FICTIONALFic"tion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or characterized by, fiction; fictitious; romantic."Fictional rather than historical." Latham.
FICTIONISTFic"tion*ist, n.
Defn: A writer of fiction. [R.] Lamb.
FICTIOUSFic"tious, a.
Defn: Fictitious. [R.] Prior.
FICTITIOUSFic*ti"tious, a. Etym: [L. fictitius. See Fiction.]
Defn: Feigned; imaginary; not real; fabulous; counterfeit; false; notgenuine; as, fictitious fame.The human persons are as fictitious as the airy ones. Pope.— Fic*ti"tious*ly, adv.— Fic*ti"tious*ness, n.
FICTIVEFic"tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. fictif.]
Defn: Feigned; counterfeit. "The fount of fictive tears." Tennyson.
FICTORFic"tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: An artist who models or forms statues and reliefs in any plastic material. [R.] Elmes.
FICUSFi"cus, n. Etym: [L., a fig.]
Defn: A genus of trees or shrubs, one species of which (F. Carica) produces the figs of commerce; the fig tree.
Note: Ficus Indica is the banyan tree; F. religiosa, the peepul tree;F. elastica, the India-rubber tree.
FIDFid, n. Etym: [Prov. E. fid a small, thick lump.]
1. (Naut.)
Defn: A square bar of wood or iron, used to support the topmast, being passed through a hole or mortise at its heel, and resting on the trestle trees.
2. A wooden or metal bar or pin, used to support or steady anything.
3. A pin of hard wood, tapering to a point, used to open the strands of a rope in splicing.
Note: There are hand fids and standing fids (which are larger than the others, and stand upon a flat base). An iron implement for this purpose is called a marline spike.
4. (Mil.)
Defn: A block of wood used in mounting and dismounting heavy guns.
FIDALGOFi*dal"go, n. Etym: [Pg. See Hidalgo.]
Defn: The lowest title of nobility in Portugal, corresponding to that of Hidalgo in Spain.
FIDDLEFid"dle, n. Etym: [OE. fidele, fithele, AS. fi; akin to D. vedel,OHG. fidula, G. fiedel, Icel. fi, and perh. to E. viol. Cf. Viol.]
1. (Mus.)
Defn: A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a violin; a kit.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A kind of dock (Rumex pulcher) with fiddle-shaped leaves; — called also fiddle dock.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: A rack or frame of bars connected by strings, to keep table furniture in place on the cabin table in bad weather. Ham. Nav. Encyc. Fiddle beetle (Zoöl.), a Japanese carabid beetle (Damaster blaptoides); — so called from the form of the body. — Fiddle block (Naut.), a long tackle block having two sheaves of different diameters in the same plane, instead of side by side as in a common double block. Knight. — Fiddle bow, fiddlestick. — Fiddle fish (Zoöl.), the angel fish. — Fiddle head, an ornament on a ship's bow, curved like the volute or scroll at the head of a violin. — Fiddle pattern, a form of the handles of spoons, forks, etc., somewhat like a violin. — Scotch fiddle, the itch. (Low) — To play first, or second, fiddle, to take a leading or a subordinate part. [Colloq.]
FIDDLEFid"dle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fiddled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fiddling.]
1. To play on a fiddle. Themistocles . . . said he could not fiddle, but he could make a small town a great city. Bacon.
2. To keep the hands and fingers actively moving as a fiddler does; to move the hands and fingers restlessy or in busy idleness; to trifle. Talking, and fiddling with their hats and feathers. Pepys.
FIDDLEFid"dle, v. t.
Defn: To play (a tune) on a fiddle.
FIDDLEDEEDEEFid"dle*dee*dee`, interj.
Defn: An exclamatory word or phrase, equivalent to nonsense![Colloq.]
FIDDLE-FADDLEFid"dle-fad`dle, n.
Defn: A trifle; trifling talk; nonsense. [Colloq.] Spectator.
FIDDLE-FADDLEFid"dle-fad`dle, v. i.
Defn: To talk nonsense. [Colloq.] Ford.
FIDDLERFid"dler, n. Etym: [AS. fi.]
1. One who plays on a fiddle or violin.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A burrowing crab of the genus Gelasimus, of many species. The male has one claw very much enlarged, and often holds it in a position similar to that in which a musician holds a fiddle, hence the name; — called also calling crab, soldier crab, and fighting crab.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The common European sandpiper (Tringoides hypoleucus); — so called because it continually oscillates its body. Fiddler crab. (Zoöl.) See Fiddler, n., 2.
FIDDLE-SHAPEDFid"dle-shaped`, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Inversely ovate, with a deep hollow on each side. Gray.
FIDDLESTICKFid"dle*stick`, n.
Defn: The bow, strung with horsehair, used in playing the fiddle; a fiddle bow.
FIDDLESTRINGFid"dle*string`, n.
Defn: One of the catgut strings of a fiddle.
FIDDLEWOOD Fid"dle*wood`, n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. F. bois-fidèle, lit., faithful wood; — so called from its durability.]
Defn: The wood of several West Indian trees, mostly of the genusCitharexylum.
FIDEJUSSIONFi`de*jus"sion, n. Etym: [L. fidejussio, from fidejubere to be suretyor bail; fides faith + jubere to order: cf. F. fidéjussion.] (CivilLaw)
Defn: The act or state of being bound as surety for another; suretyship.
FIDEJUSSORFi`de*jus"sor, n. Etym: [L.: cf. F. fidéjusseur.] (Civil Law)
Defn: A surety; one bound for another, conjointly with him; a guarantor. Blackstone.
FIDELITYFi*del"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. fidelitas: cf. F. fidélité. See Fealty.]
Defn: Faithfulness; adherence to right; careful and exact observance of duty, or discharge of obligations. Especially: (a) Adherence to a person or party to which one is bound; loyalty. Whose courageous fidelity was proof to all danger. Macaulay. The best security for the fidelity of men is to make interest coincide with duty. A. Hamilton.
(b) Adherence to the marriage contract. (c) Adherence to truth; veracity; honesty. The principal thing required in a witness is fidelity. Hooker.
Syn.— Faithfulness; honesty; integrity; faith; loyalty; fealty.
FIDESFi"des, n. Etym: [L., faith.] (Roman Muth.)
Defn: Faith personified as a goddess; the goddess of faith.
FIDGEFidge, n. & i.
Defn: See Fidget. [R.] Swift.
FIDGETFidg"et, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fidgeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Fodgeting.]Etym: [From Fidge; cf. OE. fiken to fidget, to flatter, Icel. fika tohasten, Sw. fika to hunt after, AS. befician to deceive. Cf. Fickle.]
