FALDSTOOL, fawld'st[=oo]l, _n._ a folding or camp stool: a kind of stool
for the king at his coronation: a bishop's armless seat: a small desk in
churches in England, at which the litany should be sung or said.--_n._
FALD'ISTORY, a bishop's seat within the chancel. [Low L.
_faldistolium_--Old High Ger. _faldan_ (Ger. _falten_), to fold, _stuol_
(Ger. _stuhl_), stool.]
FALERNIAN, fa-ler'ni-an, _adj._ pertaining to a district (_Falernus ager_)
in Campania, famous of old for its wine.--_n._ FALER'NE, a modern sweet
white wine, produced near Naples.
FALL, fawl, _v.i._ to drop down: to descend by the force of gravity: to
become prostrate: (of a river) to discharge itself: to slope down: to sink
as if dead: to vanish: to die away: to lose strength, subside: to decline
in power, wealth, value, or reputation: to be overthrown: to be compelled
to yield: to become downcast: to sink into sin, to yield to temptation: to
depart from the faith: to become dejected: to pass gently into any state,
as 'to fall in love,' 'to fall asleep:' to befall: to issue, occur: to
enter upon with haste or vehemence: to rush: to be dropped in birth: to be
required or necessary: to fall away:--_pr.p._ fall'ing; _pa.t._ fell;
_pa.p._ fallen (faw'ln).--_n._ the act of falling, in any of its senses:
descent by gravity, a dropping down: that which falls--a trap-door, &c.: as
much as comes down at one time, as 'a fall of snow,' &c.: overthrow: death:
descent from a better to a worse position: slope or declivity: descent of
water: a cascade: length of a fall: outlet of a river: decrease in value: a
sinking of the voice: the time when the leaves fall, autumn: a bout at
wrestling: the yielding of a city or stronghold to the enemy: that which
falls: a lapse into sin, esp. that of Adam and Eve, called 'the Fall:' a
kind of collar worn in the 17th century.--_adj._ FALL'EN, in a degraded
state, ruined.--_ns._ FALL'ING, that which falls; FALL'ING-BAND (see BAND);
FALL'ING-SICK'NESS, epilepsy; FALL'ING-STAR, a meteor; FALL'ING-STONE, a
portion of an exploded meteor; FALL'TRANK, a medicine compounded of certain
aromatic and astringent Swiss plants, of repute for accidents; FALL'-TRAP,
a trap which operates by falling.--FALL-A, to begin; FALL ACROSS, to meet
by chance; FALL AMONG, to come into the midst of; FALL AWAY, to decline
gradually, to languish: to grow lean: to revolt or apostatise; FALL BACK,
to retreat, give way; FALL BACK, FALL EDGE, no matter what may happen; FALL
BACK UPON, to have recourse to some expedient or resource in reserve; FALL
BEHIND, to slacken, to be outstripped; FALL FLAT, to fail completely, as a
shopman in attracting attention or purchasers, a new book, &c.; FALL FOUL,
to come in collision: to quarrel (with _of_); FALL IN (_with_), to concur
or agree: to comply: to place themselves in order, as soldiers; FALL OFF,
to separate or be broken: to die away, to perish: to revolt or apostatise;
FALL ON, to begin eagerly: to make an attack: to meet; FALL ON ONE'S FEET,
to come well out of a difficulty, to gain any unexpected good fortune; FALL
OUT, to quarrel: to happen or befall; FALL OVER (_Shak._), to go over to
the enemy; FALL SHORT, to be deficient (with _of_); FALL THROUGH, to fail,
come to nothing; FALL TO, to begin hastily and eagerly: to apply one's self
to; FALL UPON, to attack: to attempt: to rush against.--TRY A FALL, to take
a bout at wrestling. [A.S. _feallan_; Ger. _fallen_; prob. conn. with L.
_fall[)e]re_, to deceive.]
FALL, fawl, _n._ the cry given when a whale is sighted, or harpooned: the
chase of a whale.--LOOSE FALL, the losing of a whale. [Prob. from the
north-eastern Scotch pronunciation of _whale_.]
FALLACY, fal'a-si, _n._ something fallacious: deceptive appearance: an
apparently genuine but really illogical argument: (_obs._)
deception.--_adj._ FALL[=A]'CIOUS, calculated to deceive or mislead: not
well founded: causing disappointment: delusive.--_adv._
FALL[=A]'CIOUSLY.--_n._ FALL[=A]'CIOUSNESS. [O. Fr. _fallace_, deceit--L.
