Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Flō'ta, n. p. 523A fleet; especially, a fleet of Spanish ships which formerly sailed every year from Cadiz to Vera Cruz, in Mexico, to transport to Spain the productions of Spanish America.Flō'tage, n. p. 523The act of floating. 2. That which floats on the sea, or on rivers. [Rare.] Chambers.Flō'tant, a. p. 523(Her.) Flying or streaming in the air; as, a banner flotant. Craig.Flō-tā'tion, n. p. 523The act of floating. 2. The science of floating bodies. Plane or line of flotation, the plane or line in which the horizontal surface of a fluid cuts a body floating in it.Flōte, v. t. p. 523To skim. [Prov. Eng.] Tusser.Flōte, n. p. 523A float, or wave. [Obs.] Shak.Flo-tĭl'lȧ, n. p. 523A little fleet, or a fleet of small vessels.Flŏt'sam or Flŏt'son, n. p. 523(Law.) Goods lost by shipwreck, and floating on the sea; — in distinction from jetsam. Blackstone.Flōt'ten, p. p. p. 523of flōte. [See FLOTE.] Skimmed. [Obs.] Skinner.Flounce, v. i. p. 523To throw the limbs and body one way and the other; to spring, turn, or twist with sudden effort or violence; to struggle, as a horse in mire; to flounder; to throw one's self with a jerk or spasm…Flounce, v. t. p. 523To deck with a flounce or flounces; as, to flounce a petticoat or a frock.Flounçe, n. p. 523[See FLOUNCE, v. i.] The act of flouncing; a sudden, jerking motion of the body. 2. [Cf. Ger. flaus, flausch, flusch, flüsch, a tuft of wool or hair, M. H. Ger. vlûs.] An ornamental appendage to the…Floun'der, n. p. 524(Ichth.) A fish of the genus Platessa (P. flesus), allied to the halibut.Floun'der, v. i. p. 524To fling the limbs and body, as in making efforts to move; to struggle, as a horse in the mire, or as a fish on land; to roll, toss, and tumble; to flounce. They have floundered on from blunder to…Flour, n. p. 524The finely ground meal of wheat, or of any other grain; especially, the finer part of meal separated by bolting; hence, the fine and soft powder of any other substance; as, flour of emery.Flour, v. t. p. 524To grind and bolt; to convert into flour; as, great quantities of wheat are floured in the interior country. 2. To sprinkle with flour.Floŭr'ish, v. i. p. 524To grow luxuriantly; to increase and enlarge, as a healthy growing plant; to thrive. A tree thrives and flourishes in a kindly and well-watered soil. Horne. 2. To be prosperous; to increase in…Floŭr'ish, v. t. p. 524To cause to thrive; to develop; to expand. Bacon. 2. To adorn with flowers or beautiful figures, either natural or artificial; to ornament with any thing showy; to embellish. Fenton. The day-book and…Floŭr'ish, n. p. 524A flourishing condition; prosperity; vigor. [Obs.] Rome ... was in that flourish that Saint Austin desired to see her in. Howell. 2. Decoration; ornament; beauty; showy splendor. The flourish of his…Flōur'ish-er, n. p. 524One who flourishes.Flour'ish-ing-ly, adv. p. 524In a flourishing manner.Flour'y, a. p. 524Of or resembling flour.Flout, v. t. p. 524To mock or insult; to treat with contempt. “Phillida flouts me.” Walton. “He flouted us downright.” Shak. Three gaudy standards flout the pale blue sky. Byron.Flout, v. i. p. 524To practice mocking; to behave with contempt; to sneer; — often with at. Fleer and gibe, and laugh and flout. Shak.Flout, n. p. 524A mock; an insult. I could have given my uncle's grace a flout. Shak. Who put your beauty to this flout and scorn. Tennyson.Flout'er, n. p. 524One who flouts and flings; a mocker.Flout'ing-ly, adv. p. 524With flouting; insultingly.Flōw, v. i. p. 524To move by the power of gravity, and with a continual change of place among the particles or parts, as a fluid; to change place or circulate, as a liquid; as, rivers flow from springs and lakes…Flōw, v. t. p. 524To cover with water; to overflow; to inundate; to flood. 