Defn: To move uneasily one way and the other; to move irregularly, or by fits and starts. Moore.
FIDGETFidg"et, n.
1. Uneasiness; restlessness. Cowper.
2. pl.
Defn: A general nervous restlessness, manifested by incessant changes of position; dysphoria. Dunglison.
FIDGETINESSFidg"et*i*ness, n.
Defn: Quality of being fidgety.
FIDGETYFidg"et*y, a.
Defn: Restless; uneasy. Lowell.
FIDIAFid"i*a, n. Etym: [NL., prob. fr. L. fidus trusty.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of small beetles, of which one species (the grapevineFidia, F. longipes) is very injurious to vines in America.
FIDICINAL Fi*dic"i*nal, a. Etym: [L. fidicinus, fr. fidicen, -inis, a lute player.] (Mus.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a stringed instrument.
FIDUCIAL Fi*du"cial, a. Etym: [L. fiducia trust, confidence; akin to fides faith. See Faith.]
1. Having faith or trust; confident; undoubting; firm. "Fiducial reliance on the promises of God." Hammond.
2. Having the nature of a trust; fiduciary; as, fiducial power. Spelman. Fiducial edge (Astron. & Surv.), the straight edge of the alidade or ruler along which a straight line is to be drawn. — Fiducial line or point (Math. & Physics.), a line or point of reference, as for setting a graduated circle or scale used for measurments.
FIDUCIALLYFi*du"cial*ly, adv.
Defn: With confidence. South.
FIDUCIARY Fi*du"ci*a*ry ( or ), a. Etym: [L. fiduciarus, fr. fiducia: cf. F. fiduciaire. See Fiducial.]
1. Involving confidence or trust; confident; undoubting; faithful; firm; as, in a fiduciary capacity. "Fiduciary obedience." Howell.
2. Holding, held, or founded, in trust. Spelman.
FIDUCIARYFi*du"ci*a*ry, n.
1. One who holds a thing in trust for another; a trustee. Instrumental to the conveying God's blessing upon those whose fiduciaries they are. Jer. Taylor.
2. (Theol.)
Defn: One who depends for salvation on faith, without works; anAntinomian. Hammond.
FIE Fie, interj. Etym: [OE. fi; cf. D. fif. G. pfui, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. fy, F. fi, L. fi, phy.]
Defn: An exclamation denoting contempt or dislike. See Fy. Fuller.
FIEF Fief, n. Etym: [F. fief; of German origin, and the same word as E. fee. See Fee, and cf. Feud, a tief.] (Law)
Defn: An estate held of a superior on condition of military service; a fee; a feud. See under Benefice, n., 2.
FIELDField, n. Etym: [OE. feld, fild, AS. feld; akin to D. veld, G. feld,Sw. fält, Dan. felt, Icel. fold field of grass, AS. folde earth,land, ground, OS. folda.]
1. Cleared land; land suitable for tillage or pasture; cultivated ground; the open country.
2. A piece of land of considerable size; esp., a piece inclosed for tillage or pasture. Fields which promise corn and wine. Byron.
3. A place where a battle is fought; also, the battle itself. In this glorious and well-foughten field. Shak. What though the field be lost Milton.
4. An open space; an extent; an expanse. Esp.: (a) Any blank space or ground on which figures are drawn or projected. (b) The space covered by an optical instrument at one view. Without covering, save yon field of stars. Shak. Ask of yonder argent fields above. Pope.
5. (Her.)
Defn: The whole surface of an escutcheon; also, so much of it is shown unconcealed by the different bearings upon it. See Illust. of Fess, where the field is represented as gules (red), while the fess is argent (silver).
6. An unresticted or favorable opportunity for action, operation, or achievement; province; room. Afforded a clear field for moral experiments. Macaulay.
7. A collective term for all the competitors in any outdoor contest or trial, or for all except the favorites in the betting.
8. (Baseball)
Defn: That part of the grounds reserved for the players which is outside of the diamond; — called also outfield.
Note: Field is often used adjectively in the sense of belonging to, or used in, the fields; especially with reference to the operations and equipments of an army during a campaign away from permanent camps and fortifications. In most cases such use of the word is sufficiently clear; as, field battery; field fortification; field gun; field hospital, etc. A field geologist, naturalist, etc., is one who makes investigations or collections out of doors. A survey uses a field book for recording field notes, i.e., measurment, observations, etc., made in field work (outdoor operations). A farmer or planter employs field hands, and may use a field roller or a field derrick. Field sports are hunting, fishing, athletic games, etc. Coal field (Geol.) See under Coal. — Field artillery, light ordnance mounted on wheels, for the use of a marching army. — Field basil (Bot.), a plant of the Mint family (Calamintha Acinos); — called also basil thyme. — Field colors (Mil.), small flags for marking out the positions for squadrons and battalions; camp colors. — Field cricket (Zoöl.), a large European cricket (Gryllus campestric), remarkable for its loud notes. — Field day. (a) A day in the fields. (b) (Mil.) A day when troops are taken into the field for instruction in evolutions. Farrow. (c) A day of unusual exertion or display; a gala day. — Field driver, in New England, an officer charged with the driving of stray cattle to the pound. — Field duck (Zoöl.), the little bustard (Otis tetrax), found in Southern Europe. — Field glass. (Optics) (a) A binocular telescope of compact form; a lorgnette; a race glass. (b) A small achromatic telescope, from 20 to 24 inches long, and having 3 to 6 draws. (c) See Field lens. — Field lark. (Zoöl.) (a) The skylark. (b) The tree pipit. — Field lens (Optics), that one of the two lenses forming the eyepiece of an astronomical telescope or compound microscope which is nearer the object glass; — called also field glass. — Field madder (Bot.), a plant (Sherardia arvensis) used in dyeing. — Field marshal (Mil.), the highest military rank conferred in the British and other European armies. — Field mouse (Zoöl.), a mouse inhabiting fields, as the campagnol and the deer mouse. See Campagnol, and Deer mouse. — Field officer (Mil.), an officer above the rank of captain and below that of general. — Field officer's court (U.S.Army), a court-martial consisting of one field officer empowered to try all cases, in time of war, subject to jurisdiction of garrison and regimental courts. Farrow. — Field plover (Zoöl.), the black-bellied plover (Charadrius squatarola); also sometimes applied to the Bartramian sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda). — Field spaniel (Zoöl.), a small spaniel used in hunting small game. — Field sparrow. (Zoöl.) (a) A small American sparrow (Spizella pusilla). (b) The hedge sparrow. [Eng.] — Field staff (Mil.), a staff formerly used by gunners to hold a lighted match for discharging a gun. — Field vole (Zoöl.), the European meadow mouse. — Field of ice, a large body of floating ice; a pack. — Field, or Field of view, in a telescope or microscope, the entire space within which objects are seen. — Field magnet. see under Magnet. — Magnetic field. See Magnetic. — To back the field, or To bet on the field. See under Back, v. t. — To keep the field. (a) (Mil.) To continue a campaign. (b) To maintain one's ground against all comers. — To lay, or back, against the field, to bet on (a horse, etc.) against all comers. — To take the field (Mil.), to enter upon a campaign.
