Defn: One of the thills or shafts of a carriage. Mortimer. Fill horse, a thill horse. Shak.
FILL Fill, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filled; p. pr. & vb. n. Filling.] Etym: [OE. fillen, fullen, AS. fyllan, fr. full full; akin to D. vullen, G. füllen, Icel. fylla, Sw. fylla, Dan. fylde, Goth. fulljan. See Full, a.]
1. To make full; to supply with as much as can be held or contained; to put or pour into, till no more can be received; to occupy the whole capacity of. The rain also filleth the pools. Ps. lxxxiv. 6. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. Anf they filled them up to the brim. John ii. 7.
2. To furnish an abudant supply to; to furnish with as mush as is desired or desirable; to occupy the whole of; to swarm in or overrun. And God blessed them, saying. Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas. Gen. i. 22. The Syrians filled the country. 1 Kings xx. 27.
3. To fill or supply fully with food; to feed; to satisfy. Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fillso great a multitude Matt. xv. 33. Things that are sweet and fat are more filling. Bacon.
4. To possess and perform the duties of; to officiate in, as an incumbent; to occupy; to hold; as, a king fills a throne; the president fills the office of chief magistrate; the speaker of the House fills the chair.
5. To supply with an incumbent; as, to fill an office or a vacancy. A. Hamilton.
6. (Naut.) (a) To press and dilate, as a sail; as, the wind filled the sails. (b) To trim (a yard) so that the wind shall blow on the after side of the sails.
7. (Civil Engineering)
Defn: To make an embankment in, or raise the level of (a low place), with earth or gravel. To fill in, to insert; as, he filled in the figures. — To fill out, to extend or enlarge to the desired limit; to make complete; as, to fill out a bill. — To fill up, to make quite full; to fill to the brim or entirely; to occupy completely; to complete. "The bliss that fills up all the mind." Pope. "And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ." Col. i. 24.
FILLFill, v. i.
1. To become full; to have the whole capacity occupied; to have an abundant supply; to be satiated; as, corn fills well in a warm season; the sail fills with the wind.
2. To fill a cup or glass for drinking. Give me some wine; fill full. Shak. To back and fill. See under Back, v. i. — To fill up, to grow or become quite full; as, the channel of the river fills up with sand.
FILLFill, n. Etym: [AS. fyllo. See Fill, v. t.]
Defn: A full supply, as much as supplies want; as much as gives complete satisfaction. "Ye shall eat your fill." Lev. xxv. 19. I'll bear thee hence, where I may weep my fill. Shak.
FILLED CHEESEFilled cheese.
Defn: An inferior kind of cheese made from skim milk with a fatty "filling," such as oleomargarine or lard, to replace the fat removed in the cream.
FILLERFill"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, fills; something used for filling.'T is mere filer, to stop a vacancy in the hexameter. Dryden.They have six diggers to four fillers, so as to keep the fillersalways at work. Mortimer.
FILLERFill"er, n. Etym: [From 1st Fill.]
Defn: A thill horse. [Prov. Eng.]
FILLET Fil"let, n. Etym: [OE. filet, felet, fr. OF. filet thread, fillet of meat, dim. of fil a thread, fr. L. filum. See Fille a row.]
1. A little band, especially one intended to encircle the hair of the head. A belt her waist, a fillet binds her hair. Pope.
2. (Cooking)
Defn: A piece of lean meat without bone; sometimes, a long strip rolled together and tied.
Note: A fillet of beef is the under side of the sirlom; also called tenderloin. A fillet of veal or mutton is the fleshy part of the thigh. A fillet of fish is a slice of flat fish without bone. "Fillet of a fenny snake." Shak.
3. A thin strip or ribbon; esp.: (a) A strip of metal from which coins are punched. (b) A strip of card clothing. (c) A thin projecting band or strip.
4. (Mach.)
Defn: A concave filling in of a reëntrant angle where two surfaces meet, forming a rounded corner.
5. (Arch.)
Defn: A narrow flat member; especially, a flat molding separating other moldings; a reglet; also, the space between two flutings in a shaft. See Illust. of Base, and Column.
6. (Her.)
Defn: An ordinary equaling in breadth one fourth of the chief, to the lowest portion of which it corresponds in position.
7. (Mech.)
Defn: The thread of a screw.
8. A border of broad or narrow lines of color or gilt.
9. The raised molding about the muzzle of a gun.
10. Any scantling smaller than a batten.
11. (Anat.)
Defn: A fascia; a band of fibers; applied esp. to certain bands of white matter in the brain.
12. (Man.)
Defn: The loins of a horse, beginning at the place where the hinder part of the saddle rests. Arris fillet. See under Arris.
FILLETFil"let, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filleted; p. pr. & vb. n. Filleting.]
Defn: To bind, furnish, or adorn with a fillet.
FILLETINGFil"let*ing, n.
1. (Arch.)
Defn: The protecting of a joint, as between roof and parapet wall, with mortar, or cement, where flashing is employed in better work.
2. The material of which fillets are made; also, fillets, collectively.
FILLIBEGFil"li*beg, n.
Defn: A kilt. See Filibeg.
FILLIBUSTERFil"li*bus`ter, n.
Defn: See Filibuster.
FILLINGFill"ing, n.
1. That which is used to fill a cavity or any empty space, or to supply a deficiency; as, filling for a cavity in a tooth, a depression in a roadbed, the space between exterior and interior walls of masonry, the pores of open-grained wood, the space between the outer and inner planks of a vessel, etc.
2. The woof in woven fabrics.
3. (Brewing)
Defn: Prepared wort added to ale to cleanse it. Back filling. (Arch.)See under Back, a.
FILLIPFil"lip, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filliped; p. pr. & vb. n. Filliping.]Etym: [For filp, flip. Cf. Flippant.]
1. To strike with the nail of the finger, first placed against the ball of the thumb, and forced from that position with a sudden spring; to snap with the finger. "You filip me o' the head." Shak.
2. To snap; to project quickly. The use of the elastic switch to fillip small missiles with. Tylor.
FILLIPFil"lip, n.
1. A jerk of the finger forced suddenly from the thumb; a smart blow.
2. Something serving to rouse or excite. I take a glass of grog for a filip. Dickens.
FILLIPEENFil"li*peen`, n.
Defn: See Philopena.
FILLISTERFil"lis*ter, n.
1. The rabbet on the outer edge of a sash bar to hold the glass and the putty. Knight.
2. A plane for making a rabbet. Fillister screw had, a short cylindrical screw head, having a convex top.
FILLYFil"ly, n.; pl. Fillies. Etym: [Cf. Icel. fylia, fr. foli foal. SeeFoal.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A female foal or colt; a young mare. Cf. Colt, Foal.Neighing in likeness of a filly foal. Shak.
