Dictionary
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.
Flux-īl'i-ty, n. p. 526The quality of admitting fusion; possibility of being fused or liquefied. [Obs.] Boyle.Flūx'ion, n. p. 526The act of flowing. Cotgrave. 2. The matter that flows. Wiseman. 3. A constantly varying indication. Less to be counted than the fluxions of sun-dials. De Quincey. 4. (Math.) The infinitely small…Flūx'ion-al or Flūx'ion-a-ry, a. p. 526Pertaining to, having the nature of, or solved by, fluxions; inconstant; variable. The merely human, the temporary and fluxional. Coleridge.Flūx'ion-ist, n. p. 526One skilled in fluxions. Berkeley.Flūx'ive, a. p. 526Flowing; wanting solidity; fluent. [Obs.] B. Jonson.Flūx'üre, n. p. 526Quality of being flux, or flowing. [Obs.] Fielding. 2. A flowing or fluid matter. [Obs.] Drayton.Flȳ, v. i. p. 526To move in the air with wings, as a bird. 2. To float or move in the air, as the clouds, the sparks, or a flag. 3. To move with rapidity like a bird; to hasten away; as, a ship flies on the deep; a…Flȳ, v. t. p. 526To shun; to avoid; to decline. “Sleep flies the wretch.” Dryden. To fly the favors of so good a king. Shak. 2. To cause to fly; to start up, as a bird; to set floating, as a kite.Flȳ, n. p. 526(Entom.) A winged insect of various species, whose distinguishing characteristic is that the wings are transparent; especially, the house fly, the Musca domestica. The black fly and sand fly are…Fly'-bāne, n. p. 526(Bot.) A plant of the genus Silene; the catch-fly.Fly'-bit/ten, a. p. 526Marked by the bite of flies. Shak.Flȳ'-blōw, n. p. 526The egg of a fly.Fly'-blōw, v. t. p. 526To deposit an egg in, or upon, as a fly; to taint with the eggs which produce maggots. Like a fly-blown cake of tallow. Swift.Flȳ'bōat, n. p. 526A long, narrow boat, used on canals. Simmonds. 2. A large, flat-bottomed Dutch vessel, used chiefly in the coasting trade. Crabb.Flȳ'-bōōk, n. p. 526A case for fishing-flies, in the form of a book. C. Kingsley.Fly'-cātch'er, n. p. 526One who hunts flies. 2. (Ornith.) One of several species of birds, forming the Linnæan genus Muscicapa, and having a bill flatted at the base, almost triangular, notched or hooked at the upper…Flȳ'er, n. p. 526One who, or that which, flies or flees; — usually written filer. 2. One that uses wings. 3. The fly of a jack. 4. (Arch.) A step in a flight of stairs which are parallel to each other, as…Flȳ'-fish, v. i. p. 526To angle with flies for bait.Flȳ'-fish'ing, n. p. 526Angling; the art or practice of angling for fish with a bait of natural or artificial flies. Walton.Flȳ'-flāp, n. p. 526Something contrived or intended to drive away flies. Congress.Flȳ'-flāp'per, n. p. 526One who flaps away flies; one who uses a fly-flap. Landor.Flȳ'-hōn'ey-sŭck'le, n. p. 526(Bot.) A plant of the genus Lonicera (L. xylosteum).Flȳ'ing-ar-til'le-ry, n. p. 526(Mil.) Artillery trained to very rapid evolutions. In passing from one part of the field to another, the men spring upon their horses in horse-artillery, or on the ammunition chests in fort-artillery.Flȳ'ing-bridge, n. p. 526(Mil.) A contrivance used by armies for crossing rivers in rapid movements, being sometimes a bridge supported by light boats, and sometimes a ferry-boat anchored up stream, and made to cross by the…Flȳ'ing-būt'tress, n. p. 526(Arch.) A contrivance for strengthening a part of a building which rises considerably above the rest, consisting of a curved brace or half arch between it and the opposite face of some lower part, as…Flȳ'ing-cămp, n. p. 526(Mil.) A camp or body of troops formed for rapid motion from one place to another.Flȳ'ing-fish, n. p. 526(Ichth.) A fish which has the power of sustaining itself in the air for