FORLENDFor*lend", v. t.
Defn: To give up wholly. [Obs.]
FORLESEFor*lese", v. t. [p. p. Forlore, Forlorn (.] Etym: [OE. forlesen. SeeForlorn.]
Defn: To lose utterly. [Obs.] haucer.
FORLET For*let", v. t. Etym: [OE. forleten, AS. forl; pref. for- + l to allow; akin to G. verlassen to leave. See Let to allow.]
Defn: To give up; to leave; to abandon. [Obs.] "To forlet sin."Chaucer.
FORLIEFor*lie", v. i.
Defn: See Forlie.
FORLOREFor*lore", imp. pl. & p. p.
Defn: oForlese. [Obs.]The beasts their caves, the birds their neforlore. Fairfax.
FORLORN For*lorn", a. Etym: [OE., p.p. of forlesen to lose utterly, AS. forleósan (p.p. forloren); pref. for- + leósan (in comp.) to lose; cf. D. verliezen to lose, G. verlieren, Sw. förlora, Dan. forloren, Goth. fraliusan to lose. See For-, and Lorn, a., Lose, v. t.]
1. Deserted abandoned; lost. Of fortune and of hope at once forlorn. Spenser. Some say that ravens foster forlorn children. Shak.
2. Destitute; helpless; in pitiful plight; wretched; miserable; almost hopeless; desperate. For here forlorn and lost I tread. Goldsmith. The condition of the besieged in the mean time was forlorn in the extreme. Prescott. She cherished the forlorn hope that he was still living. Thomson. A forlorn hope Etym: [D. verloren hoop, prop., a lost band or troop; verloren, p.p. of verliezen to lose + hoop band; akin to E. heap. See For-, and Heap.] (Mil.), a body of men (called in F. enfants perdus, in G. verloren posten) selected, usually from volunteers, to attempt a breach, scale the wall of a fortress, or perform other extraordinarily perilous service; also, a desperate case or enterprise.
Syn. — Destitute, lost; abandoned; forsaken; solitary; helpless; friendless; hopeless; abject; wretched; miserable; pitiable.
FORLORNFor*lorn", n.
1. A lost, forsaken, or solitary person. Forced to live in Scotland a forlorn. Shak.
2. A forlorn hope; a vanguard. [Obs.] Our forlorn of horse marched within a mile of the enemy. Oliver Cromvell.
FORLORNLYFor*lorn"ly, adv.
Defn: In a forlorn manner. Pollok.
FORLORNNESSFor*lorn"ness, n.
Defn: State of being forlorn. Boyle.
FORLYEFor*lye", v. i.
Defn: Same as Forlie. [Obs.]
FORM form (. Etym: [See Form, n.]
Defn: A suffix used to denote in the form or shape of, resembling, etc.; as, valiform; oviform.
FORMForm (form; in senses 8 & 9, often form in England), n. Etym: [OE. &F. forme, fr. L. forma; cf. Skr. dhariman. Cf. Firm.]
1. The shape and structure of anything, as distinguished from the material of which it is composed; particular disposition or arrangement of matter, giving it individuality or distinctive character; configuration; figure; external appearance. The form of his visage was changed. Dan. iii. 19. And woven close close, both matter, form, and style. Milton.
2. Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.; system; as, a republican form of government.
3. Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula; as, a form of prayer. Those whom form of laws Condemned to die. Dryden.
4. Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality; as, a matter of mere form. Though well we may not pass upon his life Without the form of justice. Shak.
5. Orderly arrangement; shapeliness; also, comeliness; elegance;beauty.The earth was without form and void. Gen. i. 2.He hath no form nor comeliness. Is. liii. 2.
6. A shape; an image; a phantom.
7. That by which shape is given or determined; mold; pattern; model.
8. A long seat; a bench; hence, a rank of students in a school; a class; also, a class or rank in society. "Ladies of a high form." Bp. Burnet.
9. The seat or bed of a hare. As in a form sitteth a weary hare. Chaucer.
10. (Print.)
Defn: The type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a chase.
11. (Fine Arts)
Defn: The boundary line of a material object. In painting, more generally, the human body.
12. (Gram.)
Defn: The particular shape or structure of a word or part of speech; as, participial forms; verbal forms.
13. (Crystallog.)
Defn: The combination of planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a closed solid.
14. (Metaph.)
Defn: That assemblage or disposition of qualities which makes a conception, or that internal constitution which makes an existing thing to be what it is; — called essential or substantial form, and contradistinguished from matter; hence, active or formative nature; law of being or activity; subjectively viewed, an idea; objectively, a law.
15. Mode of acting or manifestation to the senses, or the intellect; as, water assumes the form of ice or snow. In modern usage, the elements of a conception furnished by the mind's own activity, as contrasted with its object or condition, which is called the matter; subjectively, a mode of apprehension or belief conceived as dependent on the constitution of the mind; objectively, universal and necessary accompaniments or elements of every object known or thought of.
16. (Biol.)
Defn: The peculiar characteristics of an organism as a type of others; also, the structure of the parts of an animal or plant.
Good form or Bad form, the general appearance, condition or action, originally of horses, atterwards of persons; as, the members of a boat crew are said to be in good form when they pull together uniformly. The phrases are further used colloquially in description of conduct or manners in society; as, it is not good form to smoke in the presence of a lady.
FORM Form, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Formed; p. pr. & vb. n. Forming.] Etym: [F. former, L. formare, fr. forma. See Form, n.]
1. To give form or shape to; to frame; to construct; to make; tofashion.God formed man of the dust of the ground. Gen. ii. 7.The thought that labors in my forming brain. Rowe.
2. To give a particular shape to; to shape, mold, or fashion into a certain state or condition; to arrange; to adjust; also, to model by instruction and discipline; to mold by influence, etc.; to train. 'T is education forms the common mind. Pope. Thus formed for speed, he challenges the wind. Dryden.
3. To go to make up; to act as constituent of; to be the essential or constitutive elements of; to answer for; to make the shape of; — said of that out of which anything is formed or constituted, in whole or in part. The diplomatic politicians . . . who formed by far the majority. Burke.
4. To provide with a form, as a hare. See Form, n., 9. The melancholy hare is formed in brakes and briers. Drayton.
5. (Gram.)