_fallacia_, from _fallax_, deceptive--_fall[)e]re_, to deceive.]
FALLAL, fal'lal', or fal-lal', _n._ a piece of ribbon worn as a streamer,
any trifling ornament.--_adj._ foppish, trifling.--_n._ FALLAL'ERY.--_adv._
FALLAL'ISHLY.
FALLIBLE, fal'i-bl, _adj._ liable to error or mistake.--_n._ FALLIBIL'ITY,
liability to err.--_adv._ FALL'IBLY. [Fr.,--Low L. _fallibilis_, from
_fall[)e]re_, to deceive.]
FALLOPIAN, fal-l[=o]'pi-an, _adj._ denoting two tubes or ducts through
which the ova pass from the ovary to the uterus in the human subject. [So
called because supposed to have been discovered by the Italian anatomist
_Fallopius_ (1523-62).]
FALLOW, fal'[=o], _adj._ left untilled or unsowed for a time.--_n._ land
that has lain a year or more untilled or unsown after having been
ploughed.--_v.t._ to plough land without seeding it.--_ns._ FALL'OWNESS,
state of being fallow or untilled; GREEN FALL'OW, fallow where land is
cleaned by a green crop, as turnips. [Ety. dub.; prob. an assumed A.S.
_fealgian_, that may be confounded with the following word, from the
reddish colour of unsown land.]
FALLOW, fal'[=o], _adj._ of a brownish-yellow colour.--_ns._ FALL'OW-CHAT,
FALL'OW-FINCH, the wheatear or stonechat; FALL'OW-DEER, a yellowish-brown
deer smaller than the red-deer, with broad flat antlers. [A.S. _falu_; cf.
Ger. _fahl_, Ice. _folr_.]
FALSE, fawls, _adj._ deceptive or deceiving: untruthful: unfaithful to
obligations: untrue: not genuine or real, counterfeit: hypocritical: not
well founded, or not according to rule: artificial, as opposed to natural,
of teeth, &c.--_adv._ incorrectly: faithlessly.--_n._ (_Shak._) falsehood:
untruth.--_v.t._ (_Shak._) to betray.--_ns._ FALSE CONCEPTION, a uterine
growth consisting of some degenerate mass instead of a foetus; FALSE'FACE,
a mask.--_adjs._ FALSE'-FACED (_Shak._), hypocritical; FALSE'-HEART'ED,
treacherous, deceitful.--_n._ FALSE'HOOD, state or quality of being false:
want of truth: want of honesty: deceitfulness: false appearance: an untrue
statement: a lie.--_adv._ FALSE'LY.--_ns._ FALSE'NESS; FALS'ER (_Spens._),
a deceiver, a liar.--_adjs._ FALSID'ICAL, deceptive; FALS'ISH, somewhat
false.--_ns._ FALS'ISM, a self-evident falsity; FALS'ITY, quality of being
false: a false assertion.--PLAY ONE FALSE, to act falsely or treacherously
to a person; PUT IN A FALSE POSITION, to bring any one into a position in
which he must be misunderstood. [O. Fr. _fals_ (mod. _faux_)--L. _falsus_,
pa.p. of _fall[)e]re_, to deceive.]
FALSETTO, fawl-set'o, _n._ a forced voice of a range or register above the
natural, the head voice. [It. _falsetto_, dim. of _falso_, false.]
FALSIFY, fawls'i-f[=i], _v.t._ to forge or counterfeit: to prove
untrustworthy: to break by falsehood:--_pr.p._ fals'ifying; _pa.p._
fals'ified.--_adj._ FALS'IF[=I]ABLE, capable of being falsified.--_ns._
FALSIFIC[=A]'TION, the act of making false: the giving to a thing the
appearance of something which it is not; FALS'IFIER, one who falsifies.
[Fr.,--Low L. _falsific[)a]re_--L. _falsus_, false, _fac[)e]re_, to make.]
FALSTAFFIAN, fal'staf-i-an, _adj._ like Shakespeare's
_Falstaff_--corpulent, jovial, humorous, and dissolute.
