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An American Dictionary of the English Language

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

  1. Fâir'hōōd, n.p. 492Fairness; beauty. [Obs.] Foxe.
  2. Fâir'i-ly, adv.p. 492In the manner of a fairy. Numerous shadows haunting fairly The brain. Keats. A work divine Made so fairly well. Tennyson.
  3. Fâir'ing, n.p. 492A present given or purchased at a fair. Gay.
  4. Fāir'-lĕad'er, n.p. 492(Naut.) A block or thimble placed in any position or part of a vessel, to lead ropes through without increasing the purchase. Totten.
  5. Fâir'ly, adv.p. 492In a fair manner; clearly; openly; distinctly; frankly; honestly; favorably; pleasantly; as, to deal fairly; to appear fairly; to speak or write fairly; fairly beaten. “I interpret fairly your…
  6. Fâir'-nāt'ūred, a.p. 492Endowed with good qualities; well disposed; good-natured. “A fair-natured prince.” Ford.
  7. Fâir'ness, n.p. 492The state of being fair, or free from spots or stains, as of the skin; agreeableness, as of form and features; clearness, as of water; honesty, as of dealing; candor, as of an argument; distinctness…
  8. Fâir'-seem'ing, a.p. 492Appearing fair. Hemans.
  9. Fâir'-spōk'en, a.p. 492Using fair speech, or uttered with fairness; bland; civil; courteous; plausible. “A fair-spoken man.” Hooker.
  10. Fâir'-wây, n.p. 492The part of a river, bay, &c., through which vessels enter or depart. Totten.
  11. Fâir'-wĕath'er, a.p. 492In pleasant weather; in circumstances involving but little exposure or sacrifice; as, a fair-weather voyage. Pope.
  12. Fâir'-world, n.p. 492A good time; state of prosperity. [Obs.] They think it was never fair-world with them since. Milton.
  13. Fâir'y, n.p. 492Enchantment; illusion. The God of her has made an end, And fro this world's fairy Hath taken her into company. Gower. 2. The land of illusions; the abode or country of the Fays. [Obs.] He [Arthur] is…
  14. Fāir'y, a.p. 492Pertaining or relating to fairies. 2. Given by fairies; as, fairy money. Dryden. Fairy ring, or circle, a bare circular path, or a ring of grass higher, greener, softer, than the surrounding grass; a…
  15. Fāir'y-lănd, n.p. 492The imaginary land or abode of fairies.
  16. Fâir'y-stōne, n.p. 492The fossil echinite, abundant in chalk-pits.
  17. Fāith, n.p. 492Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony. 2. The assent of the mind to the…
  18. Faith, interj.p. 492By my faith; in truth; verily. [Colloq.]
  19. Faith'-breach, n.p. 492Breach of fidelity; disloyalty; perfidy. Shak.
  20. Fāithed, a.p. 492Honest; sincere. [Obs.] “Make thy words faithed.” Shak.
  21. Fāith'ful, a.p. 492Full of faith; disposed to believe, especially in the declarations and promises of God. “You are not faithful, sir.” B. Jonson. 2. Firm in adherence to promises, oaths, contracts, treaties, or other…
  22. Fāith'ful-ly, adv.p. 492In a faithful manner.
  23. Fāith'ful-ness, n.p. 492The quality or character of being faithful; fidelity; truth; loyalty; constancy; as, the faithfulness of God, of a subject, of a wife, of a friend.
  24. Fāith'less, a.p. 492Not believing; not giving credit. 2. Not believing in God or religion; specifically, not believing in the Christian religion. “A faithless Jew.” Shak. 3. Not observant of promises. 4. Not true to…
  25. Fāith'less-ly, adv.p. 492In a faithless manner.
  26. Fāith'less-ness, n.p. 492The state of being faithless; as, (a.) Unbelief in God, religion, or Christianity. (b.) Perfidy; treachery; disloyalty, as in subjects. (c.) Violation of promises or covenants; inconstancy, as of a…
  27. Făĭ'tour, n.p. 492A doer or actor; hence, an evil-doer; a scoundrel. [Obs.] Lo! faitour, there thy need unto thee take. Spenser.
  28. Fāke, n.p. 492(Naut.) One of the circles or windings of a cable or hawser, as it lies in a coil; a single turn or coil. Totten.
  29. Fā'kir or Fā-quīr', n.p. 492An Oriental religious ascetic or begging monk.
  30. Fal-cāde', n.p. 492(Man.) The position of a horse, as when he throws himself on his haunches two or three times, bending himself, as it were, in very quick curvets. Harris.
