Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Fĕr'tile, a. p. 506Producing fruit in abundance; fruitful; able to produce abundantly; prolific; productive; rich; inventive; produced in abundance; as, fertile land or fields; a fertile mind or imagination. Shall tend…Fēr'tīle-ly, adv. p. 506In a fertile or fruitful manner.Fēr'tile-ness, n. p. 506Fertility.Fer-tĭl'i-tāte, v. t. p. 506To make productive; to impregnate; to fertilize. [Obs.] Browne.Fer-tĭl'i-ty, n. p. 506The state of being fertile or fruitful; fruitfulness; the quality of producing fruit in abundance; richness; abundance of resources; fertile invention; as, the fertility of soil, or of imagination.…Fēr'ti-līze, v. t. p. 506To make fertile or enrich; to supply with nourishment for plants; to make fruitful or productive; as, to fertilize land, soil, ground, and meadows. And fertilize the field that each pretends to gain.…Fēr'ti-li-zā'tion, n. p. 506The act or process of rendering fertile. 2. (Bot.) The process by which the pollen renders the ovule fertile. Henslow. 3. (Physiol.) The act or process of fecundating the ovum. Carpenter.Fēr'ti-līz'er, n. p. 506One who, or that which, renders fertile; as, to employ guano as a fertilizer.Fēr'ū-lă, n. p. 506(Bot.) A genus of plants; giant fennel. The inspissated juice of the roots of some species, especially F. Persica, is the asafetida of commerce. 2. A ferule. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl. 3. The emperor’s…Fēr'ū-lar, n. p. 506A ferule. [Obs.] Milton.Fēr'ū-lā'ceous, a. p. 506Pertaining to reeds and canes; having a stalk like a reed; or resembling the ferula: as, ferulaceous plants.Fēr'ule, n. p. 506A flat piece of wood, used for striking children in punishment.Fēr'ule, v. t. p. 506To punish with a ferule.Fēr'vençe, n. p. 506Heat; fervency. [Obs.] Chapman.Fēr'ven-cy, n. p. 506The state of being fervent or warm; heat of mind; ardor; eagerness; warmth of devotion. Did hang a salt-fish on his hook, which he With fervency drew up. Shak.Fēr'vent, a. p. 506Hot; ardent; glowing; boiling; as, a fervent summer; fervent heat; fervent blood. 2. Warm in feeling; ardent in temperament; earnest; excited; vehement; animated; glowing with religious feelings. “So…Fêr'vent-ly, adv. p. 507In a fervent manner; with devotional ardor; with religious zeal. Epaphras... laboring fervently for you in prayers. Col. iv. 12.Fĕr'vent-ness, n. p. 507The quality or condition of being fervent; fervency.Fer-vés'cent, a. p. 507Growing hot.Fêr'vid, a. p. 507Very hot; burning; boiling. The mounted sun Shot down direct his fervid rays. Milton. 2. Ardent; vehement; zealous. “The fervid wishes, holy fires.” Parnell.Fĕr'vid-ly, adv. p. 507In a fervid manner; with glowing warmth.Fēr'vid-ness, n. p. 507The quality or condition of being fervid; glowing heat; ardor; zeal. Bentley.Fĕr'vor, n. p. 507Heat; excessive warmth. “The fervor of ensuing day.” Waller. 2. Intensity of feeling; glowing ardor; warm or animated zeal and earnestness in religious feeling or worship. “Winged with the fervor of…Fĕs'cen-nīne, a. p. 507Pertaining to, or resembling, the Fescennines; licentious. Kennett.Fēs'cen-nīne, n. p. 507A song of a rude or licentious kind prevalent in ancient Italy.Fès'cue, n. p. 507A straw, wire, stick, or the like, used chiefly to point out letters to children when learning to read. “Pedantic fescue.” Sterne. Escaped the ferula to come under the fescue of an imprimatur.