3. Anything that is scattered abroad in great numbers as a theatrical
programme, an advertising leaf, etc.
4. (Arch.) One in a flight of steps which are parallel to each other(as
in ordinary stairs), as distinguished from a winder.
5. The pair of arms attached to the spindle of a spinning frame, over
which the thread passes to the bobbin; -- so called from their swift
revolution. See Fly, n., 11.
6. The fan wheel that rotates the cap of a windmill as the wind veers.
Internat. Cyc.
7. (Stock Jobbing) A small operation not involving ? considerable part
of one's capital, or not in the line of one's ordinary business; a
venture. [Cant] Bartlett.
Fly"fish` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A California scorpÊnoid fish (Sebastichthys
rhodochloris), having brilliant colors.
Fly"-fish, v. i. To angle, using flies for bait. Walton.
Fly"ing (?), a. [From Fly, v. i.] Moving in the air with, or as with,
wings; moving lightly or rapidly; intended for rapid movement.
<! p. 577 !>
Flying army (Mil.) a body of cavalry and infantry, kept in motion, to
cover its own garrisons and to keep the enemy in continual alarm.
Farrow. --Flying artillery (Mil.), artillery trained to rapid
evolutions, -- the men being either mounted or trained to spring upon
the guns and caissons when they change position. -- Flying bridge,
Flying camp. See under Bridge, and Camp. -- Flying buttress (Arch.), a
contrivance for taking up the thrust of a roof or vault which can not
be supported by ordinary buttresses. It consists of a straight bar of
masonry, usually sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid pier or
buttress sufficient to receive the thrust. The word is generally
applied only to the straight bar with supporting arch. -- Flying
colors, flags unfurled and waving in the air; hence: To come off with
flying colors, to be victorious; to succeed thoroughly in an
undertaking. -- Flying doe (Zoˆl.), a young female kangaroo. -- Flying
dragon. (a) (Zoˆl.) See Dragon, 6. (b) A meteor. See under Dragon. --
Flying Dutchman. (a) A fabled Dutch mariner condemned for his crimes to
sail the seas till the day of judgment. (b) A spectral ship. -- Flying
fish. (Zoˆl.) See Flying fish, in the Vocabulary. -- Flying fox
(Zoˆl.), the colugo. -- Flying frog (Zoˆl.), an East Indian tree frog
of the genus Rhacophorus, having very large and broadly webbed feet,
which serve as parachutes, and enable it to make very long leaps. --
Flying gurnard (Zoˆl.), a species of gurnard of the genus
Cephalacanthus or Dactylopterus, with very large pectoral fins, said to
be able to fly like the flying fish, but not for so great a distance.
Three species are known; that of the Atlantic is Cephalacanthus
volitans. -- Flying jib (Naut.), a sail extended outside of the
standing jib, on the flying-jib boom. -- Flying-jib boom (Naut.), an
extension of the jib boom. -- Flying kites (Naut.), light sails carried
only in fine weather. -- Flying lemur. (Zoˆl.) See Colugo. -- Flying
level (Civil Engin.), a reconnoissance level over the course of a
projected road, canal, etc. -- Flying lizard. (Zoˆl.) See Dragon, n. 6.
-- Flying machine, an apparatus for navigating the air; a form of
balloon. -- Flying mouse (Zoˆl.), the opossum mouse (Acrobates
pygmÊus), of Australia. It has lateral folds of skin, like the flying
squirrels. -- Flying party (Mil.), a body of soldiers detailed to hover
about an enemy. -- Flying phalanger (Zoˆl.), one of several species of
small marsuupials of the genera Petaurus and Belideus, of Australia and
New Guinea, having lateral folds like those of the flying squirrels.
The sugar squirrel (B. sciureus), and the ariel (B. ariel), are the
best known; -- called also squirrel petaurus and flying squirrel. See
Sugar squirrel. -- Flying pinion, the fly of a clock. -- Flying sap
(Mil.), the rapid construction of trenches (when the enemy's fire of
case shot precludes the method of simple trenching), by means of
gabions placed in juxtaposition and filled with earth. -- Flying shot,
a shot fired at a moving object, as a bird on the wing. -- Flying
spider. (Zoˆl.) See Ballooning spider. -- Flying squid (Zoˆl.), an
oceanic squid (Ommastrephes, or Sthenoteuthis, Bartramii), abundant in
the Gulf Stream, which is able to leap out of the water with such force
that it often falls on the deck of a vessel. -- Flying squirrel (Zoˆl.)
