defn: A deceiver. [Obs.] Spenser.
FALSETTO Fal*set"to, n.; pl. Falsettos. Etym: [It. falsetto, dim. fr. L. falsus. See False.]
Defn: A false or artificial voice; that voice in a man which lies above his natural voice; the male counter tenor or alto voice. See Head voice, under Voice.
FALSICRIMENFal"si*cri"men. Etym: [L.] (Civ. Law)
Defn: The crime of falsifying.
Note: This term in the Roman law included not only forgery, but every species of fraud and deceit. It never has been used in so extensive a sense in modern common law, in which its predominant significance is forgery, though it also includes perjury and offenses of a like character. Burrill. Greenleaf.
FALSIFIABLEFal"si*fi`a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. OF. falsifiable.]
Defn: Capable of being falsified, counterfeited, or corrupted.Johnson.
FALSIFICATIONFal`si*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. falsification.]
1. The act of falsifying, or making false; a counterfeiting; the giving to a thing an appearance of something which it is not. To counterfeit the living image of king in his person exceedeth all falsifications. Bacon.
2. Willful misstatement or misrepresentation. Extreme necessity . . . forced him upon this bold and violent falsification of the doctrine of the alliance. Bp. Warburton.
3. (Equity)
Defn: The showing an item of charge in an account to be wrong. Story.
FALSIFICATORFal"si*fi*ca`tor, n. Etym: [Cf. F. falsificateur.]
Defn: A falsifier. Bp. Morton.
FALSIFIERFal"si*fi`er, n.
Defn: One who falsifies, or gives to a thing a deceptive appearance; a liar.
FALSIFYFal"si*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Falsified; p. pr. & vb. n.Falsifying.] Etym: [L. falsus false + -ly: cf. F. falsifier. SeeFalse, a.]
1. To make false; to represent falsely. The Irish bards use to forge and falsify everything as they list, to please or displease any man. Spenser.
2. To counterfeit; to forge; as, to falsify coin.
3. To prove to be false, or untrustworthy; to confute; to disprove; to nullify; to make to appear false. By how much better than my word I am, By so much shall I falsify men's hope. Shak. Jews and Pagans united all their endeavors, under Julian the apostate, to baffie and falsify the prediction. Addison.
4. To violate; to break by falsehood; as, to falsify one's faith or word. Sir P. Sidney.
5. To baffie or escape; as, to falsify a blow. Bulter.
6. (Law)
Defn: To avoid or defeat; to prove false, as a judgment. Blackstone.
7. (Equity)
Defn: To show, in accounting, (an inem of charge inserted in an account) to be wrong. Story. Daniell.
8. To make false by multilation or addition; to tamper with; as, to falsify a record or document.
FALSIFYFal"si*fy, v. i.
Defn: To tell lies; to violate the truth.It is absolutely and universally unlawful to lie and falsify.South.
FALSISMFals"ism, n.
Defn: That which is evidently false; an assertion or statement the falsity of which is plainly apparent; — opposed to truism.
FALSITY Fal"si*ty, n.;pl. Falsities. Etym: [L. falsitas: cf. F. fausseté, OF. also, falsité. See False, a.]
1. The quality of being false; coutrariety or want of conformity to truth. Probability does not make any alteration, either in the truth or falsity of things. South.
2. That which is false; falsehood; a lie; a false assertion. Men often swallow falsities for truths. Sir T. Brown.
Syn. — Falsehood; lie; deceit. — Falsity, Falsehood, Lie. Falsity denotes the state or quality of being false. A falsehood is a false declaration designedly made. A lie is a gross, unblushing falsehood. The falsity of a person's assertion may be proved by the evidence of others and thus the charge of falsehood be fastened upon him.
FALTERFal"ter, v. t.
Defn: To thrash in the chaff; also, to cleanse or sift, as barley.[Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
FALTERFal"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Faltered; p. pr. & vb. n. Faltering.]Etym: [OE. falteren, faltren, prob. from fault. See Fault, v. & n.]