FIELDField, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fielded; p. pr. & vb. n. Fielding.]
1. To take the field. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. (Ball Playing)
Defn: To stand out in the field, ready to catch, stop, or throw the ball.
FIELDField, v. t. (Ball Playing)
Defn: To catch, stop, throw, etc. (the ball), as a fielder.
FIELDEDField"ed, a.
Defn: Engaged in the field; encamped. [Obs.]To help fielded friends. Shak.
FIELDENField"en, a.
Defn: Consisting of fields. [Obs.]The fielden country also and plains. Holland.
FIELDERField"er, n. (Ball Playing)
Defn: A ball payer who stands out in the field to catch or stop balls.
FIELDFARE Field"fare`, n. Etym: [OE. feldfare, AS. feldfare; field + faran to travel.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: a small thrush (Turdus pilaris) which breeds in northern Europe and winters in Great Britain. The head, nape, and lower part of the back are ash-colored; the upper part of the back and wing coverts, chestnut; — called also fellfare.
FIELDINGField"ing, n. (Ball Playing)
Defn: The act of playing as a fielder.
FIELDPIECEField"piece`, n.
Defn: A cannon mounted on wheels, for the use of a marching army; a piece of field artillery; — called also field gun.
FIELDWORKField"work`, n. (Mil.)
Defn: Any temporary fortification thrown up by an army in the field;— commonly in the plural.All works which do not come under the head of permanent fortificationare called fieldworks. Wilhelm.
FIELDYField"y, a.
Defn: Open, like a field. [Obs.] Wyclif.
FIEND Fiend, n. Etym: [OE. fend, find, fiend, feond, fiend, foe, AS. feónd; akin to OS. fiond, D. vijand enemy, OHG. fiant, G. feind, Icel. fjand, Sw. & Dan. fiende, Goth. fijands; orig. p.pr. of a verb meaning to hate, AS. feón, feógan, OHG. fi, Goth. fijan, Skr. piy to scorn; prob. akin to E. feud a quarrel. *81. Cf. Foe, Friend.]
Defn: An implacable or malicious foe; one who is diabolically wicked or cruel; an infernal being; — applied specifically to the devil or a demon. Into this wild abyss the wary fiend Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while. Milton. O woman! woman! when to ill thy mind Is bent, all hell contains no fouler fiend. Pope.
FIENDFULFiend"ful, a.
Defn: Full of fiendish spirit or arts. Marlowe.— Fiend"ful*ly, adv.
FIENDISHFiend"ish, a.
Defn: Like a fiend; diabolically wicked or cruel; infernal;malignant; devilish; hellish.— Fiend"ish*ly, adv.— Fiend"ish*ness, n.
FIENDLIKEFiend"like`, a.
Defn: Fiendish; diabolical. Longfellow.
FIENDLYFiend"ly, a. Etym: [AS. feóndlic.]
Defn: Fiendlike; monstrous; devilish. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FIERASFERFi`e*ras"fer, n. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of small, slender fishes, remarkable for their habit of living as commensals in other animals. One species inhabits the gill cavity of the pearl oyster near Panama; another lives within an East Indian holothurian.
FIERCE Fierce, a. [Compar. Fiercer; superl. Fiercest.] Etym: [OE. fers, fiers, OF. fier, nom. fiers, fierce, savage, cruel, F. fier proud, from L. ferus wild, savage, cruel; perh. akin to E. bear the animal. Cf. Feral, Ferocity.]
1. Furious; violent; unrestrained; impetuous; as, a fierce wind. His fierce thunder drove us to the deep. Milton.
2. Vehement in anger or cruelty; ready or eager to kill or injure; of a nature to inspire terror; ferocious. "A fierce whisper." Dickens. "A fierce tyrant." Pope. The fierce foe hung upon our broken rear. Milton. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion. Job. x. 16.
3. Excessively earnest, eager, or ardent.
Syn.— Ferocious; savage; cruel; vehement; impetuous; barbarous; fell.See Ferocious.— Fierce"ly, adv.— Fierce"ness, n.
FIERI FACIASFi"e*ri fa"ci*as. Etym: [L., cause it to be done.] (Law)
Defn: A judicial writ that lies for one who has recovered in debt or damages, commanding the sheriff that he cause to be made of the goods, chattels, or real estate of the defendant, the sum claimed. Blackstone. Cowell.
FIERINESSFi"er*i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being fiery; heat; acrimony; irritability; as, a fieriness of temper. Addison.
FIERYFi"er*y ( or ), a. Etym: [Formerly written firy, fr. fire.]
1. Consisting of, containing, or resembling, fire; as, the fiery gulf of Etna; a fiery appearance. And fiery billows roll below. I. Watts.
2. Vehement; ardent; very active; impetuous. Hath thy fiery heart so parched thine entrails Shak. The fiery spirit of his forefathers. W. Irwing.
3. Passionate; easily provoked; irritable. You kniw the fiery quality of the duke. Shak.
4. Unrestrained; fierce; mettlesome; spirited. One curbed the fiery steed. Dryden.
5. heated by fire, or as if by fire; burning hot; parched; feverish. Pope. The sword which is made fiery. Hooker. Fiery cross, a cross constructed of two firebrands, and pitched upon the point of a spear; formerly in Scotland borne by a runner as a signal for the clan to take up arms. Sir W. Scott.
FIESTAFies"ta, n. [Sp. See Feast, n.]
Defn: Among Spanish, a religious festival; a saint's day or holiday; also, a holiday or festivity.
Even . . . a bullfight is a fiesta.Am. Dialect Notes.
Some fiesta, when all the surrounding population were expected to turn out in holiday dress for merriment. The Century.
FIFEFife, n. Etym: [F. fifre, OHG. pfifa, LL. pipa pipe, pipare to playon the pipe, fr. L. pipire, pipare, to peep, pip, chirp, as a chiken.See Pipe.] (Mus.)
Defn: A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music. Fife major (Mil.), a noncommissioned officer who superintends the fifers of a regiment. — Fife rail. (Naut.) (a) A rail about the mast, at the deck, to hold belaying pins, etc. (b) A railing around the break of a poop deck.
FIFEFife, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fifed; p. pr. & vb. n. fifing.]