  31. Fāl'cāte or Fāl'cā-ted, a.p. 492Hooked or bent like a sickle or scythe; — said of the moon, or a planet, when horned or crescent-formed; (Bot.) said of leaves.
  32. Fal-cā'tion, n.p. 492The state of being falcate or crooked; a bending in the form of a sickle. Bronze.
  33. Fal'chion, n.p. 492A broad sword, with a slightly curved point, shorter than the ordinary military sword, and less heavy, much used in the middle ages. Fairholt.
  34. Fāl'ci-fōrm, a.p. 492In the shape of a sickle; resembling a reaping-hook.
  35. Fal'con, n.p. 492(Ornith.) One of a family of raptorial birds, characterized by a short, hooked beak, powerful claws, and great destructive power; especially, one of this family trained to the pursuit of other birds…
  36. Fal'con-er, n.p. 492A person who breeds and trains hawks for taking wild fowls; one who follows the sport of fowling with hawks. Johnson.
  37. Făl'co-nēt, n.p. 492(Gun.) A small cannon anciently used, a little exceeding six feet in length, and carrying a ball of two pounds in weight. Tomlinson.
  38. Fal’con-gēn’til, n.p. 492(Ornith.) The female and young of the goshawk (Astur palumbarius). Eng. Cyc.
  39. Fal-cōn’i-dæ, n. pl.p. 493(Ornith.) A family of birds of prey, characterized by a strong and hooked beak, and very sharp and strong talons, which are retractile and much incurved.
  40. Fal'con-ry, n.p. 493The art of training hawks to the exercise of hawking. 2. The practice of taking wild fowls or game by means of hawks.
  41. Fald'age, n.p. 493(O. Eng. Law.) A privilege of setting up folds for sheep, in any fields within manors, in order to manure them; foldage. Spelman.
  42. Fald'fee, n.p. 493(Law.) A fee or composition paid anciently by tenants for the privilege of faldage on his own ground. Blount.
  43. Fald'ing, n.p. 493A kind of coarse cloth. [Obs.] Chaucer.
  44. Fald'is-to-ry, n.p. 493The throne or seat of a bishop. [Obs.]
  45. Făld'stōol, n.p. 493[A-S. fold, feald, fold, and stool. See supra. 1. A folding-stool, or portable seat, made to fold up in the manner of a camp-stool. It was formerly placed in the choir for a bishop, when he…
  46. Fa-lĕr'ni-an, a.p. 493Pertaining to Mount Falernus, in Italy.
  47. Fall, v. i.p. 493To descend from a higher position to a lower, either suddenly or gradually; to drop down; to sink; to make a descent by the force of gravity alone; as, the apple falls; the tide falls; the mercury…
  48. Făll, v. t.p. 493To let fall; to drop. [Obs.] For every tear he falls, a Trojan bleeds. Shak. 2. To sink; to depress; as, to raise or fall the voice. 3. To diminish; to lessen or lower; as, to fall the price of…
  49. Fall, n.p. 493The act of dropping or descending from a higher to a lower place by gravity; descent; as, a fall from a horse, or from the yard of a ship. 2. The act of dropping or tumbling from an erect posture…
  50. Fal-lā'ciŏŭs, a.p. 493Embodying or pertaining to a fallacy; fitted to deceive; as, a fallacious argument.
  51. Fal-lā'cioŭs-ly, adv.p. 493In a fallacious manner. We have seen how fallaciously the author has stated the cause. Addison.
  52. Fal-lā'ciōŭs-ness, n.p. 493The state of being fallacious; tendency to deceive or mislead; as, the fallaciousness of an argument.
  53. Fāl'la-cy, n.p. 493Deceptive or false appearance; deceitfulness; that which misleads the eye or the mind; deception; mistake. I'll entertain the offered fallacy. Shak. Winning by conquest what the first man lost, By…
  54. Făl'lal's, n. pl.p. 493Gay ornaments; frippery. Halliwell.
  55. Făl'lax, n.p. 493Cavillation. [Obs.] Abp. Cranmer.
  56. Fallen, p. a.p. 493Dropped; descended; degraded; decreased; ruined.
  57. Fāl'len-cy, n.p. 493Mistake; error; blunder. [Obs.] Bp. Taylor.
  58. Fāl'ler, n.p. 493One who falls.
  59. Făl'li-bĭl'i-ty, n.p. 493The state of being fallible; liableness to deceive or to be deceived; as, the fallibility of an argument or of an advisor.
  60. Făl'li-ble, a.p. 493Liable to fail or mistake; liable to deceive or be deceived; as, all men are fallible; our opinions and hopes are fallible.