1. To hesitate; to speak brokenly or weakly; to stammer; as, his tongue falters. With faltering speech and visage incomposed. Milton.
2. To tremble; to totter; to be unsteady. "He found his legs falter." Wiseman.
3. To hesitate in purpose or action. Ere her native king Shall falter under foul rebellion's arms. Shak.
4. To fail in distinctness or regularity of exercise; — said of the mind or of thought. Here indeed the power of disinct conception of space and distance falters. I. Taylor.
FALTERFal"ter, v. t.
Defn: To utter with hesitation, or in a broken, trembling, or weakmanner.And here he faltered forth his last farewell. Byron.Mde me most happy, faltering "I am thine." Tennyson.
FALTERFal"ter, n. Etym: [See Falter, v. i.]
Defn: Hesitation; trembling; feebleness; an uncertain or broken sound; as, a slight falter in her voice. The falter of an idle shepherd's pipe. Lowell.
FALTERINGFal"ter*ing, a.
Defn: Hesitating; trembling. "With faltering speech." Milton.— n.
Defn: Falter; halting; hesitation.— Fal"ter*ing*ly, adv.
FALUNSFa`luns", n. Etym: [F.] (Geol.)
Defn: A series of strata, of the Middle Tertiary period, of France, abounding in shells, and used by Lyell as the type of his Miocene subdivision.
FALWEFal"we, a. & n.
Defn: Fallow. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FALXFalx, n. Etym: [L., a sickle.] (Anat.)
Defn: A curved fold or process of the dura mater or the peritoneum; esp., one of the partitionlike folds of the dura mater which extend into the great fissures of the brain.
FAMBLE Fam"ble, v. i. Etym: [OE. falmelen; cf. SW. famla to grope, Dan. famle to grope, falter, hesitate, Isel. falma to grope. Cf. Famble.]
Defn: To stammer. [Obs.] Nares.
FAMBLEFam"ble, n. Etym: [Cf. Famble, v.]
Defn: A hand [Slang & Obs.] "We clap our fambles." Beau. & Fl.
FAMEFame, n. Etym: [OF. fame, L. fama, fr. fari to speak, akin to Gr.Ban, and cf. Fable, Fate, Euphony, Blame.]
1. Public report or rumor. The fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house. Gen. xlv. 16.
2. Report or opinion generally diffused; renown; public estimation; celebrity, either favorable or unfavorable; as, the fame of Washington. I find thou art no less than fame hath bruited. Shak.
Syn.— Notoriety; celebrity; renown; reputation.
FAMEFame, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Famed,; p. pr. & vb. n. Faming.]
1. To report widely or honorably. The field where thou art famed To have wrought such wonders. Milton.
2. To make famous or renowned. Those Hesperian gardens famed of old. Milton.
FAMELESSFame"less, a.
Defn: Without fame or renown.— Fame"less*ly, adv.
FAMILIAR Fa*mil`iar, a. Etym: [OE. familer, familier, F. familier, fr. L. familiaris, fr. familia family. See Family.]
1. Of or pertaining to a family; domestic. "Familiar feuds." Byron.
2. Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion; well versed in, as any subject of study; as, familiar with the Scriptures.
3. Characterized by, or exhibiting, the manner of an intimate friend; not formal; unconstrained; easy; accessible. "In loose, familiar strains." Addison. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Shak.
4. Well known; well understood; common; frequent; as, a familiar illustration. That war, or peace, or both at once, may be As things acquainted and familiar to us. Shak. There is nothing more familiar than this. Locke.
5. Improperly acquainted; wrongly intimate. Camden. Familiar spirit, a demon or evil spirit supposed to attend at call. 1 Sam. xxviii. 3, 7-9.
FAMILIARFa*mil"iar, n.