2. To cover with varnish.Flōw, n. p. 524A stream of water or other fluid; a current; as, a flow of water; a flow of blood. 2. Any gentle, gradual movement or procedure of thought, diction, music, &c., resembling the quiet, steady movement…Flōw'age, n. p. 524An overflowing with water; the water which thus overflows.Flow'er, n. p. 524A circle of leaves or leaflets on a plant usually of some other color than green; a bloom or blossom; as, the dog-wood flower. 2. (Bot.) That part of a plant destined to produce seed, and hence…Flow'er, v. i. p. 524To blossom; to bloom; to expand the petals, as a plant; to produce flowers; as, a flowering plant. 2. To come into the finest or fairest condition. When flowered my youthful spring. Spenser. 3. To…Flow'er, v. t. p. 524To embellish with flowers; to adorn with imitated flowers.Flow'er-age, n. p. 524State of flowers; flowers in general. [Obs.] Bailey.Flow'er-bŭd, n. p. 524An unopened flower.Flower-de-lūce, n. p. 524(Bot.) A plant of several species of the genus Iris, especially the I. pseudacorus, or yellow lily of Great Britain, and the I. sambucina, which is the common iris, or flower-de-luce, and is much…Flow'er-ět, n. p. 524A small flower; a floret. And that same dew which sometime on the buds Was wont to swell like round and orient pearls, Stood now within the pretty floweret's eyes Like tears. Shak.Flow'er-fēnce, n. p. 524(Bot.) The Poinciana pulcherrima, a tropical leguminous bush, with prickly branches, and showy yellow or red flowers;—so named from its having been sometimes used for hedges in the West Indies. Baird.Flow'er-ful, a. p. 524Abounding with flowers.Flow'er-gĕn' tle, n. p. 524(Bot.) A species of amaranth; Amaranthus spinosa.Flow'er-hēad, n. p. 524(Bot.) A compound flower in which all the florets are sessile on their receptacle, as in the case of the daisy. Craig.Flow'er-i-ness, n. p. 524The state of being flowery, or of abounding with flowers. 2. Floridness of speech; abundance of figures.Flow'er-ing, n. p. 524The act of blossoming, or the season when plants blossom; florification. 2. The act of adorning with flowers.Flow'er-ing-fērn, n. p. 524(Bot.) A variety of fern (Osmunda regalis), growing in boggy and wet places. Gray.Flow'er-kir'tled, a. p. 524Dressed with garlands of flowers. Milton.Flow'er-less, a. p. 524Having no flowers. Chaucer.Flow'er-less-ness, n. p. 524State or quality of being without flowers.Flow'er-piēçe, n. p. 524A picture of flowers.Flow'er-stalk, n. p. 524(Bot.) The peduncle of a plant, or the stem that supports the flower or fructification.Flow'er-y, a. p. 524Full of flowers; abounding with blossoms. 2. Highly embellished with figurative language; florid; as, a flowery style. Milton. The flowery kingdom, China.Flōw'ing-ly, adv. p. 524In a flowing manner.Flōw'ing-ness, n. p. 524The state of being fluent; fluency. Nichols.Flōwk, n. p. 524A kind of fish; a fluke. Carew.Flōwn, p. p. p. 524of fly; — often used with the auxiliary verb to be.Flōwn, a. p. 524Flushed; inflated;—supposed by some to be a mistake for blown or swoln. Pope. Then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine. Milton.Flōxed'-silk, n. p. 524The same as FLOSS-SILK.Flū'ate, n. p. 524(Chem.) A salt once supposed to be formed by fluoric acid combined with a base; as, fluate of alumina or of soda. These are properly fluorides.Flūc'ean, n. p. 524(Mining.) The softened rock which often forms the walls of metallic veins. Weale.Fluc-tif'er-ous, a. p. 524Tending to produce waves. Blount.