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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. Flīght'ed, a.p. 521Taking flight; flying.
  2. Flīght'i-ly, adv.p. 521In a flighty, wild, or imaginative manner.
  3. Flight'i-ness, n.p. 521The state of being flighty; wildness; slight delirium; extreme volatility. Syn.—Levity; giddiness; volatility; lightness; wildness. See LEVITY.
  4. Flight'-shŏt, n.p. 521The distance which an arrow flies. Within a flight-shot from it in the valley. Evelyn. There stands the May-pole, half a flight-shot from the king's oak. W. Scott.
  5. Flight’y, a.p. 521Fleeting; swift; transient. The flighty purpose never is o’ertook, Unless the deed go with it. Shak. 2. Indulging in flights, or wild and unrestrained sallies, of imagination, humor, caprice, &c.…
  6. Flĭm'flăm, n.p. 521A freak; a trick. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
  7. Flĭm'si-ly, adv.p. 521In a flimsy manner.
  8. Flĭm'si-ness, n.p. 521State or quality of being flimsy; thin, weak texture; weakness; want of substance or solidity.
  9. Flĭm'sy, a.p. 521Weak; feeble; slight; vain; without strength or solid substance; of loose and unsubstantial structure; without reason or plausibility; as, a flimsy pretext; a flimsy excuse; flimsy objections.…
  10. Flĭm'sy, n.p. 521Thin or transfer paper. 2. A bank-note. [Cant. Eng.]
  11. Flĭnch, v. i.p. 521To withdraw from any suffering or undertaking, from pain or danger; to fail in doing or persevering; to show signs of yielding or of suffering; to shrink; to wince; as, one of the parties flinched…
  12. Flinch'er, n.p. 521One who flinches or fails.
  13. Flinch'ing-ly, adv.p. 521In a flinching manner.
  14. Flin'der-mouse, n.p. 521A bat; a flitter-mouse.
  15. Flin'ders, n. pl.p. 521Small pieces or splinters; fragments. The tough ash spear, so stout and true, Into a thousand flinders flew. W. Scott.
  16. Flīng, v. t.p. 521To cast, send, or throw from the hand; to hurl; to dart; to emit with violence, as though thrown from the hand; as, to fling a stone at a bird. 'Tis Fate that flings the dice; and, as she flings, Of…
  17. Fling, v. i.p. 522To throw; to wince; to flounce; as, the horse began to kick and fling. 2. To cast in the teeth; to utter harsh language; to sneer; as, the scold began to flout and fling. 3. To throw one's self in a…
  18. Fling, n.p. 522A cast from the hand; a throw; a flounce. 2. A severe or contemptuous remark; a gibe; a sneer; a sarcasm. I, who love to have a fling, Both at senate house and king. Swift. 3. A kind of dance.
  19. Fling'-düst, n.p. 522One who kicks up the dust; a street-walker; a low woman. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
  20. Fling'er, n.p. 522One who flings; one who jeers.
  21. Flint, n.p. 522(Min.) A variety of quartz, of a yellowish, bluish-gray, or grayish-black color, composed of silica, with traces of iron, and supposed to be collections of animalcular shells, aggregations around…
  22. Flint'-gläss, n.p. 522A very pure and beautiful kind of glass, of great density and high refractive power, in which oxide of lead is a distinguishing ingredient. It is much used for table glass-ware and for optical…
  23. Flint'i-ness, n.p. 522State or quality of being flinty; hardness; cruelty. Beau. & Fl.
  24. Flint'-lŏck, n.p. 522A musket lock with a flint fixed in the hammer for striking on the cap of the pan; — now superseded by the percussion lock.
  25. Flĭnt'-stōne, n.p. 522A hard, silicious stone; a flint.
  26. Flint'y, a.p. 522Consisting of, composed of, abounding in, or resembling, flint; as, a flinty rock; flinty ground; a flinty heart.