See Flying squirrel, in the Vocabulary. -- Flying start, a start in a
sailing race in which the signal is given while the vessels are under
way. -- Flying torch (Mil.), a torch attached to a long staff and used
for signaling at night.
Fly"ing fish` (?). (Zoˆl.) A fish which is able to leap from the water,
and fly a considerable distance by means of its large and long pectoral
fins. These fishes belong to several species of the genus Exocútus, and
are found in the warmer parts of all the oceans.
Fly"ing squir"rel (? or ?). (Zoˆl.) One of a group of squirrels, of the
genera Pteromus and Sciuropterus, having parachute-like folds of skin
extending from the fore to the hind legs, which enable them to make
very long leaps.
The species of Pteromys are large, with bushy tails, and inhabit
southern Asia and the East Indies; those of Sciuropterus are smaller,
with flat tails, and inhabit the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and
America. The American species (Sciuropterus volucella) is also called
Assapan. The Australian flying squirrels, or flying phalangers, are
marsupials. See Flying phalanger (above).
Fly"man (?), n.; pl. Flymen (-men). The driver of a fly, or light
public carriage.
Flysch (flsh), n. [A Swiss word, fr. G. fliessen to flow, melt.]
(Geol.) A name given to the series of sandstones and schists overlying
the true nummulitic formation in the Alps, and included in the Eocene
Tertiary.
Fly"speck (fl?'sp?k), n. A speck or stain made by the excrement of a
fly; hence, any insignificant dot.
Fly"speck (?), v. t. To soil with flyspecks.
Fly"trap (?), n. 1. A trap for catching flies. 2. (Bot.) A plant
(DionÊa muscipula), called also Venus's flytrap, the leaves of which
are fringed with stiff bristles, and fold together when certain hairs
on their upper surface are touched, thus seizing insects that light on
them. The insects so caught are afterwards digested by a secretion from
the upper surface of the leaves.
Fnese (?), v. i. [AS. fn&?;san, gefn&?;san.] To breathe heavily; to
snort. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Fo (?), n. The Chinese name of Buddha.
Foal (fl), n. [OE. fole, AS. fola; akin to OHG. folo, G. fohlen, Goth.
fula, Icel. foli, Sw. fÂle, Gr. pw^los, L. pullus a young animal. Cf.
Filly, Poultry, Pullet.] (Zoˆ.) The young of any animal of the Horse
family (EquidÊ); a colt; a filly.
Foal teeth (Zoˆl.), the first set of teeth of a horse. -- In foal, With
foal, being with young; pregnant; -- said of a mare or she ass.
Foal, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Foaled (fld); p. pr. & vb. n. Foaling.] To
bring forth (a colt); -- said of a mare or a she ass.
Foal, v. i. To bring forth young, as an animal of the horse kind.
Foal"foot` (-ft`), n. (Bot.) See Coltsfoot.
Foam (fm), n. [OE. fam, fom, AS. fm; akin to OHG. & G. feim.] The white
substance, consisting of an aggregation of bubbles, which is formed on
the surface of liquids, or in the mouth of an animal, by violent
agitation or fermentation; froth; spume; scum; as, the foam of the sea.
Foam cock, in steam boilers, a cock at the water level, to blow off
impurities.
Foam, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Foamed (fmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Foaming.] [AS.
f?man. See Foam, n.] 1. To gather foam; to froth; as, the billows foam.
He foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth.
Mark ix. 18.
2. To form foam, or become filled with foam; -- said of a steam boiler
when the water is unduly agitated and frothy, as because of chemical
action.
Foam, v. t. To cause to foam; as, to foam the goblet; also (with out),
to throw out with rage or violence, as foam. "Foaming out their own
shame." Jude 13.
Foam"ing*ly (?), adv. With foam; frothily.
Foam"less, a. Having no foam.
Foam"y (-), a. Covered with foam; frothy; spumy.
Behold how high the foamy billows ride!
Dryden.
Fob (fb), n. [Cf. Prov. G. fuppe pocket.] A little pocket for a watch.
Fob chain, a short watch chain worn with a watch carried in the fob.
Fob (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fobbed (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Fobbing.]
[Cf.Fop.]