Defn: To derive by grammatical rules, as by adding the proper suffixes and affixes.
FORMForm, v. i.
1. To take a form, definite shape, or arrangement; as, the infantry should form in column.
2. To run to a form, as a hare. B. Jonson. To form on (Mil.), to form a lengthened line with reference to (any given object) as a basis.
FORMALFor"mal, a. Etym: [L. formalis: cf. F. formel.]
1. Belonging to the form, shape, frame, external appearance, or organization of a thing.
2. Belonging to the constitution of a thing, as distinguished from the matter composing it; having the power of making a thing what it is; constituent; essential; pertaining to oe depending on the forms, so called of the human intellect. Of [the sounds represented by] letters, the material part is breath and voice; the formal is constituted by the motion and figure of the organs of speech. Holder.
3. Done is due form, or with solemnity; according to regular method; not incidental, sudden or irregular; express; as, he gave his formal consent. His obscure funeral . . . No noble rite nor formal ostentation. Shak.
4. Devoted to, or done in accordance with, forms or rules; punctilious; regular; orderly; methodical; of a prescribed form; exact; prim; stiff; ceremonious; as, a man formal in his dress, his gait, his conversation. A cold-looking, formal garden, cut into angles and rhomboids. W. Irwing. She took off the formal cap that confined her hair. Hawthorne.
5. Having the form or appearance without the substance or essence; external; as, formal duty; formal worship; formal courtesy, etc.
6. Dependent in form; conventional. Still in constraint your suffering sex remains, Or bound in formal or in real chains. Pope.
7. Sound; normal. [Obs.] To make of him a formal man again. Shak. Formal cause. See under Cause.
Syn. — Precise; punctilious; stiff; starched; affected; ritual; ceremonial; external; outward. — Formal, Ceremonious. When applied to things, these words usually denote a mere accordance with the rules of form or ceremony; as, to make a formal call; to take a ceremonious leave. When applied to a person or his manners, they are used in a bad sense; a person being called formal who shapes himself too much by some pattern or set form, and ceremonious when he lays too much stress on the conventional laws of social intercourse. Formal manners render a man stiff or ridiculous; a ceremonious carriage puts a stop to the ease and freedom of social intercourse.
FORMALDEHYDEFor*mal"de*hyde, n. Etym: [Formic + aldehyde.] (Chem.)
Defn: A colorless, volatile liquid, H2CO, resembling acetic or ethyl aldehyde, and chemically intermediate between methyl alcohol and formic acid.
FORMALINFor"ma*lin, n. [Formic + aldehyde + -in.] (Chem.)
Defn: An aqueous solution of formaldehyde, used as a preservative in museums and as a disinfectant.
FORMALISMForm"al*ism, n.
Defn: The practice or the doctrine of strict adherence to, or dependence on, external forms, esp. in matters of religion. Official formalism. Sir H. Rawlinson.
FORMALISTForm"al*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. formaliste.]
Defn: One overattentive to forms, or too much confined to them; esp., one who rests in external religious forms, or observes strictly the outward forms of worship, without possessing the life and spirit of religion. As far a formalist from wisdom sits, In judging eyes, as libertines from wits. Young.
FORMALITYFor*mal"i*ty, n.; pl. Formalities. Etym: [Cf. F. formalité.]
1. The condition or quality of being formal, strictly ceremonious, precise, etc.
2. Form without substance. Such [books] as are mere pieces of formality, so that if you look on them, you look though them. Fuller.
3. Compliance with formal or conventional rules; ceremony; conventionality. Nor was his attendance on divine offices a matter of formality and custom, but of conscience. Atterbury.
4. An established order; conventional rule of procedure; usual method; habitual mode. He was installed with all the usual formalities. C. Middleton.
5. pl.
Defn: The dress prescribed for any body of men, academical,municipal, or sacerdotal. [Obs.]The doctors attending her in their formalities as far as Shotover.Fuller.
6. That which is formal; the formal part. It unties the inward knot of marriage, . . . while it aims to keep fast the outward formality. Milton.
7. The quality which makes a thing what it is; essence. The material part of the evil came from our father upon us, but the formality of it, the sting and the curse, is only by ourselves. Jer. Taylor. The formality of the vow lies in the promise made to God. Bp. Stillingfleet.
8. (Scholastic. Philos.)
Defn: The manner in which a thing is conceived or constituted by an act of human thinking; the result of such an act; as, animality and rationality are formalities.
FORMALIZEForm"al*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Formalized; p. pr. & vb. n.Formalizing.]
1. To give form, or a certain form, to; to model. [R.]
2. To render formal.
FORMALIZEForm"al*ize, v. i.
Defn: To affect formality. [Obs.] ales.
FORMALLYForm"al*ly, adv.
Defn: In a formal manner; essentially; characteristically; expressly; regularly; ceremoniously; precisely. That which formally makes this [charity] a Christian grace, is the spring from which it flows. Smalridge. You and your followers do stand formally divided against the authorized guides of the church and rest of the people. Hooker.
FORMATFor`mat" (for`ma" or for`mät"), n. [F. or G. Cf. Formation.] (Print.)
Defn: The shape and size of a book; hence, its external form.
The older manuscripts had been written in a much larger format than that found convenient for university work. G. H. Putnam.
One might, indeed, protest that the format is a little too luxurious.Nature.
FORMATEFor"mate, n. Etym: [See Formic.] (Chem.)
Defn: A salt of formic acid. [Written also formiate.]
FORMATIONFor*ma"tion, n. Etym: [L. formatio: cf. F. formation.]
1. The act of giving form or shape to anything; a forming; a shaping. Beattie.
2. The manner in which a thing is formed; structure; construction; conformation; form; as, the peculiar formation of the heart.
3. A substance formed or deposited.
4. (Geol.) (a) Mineral deposits and rock masses designated with reference to their origin; as, the siliceous formation about geysers; alluvial formations; marine formations. (b) A group of beds of the same age or period; as, the Eocene formation.
5. (Mil.)
Defn: The arrangement of a body of troops, as in a square, column, etc. Farrow.
FORMATIVEForm"a*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. formatif.]
1. Giving form; having the power of giving form; plastic; as, the formative arts. The meanest plant can not be raised without seed, by any formative residing in the soil. Bentley.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: Serving to form; derivative; not radical; as, a termination merely formative.
