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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. Fil'ly, n.p. 512A young horse; especially, a young mare; a female colt. Neighing in likeness of a filly foal. Shak. 2. A lively, roistering, or wanton girl. Addison.
  2. Film, n.p. 512A thin skin; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity. He from thick film shall purge the visual ray. Pope. 2. A slender thread, as one of those composing a cobweb. Her whip of…
  3. Film, v. t.p. 512To cover with a thin skin or pellicle. It will but skin and film the ulcerous place. Shak.
  4. Film'i-ness, n.p. 512State of being filmy.
  5. Fĭlm'y, a.p. 512Composed of film; membranous; cob-web like. Whose filmy cord should bind the struggling fly. Dryden.
  6. Fĭlōse, a.p. 512Ending in a thread-like process. Brande.
  7. Fĭl'ter, n.p. 512A piece of woolen cloth, paper, or other substance, through which liquors are passed for defecation; a strainer.
  8. Fĭl'ter, v. t.p. 512To purify or defecate, as liquor, by causing it to pass through a filter, or a porous substance that retains feculent matter.
  9. Fĭl'ter, v. i.p. 512To pass through a filter; to percolate.
  10. Fĭl'ter, n.p. 512Same as PHILTER, q. v.
  11. Fil'ter-ing-pā'per, n.p. 512A porous unsized paper, free from impurities, used for filtering.
  12. Filth, n.p. 512Foul matter; any thing that soils or defiles; dirt; nastiness. 2. Any thing that sullies or defiles the moral character; corruption; pollution. To purify the soul from the dross and filth of sensual…
  13. Filth'i-ly, adv.p. 512In a filthy manner; foully; grossly.
  14. Filth'i-ness, n.p. 512The state of being filthy, or polluted. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. 2 Cor. vii. 1. 2. That which is filthy, or makes filthy; foulness; nastiness; corruption…
  15. Fĭlth’y, a.p. 512Defiled with filth; nasty; impure; licentious. “In the filthy-mantled pool.” Shak. He which is filthy, let him be filthy still. Rev. xxii. 11. Syn. — Nasty; foul; dirty; muddy; miry; sloughy…
  16. Fil'trāte, v. t.p. 512To filter; to defecate, as liquor, by straining or percolation.
  17. Fil'trate, n.p. 512The liquid which has been filtrated, or passed through a filter.
  18. Fil-trā'tion, n.p. 512The act or process of filtering; the mechanical separation of a liquid from the undissolved particles floating in it. Ure.
  19. Fim'ble-hemp, n.p. 512Light summer hemp, that bears no seed. Mortimer.
  20. Fīm'brī-ā, n.p. 512(Anat.) A fringe, or fringed border; especially, in the plural, the fringe-like extremities of the Fallopian tubes. 2. (Bot.) A toothed or fringed ring bordering the operculum of mosses, and serving…
  21. Fim'bri-ate, a.p. 512(Bot.) Having the margin bordered by filiform processes thicker than hairs; fringed. Lindley.
  22. Fĭm′bri-āte, v. t.p. 512To hem; to fringe.
  23. Fĭm’bri-ā’ted, a.p. 512(Bot. & Conch.) Having the border fringe-like. Dana. 2. (Her.) Ornamented as an ordinary, with a narrow border belonging to another charge.
  24. Fim’bri-cate, a.p. 512Fringed; jagged; fimbriate.
  25. Fin, n.p. 512(Ichth.) An organ of a fish, consisting of a membrane supported by rays, or little bony or cartilaginous ossicles, and serving to balance and propel it in the water. Fins. 1, ventral; 2, anal; 3…
  26. Fĭn, v. t.p. 512To carve or cut up, as a chub.
  27. Fĭn, n.p. 512(Geog.) A native or inhabitant of Finland; a Finn.
  28. Fin'a-ble, a.p. 512Liable or subject to a fine; as, a finable person or offense.
  29. Fī'nal, a.p. 512Pertaining to the end or conclusion; last; terminating; ultimate; as, the final issue or event of things; final hope; final salvation. Yet despair not of his final pardon. Milton. 2. Conclusive…
  30. Fĭ-năl'e, n.p. 512(Mus.) The last note, or end, of a piece of music; the last composition performed in any act of an opera, or part of a concert; close; termination.