Defn: To play on a fife.
FIFERFif"er, n.
Defn: One who plays on a fife.
FIFTEEN Fif"teen`, a. Etym: [OE. fiftene, AS. fift, fift. See Five, and Ten, and cf. Fifty.]
Defn: Five and ten; one more than fourteen.
FIFTEENFif"teen`, n.
1. The sum of five and ten; fifteen units or objects.
2. A symbol representing fifteen units, as 15, or xv.
FIFTEENTHFif"teenth`, a. Etym: [OE. fiftenthe; cf. fiftethe, AS. fifte. SeeFifteen.]
1. Next in order after the fourteenth; — the ordinal of fifteen.
2. Consisting of one of fifteen equal parts or divisions of a thing.
FIFTEENTHFif"teenth`, n.
1. One of fifteen equal parts or divisions; the quotient of a unit divided by fifteen.
2. A species of tax upon personal property formerly laid on towns, boroughs, etc., in England, being one fifteenth part of what the personal property in each town, etc., had been valued at. Burrill.
3. (Mus.) (a) A stop in an organ tuned two octaves above the diaposon. (b) An interval consisting of two octaves.
FIFTHFifth, a. Etym: [OE. fifte, fifthe, AS. fifta. See Five.]
1. Next in order after the fourth; — the ordinal of five.
2. Consisting of one of five equal divisions of a thing. Fifth monarchy men (Hist.), a fanatical sect in England, of the time of the commonwealth, who maintained that there would be a fifth universal monarchy, during which Christ would reign on earth a thousand years. — Fifth wheel, a horizontal wheel or segment above the fore axle of a carriage and beneath the body, forming an extended support to prevent careening.
FIFTHFifth, n.
1. The quotient of a unit divided by five; one of five equal parts; a fifth part.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: The interval of three tones and a semitone, embracing five diatonic degrees of the scale; the dominant of any key.
FIFTHLYFifth"ly, adv.
Defn: In the fifth place; as the fifth in order.
FIFTIETHFif"ti*eth, a. Etym: [AS. fiftigo. See Fifty.]
1. Next in order after the forty-ninth; — the ordinal of fifty.
2. Consisting of one of fifty equal parts or divisions.
FIFTIETHFif"ti*eth, n.
Defn: One of fifty equal parts; the quotient of a unit divided by fifty.
FIFTYFif"ty, a. Etym: [AS. fiftig; akin to OHG. finfzug, fimfzug, G.fünfzig, funfzig, Goth. fimftigjus. See Five, and Ten, and cf.Fifteen.]
Defn: Five times ten; as, fifty men.
FIFTYFif"ty, n.; pl. Fifties (.
1. The sum of five tens; fifty units or objects.
2. A symbol representing fifty units, as 50, or l.
FIG Fig, n. Etym: [F. figue the fruit of the tree, Pr. figa, fr. L. ficus fig tree, fig. Cf. Fico.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A small fruit tree (Ficus Carica) with large leaves, known from the remotest antiquity. It was probably native from Syria westward to the Canary Islands.
2. The fruit of a fig tree, which is of round or oblong shape, and of various colors.
Note: The fruit of a fig tree is really the hollow end of a stem, and bears numerous achenia inside the cavity. Many species have little, hard, inedible figs, and in only a few does the fruit become soft and pulpy. The fruit of the cultivated varieties is much prized in its fresh state, and also when dried or preserved. See Caprification.
3. A small piece of tobacco. [U.S.]
4. The value of a fig, practically nothing; a fico; — used in scorn or contempt. "A fig for Peter." Shak. Cochineal fig. See Conchineal fig. — Fig dust, a preparation of fine oatmeal for feeding caged birds. — Fig faun, one of a class of rural deities or monsters supposed to live on figs. "Therefore shall dragons dwell there with the fig fauns." Jer. i. 39. (Douay version). — Fig gnat (Zoöl.), a small fly said to be injurious to figs. — Fig leaf, the leaf tree; hence, in allusion to the first clothing of Adam and Eve (Genesis iii.7), a covering for a thing that ought to be concealed; esp., an inadequate covering; a symbol for affected modesty. — Fig marigold (Bot.), the name of several plants of the genus Mesembryanthemum, some of which are prized for the brilliancy and beauty of their flowers. — Fig tree (Bot.), any tree of the genus Ficus, but especially F. Carica which produces the fig of commerce.
FIGFig, v. t. Etym: [See Fico, Fig, n.]
1. To insult with a fico, or contemptuous motion. See Fico. [Obs.] When Pistol lies, do this, and fig me like The bragging Spaniard. Shak.
2. To put into the head of, as something useless o [Obs.] L'Estrange.
FIGFig, n.
Defn: Figure; dress; array. [Colloq.] Were they all in full fig, the females with feathers on their heads, the males with chapeaux bras Prof. Wilson.
FIGAROFi`ga`ro", n. Etym: [From the name of the barber in Beaumarchais'"Barber of Seville."]
Defn: An adroi
FIGARYFig"a*ry, n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. vagary.]
Defn: A frolic; a vagary; a whim. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
FIGEATER Fig"eat`er, n. (Zoöl.) (a) A large beetle (Allorhina nitida) which in the Southern United States destroys figs. The elytra are velvety green with pale borders. (b) A bird. See Figpecker.
FIGENTFig"ent, a.
Defn: Fidgety; restless. [Obs.]Such a little figent thing. Beau. & Fl.
FIGGUMFig"gum, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]
Defn: A juggler's trick; conjuring. [Obs.]The devil is the author of wicked figgum. B. Jonson.
FIGHT Fight, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fought; p. pr. & vb. n. Fighting.] Etym: [OE. fihten, fehten, AS. feohtan; akin to D. vechten, OHG. fehtan, G. fechten, Sw. fäkta, Dan. fegte, and perh. to E. fist; cf. L. pugnare to fight, pugnus fist.]
1. To strive or contened for victory, with armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; — followed by with or against. You do fight against your country's foes. Shak. To fight with thee no man of arms will deign. Milton.
2. To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to contend; to strive; to make resistance. To fight shy, to avoid meeting fairly or at close quarters; to keep out of reach.
FIGHTFight, v. t.
1. To carry on, or wage, as a conflict, or battle; to win or gain by struggle, as one's way; to sustain by fighting, as a cause. He had to fight his way through the world. Macaulay. I have fought a good fight. 2 Tim. iv. 7.
2. To contend with in battle; to war against; as, they fought the enemy in two pitched battles; the sloop fought the frigate for three hours.
3. To cause to fight; to manage or maneuver in a fight; as, to fight cocks; to fight one's ship. To fight it out, to fight until a decisive and conclusive result is reached.