3. (Biol.)
Defn: Capable of growth and development; germinal; as, living or formative matter.
FORMATIVE Form"a*tive, n. (Gram.) (a) That which serves merely to give form, and is no part of the radical, as the prefix or the termination of a word. (b) A word formed in accordance with some rule or usage, as from a root.
FORMEFor`mé", a. (Her.)
Defn: Same as Paté or Patté.
FORMEFor"me, a. Etym: [OE., fr. AS. forma. See Foremost.]
Defn: First. [Obs.] "Adam our forme father." Chaucer.
FORMEDFormed, a.
1. (Astron.)
Defn: Arranged, as stars in a constellation; as, formed stars. [R.]
2. (Biol.)
Defn: Having structure; capable of growth and development; organized; as, the formed or organized ferments. See Ferment, n. Formed material (Biol.), a term employed by Beale to denote the lifeless matter of a cell, that which is physiologically dead, in distinction from the truly germinal or living matter.
FORMEDON For"me*don, n. Etym: [OF., fr. Latin. So called because the plaintiff claimed "by the form of the gift,: L. per formam doni.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: A writ of right for a tenant in tail in case of a discontinuance of the estate tail. This writ has been abolished.
FORMELLFor"mell, n. Etym: [Dim. of F. forme the female of a bird of prey.](Zoöl.)
Defn: The female of a hawk or falcon.
FORMERForm"er, n.
1. One who forms; a maker; a creator.
2. (Mech.) (a) A shape around which an article is to be shaped, molded, woven wrapped, pasted, or otherwise constructed. (b) A templet, pattern, or gauge by which an article is shaped. (c) A cutting die.
FORMERFor"mer, a. Etym: [A compar. due to OE. formest. See Foremost.]
1. Preceding in order of time; antecedent; previous; prior; earlier; hence, ancient; long past. For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age. Job. viii. 8. The latter and former rain. Hosea vi. 3.
3. Near the beginning; preceeding; as, the former part of a discourse or argument.
3. Earlier, as between two things mentioned together; first mentioned. A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critic; a man may be the former merely through the misfortune of an ill judgment; but he can not be latter without both that and an ill temper. Pope.
Syn.— Prior; previous; anterior; antecedent; preceding; foregoing.
FORMERETFor`me*ret", n. Etym: [F.] (Arch.)
Defn: One of the half ribs against the walls in a ceiling vaulted with ribs.
FORMERLYFor"mer*ly, adv.
Defn: In time past, either in time immediately preceding or at any indefinite distance; of old; heretofore.
FORMFULForm"ful, a.
Defn: Creative; imaginative. [R.] "The formful brain." Thomson.
FORMICFor"mic, a. Etym: [L. formica an ant: cf. F. formique.] (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or derived from, ants; as, formic acid; in an extended sense, pertaining to, or derived from, formic acid; as, formic ether. Amido formic acid, carbamic acid. — Formic acid, a colorless, mobile liquid, HCO.OH, of a sharp, acid taste, occurring naturally in ants, nettles, pine needles, etc., and produced artifically in many ways, as by the oxidation of methyl alcohol, by the reduction of carbonic acid or the destructive distillation of oxalic acid. It is the first member of the fatty acids in the paraffin series, and is homologous with acetic acid.
FORMICAFor*mi"ca, n. Etym: [L., an ant.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A Linnæan genus of hymenopterous insects, including the common ants. See Ant.
FORMICAROIDFor`mi*ca"roid, a. Etym: [NL. Formicarius, the typical genus + -oid.](Zoöl.)
Defn: Like or pertaining to the family Formicaridæ or ant thrushes.
FORMICARYFor"mi*ca*ry, n. Etym: [LL. formicarium, fr. L. formica an ant.](Zoöl.)
Defn: The nest or dwelling of a swarm of ants; an ant-hill.
FORMICATEFor"mi*cate, a. Etym: [L. formica an ant.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Resembling, or pertaining to, an ant or ants.
FORMICATION For`mi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. formicatio, fr. formicare to creep like an ant, to feel as if ants were crawling on one's self, fr. formica ant: cf. F. formication.] (Med.)
Defn: A sensation resembling that made by the creeping of ants on the skin. Dunglison.
FORMICIDFor"mi*cid, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Pertaining to the ants.— n.
Defn: One of the family Formicidæ, or ants.
FORMIDABILITYFor`mi*da*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: Formidableness. Walpole.
FORMIDABLE For"mi*da*ble, a. Etym: [L. formidabilis, fr. formidare to fear, dread: cf. F. formidable.]
Defn: Exciting fear or apprehension; impressing dread; adapted to excite fear and deter from approach, encounter, or undertaking; alarming. They seemed to fear the formodable sight. Dryden. I swell my preface into a volume, and make it formidable, when you see so many pages behind. Drydn.
Syn. — Dreadful; fearful; terrible; frightful; shocking; horrible; terrific; tremendous.
FORMIDABLENESSFor"mi*da*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being formidable, or adapted to excite dread.Boyle.
FORMIDABLYFor"mi*da*bly, adv.
Defn: In a formidable manner.
FORMIDOLOSEFor*mid"o*lose, a. Etym: [L. formidolosus, fr. formido fear.]
Defn: Very much afraid. [Obs.] Bailey.
FORMINGForm"ing, n.
Defn: The act or process of giving form or shape to anything; as, in shipbuilding, the exact shaping of partially shaped timbers.
FORMLESSForm"less, a.
Defn: Shapeless; without a determinate form; wanting regularity ofshape.— Form"less*ly, adv.— Form"less*ness, n.
FORMULA For"mu*la, n.; pl. E. Formulas, L. Formulæ. Etym: [L., dim. of forma form, model. SeeForm, n.]
1. A prescribed or set form; an established rule; a fixed or conventional method in which anything is to be done, arranged, or said.
2. (Eccl.)
Defn: A written confession of faith; a formal statement of foctrines.
3. (Math.)
Defn: A rule or principle expressed in algebraic language; as, the binominal formula.
4. (Med.)
Defn: A prescription or recipe for the preparation of a medicinal compound.
5. (Chem.)
Defn: A symbolic expression (by means of letters, figures, etc.) of the constituents or constitution of a compound.
