Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Flūc'tū-āte, v. i. p. 524To move as a wave; to roll hither and thither; to wave; to float backward and forward, as on waves; as, a fluctuating field of air. Blackmore. 2. To move now in one direction and now in another; to…Flūc'tū-āte, v. t. p. 525To cause to move as a wave; to put in motion. [Rare.] A breeze began to tremble o'er The large leaves of the sycamore And fluctuate all the still perfume. Tennyson.Flūc'tu-ā'tion, n. p. 525The act of fluctuating; the state of being undetermined or wavering; unsteadiness; a sudden rise or fall. In their fortune there has been some fluctuation. Burke. 2. (Med.) The undulation of a fluid…Flūe, n. p. 525An air-passage; especially, one for conveying smoke and flame from a fire; a vertical compartment or division of a chimney. 2. (Steam-boilers.) A passage surrounded by water, for the gaseous products…Flūe, n. p. 525Light down, such as rises from beds, cotton, &c.; soft down; fur or hair. [Obs.] Dickens.Flu'ence, n. p. 525Fluency. [Obs.] Milton.Flū'en-cy, n. p. 525The quality of being fluent; smoothness; readiness of utterance; volubility; affluence. The art of expressing with fluency and perspicuity. Macaulay.Flu'ent, a. p. 525Flowing or capable of flowing; liquid; gliding; easily moving; current. Fluent as the flight of a swallow is the sultan’s letter. De Quincey. 2. Ready in the use of words; voluble; copious; having…Flū'ent, n. p. 525A current of water; a stream. [Obs.] Philips. 2. [Fr. fluente.] (Math.) A variable quantity, considered as increasing or diminishing; — called, in the modern calculus, the function or integral.Flū'ent-ly, adv. p. 525In a fluent manner; as, to speak fluently.Flū'ent-ness, n. p. 525The state or quality of being fluent; fluency. Montague.Flūe'-plate, n. p. 525(Steam-boilers.) A plate in which the ends of flues or tubes are fastened or set; — also called flue-sheet, tube-sheet, and tube-plate.Flāff, n. p. 525Nap or down; flue. Wright.Flūff'y, a. p. 525Pertaining to, or resembling, fluff or nap; soft and downy. “The carpets were fluffy.” Thackeray. The present Barnacle . . . had a youthful aspect, and the fluffiest little whisker, perhaps, that…Flü'gel-man, n. p. 525(Mil.) The leader of a file; one who stands in front of a body of soldiers, and whose motions in the manual exercise they all simultaneously follow; a fugleman.Flū'id, a. p. 525Having particles which easily move and change their relative position without a separation of the mass, and which easily yield to pressure; capable of flowing; liquid or gaseous.Flū'id, n. p. 525A body whose particles move easily among themselves, and yield to the least force impressed, and which, when that force is removed, recovers its previous form. ☞ Fluid is a generic term, including…Flu-id'i-ty, n. p. 525The quality of being fluid or capable of flowing; that quality of bodies which renders them impressible to the slightest force, and by which the particles easily move or change their relative…Flū'id-īze, v. t. p. 525To render fluid.Flū'id-ness, n. p. 525The state of being fluid; fluidity.Flŭk'an, n. p. 525Fluccan.Flūke, n. p. 525The part of an anchor which fastens in the ground; a flook. 2. One of the points of a whale’s tail, so called from their resembling the fluke of an anchor.Flūke, n. p. 525(Ichth.) A species of flat-fish, of the genus Platessa; the turbot; the flowk. [Scotland.]Flūke'-worm, n. p. 525(Zoöl.) A parasitic cotyloid worm (the Distoma hepaticum), having a flat lanceolate body and two suckers, found in the livers of sheep, particularly when they are affected with the rot; a gourd-worm.…Flūk'y, a. p. 525Formed like, or having, a fluke; flooky.Flūme, n. p. 525A stream; especially, a passage or channel for the water that drives a mill-wheel; or, an artificial channel of water for gold-washing. Howitt.Flŭ'mi-noŭs, a. p. 525Pertaining to rivers; abounding in rivers.Flŭm'mer-y, n. p. 525A light kind of food, formerly made of flour or meal; a sort of pap. Milk and flummery are very fit for children. Locke. 