2. A lively, spirited young girl. [Colloq.] Addison.
FILM Film, n. Etym: [AS. film skin, fr. fell skin; akin to fylmen membrane, OFries. filmene skin. See Fell skin.]
1. A thin skin; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity; hence, any thin, slight covering. He from thick films shall purge the visual ray. Pope.
2. A slender thread, as that of a cobweb. Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film. Shak.
FILMFilm, v. t.
Defn: To cover with a thin skin or pellicle.It will but skin and film the ulcerous place. Shak.
FILMINESSFilm"i*ness, n.
Defn: State of being filmy.
FILMYFilm"y, a.
Defn: Composed of film or films.Whose filmy cord should bind the struggling fly. Dryden.
FILOPLUMACEOUSFil`o*plu*ma"ceous, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having the structure of a filoplume.
FILOPLUMEFil"o*plume, n. Etym: [L. filum a thread pluma a soft feather.](Zoöl.)
Defn: A hairlike feather; a father with a slender scape and without a web in most or all of its length.
FILOSEFi"lose`, a. Etym: [L. filum a thread.]
Defn: Terminating in a threadlike process.
FILOSELLEFil`o*selle", n. [F., floss silk.]
Defn: A kind of silk thread less glossy than floss, and spun from coarser material. It is much used in embroidery instead of floss.
FILSFils, n. [F., fr. L. filius. See Filial.]
Defn: Son; — sometimes used after a French proper name to distinguish a son from his father, as, Alexandre Dumas, fils.
FILTER Fil"ter, n. Etym: [F. filtre, the same word as feutre felt, LL. filtrum, feltrum, felt, fulled wool, this being used for straining liquors. See Feuter.]
Defn: Any porous substance, as cloth, paper, sand, or charcoal, through which water or other liquid may passed to cleanse it from the solid or impure matter held in suspension; a chamber or device containing such substance; a strainer; also, a similar device for purifying air. Filter bed, a pond, the bottom of which is a filter composed of sand gravel. — Filter gallery, an underground gallery or tunnel, alongside of a stream, to collect the water that filters through the intervening sand and gravel; — called also infiltration gallery.
FILTERFil"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filtered; p. pr. & vb. n. Filtering]Etym: [Cf. F. filter. See Filter, n., and cf. Filtrate.]
Defn: To purify or defecate, as water or other liquid, by causing it to pass through a filter. Filtering paper, or Filter paper, a porous unsized paper, for filtering.
FILTERFil"ter, v. i.
Defn: To pass through a filter; to percolate.
FILTERFil"ter, n.
Defn: Same as Philter.
FILTHFilth, n. Etym: [OE. filthe, fulthe, AS. f, fr. ful foul; akin toOHG. fulida. See Foul, and cf. File.]
1. Foul matter; anything that soils or defiles; dirt; nastiness.
2. Anything that sullies or defiles the moral character; corruption; pollution. To purify the soul from the dross and filth of sensual delights. Tillotson. Filth disease (Med.), a disease supposed to be due to pollution of the soil or water.
FILTHILYFilth"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a filthy manner; foully.
FILTHINESSFilth"i*ness, n.
1. The state of being filthy. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. 2 Cor. vii. 1.
2. That which is filthy, or makes filthy; foulness; nastiness; corruption; pollution; impurity. Carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. 2 Chron. xxix. 5.
FILTHYFilth"y, a. [Compar. Filthier; superl. Filthiest.]
Defn: Defiled with filth, whether material or moral; nasty; dirty; polluted; foul; impure; obscene. "In the filthy-mantled pool." Shak. He which is filthy let him be filthy still. Rev. xxii. 11.
Syn. — Nasty; foul; dirty; squalid; unclean; sluttish; gross; vulgar; licentious. See Nasty.
FILTRATEFil"trate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filtrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Filtrating.(] Etym: [Cf. LL. filtrare. See Filter.]
Defn: To filter; to defecate; as liquid, by straining or percolation.Arbuthnot.
FILTRATEFil"trate, n.
Defn: That which has been filtered; the liquid which has passed through the filter in the process of filtration.
FILTRATIONFil*tra"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. filtration.]
Defn: The act or process of filtering; the mechanical separation of a liquid from the undissolved particles floating in it.
FIMBLE; FIMBLE HEMPFim"ble, n., or Fim"ble hemp`.Etym: [Corrupted from female hemp.]
Defn: Light summer hemp, that bears no seed.
FIMBRIA Fim"bri*a, n.; pl. Fimbriæ. Etym: [L., fringe. See Fringle.] (Anat.) (a) pl.
Defn: A fringe, or fringed border. (b) A band of white matter bordering the hippocampus in the brain. — Fim"bri*al, a.
FIMBRIATE Fim*bri*ate, a. Etym: [L. fimbriatus fibrous, fringed, fr. fimbria fiber, fringe. See Fringe.]
Defn: Having the edge or extremity bordered by filiform processes thicker than hairs; fringed; as, the fimbriate petals of the pink; the fimbriate end of the Fallopian tube.
FIMBRIATEFim"bri*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fimbriated; p. pr. & vb. n.Fimbriating.]
Defn: To hem; to fringe. Fuller.
FIMBRIATEDFim"bri*a`ted, a.
1. Having a fringed border; fimbriate.
2. (Her.)
Defn: Having a very narrow border of another tincture; — said esp. of an ordinary or subordinary.
FIMBRICATEFim"bri*cate, a.
1. Fringed; jagged; fimbriate.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: fringed, on one side only, by long, straight hairs, as the antennæ of certain insects.
FINFin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Finned; p. pr. & vb. n. Finning.] Etym: [Cf.Fin of a fish.]
Defn: To carve or cut up, as a chub.
FINFin, n. Etym: [See Fine, n.]
Defn: End; conclusion; object. [Obs.] "She knew eke the fin of his intent." Chaucer.
FIN Fin, n.Etym: [OE. finne, fin, AS. finn; akin to D. vin, G. & Dan. finne, Sw. fena, L. pinna, penna, a wing, feather. cf. pen a feather.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An organ of a fish, consisting of a membrane supported by rays, or little bony or cartilaginous ossicles, and serving to balance and propel it in the water.
Note: Fishes move through the water chiefly by means of the caudal fin or tail, the principal office of the other fins being to balance or direct the body, though they are also, to a certain extent, employed in producing motion.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A membranous, finlike, swimming organ, as in pteropod and heteropod mollusks.