Note: Chemical formulæ consist of the abbreviations of the names of the elements, with a small figure at the lower right hand, to denote the number of atoms of each element contained. Empirical formula (Chem.), an expression which gives the simple proportion of the constituents; as, the empirical formula of acetic acid is C2H4O2. — Graphic formula, Rational formula (Chem.), an expression of the constitution, and in a limited sense of the structure, of a compound, by the grouping of its atoms or radicals; as, a rational formula of acetic acid is CH3.(C:O).OH; — called also structural formula, constitutional formula, etc. See also the formula of Benzene nucleus, under Benzene. — Molecular formula (Chem.), a formula indicating the supposed molecular constitution of a compound.
FORMULARISTICFor`mu*la*ris"tic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or exhibiting, formularization. Emerson.
FORMULARIZATIONFor`mu*lar*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act of formularizing; a formularized or formulated statement or exhibition. C. Kingsley.
FORMULARIZEFor"mu*lar*ize, v. t.
Defn: To reduce to a forula; to formulate.
FORMULARYFor"mu*la*ry, a. Etym: [Cf. F. formulaire. See Formula.]
Defn: Stated; prescribed; ritual.
FORMULARYFor"mu*la*ry, n.; pl. Formularies. Etym: [Cf. F. formulaire.]
1. A book containing stated and prescribed forms, as of oaths, declarations, prayers, medical formulaæ, etc.; a book of precedents.
2. Prescribed form or model; formula.
FORMULATEFor"mu*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Formulated; p. pr. & vb. n.Formulating.]
Defn: To reduce to, or express in, a formula; to put in a clear and definite form of statement or expression. G. P. Marsh.
FORMULATIONFor`mu*la"tion, n.
Defn: The act, process, or result of formulating or reducing to a formula.
FORMULEFor"mule, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A set or prescribed model; a formula. [Obs.] Johnson.
FORMULIZATIONFor`mu*li*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act or process of reducing to a formula; the state of being formulized.
FORMULIZEFor"mu*lize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Formulized; p. pr. & vb. n.Formulizing.]
Defn: To reduce to a formula; to formulate. Emerson.
FORMYL For"myl, n. Etym: [Formic + -yl.] (Chem.) (a) A univalent radical, H.C:O, regarded as the essential residue of formic acid and aldehyde. (b) Formerly, the radical methyl, CH3.
FORNCASTForn*cast", p. p. Etym: [OE. foren + cast. See Forecast.]
Defn: Predestined. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORNICALFor"ni*cal, a.
Defn: Relating to a fornix.
FORNICATE; FORNICATED For"ni*cate, For"ni*ca`ted, a. Etym: [L. fornicatus, fr. fornix, - icis, an arch, vault.]
1. Vaulted like an oven or furnace; arched.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Arching over; overarched. Gray.
FORNICATE For"ni*cate, v. i. Etym: [L. fornicatus, p. p. of fornicari to fornicate, fr. fornix, -icis, a vault, a brothel in an underground vault.]
Defn: To commit fornication; to have unlawful sexual intercourse.
FORNICATIONFor`ni*ca"tion, n. Etym: [F. fornication, L. fornicatio.]
1. Unlawful sexual intercourse on the part of an unmarried person; the act of such illicit sexual intercourse between a man and a woman as does not by law amount to adultery.
Note: In England, the offense, though cognizable in the ecclesiastical courts, was not at common law subject to secular prosecution. In the United States it is indictable in some States at common law, in others only by statute. Whartyon.
2. (Script.) (a) Adultery. (b) Incest. (c) Idolatry.
FORNICATOR For"ni*ca`tor, n. Etym: [F. fornicateur, OF. fornicator, from L. fornicator.]
Defn: An unmarried person, male or female, who has criminal intercourse with the other sex; one guilty of fornication.
FORNICATRESSFor"ni*ca`tress, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fornicatrice, L. fornicatrix.]
Defn: A woman guilty of fornication. Shak.
FORNIX For"nix, n.; pl. Fornices. Etym: [L., an arch.] (Anat.) (a) An arch or fold; as, the fornix, or vault, of the cranium; the fornix, or reflection, of the conjuctiva. (b) Esp., two longitudinal bands of white nervous tissue beneath the lateral ventricles of the brain.
FOROLDFor*old", a.
Defn: Very old. [Obs.]A bear's skin, coal-black, forold. Chaucer.
FORPASSFor*pass", v. t. & i.
Defn: To pass by or along; to pass over. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORPINEFor*pine", v. t.
Defn: To waste away completely by suffering or torment. [Archaic]"Pale as a forpined ghost." Chaucer.
FORRAYFor"ray ( or ), v. t. Etym: [OE. forrayen. See Foray.]
Defn: To foray; to ravage; to pillage.For they that morn had forrayed all the land. Fairfax.
FORRAYFor"ray, n.
Defn: The act of ravaging; a ravaging; a predatory excursion. SeeForay.
FORRILLFor"rill, n. Etym: [See Forel.]
Defn: Lambskin parchment; vellum; forel. McElrath.
FORSAKEFor*sake", v. t. [imp. Forsook; p. p. Forsaken; p. pr. & vb. n.Forsaking.] Etym: [AS. forsacan to oppose, refuse; for- + sacan tocontend, strive; akin to Goth. sakan. See For-, and Sake.]
1. To quit or leave entirely; to desert; to abandon; to depart or withdraw from; to leave; as, false friends and flatterers forsake us in adversity. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments. Ps. lxxxix. 30.
2. To renounce; to reject; to refuse. If you forsake the offer of their love. Shak.
Syn. — To abandon; quit; desert; fail; relinquish; give up; renounce; reject. See Abandon.
FORSAKERFor*sak"er, n.
Defn: One who forsakes or deserts.
FORSAY For*say", v. t. Etym: [AS. forsecgan to accuse; pref. for- + secgan to say.]
Defn: To forbid; to renounce; to forsake; to deny. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORSHAPEFor*shape", v. t. Etym: [Pref. for- + shape, v.t.]
Defn: To render misshapen. [Obs.] Gower.
FORSLACKFor*slack", v. t. Etym: [Pref. for- + slack to neglect.]
Defn: To neglect by idleness; to delay or to waste by sloth. [Obs.]Spenser.