  27. Flint'y-slāte, n.p. 522(Min.) A hard mineral of a somewhat slaty structure, containing about 75 per cent. of silica, with lime, magnesia, and oxide of iron. A variety of it, the basanite or Lydian stone, is used for trying…
  28. Flĭp, n.p. 522A mixture of beer and spirit sweetened and heated by a hot iron.
  29. Flip'-dŏg, n.p. 522An iron used, when heated, to warm flip.
  30. Flĭp'-flăp, n.p. 522The repeated stroke of something long and loose. Johnson.
  31. Flĭp'-fläp, adv.p. 522With repeated strokes and noise, as of something long and loose. Ash.
  32. Flip'pan-cy, n.p. 522The state or quality of being flippant; smoothness and rapidity of speech; volubility of tongue; fluency of speech.
  33. Flip'fant, a.p. 522Of smooth, fluent, and rapid speech; speaking with ease and rapidity; having a voluble tongue; talkative. 2. Speaking fluently and confidently, without knowledge or consideration; empty…
  34. Flĭp'pant, n.p. 522A flippant person. [Rare.]
  35. Flĭp'pant-ly, adv.p. 522In a flippant manner; fluently; with ease and volubility of speech.
  36. Flĭp’pant-ness, n.p. 522The state or quality of being flippant; fluency of speech; volubility of tongue; flippancy.
  37. Flĭp'per, n.p. 522The paddle of a sea-turtle; the broad fin of a fish.
  38. Flirt, v. t.p. 522To throw with a jerk or quick effort; to fling suddenly; as, they flirt water in each other's faces; he flirted a glove, or a handkerchief. 2. To toss or throw about; to move playfully to and fro…
  39. Flirt, v. i.p. 522To run and dart about; to act with giddiness, or from a desire to attract notice; especially, to play the coquette; to play at courtship; to coquet; to be unsteady or fluttering; as, they flirt with…
  40. Flĭrt, n.p. 522A sudden jerk; a quick throw or cast; a darting motion; hence, a jeer. In unfurling the fan are several little flirts and vibrations. Addison. 2. [L. Ger. flirtje, H. Ger. flirtchen.] One who flirts…
  41. Flĭrt, a.p. 522Pert; wanton. [Obs.] Shak.
  42. Flir-tā'tion, n.p. 522A flirting; a quick, sprightly motion. 2. Playing at courtship; coquetry. The flirtations and jealousies of our ball-rooms. Macaulay.
  43. Flirt'-gill, n.p. 522A woman of light behavior; a gill-flirt. [Obs.] Shak. You heard him take me up like a flirt-gill. Beau. & Fl.
  44. Flirt'i-gīg, n.p. 522A wanton, pert girl. [Obs.] Grose.
  45. Flirt'ing-ly, adv.p. 522In a flirting manner.
  46. Flisk, v. i.p. 522To skip. “He flisking flies.” Gosson.
  47. Flĭsk, n.p. 522A large-toothed comb. Simmonds.
  48. Flīt, v. i.p. 522To move with celerity through the air; to fly away with a rapid motion; to dart along; to fleet; as, a bird flits away, or flits in air; a cloud flits along. A shadow flits before me. Tennyson. 2. To…
  49. Flĭt, a.p. 522Nimble; quick; swift. [Obs.] See FLEET.
  50. Flitch, n.p. 522The side of a hog salted and cured. Swift.
  51. Flīte, v. i.p. 522To scold; to quarrel. [Prov. Eng.] Grose.
  52. Flit'ter, v. i.p. 522To flutter. [Obs.] Chaucer.
  53. Flit'ter, n.p. 522A rag; a tatter; a small piece or fragment.
  54. Flit'ter-mouse, n.p. 522A bat; a flicker-mouse; a flinder-mouse.
  55. Flĭt’ti-ness, n.p. 522Unsteadiness; levity; lightness. [Obs.] Bp. Hopkins.
  56. Flit'ting, n.p. 522A flying with lightness and celerity; a fluttering. 2. A removal from one habitation to another. [Scot. and Prov. Eng.] A neighbor had lent his cart for the flitting, and it was now standing loaded…
  57. Flit'ting-ly, adv.p. 522In a flitting manner.
  58. Flit'ty, a.p. 522Unstable; fluttering. [Obs.] More.
  59. Flix, n.p. 522Down; fur. [Obs.]
  60. Flix, n.p. 522A certain disease; the flux; dysentery.