3. A finlike organ or attachment; a part of an object or product which protrudes like a fin, as: (a) The hand. [Slang] (b) (Com.) A blade of whalebone. [Eng.] McElrath. (c) (Mech.) A mark or ridge left on a casting at the junction of the parts of a mold. (d) (Mech.) The thin sheet of metal squeezed out between the collars of the rolls in the process of rolling. Raymond. (e) (Mech.) A feather; a spline.
4. A finlike appendage, as to submarine boats. Apidose fin. (Zoöl.) See under Adipose, a. — Fin ray (Anat.), one of the hornlike, cartilaginous, or bony, dermal rods which form the skeleton of the fins of fishes. — Fin whale (Zoöl.), a finback. — Paired fins (Zoöl.), the pectoral and ventral fins, corresponding to the fore and hind legs of the higher animals. — Unpaired, or Median, fins (Zoöl.), the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins.
FINABLEFin"a*ble, a. Etym: [From Fine.]
Defn: Liable or subject to a fine; as, a finable person or offense.Bacon.
FINALFi"nal, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. finalis, fr. finis boundary, limit, end.See Finish.]
1. Pertaining to the end or conclusion; last; terminating; ultimate; as, the final day of a school term. Yet despair not of his final pardon. Milton.
2. Conclusive; decisive; as, a final judgment; the battle of Waterloo brought the contest to a final issue.
3. Respecting an end or object to be gained; respecting the purpose or ultimate end in view. Final cause. See under Cause.
Syn. — Final, Conclusive, Ultimate. Final is now appropriated to that which brings with it an end; as, a final adjustment; the final judgment, etc. Conclusive implies the closing of all discussion, negotiation, etc.; as, a conclusive argument or fact; a conclusive arrangement. In using ultimate, we have always reference to something earlier or proceeding; as when we say, a temporary reverse may lead to an ultimate triumph. The statements which a man finally makes at the close of a negotiation are usually conclusive as to his ultimate intentions and designs.
FINALEFi*na"le, n. Etym: [It. See Final.]
Defn: Close; termination; as: (a) (Mus.) The last movement of a symphony, sonata, concerto, or any instrumental composition. (b) The last composition performed in any act of an opera. (c) The closing part, piece, or scene in any public performance or exhibition.
FINALISTFi"nal*ist, n. (Sports)
Defn: Any of the players who meet in the final round of a tournament in which the losers in any round do not play again.
FINALITYFi*nal"i*ty, n.; pl. Finalities. Etym: [L. finalitas the being last.]
1. The state of being final, finished, or complete; a final or conclusive arrangement; a settlement. Baxter.
2. The relation of end or purpose to its means. Janet.
FINALLYFi"nal*ly, adv.
1. At the end or conclusion; ultimately; lastly; as, the contest was long, but the Romans finally conquered. Whom patience finally must crown. Milton.
2. Completely; beyond recovery. Not any house of noble English in Ireland was utterly destroyed or finally rooted out. Sir J. Davies.
FINANCE Fi*nance", n. Etym: [F., fr. LL. financia payment of money, money, fr. finare to pay a fine or subsidy (cf. OF. finer to finish, pay), fr. L. finis end. See Fine, n., Finish.]
1. The income of a ruler or of a state; revennue; public money; sometimes, the income of an individual; often used in the plural for funds; available money; resources. All the finances or revenues of the imperial crown. Bacon.
2. The science of raising and expending the public revenue. "Versed in the details of finance." Macaulay.
FINANCIALFi*nan"cial, a.
Defn: Pertaining to finance. "Our financial and commercial system."Macaulay.
FINANCIALISTFi*nan"cial*ist, n.
Defn: A financier.
FINANCIALLYFi*nan"cial*ly, adv.
Defn: In a dfinancial manner. Burke.
FINANCIERFin`an*cier", n. Etym: [Cf. F. financier.]
1. One charged with the administration of finance; an officer who administers the public revenue; a treasurer. Burke.
2. One skilled in financial operations; one acquainted with money matters.
FINANCIERFin`an*cier", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Financiered; p. pr. & vb. n.Financiering.]
Defn: To conduct financial operations.
FINARYFin"a*ry, n. (Iron Works)
Defn: See Finery.
FINATIVEFi"na*tive, a.
Defn: Conclusive; decisive; definitive; final. [Obs.] Greene (1593).
FINBACKFin"back`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any whale of the genera Sibbaldius, Balænoptera, and allied genera, of the family Balænopteridæ, characterized by a prominent fin on the back. The common finbacks of the New England coast are Sibbaldius tectirostris and S. tuberosus.
FINBAT KITEFin"bat kite.
Defn: = Eddy kite. [Eng.]
FINCHFinch, n.; pl. Fishes. Etym: [AS. finc; akin to D. vink, OHG. fincho,G. fink; cf. W. pinc a finch; also E. spink.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small singing bird of many genera and species, belonging to the family Fringillidæ.
Note: The word is often used in composition, as in chaffinch,goldfinch, grassfinch, pinefinch, etc. Bramble finch. See Brambling.— Canary finch, the canary bird.— Copper finch. See Chaffinch.— Diamond finch. See under Diamond.— Finch falcon (Zoöl.), one of several very small East Indianfalcons of the genus Hierax.— To pull a finch, to swindle an ignorant or unsuspecting person.[Obs.] "Privily a finch eke could he pull." Chaucer.
FINCHBACKEDFinch"backed`, a.
Defn: Streaked or spotted on the back; — said of cattle.
FINCHEDFinched, a.
Defn: Same as Finchbacked.
FIND Find, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Found; p. pr. & vb. n. Finding.] Etym: [AS. findan; akin to D. vinden, OS. & OHG. findan, G. finden, Dan. finde, icel. & Sw. finna, Goth. fin; and perh. to L. petere to seek, Gr. pat to fall, fly, E. petition.]
1. To meet with, or light upon, accidentally; to gain the first sight or knowledge of, as of something new, or unknown; hence, to fall in with, as a person. Searching the window for a flint, I found This paper, thus sealed up. Shak. In woods and forests thou art found. Cowley.
2. To learn by experience or trial; to perceive; to experience; to discover by the intellect or the feelings; to detect; to feel. "I find you passing gentle." Shak. The torrid zone is now found habitable. Cowley.
3. To come upon by seeking; as, to find something lost. (a) To discover by sounding; as, to find bottom. (b) To discover by study or experiment direct to an object or end; as, water is found to be a compound substance. (c) To gain, as the object of desire or effort; as, to find leisure; to find means. (d) To attain to; to arrive at; to acquire. Seek, and ye shall find. Matt. vii. 7. Every mountain now hath found a tongue. Byron.