  31. Fī-năl′i-ty, n.p. 512Final state; a final or conclusive arrangement; a settlement. Baxter.
  32. Fi'nal-ly, adv.p. 512At the end or conclusion; ultimately; lastly; as, the contest was long, but the Romans finally conquered. “Whom patience finally must crown.” Milton. 2. Completely; beyond recovery. The enemy was…
  33. Fĭ-nănce′, n.p. 512The income of a ruler or of a state; revenue; public money; sometimes, the income of an individual; — often used in the plural, funds. All the finances or revenues of the imperial crown. Bacon.…
  34. Fī-năn'cial, a.p. 512Pertaining to finance or public revenue. “Our financial and commercial system.” Macaulay.
  35. Fi-năn'cial-ist, n.p. 512One skilled in financial matters; a financier.
  36. Fī-năn'cial-ly, adv.p. 512In a financial manner; in relation to finances or public revenue.
  37. Fī-năn'cian, n.p. 512A financier. [Rare.]
  38. Fĭn'an-ciēr', n.p. 512One who is charged with the administration of finance; an officer who administers the public revenue; a treasurer. Burke. 2. One who is skilled in financial operations; one who is acquainted with…
  39. Fin-an-ciēr', v. i.p. 512To conduct financial operations.
  40. Fin'a-ry, n.p. 512Finery. See FINERY.
  41. Fĭ'na-tīve, a.p. 512Conclusive; decisive; definitive; final. [Obs.] Greene, 1593.
  42. Fin′back, n.p. 512(Zoöl.) A whale of the genera Balænoptera or Physalus, characterized by a prominent fin on the back.
  43. Finch, n.p. 512(Ornith.) A small singing bird, belonging to the genus Fringilla. The word is often used in composition, as in chaff-finch, goldfinch.
  44. Finch'-bäcked, a.p. 512Having a white streak, or white spots, upon the back; — said of cattle.
  45. Finched, a.p. 512Having a spot or streak of white; — applied to cattle.
  46. Find, v. t.p. 512To meet with, or light upon, accidentally; to gain the first sight or knowledge of, as of something new, or unknown, or unexpected; hence, to fall in with, as a person. I found this paper, thus…
  47. Find, v. i.p. 512(Law.) To determine an issue of fact, and to declare such a determination to a court; as, the jury find for the plaintiff. Burrill.
  48. Find'er, n.p. 512One who, or that which, finds; specifically (Astron.), a small telescope, attached to a larger telescope, for the purpose of finding an object more readily.
  49. Find'-fault, n.p. 512A censurer or caviler. [Obs.] Shak.
  50. Find'-fault'ing, a.p. 512Apt to censure or cavil; captious. [Obs.] Whitlock.
  51. Find'ing, n.p. 512That which is found, come upon, or provided; discovery; especially, in the plural, that which a journeyman finds or provides for himself, as a shoemaker his tools, thread, and wax. When a man hath…
  52. Find'ing-stōre, n.p. 512A store or shop where the tools, &c., used by shoemakers, are kept for sale; — called in England grindery-warehouse. [U.S.] Simmonds.
  53. Fin'dy, a.p. 512Full; heavy; or firm, solid, substantial. [Obs.] A cold May and a windy Makes the barn fat and findy. Old Proverb.
  54. Fine, a.p. 512Finished; brought to perfection; refined; — hence, excellent; superior; elegant; worthy of admiration; beautiful; showy. The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste. Shak. Not only the finest…
  55. Fine, v. t.p. 513To make fine; to refine; to purify; to clarify. “The fining of wines.” Evelyn. “The furnaces where gold is fined.” Holland. It hath been fined and refined by ... grave and learned men. Hobbes. 2. To…
  56. Fīne, n.p. 513End; termination; extinction. [Obs.] “To see their fatal fine.” Spenser. 2. A sum of money paid as the settlement of a claim, or by way of terminating a matter in dispute; especially, a payment of…
  57. Fīne, v. t.p. 513To impose a pecuniary penalty upon for an offense or breach of law; to set a fine on by judgment of a court; to punish by fine; to mulct; as, the trespassers were fined ten dollars, and imprisoned a…
  58. Fīne, v. i.p. 513To pay a fine. [Rare.] Men fined for the king's good-will; or that he would remit his anger. Hallam.
  59. Fīne'-draw, v. t.p. 513To sew up, as a rent, without doubling the edges, so that the seam is not perceived; to renter. Johnson.
  60. Fine'-draw'er, n.p. 513One who fine-draws.