FIGHTFight, n. Etym: [OE. fight, feht, AS. feoht. See Fight, v. i.]
1. A battle; an engagement; a contest in arms; a combat; a violent conflict or struggle for victory, between individuals or between armies, ships, or navies, etc. Who now defies thee thrice to single fight. Milton.
2. A struggle or contest of any kind.
3. Strength or disposition for fighting; pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of fight in him. [Colloq.]
4. A screen for the combatants in ships. [Obs.] Up with your fights, and your nettings prepare. Dryden. Running fight, a fight in which the enemy is continually chased; also, one which continues without definite end or result.
Syn. — Combat; engagement; contest; struggle; encounter; fray; affray; action; conflict. See Battle.
FIGHTERFight"er, n. Etym: [AS. feohtere.]
Defn: One who fights; a combatant; a warrior. Shak.
FIGHTINGFight"ing, a.
1. Qualified for war; fit for battle. An host of fighting men. 2 Chron. xxvi. 11.
2. Occupied in war; being the scene of a battle; as, a fighting field. Pope. A fighting chance, one dependent upon the issue of a struggle. [Colloq.] — Fighting crab (Zoöl.), the fiddler crab. — Fighting fish (Zoöl.), a remarkably pugnacious East Indian fish (Betta pugnax), reared by the Siamese for spectacular fish fights.
FIGHTINGLYFight"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: Pugnaciously.
FIGHTWITEFight"wite`, n. Etym: [Fight + wite.] (O.Eng. Law)
Defn: A mulct or fine imposed on a person for making a fight or quarrel to the disturbance of the peace.
FIGMENT Fig"ment, n. Etym: [L. figmentum, fr. fingere to form, shape, invent, feign. See Feign.]
Defn: An invention; a fiction; something feigned or imagined.Social figments, feints, and formalism. Mrs. Browning.It carried rather an appearance of figment and invention . . . thanof truth and reality. Woodward.
FIGPECKERFig"peck`er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The European garden warbler (Sylvia, or Currica, hortensis); — called also beccafico and greater pettychaps.
FIG-SHELLFig"-shell`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A marine univalve shell of the genus Pyrula, or Ficula, resembling a fig in form.
FIGULATE; FIGULATED Fig"u*late, Fig"u*la`ted, a. Etym: [L. figulatus, p.p. of figulare to shape, fr. figulus potter, fr. fingere to shape.]
Defn: Made of potter's clay; molded; shaped. [R.] Johnson.
FIGULINE Fig"u*line ( or ), n. Etym: [F., fr. L. figulina pottery, fr. figulus. See Figulate.]
Defn: A piece of pottery ornamented with representations of naturalobjects.Whose figulines and rustic wares Scarce find him bread from day today. Longfellow.
FIGURABILITYFig`ur*a*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. figurabilité.]
Defn: The quality of being figurable. Johnson.
FIGURABLE Fig`ur*a*ble, a. Etym: [L. figurare to form, shape, fr. figura figure: cf. F. figurable. See Figure.]
Defn: Capable of being brought to a fixed form or shape.Lead is figurable, but water is not. Johnson.
FIGURALFig"ur*al, a. Etym: [From Figure.]
1. Represented by figure or delineation; consisting of figures; as, figural ornaments. Sir T. Browne.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: Figurate. See Figurate. Figural numbers. See Figurate numbers, under Figurate.
FIGURANT Fig"u*rant` ( or ), n. masc. Etym: [F., prop. p.pr. of figurer figure, represent, make a figure.]
Defn: One who dances at the opera, not singly, but in groups or figures; an accessory character on the stage, who figures in its scenes, but has nothing to say; hence, one who figures in any scene, without taking a prominent part.
FIGURANTEFig"u*rante` ( or ), n. fem. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A female figurant; esp., a ballet girl.
FIGURATEFig"ur*ate, a. Etym: [L. figuratus, p.p. of figurare. See Figure.]
1. Of a definite form or figure. Plants are all figurate and determinate, which inanimate bodies are not. Bacon.
2. Figurative; metaphorical. [Obs.] Bale.
3. (Mus.)
Defn: Florid; figurative; involving passing discords by the freer melodic movement of one or more parts or voices in the harmony; as, figurate counterpoint or descant. Figurate counterpoint or descant (Mus.), that which is not simple, or in which the parts do not move together tone for tone, but in which freer movement of one or more parts mingles passing discords with the harmony; — called also figural, figurative, and figured counterpoint or descant (although the term figured is more commonly applied to a bass with numerals written above or below to indicate the other notes of the harmony). — Figurate numbers (Math.), numbers, or series of numbers, formed from any arithmetical progression in which the first term is a unit, and the difference a whole number, by taking the first term, and the sums of the first two, first three, first four, etc., as the successive terms of a new series, from which another may be formed in the same manner, and so on, the numbers in the resulting series being such that points representing them are capable of symmetrical arrangement in different geometrical figures, as triangles, squares, pentagons, etc.
Note: In the following example, the two lower lines are composed of figurate numbers, those in the second line being triangular, and represented thus: —. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. . . . 1, 3, 6, 10, etc. . . . . . . . etc. 1, 4, 10, 20, etc . . . . . . . . . . . .
FIGURATEDFig"ur*a`ted, a.
Defn: Having a determinate form.
FIGURATELYFig"ur*ate*ly, adv.
Defn: In a figurate manner.
FIGURATIONFig`u*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. figuratio.]
1. The act of giving figure or determinate form; determination to a certain form. Bacon.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: Mixture of concords and discords.
FIGURATIVEFig"ur*a*tive, a. Etym: [L. figurativus: cf. F. figuratif. SeeFigurative.]
1. Representing by a figure, or by resemblance; typical; representative. This, they will say, was figurative, and served, by God's appointment, but for a time, to shadow out the true glory of a more divine sanctity. Hooker.
2. Used in a sense that is tropical, as a metaphor; not literal; — applied to words and expressions.
3. Ambounding in figures of speech; flowery; florid; as, a highly figurative description.
4. Relating to the representation of form or figure by drawing, carving, etc. See Figure, n., 2. They belonged to a nation dedicated to the figurative arts, and they wrote for a public familiar with painted form. J. A. Symonds. Figurative counterpointdescant. See under Figurate. — Fig"ur*a*tive*ly, adv. — Fig"ur*a*tive*ness, n.
FIGURE Fig"ure, n. Etym: [F., figure, L. figura; akin to fingere to form, shape, feign. See Feign.]
1. The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance. Flowers have all exquisite figures. Bacon.
2. The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modeling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body; as, a figure in bronze; a figure cut in marble. A coin that bears the figure of an angel. Shak.