FALTER, fawl't[.e]r, _v.i._ to stumble: to fail or stammer in speech: to
tremble or totter: to be feeble or irresolute.--_n._ any
unsteadiness.--_n._ FAL'TERING, feebleness, deficiency.--_adv._
FAL'TERINGLY, in a faltering or hesitating manner. [Prob. a freq. of
_falden_, fold. The conn. with _fault_, in which the _l_ is late, is
untenable.]
FALX, falks, _n._ a sickle-shaped part or process, as of the dura mater of
the skull: a chelicera: a poison-fang of a snake: a rotula of a
sea-urchin:--_pl._ FALCES (fal's[=e]z). [L., a sickle.]
FAMBLE, fam'bl, _n._ (_slang_) the hand--also FAM.--_v.t._ to feel or
handle. [Der. obscure; perh. from the obs. verb _famble_, in its probable
original sense, 'to grope, fumble.']
FAME, f[=a]m, _n._ public report or rumour: renown or celebrity, chiefly in
good sense.--_v.t._ to report: to make famous.--_n._ F[=A]'MA, report,
rumour, fame.--_adjs._ FAMED, renowned; FAME'LESS, without renown.--FAMA
CLAMOSA (_Scot._), any notorious rumour ascribing immoral conduct to a
minister or office-bearer in a church.--HOUSE OF ILL FAME, a brothel.
[Fr.,--L. _fama_, from _f[=a]ri_, to speak; cog. with Gr. _ph[=e]m[=e]_,
from _phanai_, to say.]
FAMILIAR, fa-mil'yar, _adj._ well acquainted or intimate: showing the
manner of an intimate: free: unceremonious: having a thorough knowledge of:
well known or understood: private, domestic: common, plain.--_n._ one well
or long acquainted: a spirit or demon supposed to attend an individual at
call: a member of a pope's or bishop's household: the officer of the
Inquisition who arrested the suspected.--_v.t._ FAMIL'IARISE, to make
thoroughly acquainted: to accustom: to make easy by practice or
study.--_n._ FAMILIAR'ITY, intimate acquaintanceship: freedom from
constraint: any unusual or unwarrantable freedom in act or speech toward
another, acts of license--usually in _pl._--_adv._ FAMIL'IARLY. [O. Fr.
_familier_--L. _familiaris_, from _familia_, a family.]
FAMILY, fam'i-li, _n._ the household, or all those who live in one house
under one head, including parents, children, servants: the children of a
person: the descendants of one common progenitor: race: honourable or noble
descent: a group of animals, plants, languages, &c. more comprehensive than
a genus.--_ns._ FAM'ILISM, the family feeling; FAM'ILIST, one of the
16th-cent. mystical sect known as the Family of Love, which based religion
upon love independently of faith.--FAMILY BIBLE, a large Bible for family
worship, with a page for recording family events; FAMILY COACH, a large
carriage able to carry a whole family; FAMILY MAN, a man with a family: a
domesticated man.--BE IN THE FAMILY WAY, to be pregnant; IN A FAMILY WAY,
in a domestic manner. [L. _familia_--_famulus_, a servant.]
FAMINE, fam'in, _n._ general scarcity of food: extreme scarcity of
anything, as in 'famine prices,' &c.: hunger: starvation. [Fr., through an
unrecorded Low L. _famina_, from L. _fames_, hunger.]
FAMISH, fam'ish, _v.t._ to starve.--_v.i._ to die or suffer extreme hunger
or thirst.--_n._ FAM'ISHMENT, starvation. [Obs. _fame_, to starve--L.
_fames_, hunger.]
FAMOUS, f[=a]'mus, _adj._ renowned: noted.--_v.t._ to make famous.--_adv._
F[=A]'MOUSLY.--_n._ F[=A]'MOUSNESS. [O. Fr.,--L. _famosus_--_fama_.]
FAMULUS, fam'[=u]-lus, _n._ a private secretary or factotum: an attendant,
esp. on a magician or scholar.--_n._ FAM'ULIST, a collegian of inferior
position (Dr Murray doubts the word). [L. _famulus_, a servant.]