FORSLOUTHEFor*slouth"e, v. t. Etym: [See For-, and Slouth.]
Defn: To lose by sloth or negligence. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORSLOWFor*slow", v. t. Etym: [Pref. for- + slow.]
Defn: To delay; to hinder; to neglect; to put off. [Obs.] Bacon.
FORSLOWFor*slow", v. i.
Defn: To loiter. [Obs.] Shak.
FORSLUGGEFor*slug"ge, v. t. Etym: [See Slug to be idle.]
Defn: To lsoe by idleness or slotch. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORSOOTH For*sooth", adv. Etym: [AS. forso\'eb; for, prep. + so\'eb sooth, truth. See For, prep., and Sooth.]
Defn: In truth; in fact; certainly; very well; — formerly used as an expression of deference or respect, especially to woman; now used ironically or contemptuously. A fit man, forsooth, to govern a realm! Hayward. Our old English word forsooth has been changed for the French madam. Guardian.
FORSOOTHFor*sooth", v. t.
Defn: To address respectfully with the term forsooth. [Obs.] The captain of the "Charles" had forsoothed her, though he knew her well enough and she him. Pepys.
FORSOOTHFor*sooth", n.
Defn: A person who used forsooth much; a very ceremonious and deferential person. [R.] You sip so like a forsooth of the city. B. Jonson.
FORSPEAKFor*speak", v. t. Etym: [Pref. for- + speak.]
1. To forbid; to prohibit. Shak.
2. To bewitch. [Obs.] Drayton.
FORSPENT For*spent", a. Etym: [AS. forspendan to consume; pref. for- + spendan to spend.]
Defn: Wasted in strength; tired; exhausted. [Archaic]A gentleman almost forspent with speed. Shak.
FORSTALLFor*stall", v. t.
Defn: To forestall. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORSTERFors"ter, n.
Defn: A forester. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORSTRAUGHT For*straught", p. p. & a. Etym: [Pref. for- + straught; cf. distraught.]
Defn: Distracted. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORSWATFor*swat", a. Etym: [See Sweat.]
Defn: Spent with heat; covered with sweat. [Obs.] P. Sidney.
FORSWEARFor*swear", v. t. [imp. Forswore; p. p. Forsworn; p. pr. & vb. n.Forswearing.] Etym: [OE. forsweren, forswerien, AS. forswerian; pref.for- + swerian to swear. See For-, and Swear, v. i.]
1. To reject or renounce upon oath; hence, to renounce earnestly, determinedly, or with protestations. I . . . do forswear her. Shak.
2. To deny upon oath. Like innocence, and as serenely bold As truth, how loudly he forswears thy gold! Dryden. To forswear one's self, to swear falsely; to peforswear thyself."
Syn.— See Perjure.
FORSWEARFor*swear", v. i.
Defn: To swear falsely; to commit perjury. Shak.
FORSWEARERFor*swear"er, n.
Defn: One who rejects of renounces upon oath; one who swears a false oath.
FORSWONKFor*swonk", a. Etym: [Pref. for- + swonk, p.p. of swinkto labor. SeeSwink.]
Defn: Overlabored; exhausted; worn out. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORSWOREFor*swore",
Defn: imp. of Forswear.
FORSWORNFor*sworn",
Defn: p. p. of Forswear.
FORSWORNNESSFor*sworn"ness, n.
Defn: State of being forsworn. [R.]
FORSYTHIA For*syth"i*a, a. Etym: [NL. Named after William Forsyth, who brought in from China.] (Bot.)
Defn: A shrub of the Olive family, with yellow blossoms.
FORTFort, n. Etym: [F., from fort strong, L. fortis; perh. akin to Skr.darh to fix, make firm, and to E. firm Cf. Forte, Force, Fortalice,Comfort, Effort.] (Mil.)
Defn: A strong or fortified place; usually, a small fortified place, occupied only by troops, surrounded with a ditch, rampart, and parapet, or with palisades, stockades, or other means of defense; a fortification. Detached works, depending solely on their own strength, belong to the class of works termed forts. Farrow.
FORTALICEFort"a*lice, n. Etym: [LL. fortalitia, or OF. fortelesce. SeeFortress.] (Mil.)
Defn: A small outwork of a fortification; a fortilage; — called also fortelace.
FORTEForte (fort), n. Etym: [IT. forte: cf. F. fort. See Fort.]
1. The strong point; that in which one excels. fort"a The construction of a fable seems by no means the forte of our modern poetical writers. Jeffrey.
2. The stronger part of the blade of a sword; the part of half nearest the hilt; — opposed to foible.
FORTE For"te (fôr"tay or for"tay), adv. Etym: [It. forte, a. & adv., fr. L. fortis strong.] (Mus.)
Defn: Loudly; strongly; powerfully.
FORTEDFort"ed, a.
Defn: Furnished with, or guarded by, forts; strengthened or defended, as by forts. [R.] Shak.
FORTH Forth, v.Etym: [AS. foredh, fr. for akin to D. voort, G. fort sq. root78. See Fore, For, and cf. Afford, Further, adv.]
1. Forward; onward in time, place, or order; in advance from a given point; on to end; as, from that day forth; one, two, three, and so forth. Lucas was Paul's companion, at the leastway from the sixteenth of the Acts forth. Tyndale. From this time forth, I never will speak word. Shak. I repeated the Ave Maria; the inquisitor bad me say forth; I said I was taught no more. Strype.
2. Out, as from a state of concealment, retirement, confinement, nondevelopment, or the like; out into notice or view; as, the plants in spring put forth leaves. When winter past, and summer scarce begun, Invites them forth to labor in the sun. Dryden.
3. Beyond a (certain) boundary; away; abroad; out. I have no mind of feasting forth to-night. Shak.
4. Throughly; from beginning to end. [Obs.] Shak. And so forth, Backand forth, From forth. See under And, Back, and From.— Forth of, Forth from, out of [Obs.] Shak.— To bring forth. See under Bring.
FORTHForth, prep.
Defn: Forth from; out of. [Archaic]Some forth their cabins peep. Donne.
FORTHForth, n. Etym: [OE., a ford. Frith.]
Defn: A way; a passage or ford. [Obs.] Todd.
FORTHBYForth`by", adv. [Obs.]
Defn: See Forby.