3. A pattern in cloth, paper, or other manufactured article; a design wrought out in a fabric; as, the muslin was of a pretty figure.
4. (Geom.)
Defn: A diagram or drawing; made to represent a magnitude or the relation of two or more magnitudes; a surface or space inclosed on all sides; — called superficial when inclosed by lines, and solid when inclosed by surface; any arrangement made up of points, lines, angles, surfaces, etc.
5. The appearance or impression made by the conduct or carrer of a person; as, a sorry figure. I made some figure there. Dryden. Gentlemen of the best figure in the county. Blackstone.
6. Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendor; show. That he may live in figure and indulgence. Law.
7. A character or symbol representing a number; a numeral; a digit; as, 1, 2,3, etc.
8. Value, as expressed in numbers; price; as, the goods are estimated or sold at a low figure. [Colloq.] With nineteen thousand a year at the very lowest figure. Thackeray.
9. A person, thing, or action, conceived of as analogous to another person, thing, or action, of which it thus becomes a type or representative. Who is the figure of Him that was to come. Rom. v. 14.
10. (Rhet.)
Defn: A mode of expressing abstract or immaterial ideas by words which suggest pictures or images from the physical world; pictorial language; a trope; hence, any deviation from the plainest form of statement. To represent the imagination under the figure of a wing. Macaulay.
11. (Logic)
Defn: The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term.
12. (Dancing)
Defn: Any one of the several regular steps or movements made by a dancer.
13. (Astrol.)
Defn: A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses. Johnson.
14. (Music) (a) Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression. Grove. (b) A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a musical or motive; a florid embellishment.
Note: Figures are often written upon the staff in music to denote the kind of measure. They are usually in the form of a fraction, the upper figure showing how many notes of the kind indicated by the lower are contained in one measure or bar. Thus, 2/4 signifies that the measure contains two quarter notes. The following are the principal figures used for this purpose: —2/22/42/8 4/22/44/8 3/23/43/8 6/46/46/8 Academy figure, Canceled figures, Lay figure, etc. See under Academy, Cancel, Lay, etc. — Figure caster, or Figure flinger, an astrologer. This figure caster." Milton. — Figure flinging, the practice of astrology. — Figure-of-eight knot, a knot shaped like the figure 8. See Illust. under Knot. — Figure painting, a picture of the human figure, or the act or art of depicting the human figure. — Figure stone (Min.), agalmatolite. — Figure weaving, the art or process of weaving figured fabrics. — To cut a figure, to make a display. [Colloq.] Sir W. Scott.
FIGUREFig"ure, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Figured; p. pr. & vb. n. Figuring.]Etym: [F. figurer, L. figurare, fr. figura. See Figure, n.]
1. To represent by a figure, as to form or mold; to make an image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into a determinate form; to shape. If love, alas! be pain I bear, No thought can figure, and no tongue declare.Prior.
2. To embellish with design; to adorn with figures. The vaulty top of heaven Figured quite o'er with burning meteors. Shak.
3. To indicate by numerals; also, to compute. As through a crystal glass the figured hours are seen. Dryden.
4. To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize. Whose white vestments figure innocence. Shak.
5. To prefigure; to foreshow. In this the heaven figures some event. Shak.
6. (Mus.) (a) To write over or under the bass, as figures or other characters, in order to indicate the accompanying chords. (b) To embellish. To figure out, to solve; to compute or find the result of. — To figure up, to add; to reckon; to compute the amount of.
FIGUREFig"ure, v. t.
1. To make a figure; to be distinguished or conspicious; as, theenvoy figured at court.Sociable, hospitable, eloquent, admired, figuring away brilliantly.M. Arnold.
2. To calculate; to contrive; to scheme; as, he is figuring to secure the nomination. [Colloq.]
FIGUREDFig"ured, a.
1. Adorned with figures; marked with figures; as, figured muslin.
2. Not literal; figurative. [Obs.] Locke.
3. (Mus.) (a) Free and florid; as, a figured descant. See Figurate, 3. (b) Indicated or noted by figures. Figured bass. See Continued bass, under Continued.
FIGUREHEADFig"ure*head`, n.
1. (Naut.)
Defn: The figure, statue, or bust, on the prow of a ship.
2. A person who allows his name to be used to give standing to enterprises in which he has no responsible interest or duties; a nominal, but not real, head or chief.
FIGURIALFi*gu"ri*al, a.
Defn: Represented by figure or delineation. [R.] Craig.
FIGURINEFi`gu`rine" ( or ), n. Etym: [F., dim. of figure.]
Defn: A very small figure, whether human or of an animal; especially, one in terra cotta or the like; — distinguished from statuette, which is applied to small figures in bronze, marble, etc.
FIGURISTFig"ur*ist, n.
Defn: One who uses or interprets figurative expressions. Waterland.
FIGWORTFig"wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of herbaceous plants (Scrophularia), mostly found in the north temperate zones. See Brownwort.
FIJIANFi"ji*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Fiji islands or their inhabitants.— n.
Defn: A native of the Fiji islands. [Written also Feejeean, Feejee.]
FIKEFike, n.
Defn: See Fyke.
FILFil, obs.
Defn: imp. of Fall, v. i. Fell. Chaucer.
FILACEOUSFi*la"ceous ( or ), a. Etym: [L. filum thread.]
Defn: Composed of threads. Bacon.
FILACER Fil"a*cer, n. Etym: [OE. filace a file, or thread, on which the records of the courts of justice were strung, F. filasse tow of flax or hemp, fr. L. filum thread.] (Eng. Law)
Defn: A former officer in the English Court of Common Pleas; — so called because he filed the writs on which he made out process. [Obs.] Burrill.
FILAMENT Fil"a*ment, n. Etym: [F. filament, fr. L. filum thread. See File a row.]
Defn: A thread or threadlike object or appendage; a fiber; esp.(Bot.), the threadlike part of the stamen supporting the anther.
FILAMENTARYFil`a*men"ta*ry, a.
Defn: Having the character of, or formed by, a filament.
FILAMENTOIDFil"a*men*toid`, a. Etym: [Filament + -oid.]
Defn: Like a filament.
FILAMENTOUSFil`a*men"tous, a. Etym: [Cf. F. filamenteux.]
Defn: Like a thread; consisting of threads or filaments. Gray.
FILANDERFil"an*der, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of kangaroo (Macropus Brunii), inhabiting New Guinea.
FILANDERSFil"an*ders, n. pl. Etym: [F. filandres, fr. L. filum thread.](Falconry)
Defn: A disease in hawks, characterized by the presence of small threadlike worms, also of filaments of coagulated blood, from the rupture of a vein; — called also backworm. Sir T. Browne.