1. An intimate; a companion. All my familiars watched for my halting. Jer. xx. 10.
2. An attendant demon or evil spirit. Shak.
3. (Court of Inquisition)
Defn: A confidential officer employed in the service of the tribunal, especially in apprehending and imprisoning the accused.
FAMILIARITY Fa*mil`iar"i*ty, n.; pl. Familiarities. Etym: [OE. familarite, F. familiaritéfr. L. faniliaritas. See Familiar.]
1. The state of being familiar; intimate and frequent converse, or association; unconstrained intercourse; freedom from ceremony and constraint; intimacy; as, to live in remarkable familiarity.
2. Anything said or done by one person to another unceremoniously and without constraint; esp., in the pl., such actions and words as propriety and courtesy do not warrant; liberties.
Syn.— Acquaintance; fellowship; affability; intimacy. See Acquaintance.
FAMILIARIZATIONFa*mil`iar*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act or process of making familiar; the result of becoming familiar; as, familiarization with scenes of blood.
FAMILIARIZEFa*mil"iar*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Familiarized; p. pr. & vb. n.Familiarizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. familiariser.]
1. To make familiar or intimate; to habituate; to accustom; to make well known by practice or converse; as, to familiarize one's self with scenes of distress.
2. To make acquainted, or skilled, by practice or study; as, to familiarize one's self with a business, a book, or a science.
FAMILIARLYFa"mil"iar*ly, adv.
Defn: In a familiar manner.
FAMILIARNESSFa*mil"iar*ness, n.
Defn: Familiarity. [R.]
FAMILIARYFa*mil"ia*ry, a. Etym: [L. familiaris. See Familiar.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a family or household; domestic. [Obs.]Milton.
FAMILISMFam"i*lism, n.
Defn: The tenets of the Familists. Milton.
FAMILISTFam"i*list, n. Etym: [From Family.] (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: One of afanatical Antinomian sect originating in Holland, and existing in England about 1580, called the Family of Love, who held that religion consists wholly in love.
FAMILISTERYFam"i*lis*ter*y, n.; pl. Familisteries (. Etym: [F. familistère.]
Defn: A community in which many persons unite as in one family, and are regulated by certain communistic laws and customs.
FAMILISTIC; FAMILISTICALFam`i*listic, Fam`i*lis"tic*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to Familists. Baxter.
FAMILY Fam"i*ly, n.; pl. Families. Etym: [L. familia, fr. famulus servant; akin to Oscan famel servant, cf. faamat he dwells, Skr. dhaman house, fr. dhato set, make, do: cf. F. famille. Cf. Do, v. t., Doom, Fact, Feat.]
1. The collective body of persons who live in one house, and under one head or manager; a household, including parents, children, and servants, and, as the case may be, lodgers or boarders.
2. The group comprising a husband and wife and their dependent children, constituting a fundamental unit in the organization of society. The welfare of the family underlies the welfare of society. H. Spencer.
3. Those who descend from one common progenitor; a tribe, clan, or race; kindred; house; as, the human family; the family of Abraham; the father of a family. Go ! and pretennd your family is young. Pope.
4. Course of descent; genealogy; line of ancestors; lineage.
5. Honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man of family.
6. A groupe of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine family.
7. (Biol.)
Defn: A groupe of organisms, either animal or vegetable, related by certain points of resemblance in structure or development, more comprehensive than a genus, because it is usually based on fewer or less pronounced points of likeness. In zoölogy a family is less comprehesive than an order; in botany it is often considered the same thing as an order. Family circle. See under Circle. — Family man. (a) A man who has a family; esp., one who has a wife and children living with him andd dependent upon him. (b) A man of domestic habits. "The Jews are generally, when married, most exemplary family men." Mayhew. — Family of curves or surfaces (Geom.), a group of curves or surfaces derived from a single equation. — In a family way, like one belonging to the family. "Why don't we ask him and his ladies to come over in a family way, and dine with some other plain country gentlefolks" Thackeray. — In the family way, pregnant. [Colloq.]