FORTHCOMINGForth"com`ing ( or ), a.
Defn: Ready or about to appear; making appearance.
FORTHGOINGForth"go`ing ( or ), n.
Defn: A going forth; an utterance. A. Chalmers.
FORTHGOINGForth"go`ing, a.
Defn: Going forth.
FORTHINKFor*think", v. t.
Defn: To repent; to regret; to be sorry for; to cause regret. [Obs.]"Let it forthink you." Tyndale.That me forthinketh, quod this January. Chaucer.
FORTHPUTINGForth"put`ing ( or ), a.
Defn: Bold; forward; aggressive.
FORTHRIGHTForth"right` ( or ), adv. Etym: [Forth, adv. + right, adv.]
Defn: Straight forward; in a straight direction. [Archaic] Sir P.Sidney.
FORTHRIGHTForth"right`, a.
Defn: Direct; straightforward; as, a forthright man. [Archaic]Lowell.They were Night and Day, and Day and Night, Piligrims wight withsteps forthright. Emerson.
FORTHRIGHTForth"right`, n.
Defn: A straight path. [Archaic]Here's a maze trod, indeed, Through forthrights and meanders! Shak.
FORTHRIGHTNESSForth"right`ness, n.
Defn: Straightforwardness; explicitness; directness. [Archaic]Dante's concise forthrightness of phrase. Hawthorne.
FORTHWARDForth"ward, adv. Etym: [Forth, adv. + -ward.]
Defn: Forward. [Obs.] Bp. Fisher.
FORTHWITHForth`with" ( or ; see With), adv.
1. Immediately; without delay; directly. Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales; and he received sight forthwith. Acts ix. 18.
2. (Law)
Defn: As soon as the thing required may be done by reasonable exertion confined to that object. Bouvier.
FORTHY For*thy", adv. Etym: [AS. foredhy; for, prep. + edhy, instrumental neut. of se, seó, edhæt, pron. demonstrative and article. See The.]
Defn: Therefore. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORTIESFor"ties, n. pl.
Defn: See Forty.
FORTIETHFor"ti*eth, a. Etym: [AS. feówertigo. See Forty.]
1. Following the thirty-ninth, or preceded by thirty-nine units, things, or parts.
2. Constituting one of forty equal parts into which anything is divided.
FORTIETHFor"ti*eth, n.
Defn: One of forty equal parts into which one whole is divided; the quotient of a unit divided by forty; one next in order after the thirty-ninth.
FORTIFIABLEFor"ti*fi`a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. OF. fortifiable.]
Defn: Capable of being fortified. Johnson.
FORTIFICATIONFor`ti*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. fortificatio : cf. F. fortification.]
1. The act of fortifying; the art or science of fortifying places in order to defend them against an enemy.
2. That which fortifies; especially, a work or works erected to defend a place against attack; a fortified place; a fortress; a fort; a castle. Fortification agate, Scotch pebble.
Syn.— Fortress; citadel; bulwark. See Fortress.
FORTIFIERFor"ti*fi`er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, fortifies, strengthens, supports, or upholds.
FORTIFYFor"ti*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fortified; p. pr. & vb. n.Fortifying.] Etym: [F. fortifier, L. fortificare; fortis strong + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Fort, and -fy.]
1. To add strength to; to strengthen; to confirm; to furnish with power to resist attack. Timidity was fortified by pride. Gibbon. Pride came to the aid of fancy, and both combined to fortify his resolution. Sir W. Scott.
2. To strengthen and secure by forts or batteries, or by surrounding with a wall or ditch or other military works; to render defensible against an attack by hostile forces.
FORTIFYFor"ti*fy, v. i.
Defn: To raise defensive works. Milton.
FORTILAGEFor"ti*lage (; 48), n. Etym: [Cf. Fortalice.]
Defn: A little fort; a blockhouse. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORTINFort"in, n. Etym: [F. See Fort, n.]
Defn: A little fort; a fortlet. [Obs.]
FORTISSIMOFor*tis"si*mo ( or ), adv. Etym: [It., superl. of forte, adv. SeeForte, adv.] (Mus.)
Defn: Very loud; with the utmost strength or loudness.
FORTITIONFor*ti"tion, n. Etym: [See Fortuitous.]
Defn: Casual choice; fortuitous selection; hazard. [R.] No mode of election operating in the spirit of fortition or rotation can be generally good. Burke.
FORTITUDEFor"ti*tude, n. Etym: [L. fortitudo, fr. fortis strong. See Fort.]
1. Power to resist attack; strength; firmness. [Obs.] The fortitude of the place is best known to you. Shak.
2. That strength or firmness of mind which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression, or despondency; passive courage; resolute endurance; firmness in confronting or bearing up against danger or enduring trouble. Extolling patience as the truest fortitude. Milton. Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues. Locke.
Syn.— Courage; resolution; resoluteness; endurance; bravery. SeeCourage, and Heroism.
FORTITUDINOUSFor`ti*tu"di*nous, a.
Defn: Having fortitude; courageous. [R.] Gibbon.
FORTLETFort"let, n.
Defn: A little fort. [R.] Bailey.
FORTNIGHT Fort"night` (; in U.S. often ; 277), n. Etym: [Contr. fr. fourteen nights, our ancestors reckoning time by nights and winters; so, also, seven nights, sennight, a week.]
Defn: The space of fourteen days; two weeks.
FORTNIGHTLYFort"night`ly, a.
Defn: Occurring or appearing once in a fortnight; as, a fortnightly meeting of a club; a fortnightly magazine, or other publication. — adv.
Defn: Once in a fortnight; at intervals of a fortnight.
FORTREADFor*tread", v. t.
Defn: To tread down; to trample upon. [Obs.]In hell shall they be all fortroden of devils. Chaucer.
FORTRESSFor"tress, n.; pl. Fortresses. Etym: [F. forteresse, OF. forteresce,fortelesce, LL. foralitia, fr. L. fortis strong. See Fort, and cf.Fortalice.]
Defn: A fortified place; a large and permanent fortification, sometimes including a town; a fort; a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security.
Syn. — Fortress, Fortification, Castle, Citadel. A fortress is constructed for military purposes only, and is permanently garrisoned; a fortification is built to defend harbors, cities, etc.; a castle is a fortress of early times which was ordinarily a palatial dwelling; a citadel is the stronghold of a fortress or city, etc.
