False arch (Arch.), a member having the appearance of an arch, though
not of arch construction. -- False attic, an architectural erection
above the main cornice, concealing a roof, but not having windows or
inclosing rooms. -- False bearing, any bearing which is not directly
upon a vertical support; thus, the weight carried by a corbel has a
false bearing. -- False cadence, an imperfect or interrupted cadence.
-- False conception (Med.), an abnormal conception in which a mole, or
misshapen fleshy mass, is produced instead of a properly organized
fetus. -- False croup (Med.), a spasmodic affection of the larynx
attended with the symptoms of membranous croup, but unassociated with
the deposit of a fibrinous membrane. -- False door or window (Arch.),
the representation of a door or window, inserted to complete a series
of doors or windows or to give symmetry. -- False fire, a combustible
carried by vessels of war, chiefly for signaling, but sometimes burned
for the purpose of deceiving an enemy; also, a light on shore for
decoying a vessel to destruction. -- False galena. See Blende. -- False
imprisonment (Law), the arrest and imprisonment of a person without
warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or the unlawful detaining of a
person in custody. -- False keel (Naut.), the timber below the main
keel, used to serve both as a protection and to increase the shio's
lateral resistance. -- False key, a picklock. -- False leg. (Zoˆl.) See
Proleg. -- False membrane (Med.), the fibrinous deposit formed in croup
and diphtheria, and resembling in appearance an animal membrane. --
False papers (Naut.), documents carried by a ship giving false
representations respecting her cargo, destination, ect., for the
purpose of deceiving. -- False passage (Surg.), an unnatural passage
leading off from a natural canal, such as the urethra, and produced
usually by the unskillful introduction of instruments. -- False
personation (Law), the intentional false assumption of the name and
personality of another. -- False pretenses (Law), false representations
concerning past or present facts and events, for the purpose of
defrauding another. -- False rail (Naut.), a thin piece of timber
placed on top of the head rail to strengthen it. -- False relation
(Mus.), a progression in harmony, in which a certain note in a chord
appears in the next chord prefixed by a flat or sharp. -- False return
(Law), an untrue return made to a process by the officer to whom it was
delivered for execution. -- False ribs (Anat.), the asternal rebs, of
which there are five pairs in man. -- False roof (Arch.), the space
between the upper ceiling and the roof. Oxford Gloss. -- False token, a
false mark or other symbol, used for fraudulent purposes. -- False
scorpion (Zoˆl.), any arachnid of the genus Chelifer. See Book
scorpion. -- False tack (Naut.), a coming up into the wind and filling
away again on the same tack. -- False vampire (Zoˆl.), the Vampyrus
spectrum of South America, formerly erroneously supposed to have
blood-sucking habits; -- called also vampire, and ghost vampire. The
genuine blood-sucking bats belong to the genera Desmodus and Diphylla.
See Vampire. -- False window. (Arch.) See False door, above. -- False
wing. (Zoˆl.) See Alula, and Bastard wing, under Bastard. -- False
works (Civil Engin.), construction works to facilitate the erection of
the main work, as scaffolding, bridge centering, etc.
False, adv. Not truly; not honestly; falsely. "You play me false."
Shak.
False, v. t. [L. falsare to falsify, fr. falsus: cf. F. fausser. See
False, a.] 1. To report falsely; to falsify. [Obs.] Chaucer.