4. To provide for; to supply; to furnish; as, to find food for workemen; he finds his nephew in money. Wages £14 and all found. London Times. Nothing a day and find yourself. Dickens.
5. To arrive at, as a conclusion; to determine as true; to establish; as, to find a verdict; to find a true bill (of indictment) against an accused person. To find his title with some shows of truth. Shak. To find out, to detect (a thief); to discover (a secret) — to solve or unriddle (a parable or enigma); to understand. "Canst thou by searching find out God" Job. xi. 7. "We do hope to find out all your tricks." Milton. — To find fault with, to blame; to censure. — To find one's self, to be; to fare; — often used in speaking of health; as, how do you find yourself this morning
FINDFind, v. i. (Law)
Defn: To determine an issue of fact, and to declare such a determination to a court; as, the jury find for the plaintiff. Burrill.
FINDFind, n.
Defn: Anything found; a discovery of anything valuable; especially, a deposit, discovered by archæologists, of objects of prehistoric or unknown origin.
FINDABLEFind"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of beong found; discoverable. Fuller.
FINDERFind"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, finds; specifically (Astron.), a small telescope of low power and large field of view, attached to a larger telescope, for the purpose of finding an object more readily.
FIN DE SIECLEFin` de siè"cle. [F.]
Defn: Lit., end of the century; — mostly used adjectively in English to signify: belonging to, or characteristic of, the close of the 19th century; modern; "up-to-date;" as, fin-de-siècle ideas.
FINDFAULTFind"fault`, n.
Defn: A censurer or caviler. [Obs.]
FINDFAULTINGFind"fault`ing, a.
Defn: Apt to censure or cavil; faultfinding; captious. [Obs.]Whitlock.
FINDINGFind"ing, n.
1. That which is found, come upon, or provided; esp. (pl.), that which a journeyman artisan finds or provides for himself; as tools, trimmings, etc. When a man hath been laboring . . . in the deep mines of knowledge, hath furnished out his findings in all their equipage. Milton.
2. Support; maintenance; that which is provided for one; expence; provision.
3. (Law)
Defn: The result of a judicial examination or inquiry, especiallyinto some matter of fact; a verdict; as, the finding of a jury.Burrill.After his friends finding and his rent. Chaucer.
FINDY Fin"dy, a. Etym: [AS. finding heavy; cf. Dan. fyndig strong, energetical, fynd strength, energy, emphasis.]
Defn: Full; heavy; firm; solid; substemtial. [Obs.]A cold May and a windy Makes the barn fat amd findy. Old Prover
FINE Fine, a. [Compar. Finer; superl. Finest.] Etym: [F. fin, LL. finus fine, pure, fr. L. finire to finish; cf. finitus, p.p., finished, completed (hence the sense accomplished, perfect.) See Finish, and cf. Finite.]
1. Finished; brought to perfection; refined; hence, free from impurity; excellent; superior; elegant; worthy of admiration; accomplished; beautiful. The gain thereof [is better] than fine gold. Prov. iii. 14. A cup of wine that's brisk and fine. Shak. Not only the finest gentleman of his time, but one of the finest scholars. Felton. To soothe the sick bed of so fine a being [Keats]. Leigh Hunt.
2. Aiming at show or effect; loaded with ornament; overdressed or overdecorated; showy. He gratified them with occasional . . . fine writing. M. Arnold.
3. Nice; delicate; subtle; exquisite; artful; skillful; dexterous.The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine! Pope.The nicest and most delicate touches of satire consist in fineraillery. Dryden.He has as fine a hand at picking a pocket as a woman. T. Gray.
4. Not coarse, gross, or heavy; as: (a) Not gross; subtile; thin; tenous. The eye standeth in the finer medium and the object in the grosser. Bacon.
(b) Not coarse; comminuted; in small particles; as, fine sand or flour. (c) Not thick or heavy; slender; filmy; as, a fine thread. (d) Thin; attenuate; keen; as, a fine edge. (e) Made of fine materials; light; delicate; as, fine linen or silk.
5. Having (such) a proportion of pure metal in its composition; as, coins nine tenths fine.
6. (Used ironically.) Ye have made a fine hand, fellows. Shak.
Note: Fine is often compounded with participles and adjectives, modifying them adverbially; a, fine-drawn, fine-featured, fine- grained, fine-spoken, fine-spun, etc. Fine arch (Glass Making), the smaller fritting furnace of a glasshouse. Knight. — Fine arts. See the Note under Art. — Fine cut, fine cut tobacco; a kind of chewing tobacco cut up into shreds. — Fine goods, woven fabrics of fine texture and quality. McElrath. — Fine stuff, lime, or a mixture of lime, plaster, etc., used as material for the finishing coat in plastering. — To sail fine (Naut.), to sail as close to the wind as possible.
Syn. — Fine, Beautiful. When used as a word of praise, fine (being opposed to coarse) denotes no "ordinary thing of its kind." It is not as strong as beautiful, in reference to the single attribute implied in the latter term; but when we speak of a fine woman, we include a greater variety of particulars, viz., all the qualities which become a woman, — breeding, sentiment, tact, etc. The term is equally comprehensive when we speak of a fine garden, landscape, horse, poem, etc.; and, though applied to a great variety of objects, the word has still a very definite sense, denoting a high degree of characteristic excellence.
FINEFine, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fined; p. pr. & vb. n. Fining.] Etym: [FromFine, a.]
1. To make fine; to refine; to purify, to clarify; as, to fine gold. It hath been fined and refined by . . . learned men. Hobbes.
2. To make finer, or less coarse, as in bulk, texture, etc.; as. to fine the soil. L. H. Bailey.
3. To change by fine gradations; as (Naut.), to fine down a ship's lines, to diminish her lines gradually. I often sate at home On evenings, watching how they fined themselves With gradual conscience to a perfect night. Browning.
FINE Fine, n. Etym: [OE. fin, L. finis end, also in LL., a final agreement or concord between the lord and his vassal; a sum of money paid at the end, so as to make an end of a transaction, suit, or prosecution; mulct; penalty; cf. OF. fin end, settlement, F. fin end. See Finish, and cf. Finance.]
1. End; conclusion; termination; extinction. [Obs.] "To see their fatal fine." Spenser. Is this the fine of his fines Shak.
2. A sum of money paid as the settlement of a claim, or by way of terminating a matter in dispute; especially, a payment of money imposed upon a party as a punishment for an offense; a mulct.