FORTRESSFor"tress, v. t.
Defn: To furnish with a fortress or with fortresses; to guard; to fortify. Shak.
FORTUITOUS For*tu"i*tous, a. Etym: [L. fortuitus; akin to forte, adv., by chance, prop. abl. of fors, fortis, chance. See Fortune.]
1. Happening by chance; coming or occuring unexpectedly, or without any known cause; chance; as, the fortuitous concourse of atoms. It was from causes seemingly fortuitous . . . that all the mighty effects of the Reformation flowed. Robertson. So as to throw a glancing and fortuitous light upon the whole. Hazlitt.
2. (LAw)
Defn: Happening independently of human will or means of foresight; resulting from unavoidable physical causes. Abbott.
Syn.— Accidental; casual; contingent; incidental. See Accidental.— For*tu"i*tous*ly, adv.— For*tu"i*tous*ness, n.
FORTUITYFor*tu"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fortuité.]
Defn: Accident; chance; casualty. D. Forbes (1750).
FORTUNATE For"tu*nate, a. Etym: [L. fortunatus, p.p. of fortunare to make fortunate or prosperous, fr. fortuna. See Fortune, n.]
1. Coming by good luck or favorable chance; bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain; presaging happiness; auspicious; as, a fortunate event; a fortunate concurrence of circumstances; a fortunate investment.
2. Receiving same unforeseen or unexpected good, or some good which was not dependent on one's own skill or efforts; favored with good forune; lucky.
Syn. — Auspicious; lucky; prosperous; successful; favored; happy. — Fortunate, Successful, Prosperous. A man is fortunate, when he is favored of fortune, and has unusual blessings fall to his lot; successful when he gains what he aims at; prosperous when he succeeds in those things which men commonly desire. One may be fortunate, in some cases, where he is not successful; he may be successful, but, if he has been mistaken in the value of what he has aimed at, he may for that reason fail to be prosperous.
FORTUNATELYFor"tu*nate*ly, adv.
Defn: In a fortunate manner; luckily; successfully; happily.
FORTUNATENESSFor"tu*nate*ness, n.
Defn: The condition or quality of being fortunate; good luck; success; happiness.
FORTUNEFor"tune, n. Etym: [F. fortune, L. fortuna; akin to fors, fortis,chance, prob. fr. ferre to bear, bring. See Bear to support, and cf.Fortuitous.]
1. The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident; luck; hap; also, the personified or deified power regarded as determining human success, apportioning happiness and unhappiness, and distributing arbitrarily or fortuitously the lots of life. 'T is more by fortune, lady, than by merit. Shak. O Fortune, Fortune, all men call thee fickle. Shak.
2. That which befalls or is to befall one; lot in life, or event in any particular undertaking; fate; destiny; as, to tell one's fortune. You, who men's fortunes in their faces read. Cowley.
3. That which comes as the result of an undertaking or of a course of action; good or ill success; especially, favorable issue; happy event; success; prosperity as reached partly by chance and partly by effort. Our equal crimes shall equal fortune give. Dryden. There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Shak. His father dying, he was driven to seek his fortune. Swift.
4. Wealth; large possessions; large estate; riches; as, a gentleman of fortune.
Syn. — Chance; accident; luck; fate. Fortune book, a book supposed to reveal future events to those who consult it. Crashaw. - Fortune hunter, one who seeks to acquire wealth by marriage. — Fortune teller, one who professes to tell future events in the life of another. — Fortune telling, the practice or art of professing to reveal future events in the life of another.
FORTUNEFor"tune, v. t. Etym: [OF. fortuner, L. fortunare. See Fortune, n.]
1. To make fortunate; to give either good or bad fortune to. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To provide with a fortune. Richardson.
3. To presage; to tell the fortune of. [Obs.] Dryden.
FORTUNEFor"tune, v. i.
Defn: To fall out; to happen. It fortuned the same night that a Christian, serving a Turk in the camp, secretely gave the watchmen warning. Knolles.
FORTUNELESSFor"tune*less, a.
Defn: Luckless; also, destitute of a fortune or portion. Spenser.
FORTUNIZEFor"tun*ize, v. t.
Defn: To regulate the fortune of; to make happy. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORTY For"ty, a. Etym: [OE. forti, fourti, fowerty, AS. feówertig; feówer four + suff. -tig ten; akin to OS. fiwartig, fiartig, D. veertig, G. vierzig, Icel. fjörutiu, Sw. fyratio, Dan. fyrretyve, Goth. fidw. See Four, and Ten, and cf. Fourteen.]
Defn: Four times ten; thirtynine and one more.
FORTYFor"ty, n.; pl. Forties (.
1. The sum of four tens; forty units or objects.
2. A symbol expressing forty units; as, 40, or xl.
FORTY-NINERFor`ty-nin"er, n.
Defn: One of those who went to California in the rush for gold in 1849; an argonaut. [Colloq., U. S.]
FORTY-SPOTFor"ty-spot`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The Tasmanian forty-spotted diamond bird (Pardalotus quadragintus).
FORUM Fo"rum, n.; pl. E. Forums, L. Fora. Etym: [L.; akin to foris, foras, out of doors. See Foreign.]
1. A market place or public place in Rome, where causes were judicially tried, and orations delivered to the people.
2. A tribunal; a court; an assembly empowered to hear and decide causes. He [Lord Camden] was . . . more eminent in the senate than in the forum. Brougham.
FORWAKEDFor*waked" ( or ), p. p. & a.
Defn: Tired out with excessive waking or watching. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORWANDERFor*wan"der, v. i.
Defn: To wander away; to go astray; to wander far and to weariness.[Obs.]
FORWARD For"ward, n. Etym: [OE., fr. AS. foreweard; fore before + weard a ward. See Ward, n.]
Defn: An agreement; a covenant; a promise. [Obs.]Tell us a tale anon, as forward is. Chaucer.
FORWARD; FORWARDSFor"ward, For"wards, adv. Etym: [AS. forweard, foreweard; for, fore +-weardes; akin to G. vorwärts. The s is properly a genitive ending.See For, Fore, and -ward, -wards.]
Defn: Toward a part or place before or in front; onward; in advance; progressively; — opposed to backward.
