FENNEL, fen'el, _n._ a genus of umbelliferous plants, allied to Dill, but
distinguished by the cylindrical, strongly-ribbed fruit, the flower
yellow.--_n._ FENN'EL-FLOW'ER, the _Nigella Damascena_, or ragged lady.
[A.S. _finul_--L. _foeniculum_, fennel--_fenum_, hay.]
FENT, fent, _n._ (_prov._) a slit, crack: a remnant or odd piece. [O. Fr.
_fente_--L. _find[)e]re_, to cleave.]
FENUGREEK, fen'[=u]-gr[=e]k, _n._ a genus of leguminous plants, allied to
clover and melilot. [L. _fenum-græcum_, 'Greek hay.']
FEOD, FEODAL, FEODARY. Same as FEUD, FEUDAL, FEUDARY.
FEOFF, fef, _n._ a fief.--_v.t._ to grant possession of a fief or property
in land.--_ns._ FEOFFEE', the person invested with the fief; FEOFF'ER,
FEOFF'OR, he who grants the fief; FEOFF'MENT, the gift of a fief or feoff.
[O. Fr. _feoffer_ or _fiefer_--O. Fr. _fief_. See FEE.]
FERACIOUS, fe-r[=a]'shus, _adj._ fruitful.--_n._ FERAC'ITY (_rare_). [L.
_ferax_, _-acis_--_ferre_, to bear.]
FER-DE-LANCE, f[=a]r'de-längs', _n._ the lance-headed or yellow viper of
tropical America.
FERE, f[=e]r, _n._ (_Spens._) a mate, companion, equal. [A.S. _geféra_, a
companion, _ge-féran_, to travel.]
FERETORY, fer'e-tor-i, _n._ a shrine for relics carried in processions. [L.
_feretrum_--_ferre_, to bear.]
FERIAL, f[=e]'ri-al, _adj._ pertaining to holidays (_feriæ_), belonging to
any day of the week which is neither a fast nor a festival. [Fr.,--L.
_feria_, a holiday.]
FERINE, f[=e]'rin, _adj._ pertaining to, or like, a wild beast:
savage.--_n.pl._ FERÆ (f[=e]'r[=e]), wild animals.--_adj._ F[=E]'RAL, wild,
run wild.--_n._ FER'ITY, wildness.--F[=E]RÆ NATURÆ, those animals that are
wild or not domesticated, including game animals--deer, hares, pheasants,
&c. [L. _ferinus_--_fera_, a wild beast--_ferus_; akin to Gr. _th[=e]r_,
Ger. _thier_, a beast.]
FERINGHEE, fer-ing'g[=e], _n._ a Hindu name for an Englishman.--Also
FARIN'GEE. [A corr. of _Frank_.]
FERLY, fer'li, _adj._ fearful: sudden: singular.--_n._ a wonder.--_v.i._ to
wonder. [A.S. _f['æ]rlic_, sudden; cf. Ger. _ge-fährlich_, dangerous.]
FERM, f[.e]rm, _n._ a farm: (_Spens._) abode, lodging.