3. (Law) (a) (Feudal Law) A final agreement concerning lands or rents between persons, as the lord and his vassal. Spelman. (b) (Eng. Law) A sum of money or price paid for obtaining a benefit, favor, or privilege, as for admission to a copyhold, or for obtaining or renewing a lease. Fine for alienation (Feudal Law), a sum of money paid to the lord by a tenant whenever he had occasion to make over his land to another. Burrill. — Fine of lands, a species of conveyance in the form of a fictitious suit compromised or terminated by the acknowledgment of the previous owner that such land was the right of the other party. Burrill. See Concord, n., 4. — In fine, in conclusion; by way of termination or summing up.
FINEFine, v. t. Etym: [From Fine, n.]
Defn: To impose a pecuniary penalty upon for an offense or breach of law; to set a fine on by judgment of a court; to punish by fine; to mulct; as, the trespassers were fined ten dollars.
FINEFine, v. i.
Defn: To pay a fine. See Fine, n., 3 (b). [R.] Men fined for the king's good will; or that he would remit his anger; women fined for leave to marry. Hallam.
FINEFine, v. t. & i. Etym: [OF. finer, F. finir. See Finish, v. t.]
Defn: To finish; to cease; or to cause to cease. [Obs.]
FINEDRAWFine"draw`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Finedrawn; p. pr. & vb. n.Finedrawing.]
Defn: To sew up, so nicely that the seam is not perceived; to renter.Marryat.
FINEDRAWERFine"draw`er, n.
Defn: One who finedraws.
FINEDRAWNFine"drawn`, a.
Defn: Drawn out with too much subtilty; overnice; as, finedrawn speculations.
FINEERFi*neer", v. i.
Defn: To run in dept by getting goods made up in a way unsuitable for the use of others, and then threatening not to take them except on credit. [R.] Goldsmith.
FINEERFi*neer", v. t.
Defn: To veneer.
FINELESSFine"less, a. Etym: [Fine end + -less.]
Defn: Endless; boundless. [Obs.] Shak.
FINELYFine"ly, adv.
Defn: In a fine or finished manner.
FINENESSFine"ness, n. Etym: [From Fine, a.]
1. The quality or condition of being fine.
2. Freedom from foreign matter or alloy; clearness; purity; as, the fineness of liquor. The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion. Shak.
3. The proportion of pure silver or gold in jewelry, bullion, or coins.
Note: The fineness of United States coin is nine tenths, that of English gold coin is eleven twelfths, and that of English silver coin is
4. Keenness or sharpness; as, the fineness of a needle's point, or of the edge of a blade.
FINERFin"er, n.
Defn: One who fines or purifies.
FINERYFin"er*y, n.
1. Fineness; beauty. [Obs.] Don't choose your place of study by the finery of the prospects. I. Watts.
2. Ornament; decoration; especially, excecially decoration; showy clothes; jewels. Her mistress' cast-off finery. F. W. Robertson.
3. Etym: [Cf. Refinery.] (Iron Works)
Defn: A charcoal hearth or furnace for the conversion of cast iron into wrought iron, or into iron suitable for puddling.
FINESPUNFine"spun`, a.
Defn: Spun so as to be fine; drawn to a fine thread; attenuated; hence, unsubstantial; visionary; as, finespun theories.
FINESSEFi`nesse" ( or ), n. Etym: [F., fr. fin fine. See Fine, a.]
1. Subtilty of contrivance to gain a point; artifice; stratagem. This is the artificialest piece of finesse to persuade men into slavery. Milton.
2. (Whist Playing)
Defn: The act of finessing. See Finesse, v. i., 2.
FINESSEFi*nesse", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Finessed; p. pr. & vb. n. Finessing.]
1. To use artifice or stratagem. Goldsmith.
2. (Whist Playing)
Defn: To attempt, when second or third player, to make a lower card answer the purpose of a higher, when an intermediate card is out, risking the chance of its being held by the opponent yet to play.
FINESTILLFine"still`, v. t.
Defn: To distill, as spirit from molasses or some saccharine preparation.
FINESTILLERFine"still`er, n.
Defn: One who finestills.
FINEWFin"ew, n. Etym: [See Fenowed.]
Defn: Moldiness. [R.]
FINFISH Fin"fish`, n. (Zoöl.) (a) A finback whale. (b) (pl.) True fish, as distinguished from shellfish.
FINFOOTFin"foot`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A South American bird (heliornis fulica) allied to the grebes.The name is also applied to several related species of the genusPodica.
FIN-FOOTED Fin"-foot`ed, a. (Zoöl.) (a) Having palmate feet. (b) Having lobate toes, as the coot and grebe.
FINGERFin"ger, n. Etym: [AS. finger; akin to D. vinger, OS. & OHG. fingar,G. finger, Icel. fingr, Sw. & Dan. finger, Goth. figgrs; of unknownorigin; perh. akin to E. fang.]
1. One of the five terminating members of the hand; a digit; esp., one of the four extermities of the hand, other than the thumb.
2. Anything that does work of a finger; as, the pointer of a clock, watch, or other registering machine; especially (Mech.) a small projecting rod, wire, or piece, which is brought into contact with an object to effect, direct, or restrain a motion.
3. The breadth of a finger, or the fourth part of the hand; a measure of nearly an inch; also, the length of finger, a measure in domestic use in the United States, of about four and a half inches or one eighth of a yard. A piece of steel three fingers thick. Bp. Wilkins.
4. Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a musicalinstrument. [R.]She has a good finger. Busby.Ear finger, the little finger.— Finger alphabet. See Dactylology.— Finger bar, the horizontal bar, carrying slotted spikes, orfingers, through which the vibratory knives of mowing and reapingmachines play.— Finger board (Mus.), the part of a stringed instrument againstwhich the fingers press the strings to vary the tone; the keyboard ofa piano, organ, etc.; manual.— Finger bowl or glass, a bowl or glass to hold water for rinsingthe fingers at table.— Finger flower (Bot.), the foxglove.— Finger grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Panicum sanguinale) withslender radiating spikes; common crab grass. See Crab grass, underCrab.— Finger nut, a fly nut or thumb nut.— Finger plate, a strip of metal, glass, etc., to protect a paintedor polished door from finger marks.— Finger post, a guide post bearing an index finger.— Finger reading, reading printed in relief so as to be sensible tothe touch; — so made for the blind.— Finger shell (Zoöl.), a marine shell (Pholas dactylus) resemblinga finger in form.— Finger sponge (Zoöl.), a sponge having finger-shaped lobes, orbranches.— Finger stall, a cover or shield for a finger.— Finger steel, a steel instrument for whetting a currier's knife.To burn one's fingers. See under Burn.— To have a finger in, to be concerned in. [Colloq.] — To have atone's fingers' ends, to be thoroughly familiar with. [Colloq.]
