3. The power of bringing forth in abundance; fertility; richness of
invention; as, the fecundity of God's creative power. Bentley.
Fed (?), imp. & p. p. of Feed.
Fed"a*ry (?), n. A feodary. [Obs.] Shak.
Fed"er*al (?), a. [L. foedus league, treaty, compact; akin to fides
faith: cf. F. fÈdÈral. see Faith.] 1. Pertaining to a league or treaty;
derived from an agreement or covenant between parties, especially
between nations; constituted by a compact between parties, usually
governments or their representatives.
The Romans compelled them, contrary to all federal right, . . . to
part with Sardinia.
Grew.
2. Specifically: (a) Composed of states or districts which retain only
a subordinate and limited sovereignty, as the Union of the United
States, or the Sonderbund of Switzerland. (b) Consisting or pertaining
to such a government; as, the Federal Constitution; a Federal officer.
(c) Friendly or devoted to such a government; as, the Federal party.
see Federalist.
Federal Congress. See under Congress.
Fed"er*al, n. See Federalist.
Fed"er*al*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. fÈdÈralisme.] The principles of
Federalists or of federal union.
Fed"er*al*ist, n. [Cf. F. fÈdÈraliste.] An advocate of confederation;
specifically (Amer. Hist.), a friend of the Constitution of the United
States at its formation and adoption; a member of the political party
which favored the administration of president Washington.
Fed"er*al*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Federalized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Federalizing (?).] [Cf. F. fÈdÈraliser.] To unite in compact, as
different States; to confederate for political purposes; to unite by or
under the Federal Constitution. Barlow.
Fed"er*a*ry (?), n. [See Federal.] A partner; a confederate; an
accomplice. [Obs.] hak.
Fed"er*ate (?), a. [L. foederatus, p. p. of foederare to establish by
treaty or league, fr. foedus. See Federal.] United by compact, as
sovereignties, states, or nations; joined in confederacy; leagued;
confederate; as, federate nations.
Fed`er*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. fÈdÈration.] 1. The act of uniting in a
league; confederation.
2. A league; a confederacy; a federal or confederated government.
Burke.
Fed"er*a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. fÈdÈratif.] Uniting in a league; forming
a confederacy; federal. "A federative society." Burke.
Fed"i*ty (?), n. [L. foeditas, fr. foedus foul, filthy.] Turpitude;
vileness. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Fee (f), n. [OE. fe, feh, feoh, cattle, property, money, fief, AS. feoh
cattle, property, money; the senses of "property, money," arising from
cattle being used in early times as a medium of exchange or payment,
property chiefly consisting of cattle; akin to OS. fehu cattle,
property, D. vee cattle, OHG. fihu, fehu, G. vieh, Icel. f cattle,
property, money, Goth. faÌhu, L. pecus cattle, pecunia property, money,
Skr. paÁu cattle, perh. orig., "a fastened or tethered animal," from a
root signifying to bind, and perh. akin to E. fang, fair, a.; cf. OF.
fie, flu, feu, fleu, fief, F. fief, from German, of the same origin.
the sense fief is due to the French. √249. Cf. Feud, Fief,
Fellow, Pecuniary.] 1. property; possession; tenure. "Laden with rich
fee." Spenser.
Once did she hold the gorgeous East in fee.
Wordsworth.
2. Reward or compensation for services rendered or to be rendered;
especially, payment for professional services, of optional amount, or
fixed by custom or laws; charge; pay; perquisite; as, the fees of
lawyers and physicians; the fees of office; clerk's fees; sheriff's
fees; marriage fees, etc.
To plead for love deserves more fee than hate.
Shak.
3. (Feud. Law) A right to the use of a superior's land, as a stipend
for services to be performed; also, the land so held; a fief.
4. (Eng. Law) An estate of inheritance supposed to be held either
mediately or immediately from the sovereign, and absolutely vested in
the owner.
All the land in England, except the crown land, is of this kind. An
absolute fee, or fee simple, is land which a man holds to himself and
his heirs forever, who are called tenants in fee simple. In modern
writers, by fee is usually meant fee simple. A limited fee may be a
qualified or base fee, which ceases with the existence of certain
conditions; or a conditional fee, or fee tail, which is limited to
particular heirs. Blackstone.
5. (Amer. Law) An estate of inheritance belonging to the owner, and
transmissible to his heirs, absolutely and simply, without condition
attached to the tenure.
Fee estate (Eng. Law), land or tenements held in fee in consideration
or some acknowledgment or service rendered to the lord. -- Fee farm
(Law), land held of another in fee, in consideration of an annual rent,
without homage, fealty, or any other service than that mentioned in the
feoffment; an estate in fee simple, subject to a perpetual rent.
Blackstone. -- Fee farm rent (Eng. Law), a perpetual rent reserved upon
a conveyance in fee simple. -- Fee fund (Scot. Law), certain court dues
out of which the clerks and other court officers are paid. -- Fee
simple (Law), an absolute fee; a fee without conditions or limits.
Buy the fee simple of my life for an hour and a quarter.
Shak.
-- Fee tail (Law), an estate of inheritance, limited and restrained to
some particular heirs. Burill.
Fee (f), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Feed (fd); p. pr. & vb. n. Feeing.] To
reward for services performed, or to be performed; to recompense; to
hire or keep in hire; hence, to bribe.
The patient . . . fees the doctor.
Dryden.
There's not a one of them but in his house I keep a servant feed.
Shak.
Fee"ble (f"b'l), a. [Compar. Feebler (-blr); superl. Feeblest (-blst).]
[OE. feble, OF. feble, flebe, floibe, floible, foible, F. faible, L.
flebilis to be wept over, lamentable, wretched, fr. flere to weep. Cf.
Foible.] 1. Deficient in physical strength; weak; infirm; debilitated.
Carried all the feeble of them upon asses.