…Fēs'cue, v. t. p. 507To assist in reading by a fescue. Milton.Fĕs'cue-grāss, n. p. 507(Bot.) The Festuca, a genus of grasses containing several species of importance in agriculture. Lee.Fē'sels, n. p. 507A kind of base grain. May.Fĕsse or Fĕss, n. p. 507(Her.) A band drawn horizontally across the center of an escutcheon, and containing in breadth the third part of it; one of the nine honorable ordinaries.Fèsse'-point, n. p. 507(Her.) The exact center of the escutcheon. See ESCUTCHEON.Fĕs'si-tūde, n. p. 507Weariness. [Obs.] Bailey.Fĕs'tal, a. p. 507Pertaining to a holiday, joyful anniversary, or feast; joyous; gay; mirthful. You bless with choicer wine the festal day. Francis.Fĕs'tal-ly, adv. p. 507Joyously; mirthfully.Fés'ten-nîne, n. p. 507A marriage song or serenade; a fescennine. Cartwright.Fĕs'ter, v. i. p. 507To grow virulent; to corrupt; to rankle;—said of wounds and of a person wounded. Wounds immedicable Rankle, and fester, and gangrene. Milton. 2. To become malignant and invincible;—said of passions.Fĕs'ter, v. t. p. 507To cause to fester; to nurse, as something that rankles. And festered rankling malice in my breast. Marston.Fĕs'ter, n. p. 507A sore which rankles and discharges corrupt matter; a pustule. 2. A festering or rankling. The fester of the chain upon their necks. J. Taylor.Fĕs'ter-ment, n. p. 507A festering. Chalmers.Fē'sti-nate, a. p. 507Hasty; hurried. [Obs.] Shak.Fĕs'ti-nate-ly, adv. p. 507Hastily. [Obs.] Shak.Fĕs'ti-nā'tion, n. p. 507Haste; hurry. [Obs.] Browne.Fĕs'ti-val, a. p. 507Pertaining to a feast; festive; festal; appropriate to a festival; joyous; mirthful. “I can not woo in festival terms.” Shak.Fĕs'ti-val, n. p. 507A time of feasting or celebration; an anniversary day of joy, civil or religious; a festive celebration. The morning trumpets festival proclaimed. Milton. Syn.—Feast; banquet; carousal. See FEAST.Fĕs'tive, a. p. 507Pertaining to, or becoming, a feast; festal; joyous; gay; mirthful. The glad circle round them yield their souls To festive mirth and wit that knows no gall. Thomson.Fĕs'tive-ly, adv. p. 507In a festive manner.Fes-tĭv'i-ty, n. p. 507The condition of being festive; social joy or exhilaration of spirits at an entertainment; joyfulness; gayety. The unrestrained festivity of the rustic youth. Hurd. 2. A festival; a festive…Fĕs'ti-voŭs, a. p. 507Pertaining to a feast; joyous; festival; festive. [Rare.]Fes-tōon',, n. p. 507A garland or wreath hanging in a depending curve; any thing arranged in this way. Festoon, (2.) 2. (Arch. & Sculp.) An ornament of carved work, in the form of a wreath of flowers, fruits, and leaves…Fes-tōon’, v. t. p. 507To form in festoons, or to adorn with festoons.Fes-tōon'y, a. p. 507Consisting of, pertaining to, or resembling, festoons. Sir J. Herschel.Fes'tu-çine, a. p. 507Of a straw color. [Obs.] “A little insect of a festucine or pale green.” Browne.Fĕs'tu-cōus, a. p. 507Formed of straw. [Obs.] Browne.Fes'tue, n. p. 507A straw; a fescue. [Obs.] Holland.Fēt, n. p. 507A piece. [Obs.] Dryden.Fĕt, v. t. p. 507To fetch. [Obs.] And from the other fifty soon the prisoner fet. Spenser.Fē'tal, a. p. 507Pertaining to a fetus.Fe-tā’tion, n. p. 507The formation of a fetus in the womb; pregnancy. [Obs.] Dunglison.Fĕtch, v. t. p. 507To bear toward the person speaking, or the person or thing from whose point of view the action is contemplated; to go and bring; to bring; to get. Time will run back and fetch the age of gold.…Fĕtch, v. i. p. 507To bring one's self; to move; to arrive; as, to fetch about; to fetch to windward. Totten.