FINGERFin"ger, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fingered; p. pr. & vb. n. Fingering.]
1. To touch with the fingers; to handle; to meddle with. Let the papers lie; You would be fingering them to anger me. Shak.
2. To touch lightly; to toy with.
3. (Mus.) (a) To perform on an instrument of music. (b) To mark the notes of (a piece of music) so as to guide the fingers in playing.
4. To take thievishly; to pilfer; to purloin. Shak.
5. To execute, as any delicate work.
FINGERFin"ger, v. i. (Mus.)
Defn: To use the fingers in playing on an instrument. Busby.
FINGEREDFin"gered, a.
1. Having fingers.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Having leaflets like fingers; digitate.
3. (Mus.)
Defn: Marked with figures designating which finger should be used for each note.
FINGERERFin"ger*er, n.
Defn: One who fingers; a pilferer.
FINGERINGFin"ger*ing, n.
1. The act or process of handling or touching with the fingers. The mere sight and fingering of money. Grew.
2. The manner of using the fingers in playing or striking the keys of an instrument of music; movement or management of the fingers in playing on a musical instrument, in typewriting, etc.
3. The marking of the notes of a piece of music to guide or regulate the action or use of the fingers.
4. Delicate work made with the fingers. Spenser.
FINGERLINGFin"ger*ling, n. Etym: [Finger + -ling.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A young salmon. See Parr.
FINGLE-FANGLEFin"gle-fan`gle, n. Etym: [From fangle.]
Defn: A trifle. [Low] Hudibras.
FINGRIGOFin"gri*go, n.; pl. Fingrigos. Etym: [So called in Jamaica.] (Bot.)
Defn: A prickly, climbing shrub of the genus Pisonia. The fruit is a kind of berry.
FINIALFin"*i*al, n. Etym: [L. finire to finish, end. See Finish.] (Arch.)
Defn: The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture; sometimes, the pinnacle itself.
FINICALFin"i*cal, a. Etym: [From Fine, a.]
Defn: Affectedly fine; overnice; unduly particular; fastidious."Finical taste." Wordsworth.The gross style consists in giving no detail, the finical in givingnothing else. Hazlitt.
Syn. — Finical, Spruce, Foppish. These words are applied to persons who are studiously desirous to cultivate finery of appearance. One who is spruce is elaborately nice in dress; one who is finical shows his affectation in language and manner as well as in dress; one who is foppish distinguishes himself by going to the extreme of the fashion in the cut of his clothes, by the tawdriness of his ornaments, and by the ostentation of his manner. "A finical gentleman clips his words and screws his body into as small a compass as possible, to give himself the air of a delicate person; a spruce gentleman strives not to have a fold wrong in his frill or cravat, nor a hair of his head to lie amiss; a foppish gentleman seeks . . . to render himself distinguished for finery." Crabb. — Fin"i*cal*ly, adv. — Fin"i*cal*ness, n.
FINICALITYFin`i*cal"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality of being finical; finicalness.
FINICKING; FINICKYFin"ick*ing, Fin"ick*y, a.
Defn: Finical; unduly particular. [Colloq.]
FINIFICFi*nif"ic ( or ), n. Etym: [L. finis end + facere to make.]
Defn: A limiting element or quality. [R.]The essential finific in the form of the finite. Coleridge.
FINIFYFin"i*fy ( or ), v. t. Etym: [Fine, a. + -fy.]
Defn: To make fine; to dress finically. [Obs.]Hath so pared and finified them [his feet.] B. Jonson.
FINIKINFin"i*kin, a. Etym: [Fine, a. + -kin.]
Defn: Precise in trifles; idly busy. [Colloq.] Smart.
FININGFin"ing, n.
1. The act of imposing a fin
2. The process of fining or refining; clarification; also (Metal.), the conversion of cast iron into suitable for puddling, in a hearth or charcoal fire.
3. That which is used to refine; especially, a preparation of isinglass, gelatin, etc., for clarifying beer. Fining pot, a vessel in which metals are refined. Prov. xvii. 3.
FINISFi"nis, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: An end; conclusion. It is often placed at the end of a book.
FINISH Fin"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Finished; p. pr. & vb. n. Finishing.] Etym: [F. finir (with a stem finiss- in several forms, whence E. - ish: see -ish.),fr. L. finire to limit, finish, end, fr. finis boundary, limit, end; perh. for fidnis, and akin findere to cleave, E. fissure.]
1. To arrive at the end of; to bring to an end; to put an end to; to make an end of; to terminate. And heroically hath finished A life heroic. Milton.
2. To bestow the last required labor upon; to complete; to bestow the utmost possible labor upon; to perfect; to accomplish; to polish.
Syn. — To end; terminate; close; conclude; complete; accomplish; perfect.
FINISHFin"ish, v. i.
1. To come to an end; to terminate. His days may finish ere that hapless time. Shak.
2. To end; to die. [R.] Shak.
FINISHFin"ish, n.
1. That which finishes, puts an end to
2. (Arch.)
Defn: The joiner work and other finer work required for the completion of a building, especially of the interior. See Inside finish, and Outside finish.
3. (Fine Arts) (a) The labor required to give final completion to any work; hence, minute detail, careful elaboration, or the like. (b) See Finishing coat, under Finishing.
4. The result of completed labor, as on the surface of an object; manner or style of finishing; as, a rough, dead, or glossy finish given to cloth, stone, metal, etc.
5. Completion; — opposed to Ant: start, or Ant: beginning.
FINISHEDFin"ished, a.
Defn: Polished to the highest degree of excellence; complete; perfect; as, a finished poem; a finished education. Finished work (Mach.), work that is made smooth or polished, though not necessarily completed.
FINISHERFin"ish*er, n.
1. One who finishes, puts an end to, completes, or perfects; esp. used in the trades, as in hatting, weaving, etc., for the workman who gives a finishing touch to the work, or any part of it, and brings it to perfection. O prophet of glad tidings, finisher Of utmost hope! Milton.
2. Something that gives the finishing touch to, or settles, anything. [Colloq.]
FINISHINGFin"ish*ing, n.
Defn: The act or process of completing or perfecting; the final work upon or ornamentation of a thing.
FINISHINGFin"ish*ing, a.
Defn: Tending to complete or to render fit for the market or for use. Finishing coat. (a) (Plastering) the final coat of plastering applied to walls and ceilings, usually white and rubbed smooth. (b) (Painting) The final coat of paint, usually differently mixed applied from the others. — Finishing press, a machine for pressing fabrics. — Finishing rolls (Iron Working), the rolls of a train which receive the bar from roughing rolls, and reduce it to its finished shape. Raymond.