[Illustration]
FAN, fan, _n._ an instrument for winnowing grain: a broad, flat instrument
used by ladies to cool themselves: a wing: a small sail to keep a windmill
to the wind: the agitation of the air caused by a fan.--_v.t._ to cool with
a fan: to winnow: to ventilate: to remove by waving a fan:--_pr.p._
fan'ning; _pa.p._ fanned.--_ns._ FAN'-BLAST, in ironworks the blast
produced by a fan, as distinguished from that produced by a blowing-engine;
FAN'-CRICK'ET, the mole-cricket, fen-cricket, or churr-worm.--_adj._
FAN'-NERVED, in entomology, having a fan-like arrangement of the nervures
or veins of the wings.--_ns._ FAN'LIGHT, a window resembling in form an
open fan; FAN'NER, a machine with revolving fans, used for winnowing grain,
&c.; FAN'-PALM, a species of palm 60 or 70 feet high, with fan-shaped
leaves, used for umbrellas, tents, &c.; FAN'-TAIL, an artificial fan-tailed
variety of the domestic pigeon; FAN'-TR[=A]C'ERY (_archit._), tracery
rising from a capital or a corbel, and diverging like the folds of a fan
over the surface of a vault; FAN'-WHEEL, a wheel with fans on its rim for
producing a current of air. [A.S. _fann_, from L. _vannus_, a fan; cf. Fr.
_van_.]
FANAL, f[=a]'nal, _n._ (_arch._) a lighthouse, a beacon. [Fr.,--Gr.
_phanos_, a lantern, _phainein_, to show.]
FANATIC, fa-nat'ik, _adj._ extravagantly or unreasonably zealous, esp. in
religion: excessively enthusiastic.--_n._ a person frantically or
excessively enthusiastic, esp. on religious subjects.--_adj._ FANAT'ICAL,
fanatic, (_Shak._) extravagant.--_adv._ FANAT'ICALLY.--_v.t._ FANAT'ICISE,
to make fanatical.--_v.i._ to act as a fanatic.--_n._ FANAT'ICISM, wild and
excessive religious enthusiasm. [Fr.,--L. _fanaticus_, belonging to a
temple, inspired by a god, _fanum_, a temple.]
FANCY, fan'si, _n._ that faculty of the mind by which it recalls,
represents, or makes to appear past images or impressions: an image or
representation thus formed in the mind: an unreasonable or capricious
opinion: a whim: capricious inclination or liking: taste: (_Shak._)
love.--_adj._ pleasing to, or guided by, fancy or caprice: elegant or
ornamental.--_v.t._ to portray in the mind: to imagine: to have a fancy or
liking for: to be pleased with: to breed animals:--_pr.p._ fan'cying;
_pa.p._ fan'cied.--_p.adj._ FAN'CIED, formed or conceived by the fancy:
imagined.--_n._ FAN'CIER, one who has a special liking for anything, or who
keeps a special article for sale: one who is governed by fancy.--_adj._
FAN'CIFUL, guided or created by fancy: imaginative: whimsical:
wild.--_adv._ FAN'CIFULLY.--_n._ FAN'CIFULNESS.--_adj._ FAN'CILESS,
destitute of fancy.--_ns._ FAN'CY-BALL, a ball at which fancy-dresses in
various characters are worn; FAN'CY-DRESS, dress arranged according to the
wearer's fancy, to represent some character in history or fiction;
FAN'CY-FAIR, a special sale of fancy articles for some charitable
purpose.--_adj._ FAN'CY-FREE (_Shak._), free from the power of
love.--_n.pl._ FAN'CY-GOODS, fabrics of variegated rather than simple
pattern, applied generally to articles of show and ornament.--_n._
FAN'CY-MONG'ER (_Shak._), one who deals in tricks of imagination.--_adj._
FAN'CY-SICK (_Shak._), of distempered mind, love-sick.--_ns._
FAN'CY-STITCH, a more intricate and decorative stitch than _plain-stitch_;
FAN'CY-STROKE (_billiards_), an unusual stroke, or one made to show off
one's skill; FAN'CY-WORK, ornamental needlework.--THE FANCY, sporting
characters generally, esp. pugilists: pugilism. [Contracted from
_fantasy_.]
FAND, fand (_Spens._), _pa.t._ of FIND.
FAND, fand, FOND, fond, _v.i._ (_Spens._) to try, attempt. [A.S.
_fandian_.]
FANDANGO, fan-dan'go, _n._ an old Spanish dance for two, in ¾ time, with
castanets, proceeding gradually from a slow and uniform to the liveliest
motion: a gathering for dancing, a ball. [Sp.]