a certain length of time, by means of its long, pectoral fins; the Exocætus.Flȳ'ing-jib, n. p. 526(Naut.) A sail extended outside of the standing-jib, on the flying-jib-boom.Flȳ'ing-pär'ty, n. p. 526(Mil.) A detachment of men employed to hover about an enemy.Flȳ'ing-pīn'ion, n. p. 526The fly of a clock.Flȳ'ing-shōt, n. p. 526A shot fired at something in motion, as a bird on the wing; one who fires thus.Fly'ing-squir'rel, n. p. 526(Zoöl.) A squirrel (the Pteromys volucella) having an expansive skin on each side, reaching from the fore to the hind legs, by which it is borne up in leaping. ☞ The flying-squirrel of New South…Flȳ'-lēaf, n. p. 526A blank leaf at the beginning or end of a book.Fly'man, n. p. 527The driver of a fly, or light public carriage. Melville.Fly'-pow'der, n. p. 527An imperfect oxide of arsenic, which, mixed with sugar and water, is used to kill flies. Brande.Flȳ'-rāil, n. p. 527That part of a table which turns out to support the leaf.Fly'-slōw, a. p. 527Moving as slowly as a fly sometimes does. [Obs.] Shak.Fly'-speck, n. p. 527The excrementitious stain of an insect, especially of the common fly.Fly'-trap, n. p. 527(Bot.) A plant (the Dionæa muscipula), called also Venus's fly-trap, the leaves of which are fringed with stiff bristles, and fold together when certain hairs on their upper surface are touched, thus…Flȳ'-wheel, n. p. 527A wheel in machinery that equalizes its movements, or accumulates power for a variable or intermitting resistance, as in a steam-engine or a coining-press. See FLY.Fō, n. p. 527The Chinese name of Buddha.Fōal, n. p. 527The young of the equine genus of quadrupeds, and of either sex; a colt or filly.Fōal, v. t. p. 527To bring forth, as a colt or filly; — said of a mare or a she-ass.Fōal, v. t. p. 527To bring forth young, as an animal of the horse kind.Fōal'-fōot, n. p. 527(Bot.) A certain plant; the colt's-foot. See COLT'S-FOOT.Fōam, n. p. 527The aggregation of bubbles which is formed on the surface of liquors by fermentation or violent agitation; froth; spume.Fōam, v. i. p. 527To froth; to gather foam; as, the billows foam. “He foams at mouth.” Shak. He foameth and gnasheth with his teeth. Mark ix. 18. 2. To form foam, or become filled with foam; — said of a steam-boiler…Fōam, v. t. p. 527To throw out with rage or violence, as foam; — with out. “Foaming out their own shame.” Jude 13. 2. To cause to foam; to fill with something that foams; as, to foam the goblet. Pope.Fōam'-cock, n. p. 527(Steam-boilers.) A cock at the water-level to blow off impurities.Fōam'ing-ly, adv. p. 527With foam; frothily.Fōam'less, a. p. 527Having no foam.Fōam'y, a. p. 527Covered with foam; frothy; spumy. Behold how high the foamy billows ride. Dryden.Fōb, n. p. 527A little pocket for a watch. 2. A tap or slight blow. [Obs.] Shak.Fŏb, v. t. p. 527To beat; to maul. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl. 2. To cheat; to trick; to impose on. To fob off, to shift off by an artifice; to put aside; to delude with a trick. A conspiracy of bishops could prostrate and…Fō'eal, a. p. 527Belonging to, or concerning, a focus; as, a focal point. Focal distance of a lens or mirror (Opt.), the distance of the focus from the center. — Focal distance of an ellipse, distance from the focus…Fō'cal-īze, v. t. p. 527To bring to a focus; to concentrate. Light is focalized in the eye, sound in the ear. De Quincey.Fō'cīle, n. p. 527(Anat.) A bone of the fore-arm, the greater focile being the ulna, the lesser the radius; also, a bone of the fore-leg.Fŏç'il-lāte, v. t. p. 527To nourish; to warm. [Obs.] Blount.Fŏç'il-lā'tion, n. p. 527Comfort; support. [Obs.]Fo-çĭm'e-ter, n. p. 527An instrument for bringing to a focus. R. Hunt.