2. Something insipid, or not worth having; empty compliment; mere flattery…Flŭng, imp. & p. p. p. 525of fling.Flŭnk, v. i. p. 525To fail, as on a lesson; to back out, as from an undertaking, through fear. [U. S.]Flŭnk, n. p. 525A failure or backing out. [U. S.]Flŭnk'y, n. p. 525A livery servant. 2. One who is obsequious or cringing. 3. One who is easily deceived in buying stocks; an inexperienced and unwary jobber. [U. S.]Flŭnk'y-dŏm, n. p. 525The place or region of flunkies. C. Kingsley.Flŭnk'y-ĭsm, n. p. 525The character or quality of a flunky. Thackeray.Flū'o-bō'rate, n. p. 525(Chem.) A compound of fluoboric acid with a base.Flū'o-bō'rie, a. p. 525(Chem.) Derived from, or consisting of, fluorine and boron; as, fluoboric acid. Davy.Flŭ'o-phŏs'phate, n. p. 525(Chem.) A compound formed by the union of fluoric and phosphoric acids with a base.Flŭ'or, n. p. 525A fluid state. [Obs.] Newton. 2. Menstrual flux; catamenia; menses. [Obs.] 3. (Min.) Fluoride of calcium, called also fluor-spar. It commonly occurs massive, but crystallizes in octahedrons, which…Flŭ'or- Al'būs p. 525(Med.) The whites; leucorrhea.Flŭ'or-ā'ted, a. p. 525(Chem.) Combined with fluoric acid.Flŭ'o-rĕs'cence, n. p. 525(Opt.) That property which some transparent bodies have of producing surface reflections of light different in color from the mass of the material, as when green crystals of fluor-spar afford blue…Flŭ'o-rēs'çent, a. p. 525Having the property of fluorescence.Flu-ŏr'ic, a. p. 525(Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, fluor-spar; as, fluoric acid.Flŭ'or-īde, n. p. 525(Chem.) A compound of fluorine with a metallic or combustible base.Flū'or-īne, n. p. 525(Chem.) An element related to both chlorine and oxygen, but not known in the separate state. Combined with calcium, it forms fluoride of calcium, or fluor-spar; with hydrogen, it forms a gas called…Flŭ'or-oid, n. p. 525(Crystallog.) A kind of solid contained under 24 equal triangles, and resembling a cube with a low four-sided pyramid in place of each of its faces; — so called because it is a common form of…Flū'or-oŭs, a. p. 525Obtained from, or pertaining to, fluor. Brande.Flŭ'or-spär, n. p. 525(Min.) See FLUOR, 3.Flū'o-sĭl'i-cate, n. p. 525(Chem.) A compound of fluosilicic acid with some base.Flū'o-sĭ-lĭç'ic, a. p. 525(Chem.) Composed of, or derived from, silicon and fluorine; as, fluosilicic acid.Flŭr'ry, n. p. 525A sudden and brief blast or gust; a light, temporary breeze; as, a flurry of wind. 2. Violent agitation; commotion; bustle; hurry; confusion.Flūr'ry, v. t. p. 525To put in agitation; to excite or alarm. Swinburne.Flŭsh, v. i. p. 525To flow and spread suddenly; to rush; as, blood flushes into the face. “The flushing noise of many waters.” Boyle. 2. To come suddenly, as blood into the cheeks; to become suffused, as the cheeks; to…Flŭsh, v. t. p. 525To cause the blood to rush suddenly into the face; to redden suddenly; to put to the blush, or to cause to glow with excitement. Nor flush with shame the passing virgin’s cheek. Gay. Sudden a thought…Flŭsh, n. p. 525A sudden flowing; a rush; an afflux, as a jet or stream of water thrown suddenly on for cleansing purposes. Driving the blood through them in manner of a wave or flush. Ray. 2. A rush of blood to the…Flŭsh, a. p. 525Full of vigor; fresh; glowing; bright. With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May. Shak. 2. Affluent; abounding; well furnished; hence, displaying affluence; liberal; prodigal. Lord Strut was…Flush deck p. 525a deck with a continued floor unbroken from stem to stern.Flŭsh'er, n. p. 525(Ornith.) A European bird (Lanius collurio);— so called because the red back and wings, in its jerking flight, seem like flashes of fire; a flasher. Mudie.Flŭsh'ing-ly, adv. p. 525In a flushing manner.Flŭsh'ness, n. p. 525Freshness. Gauden.