FILARFi"lar, a. Etym: [L. filum a thread.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a thread or line; characterized by threads stretched across the field of view; as, a filar microscope; a filar micrometer.
FILARIAFi*la"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. filum a thread.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of slender, nematode worms of many species, parasitic in various animals. See Guinea worm.
FILARIALFi*la"ri*al, a.
1. (Zoöl. & Med.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or caused by, filariæ and allied parasitic worms.
2. Straight, as if in a line; as, the filarial flight of birds.
FILARIASISFil`a*ri"a*sis, n. [NL.] (Med.)
Defn: The presence of filariæ in the blood; infection with filariæ.
FILASSEFi*lasse", n. [F., fr. fil thread, L. filum.]
Defn: Vegetable fiber, as jute or ramie, prepared for manufacture.
FILATORY Fil"a*to*ry, n. Etym: [LL. filatorium place for spinning, fr. filare to spin, fr. L. filum a thread.]
Defn: A machine for forming threads. [Obs.] W. Tooke.
FILATURE Fil"a*ture, n. Etym: [LL. filatura, fr. filare to spin: cf. F. filature. See Filatory.]
1. A drawing out into threads; hence, the reeling of silk from cocoons. Ure.
2. A reel for drawing off silk from cocoons; also, an establishment for reeling silk.
FILBERT Fil"bert, n. Etym: [Perh. fr. fill + bread, as filling the bread or husk; cf. G. bartnuss (lit., bread nut) filbert; or perh. named from a St.Philibert, whose day, Aug. 22, fell in the nutting season.] (Bot.)
Defn: The fruit of the Corylus Avellana or hazel. It is an oval nut, containing a kernel that has a mild, farinaceous, oily taste, agreeable to the palate.
Note: In England filberts are usually large hazelnuts, especially the nuts from selected and cultivated trees. The American hazelnuts are of two other species. Filbert gall (Zoöl.), a gall resembling a filbert in form, growing in clusters on grapevines. It is produced by the larva of a gallfly (Cecidomyia).
FILCHFilch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filched; p. pr. & vb. n. Filching.] Etym:[Cf. AS. feol to stick to, OHG. felhan, felahan, to hide, Icel. fela,Goth. filhan to hide, bury, Prov. E. feal to hide slyly, OE. felen.]
Defn: To steal or take privily (commonly, that which is of littlevalue); to pilfer.Fain would they filch that little food away. Dryden.But he that filches from me my good name, Robs me of that which notenriches him, And makes me poor indeed. Shak.
FILCHERFilch"er, n.
Defn: One who filches; a thief.
FILCHINGLYFilch"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: By pilfering or petty stealing.
FILE File, n. Etym: [F. file row (cf. Pr., Sp., Pg., & It. fila), LL. fila, fr. L. filum a thread. Cf. Enfilade, Filament, Fillet.]
1. An orderly succession; a line; a row; as: (a) (Mil) A row of soldiers ranged one behind another; — in contradistinction to rank, which designates a row of soldiers standing abreast; a number consisting the depth of a body of troops, which, in the ordinary modern formation, consists of two men, the battalion standing two deep, or in two ranks.
Note: The number of files in a company describes its width, as the number of ranks does its depth; thus, 100 men in "fours deep" would be spoken of as 25 files in 4 ranks. Farrow. (b) An orderly collection of papers, arranged in sequence or classified for preservation and reference; as, files of letters or of newspapers; this mail brings English files to the 15th instant. (c) The line, wire, or other contrivance, by which papers are put and kept in order. It is upon a file with the duke's other letters. Shak.
(d) A roll or list. "A file of all the gentry." Shak.
2. Course of thought; thread of narration. [Obs.] Let me resume the file of my narration. Sir H. Wotton. File firing, the act of firing by file, or each file independently of others. — File leader, the soldier at the front of any file, who covers and leads those in rear of him. — File marching, the marching of a line two deep, when faced to the right or left, so that the front and rear rank march side by side. Brande & C. —Indian file, or Single file, a line of men marching one behind another; a single row. — On file, preserved in an orderly collection. — Rank and file. (a) The body of soldiers constituing the mass of an army, including corporals and privates. Wilhelm. (b) Those who constitute the bulk or working members of a party, society, etc., in distinction from the leaders.
FILEFile, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filed; p. pr. & vb. n. Filing.]
1. To set in order; to arrange, or lay away, esp. as papers in a methodical manner for preservation and reverence; to place on file; to insert in its proper place in an arranged body of papers. I would have my several courses and my dishes well filed. Beau. & Fl.
2. To bring before a court or legislative body by presenting proper papers in a regular way; as, to file a petition or bill. Burrill.
3. (Law)
Defn: To put upon the files or among the records of a court; to note on (a paper) the fact date of its reception in court. To file a paper, on the part of a party, is to place it in the official custody of the clerk. To file, on the part of the clerk, is to indorse upon the paper the date of its reception, and retain it in his office, subject to inspection by whomsoever it may concern. Burrill.
FILEFile, v. i. Etym: [Cf. F. filer.] (Mil.)
Defn: To march in a file or line, as soldiers, not abreast, but one after another; — generally with off. To file with, to follow closely, as one soldier after another in file; to keep pace. My endeavors Have ever come too short of my desires, Yet filed with my abilities. Shak.
FILE File, n. Etym: [AS. feól; akin to D. viji, OHG. fila, fihala, G. feile, Sw. fil, Dan. fiil, cf. Icel. , Russ. pila, and Skr. pi to cut out, adorn; perh. akin to E. paint.]
1. A steel instrument, having cutting ridges or teeth, made by indentation with a chisel, used for abrading or smoothing other substances, as metals, wood, etc.
Note: A file differs from a rasp in having the furrows made by straight cuts of a chisel, either single or crossed, while the rasp has coarse, single teeth, raised by the pyramidal end of a triangular punch.
2. Anything employed to smooth, polish, or rasp, literally or figuratively. Mock the nice touches of the critic's file. Akenside.
3. A shrewd or artful person. [Slang] Fielding.Will is an old file spite of his smooth face. Thackeray.Bastard file, Cross file, etc. See under Bastard, Cross, etc.— Cross-cut file, a file having two sets of teeth crossingobliquely.— File blank, a steel blank shaped and ground ready for cutting toform a file.— File cutter, a maker of files.— Second-cut file, a file having teeth of a grade next finer thanbastard.— Single-cut file, a file having only one set of parallel teeth; afloat.— Smooth file, a file having teeth so fine as to make an almostsmooth surface.
FILEFile, v. t.