FINITEFi"nite, a. Etym: [L. finitus, p.p. of finire. See Finish, and cf.Fine, a.]
Defn: Having a limit; limited in quantity, degree, or capacity; bounded; — opposed to infinite; as, finite number; finite existence; a finite being; a finite mind; finite duration.
FINITELESSFi"nite*less, a
Defn: Infinite. [Obs.] Sir T. browne.
FINITELYFi"nite*ly, adv.
Defn: In a finite manner or degree.
FINITENESSFi"nite*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being finite.
FINITUDEFin"i*tude, n. Etym: [L. finire. See Finish.]
Defn: Limitation. Cheyne.
FINJANFin*jan", n. [Also fingan, findjan, fingian, etc.] [Ar. finjan.]
Defn: In the Levant, a small coffee cup without a handle, such as is held in a cup or stand called a zarf.
FIN KEELFin keel. (Naut.)
Defn: A projection downward from the keel of a yacht, resembling in shape the fin of a fish, though often with a cigar-shaped bulb of lead at the bottom, and generally made of metal. Its use is to ballast the boat and also to enable her to sail close to the wind and to make the least possible leeway by offering great resistance to lateral motion through the water.
FINLANDERFin"land*er, n.
Defn: A native or inhabitant of Finland.
FINLESSFin"less, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: destitute of fins.
FINLETFin"let, n. Etym: [Fin + -let.]
Defn: A little fin; one of the parts of a divided fin.
FINLIKEFin"like`, a.
Defn: Resembling a fin.
FINNFinn, a.
Defn: A native of Finland; one of the FinnFinns.
FINNAN HADDIEFin"nan had"die. Etym: [See Haddock.]
Defn: Haddock cured in peat smoke, originally at Findon (pron. fìn"an), Scotland. the name is also applied to other kinds of smoked haddock. [Written also finnan haddock.]
FINNEDFinned, a.
Defn: Having a fin, or fins, or anything resembling a fin. Mortimer.
FINNERFin"ner, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A finback whale.
FINNICFinn"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Finns.
FINNIKINFin"ni*kin, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A variety of pigeon, with a crest somewhat resembling the mane of a horse. [Written also finikin.]
FINNISHFinn"ish, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Finland, to the Finns, or to their language. — n.
Defn: A Northern Turanian group of languages; the language of theFinns.
FINNS Finns, n. pl.; sing. Finn. (Ethnol.) (a) Natives of Finland; Finlanders. (b) A branch of the Mongolian race, inhabiting Northern and Eastern Europe, including the Magyars, Bulgarians, Permians, Lapps, and Finlanders. [Written also Fins.]
FINNYFin"ny, a.
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having, or abounding in, fins, as fishes; pertaining to fishes.
2. Abounding in fishes. With patient angle trolls the finny deep. Goldsmoth.
FINOCHIOFi*no"chi*o, n. Etym: [It. finocchio fennel, LL. fenuclum. SeeFennel.] (Bot.)
Defn: An umbelliferous plant (Foeniculum dulce) having a somewhat tuberous stem; sweet fennel. The blanched stems are used in France and Italy as a culinary vegetable.
FINOSFi"nos, n. pl. Etym: [Sp., pl., fr. fino fine.]
Defn: Second best wool from Merino sheep. Gardner.
FINPIKEFin"pike`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The bichir. See Crossopterygii.
FINSEN LIGHT Fin"sen light. [After Prof. Niels R. Finsen (b. 1860), Danish physician.] (Med.)
Defn: Highly actinic light, derived from sunlight or from some form of electric lamp, used in the treatment of lupus and other cutaneous affections.
FINTFint,
Defn: 3d pers. sing. pr. of Find, for findeth. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FIN-TOEDFin"-toed`, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having toes connected by a membrane; palmiped; palmated; also, lobate.
FIORDFiord (fyi or y consonant, § 272), n. Etym: [Dan. & Norw. fiord. SeeFrith.]
Defn: A narrow inlet of the sea, penetrating between high banks or rocks, as on the coasts of Norway and Alaska. [Written also fjord.]
FIORINFi"o*rin, n. Etym: [Cf. Ir. fiothran a sort of grass.] (Bot.)
Defn: A species of creeping bent grass (Agrostis alba); — called also fiorin grass.
FIORITEFi"o*rite, n. (Min.)
Defn: A variety of opal occuring in the cavities of volcanic tufa, in smooth and shining globular and botryoidal masses, having a pearly luster; — so called from Fiora, in Ischia.
FIORITUREFio`ri*tu"re, n. pl. Etym: [It., pl. of fioritura a flowering.](Mus.)
Defn: Little flowers of ornament introduced into a melody by a singer or player.
FIPPENNY BITFip"pen*ny bit` ( or ). Etym: [Corruption of five penny bit.]
Defn: The Spanish half real, or one sixteenth of a dollar, — so called in Pennsylvania and the adjacent States. [Obs.]
Note: Before the act of Congress, Feb. 21, 1857, caused the adoption of decimal coins and the withdrawal of foreign coinage from circulation, this coin passed currently for 6fourpence ha'penny or fourpence; in New York a sixpence; in Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc., a fip; and in Louisiana, a picayune.
FIPPLEFip"ple (fer), n. Etym: [perh. fr. L. fibula a clasp, a pin; cf.Prov. E. fible a stick used to stir pottage.]
Defn: A stopper, as in a wind instrument of music. [Obs.] Bacon.
FIR Fir, n. Etym: [Dan. fyr, fyrr; akin to Sw. furu, Icel. fura, AS. furh in furhwudu fir wood, G. föhre, OHG. forha pine, vereheih a sort of oak, L. quercus (Bot.)
Defn: A genus (Abies) of coniferous trees, often of large size and elegant shape, some of them valued for their timber and others for their resin. The species are distinguished as the balsam fir, the silver fir, the red fir, etc. The Scoth fir is a Pinus.
Note: Fir in the Bible means any one of several coniferous trees, including, cedar, cypress, and probably three species of pine. J. D. Hooker.
FIREFire, n. Etym: [OE. fir, fyr, fur AS. fr; akin to D. vuur, OS. & OHG.fiur, G. feuer, Icel. f, f, Gr. purus pure, E. pure Cf. Empyrean,Pyre.]
1. The evolution of light and heat in the combustion of bodies; combustion; state of ignition.
Note: The form of fire exhibited in the combustion of gases in an ascending stream or current is called flame. Anciently, fire, air, earth, and water were regarded as the four elements of which all things are composed.
2. Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in
3. The burning of a house or town; a conflagration.
4. Anything which destroys or affects like fire.
5. Ardor of passion, whether love or hate; excessive warmth; consumingviolence of temper. he had fire in his temper.Atterbury.
6. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and zeal. And bless their critic with a poet's fire.Pope.
7. Splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a star. Stars, hide your fires.Shak. As in a zodiac representing the heavenly fires.Milton.
8. Torture by burning; severe trial or affliction.
9. The discharge of firearms; firing; as, the troops were exposed to a heavy fire. Blue fire, Red fire, Green fire (Pyrotech.), compositions of various combustible substances, as sulphur, niter, lampblack, etc., the flames of which are colored by various metallic salts, as those of antimony, strontium, barium, etc. — Fire alarm (a) A signal given on the breaking out of a fire. (b) An apparatus for giving such an alarm. — Fire annihilator, a machine, device, or preparation to be kept at hand for extinguishing fire by smothering it with some incombustible vapor or gas, as carbonic acid. — Fire balloon. (a) A balloon raised in the air by the buoyancy of air heated by a fire placed in the lower part. (b) A balloon sent up at night with fireworks which ignite at a regulated height. Simmonds. — Fire bar, a grate bar. — Fire basket, a portable grate; a cresset. Knight. — Fire beetle. (Zoöl.) See in the Vocabulary. — Fire blast, a disease of plants which causes them to appear as if burnt by fire. — Fire box, the chamber of a furnace, steam boiler, etc., for the fire. — Fire brick, a refractory brick, capable of sustaining intense heat without fusion, usually made of fire clay or of siliceous material, with some cementing substance, and used for lining fire boxes, etc. — Fire brigade, an organized body of men for extinguished fires. — Fire bucket. See under Bucket. — Fire bug, an incendiary; one who, from malice or through mania, persistently sets fire to property; a pyromaniac. [U.S.] — Fire clay. See under Clay. — Fire company, a company of men managing an engine in extinguishing fires. — Fire cross. See Fiery cross. [Obs.] Milton. — Fire damp. See under Damp. — Fire dog. See Firedog, in the Vocabulary. — Fire drill. (a) A series of evolutions performed by fireman for practice. (b) An apparatus for producing fire by friction, by rapidly twirling a wooden pin in a wooden socket; — used by the Hindoos during all historic time, and by many savage peoples. — Fire eater. (a) A juggler who pretends to eat fire. (b) A quarrelsome person who seeks affrays; a hotspur. [Colloq.] — Fire engine, a portable forcing pump, usually on wheels, for throwing water to extinguish fire. — Fire escape, a contrivance for facilitating escape from burning buildings. — Fire gilding (Fine Arts), a mode of gilding with an amalgam of gold and quicksilver, the latter metal being driven off afterward by heat. — Fire gilt (Fine Arts), gold laid on by the process of fire gilding. — Fire insurance, the act or system of insuring against fire; also, a contract by which an insurance company undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium or small percentage — usually made periodically — to indemnify an owner of property from loss by fire during a specified period. — Fire irons, utensils for a fireplace or grate, as tongs, poker, and shovel. — Fire main, a pipe for water, to be used in putting out fire. — Fire master (Mil), an artillery officer who formerly supervised the composition of fireworks. — Fire office, an office at which to effect insurance against fire. — Fire opal, a variety of opal giving firelike reflections. — Fire ordeal, an ancient mode of trial, in which the test was the ability of the accused to handle or tread upon red-hot irons. Abbot. — Fire pan, a pan for holding or conveying fire, especially the receptacle for the priming of a gun. — Fire plug, a plug or hydrant for drawing water from the main pipes in a street, building, etc., for extinguishing fires. — Fire policy, the writing or instrument expressing the contract of insurance against loss by fire. — Fire pot. (a) (Mil.) A small earthen pot filled with combustibles, formerly used as a missile in war. (b) The cast iron vessel which holds the fuel or fire in a furnace. (c) A crucible. (d) A solderer's furnace. — Fire raft, a raft laden with combustibles, used for setting fire to an enemy's ships. — Fire roll, a peculiar beat of the drum to summon men to their quarters in case of fire. — Fire setting (Mining), the process of softening or cracking the working face of a lode, to facilitate excavation, by exposing it to the action of fire; — now generally superseded by the use of explosives. Raymond. — Fire ship, a vessel filled with combustibles, for setting fire to an enemy's ships. — Fire shovel, a shovel for taking up coals of fire. — Fire stink, the stench from decomposing iron pyrites, caused by the formation of sulphureted hydrogen. Raymond. — Fire surface, the surfaces of a steam boiler which are exposed to the direct heat of the fuel and the products of combustion; heating surface. — Fire swab, a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc. Farrow. — Fire teaser, in England, the fireman of a steam emgine. — Fire water, ardent spirits; — so called by the American Indians. — Fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly in Persia, among the followers of Zoroaster, called Chebers, or Guebers, and among the Parsees of India. — Greek fire. See under Greek. — On fire, burning; hence, ardent; passionate; eager; zealous. — Running fire, the rapid discharge of firearms in succession by a line of troops. — St. Anthony's fire, erysipelas; — an eruptive fever which St. Anthony was supposed to cure miraculously. Hoblyn. — St. Elmo's fire. See under Saint Elmo. — To set on fire, to inflame; to kindle. — To take fire, to begin to burn; to fly into a passion.
FIREFire, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fired; p. pr. & vb. n. Fring.]
1. To set on fire; to kindle; as, to fire a house or chimney; to fire a pile.
2. To subject to intense heat; to bake; to burn in a kiln; as, to fire pottery.
3. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions; as, to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge. Love had fired my mind. Dryden.
4. To animate; to give life or spirit to; as, to fire the genius of a young man.
5. To feed or serve the fire of; as, to fire a boiler.
6. To light up as if by fire; to illuminate. [The sun] fires the proud tops of the eastern pines. Shak.
7. To cause to explode; as, to fire a torpedo; to disharge; as, to fire a musket or cannon; to fire cannon balls, rockets, etc.
8. To drive by fire. [Obs.] Till my bad angel fire my good one out. Shak.
9. (Far.)
Defn: To cauterize. To fire up, to light up the fires of, as of an engine.
FIREFire, v. i.
1. To take fire; to be kindled; to kindle.
2. To be irritated or inflamed with passion.
3. To discharge artillery or firearms; as, they fired on the town. To fire up, to grow irritated or angry. "He . . . fired up, and stood vigorously on his defense." Macaulay.
FIREARMFire"arm`, n.