FORWARDFor"ward, a.
1. Near, or at the fore part; in advance of something else; as, the forward gun in a ship, or the forward ship in a fleet.
2. Ready; prompt; strongly inclined; in an ill sense, overready; to hasty. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. Gal. ii. 10. Nor do we find him forward to be sounded. Shak.
3. Ardent; eager; earnest; in an ill sense, less reserved or modest than is proper; bold; confident; as, the boy is too forward for his years. I have known men disagreeably forward from their shyness. T. Arnold.
4. Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for season; as, the grass is forward, or forward for the season; we have a forward spring. early. The most forward bud Is eaten by the canker ere it blow. Shak.
FORWARDFor"ward, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Forwarded; p.pr. & vb.n. Forwarding.]
1. To help onward; to advance; to promote; to accelerate; to quicken; to hasten; as, to forward the growth of a plant; to forward one in improvement.
2. To send forward; to send toward the place of destination; to transmit; as, to forward a letter.
FORWARDERFor"ward*er, n.
1. One who forwards or promotes; a promoter. Udall.
2. One who sends forward anything; (Com.) one who transmits goods; a forwarding merchant.
3. (Bookbinding)
Defn: One employed in forwarding.
FORWARDINGFor"ward*ing, n.
1. The act of one who forwards; the act or occupation of transmitting merchandise or other property for others.
2. (Bookbinding)
Defn: The process of putting a book into its cover, and making it ready for the finisher.
FORWARDLYFor"ward*ly, adv.
Defn: Eagerly; hastily; obtrusively.
FORWARDNESSFor"ward*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being forward; cheerful readiness; promtness; as, the forwardness of Christians in propagating the gospel.
2. An advanced stage of progress or of preparation; advancement; as, his measures were in great forwardness. Robertson.
3. Eagerness; ardor; as, it is difficult to restrain the forwardness of youth.
3. Boldness; confidence; assurance; want of due reserve or modesty. In France it is usual to bring children into company, and cherish in them, from their infancy, a kind of forwardness and assurance. Addison.
5. A state of advance beyond the usual degree; prematureness; precocity; as, the forwardnessof spring or of corn; the forwardness of a pupil. He had such a dexterous proclivity, as his teachers were fain to restrain his forwardness. Sir H. Wotton.
Syn. — Promptness; promptitude; eagerness; ardor; zeal; assurance; confidence; boldness; impudence; presumption.
FORWARDSFor"wards, adv.
Defn: Same as Forward.
FORWASTEFor*waste", v. t. Etym: [Pref. for- + waste.]
Defn: To desolate or lay waste utterly. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORWEARYFor*wea"ry, v. t.
Defn: To weary extremely; to dispirit. [Obs.] Spenser.
FORWEEPFor*weep", v. i.
Defn: To weep much. [Obs.]
FORWETEFor*wete", v. t.
Defn: See Forewite. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORWHY For*why", conj. Etym: [For + why, AS. hw, instrumental case of hwa who.]
Defn: Wherefore; because. [Obs.]
FORWORNFor*worn", a.
Defn: Much worn. [Obs.]A silly man, in simple weeds forworn. Spenser.
FORWOTFor*wot",
Defn: pres. indic. 1st & 3d pers. sing. of Forwete. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORWRAPFor*wrap", v. t.
Defn: To wrap up; to conceal. [Obs.]All mote be said and nought excused, nor hid, nor forwrapped.Chaucer.
FORYELDEFor*yelde", v. t. Etym: [AS. forgieldan.]
Defn: To repay; to requite. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORYETEFor*yete", v. t.
Defn: To forget. [Obs.] Chaucer.
FORYETTENFor*yet"ten, obs.
Defn: p. p. of Foryete. Chaucer.
FORZANDOFor*zan"do, adv. Etym: [It., prop. p.p. of forzare to force.] (Mus.)
Defn: See Sforzato.
FOSSAFos"sa, n.; pl. FossÆ. Etym: [L., a ditch. See Fosse.] (Anat.)
Defn: A pit, groove, cavity, or depression, of greater or less depth; as, the temporal fossa on the side of the skull; the nasal fossæ containing the nostrils in most birds.
FOSSANEFos"sane`, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fossane.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of civet (Viverra fossa) resembling the genet.
FOSSEFosse, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. fossa, fr. fodere, fossum, to dig.]
1. (Fort.)
Defn: A ditch or moat.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: See Fossa. Fosse road. See Fosseway.
FOSSETFos"set, n.
Defn: A faucet. [Obs.] Shak.
FOSSETTEFos`sette" ( or ), n. Etym: [F., dim. of fosse a fosse.]
1. A little hollow; hence, a dimple.
2. (Med.)
Defn: A small, deep-centered ulcer of the transparent cornea.
FOSSEWAYFosse"way`, n.
Defn: One of the great military roads constructed by the Romans in England and other parts of Europe; — so called from the fosse or ditch on each side for keeping it dry.
FOSSICK Fos"sick, v. i. [Dial. E. fossick, fossuck, a troublesome person, fussick to potter over one's work, fussock to bustle about; of uncertain origin. Cf. Fuss.]
1. (Mining)
Defn: To search for gold by picking at stone or earth or among roots in isolated spots, picking over abandoned workings, etc.; hence, to steal gold or auriferous matter from another's claim. [Australia]
2. To search about; to rummage.
A man who has fossicked in nature's byways.D. Macdonald.
FOSSILFos"sil, a. Etym: [L. fossilis, fr. fodere to dig: cf. F. fossile.See Fosse.]
1. Dug out of the eart; as, fossil coal; fossil salt.
2. (Paleon.)
Defn: Like or pertaining to fossils; contained in rocks. whether petrified or not; as, fossil plants, shells. Fossil copal, a resinous substance, first found in the blue clay at Highgate, near London, and apparently a vegetable resin, partly changed by remaining in the earth. — Fossil cork, flax, paper, or wood, varieties of amianthus. — Fossil farina, a soft carbonate of lime. — Fossil ore, fossiliferous red hematite. Raymond.
FOSSILFos"sil, n.
1. A substance dug from the earth. [Obs.]
Note: Formerly all minerals were called fossils, but the word is now restricted to express the remains of animals and plants found buried in the earth. Ure.
2. (Paleon.)