1. To rub, smooth, or cut away, with a file; to sharpen with a file; as, to file a saw or a tooth.
2. To smooth or polish as with a file. Shak. File your tongue to a little more courtesy.Sir W.Scott.
FILE File, v. t. Etym: [OE. fulen, filen, foulen, AS. f, fr. fFoul, and cf. Defile, v.t.]
Defn: To make f [Obs.]All his hairy breast with blood was filed.Spenser.For Banquo's issue have I filed mind.Shak.
FILE CLOSERFile" clos`er. (Mil.)
Defn: A commissioned or noncommissioned officer posted in the rear of a line, or on the flank of a column, of soldiers, to rectify mistakes and insure steadiness and promptness in the ranks.
FILEFISHFile"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any plectognath fish of the genera Monacanthus, Alutera, balistes, and allied genera; — so called on account of the roughly granulated skin, which is sometimes used in place of sandpaper.
FILEMOTFil"e*mot, n.
Defn: See Feullemort. Swift.
FILERFil"er, n.
Defn: One who works with a file.
FILIAL Fil"ial, a. Etym: [L. filialis, fr. filius son, filia daughter; akin to e. female, feminine. Cf. Fitz.]
1. Of or pertaining to a son or daughter; becoming to a child in relation to his parents; as, filial obedience.
2. Bearing the relation of a child. And thus the filial Godhead answering spoke. Milton.
FILIALLYFil"ial*ly, adv.
Defn: In a filial manner.
FILIATEFil"i*ate, v. t.
Defn: To adopt as son or daughter; to establish filiation between.[R.] Southey.
FILIATION Fil`i*a"tion, n. Etym: [LL. filiatio, fr. L. filius son: cf. F. filiation. See Filial.]
1. The relationship of a son or child to a parent, esp. to a father. The relation of paternity and filiation. Sir M. Hale.
2. (Law)
Defn: The assignment of a bastard child to some one as its ather; affiliation. Smart.
FILIBEG Fil"i*beg, n. Etym: [Gael. feileadhbeag, i.e., little kilt; feileadh kilt + beag little, small; cf. filleadh a plait, fold.]
Defn: Same as Kilt. [Written also philibeg.]
FILIBUSTER Fil"i*bus`ter, n. Etym: [Sp. flibuster, flibustero, corrupted fr. E. freebooter. See Freebooter.]
Defn: A lawless military adventurer, especially one in quest of plunder; a freebooter; — originally applied to buccaneers infesting the Spanish American coasts, but introduced into common English to designate the followers of Lopez in his expedition to Cuba in 1851, and those of Walker in his expedition to Nicaragua, in 1855.
FILIBUSTERFil"i*bus*ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fillibustered; p. pr. & vb. n.Filibustering.]
1. To act as a filibuster, or military freebooter. Bartlett.
2. To delay legislation, by dilatory motions or other artifices. [political cant or slang, U.S.] Bartlett.
FILIBUSTERISMFil"i*bus`ter*ism, n.
Defn: The characteristics or practices of a filibuster. Bartlett.
FILICALFil"i*cal, a.
Defn: Belonging to the Filices, r ferns.
FILICICFi*lic"ic, a. Etym: [L. filix, -icis, a fern.] (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or derived from, ferns; as, filicic acid.
FILICIDE Fil"i*cide, n. Etym: [L. filius son, filia daughter + caedere to kill.]
Defn: The act of murdering a son or a daughter; also, parent who commits such a murder.
FILICIFORM Fi*lic"i*form, a. Etym: [L. filix, -icis, fern + -form: cf. F. filiciforme]
Defn: Shaped like a fern or like the parts of a fern leaf. Smart.
FILICOID Fil"i*coid, a. Etym: [L. filix, -icis, fern + -oid: cf. F. filicoiïde.] (Bot.)
Defn: Fernlike, either in form or in the nature of the method of reproduction.
FILICOIDFil"i*coid, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A fernlike plant. Lindley.
FILIETYFi*li"e*ty, n. Etym: [L. filietas.]
Defn: The relation of a son to a father; sonship; — the correlative of paternity. J. S. Mill.
FILIFEROUSFi*lif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. filum a thread + -ferous.]
Defn: Producing threads. Carpenter.
FILIFORMFil"i*form, a. Etym: [L. filum thread + -form: cf. F. filiforme.]
Defn: Having the shape of a thread or filament; as, the filiform papillæ of the tongue; a filiform style or peduncle. See Illust. of AntennÆ.
FILIGRAIN; FILIGRANEFil"i*grain, Fil"i*grane, n. Etym: [Sp. filigrana (cf. It. filigrana,E. filigrane), fr. L. filuma thread + granum grain. See File a row,and Grain, and cf. Filigree.]
Defn: Filigree. [Archaic]With her head . . . touches the crown of filigrane. Longfellow.
FILIGRANEDFil"i*graned, a.
Defn: See Filigreed. [Archaic]
FILIGREEFil"i*gree, n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. filigrane.]
Defn: Ornamental work, formerly with grains or breads, but now composed of fine wire and used chiefly in decorating gold and silver to which the wire is soldered, being arranged in designs frequently of a delicate and intricate arabesque pattern.
FILIGREEFil"i*gree, a.
Defn: Relating to, composed of, or resembling, work in filigree; as, a filigree basket. Hence: Fanciful; unsubstantial; merely decorative. You ask for reality, not fiction and filigree work. J. C. Shairp.
FILIGREEDFil"i*greed, a.
Defn: Adorned with filigree. Tatler.
FILINGFil"ing, n.
Defn: A fragment or particle rubbed off by the act of filing; as, iron filings.
FILIOQUEFil`i*o"que, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: The Latin for, "and from the Son," equivalent to et filio, inserted by the third council of Toledo (a. d. 589) in the clause qui ex Patre procedit (who proceedeth from the Father) of the Niceno- Constantinopolitan Creed (a. d. 381), which makes a creed state that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son as well as from the Father. Hence, the doctrine itself (not admitted by the Eastern Church).
FILIPENDULOUS Fil`i*pen"du*lous, a. Etym: [L. filum a thread + pendulus hanging, fr. pend to hang.] (Bot.)
Defn: Suspended by, or strung upon, a thread; — said of tuberous swellings in the middle or at the extremities of slender, threadlike rootlets.
FILIPINOFil`i*pi"no, n.; pl. Filipinos (#). [Sp.]
Defn: A native of the Philippine Islands, specif. one of Spanish descent or of mixed blood.
Then there are Filipinos, — "children of the country," they are called, — who are supposed to be pure-blooded descendants of Spanish settlers. But there are few of them without some touch of Chinese or native blood. The Century.
FILLFill, n. Etym: [See Thill.]