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An American Dictionary of the English Language

by Noah Webster

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.

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  1. Fōr'ti-fi'er, n.p. 537One who, or that which, fortifies, strengthens, supports, and upholds.
  2. Fôr'ti-fy, v. t.p. 537To add strength to; to strengthen; to confirm; to furnish with power to resist attack. He's fortified against any denial. Shak. Timidity was fortified by pride. Gibbon. Pride came to the aid of…
  3. Fōr'ti-fy, v. i.p. 537To raise strong places. Milton.
  4. Fōr'ti-lāge, n.p. 537A little fort; a blockhouse. [Obs.] Spenser.
  5. Fōrt'in, n.p. 537A little fort; a field fort; a sconce; a fortlet. [Obs.] Shak.
  6. For-tis'si-mo, adv.p. 537(Mus.) Very loud; with the utmost strength or loudness.
  7. For-tĭ'tion, n.p. 537Casual choice; fortuitous selection. No mode of election operating in the spirit of fortition or rotation can be generally good. Burke.
  8. Fōr'ti-tūde, n.p. 537Power to resist attack; strength. [Obs.] The fortitude of the place is best known to you. Shak. 2. That strength or firmness of mind which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and…
  9. Fôr'ti-tū'di-nôus, a.p. 537Having fortitude; courageous. Gibbon.
  10. Fōrt'let, n.p. 537A little fort.
  11. Fôrt'night, n.p. 537The space of fourteen days; two weeks.
  12. Fôrt'night-ly, adv.p. 537Once in a fortnight; at intervals of a fortnight.
  13. Fôr'tress, n.p. 537A fortified place; a fort; a castle; a stronghold; a place of defense or security; usually, a city or town well fortified. Syn.—FORTRESS, FORTIFICATION, CASTLE, CITADEL. A fortress is constructed for…
  14. Fôr'tress, v. t.p. 537To furnish with fortresses; to guard; to fortify. Shak.
  15. For-tū'i-tōus, a.p. 537Happening by chance; coming or occurring unexpectedly, or without any known cause. It was from causes seemingly fortuitous ... that all the mighty effects of the Reformation flowed. Robertson. So as…
  16. For-tū'i-tōūs-ly, adv.p. 537In a fortuitous manner; accidentally; casually; by chance.
  17. For-tū'i-tō'ū-ness, n.p. 537The quality of being fortuitous; accident; chance.
  18. For-tū'i-ty, n.p. 537Accident; chance; casualty.
  19. Fōrt'ū-nate, a.p. 537Coming by good luck or favorable chance; bringing some good thing not foreseen as certain; presaging happiness; auspicious; as, a fortunate event; a fortunate concurrence of circumstances; a…
  20. Fōrt'ū-nate-ly, adv.p. 537In a fortunate manner; luckily; successfully; happily.
  21. Fōrt'ū-nate-ness, n.p. 537The condition or quality of being fortunate; good luck; success; happiness.
  22. Fōrt'ūne, n.p. 537The arrival of something in a sudden or unexpected manner; chance; accident; luck; fortuity; hap; also, the personified or deified power regarded as determining human success, sharing happiness and…
  23. Fôrt'ūne, v. t.p. 537To make fortunate. Chaucer. 2. To dispose, fortunately or not. 3. To presage; to prognosticate. Dryden.
  24. Fôrt'ūne, v. i.p. 537To come casually to pass; to befall; to fall out; to happen. It fortuned the same night that a Christian, serving a Turk in the camp, secretly gave the watchmen warning. Knolles.
  25. Fôrt'ûne-book, n.p. 537A book to be consulted to discover future events. Crashaw.
  26. Fōrt'ūne-hūnt'er, n.p. 537A man who seeks to marry a woman with a large portion, with a view to enrich himself. Addison.
  27. Fōrt'ūne-hūnt'ing, n.p. 537The seeking of a fortune by marriage.
  28. Fōrt'ūne-less, a.p. 537Luckless; also, destitute of a fortune or portion.
  29. Fōrt'ūne-tēll, v. t.p. 537To tell, or pretend to tell, the future events of one's life; to reveal futurity to. [Obs.] Shak.
  30. Fôrt'ūne-têll'er, n.p. 537One who tells or reveals the future events of one's life.
  31. Fôrt'ūne-tĕll'ing, n.p. 537The act or practice of telling, or revealing the future fortune or events of one's life.
  32. Fôrt'ūn-īze, v. t.p. 537To regulate the fortune of. [Obs.] Spenser.
  33. Fôr'ty, a.p. 537Four times ten; thirty-nine and one added.
  34. Fôr'ty, n.p. 537The sum of forty units. 2. A symbol expressing forty units, as 40 or XL.
  35. Fō'rum, n.p. 537A market-place or public place in Rome, where causes were judicially tried, and orations delivered to the people. 2. A tribunal; a court; an assembly empowered to hear and decide causes.
  36. For-wan'der, v. i.p. 537To wander away; to go astray; to wander far and to weariness. [Obs.] Spenser.
  37. Fōr'ward or Fōr'wards, adv.p. 537Toward a part or place before or in front; onward; in advance; progressively; — opposed to backward.
  38. Fōr'ward, a.p. 537Near or at the fore part; in advance of something else; as, the forward gun in a ship, or the forward ship in a fleet; the forward horse in a team. 2. Ready; prompt; strongly inclined; in an ill…
  39. Fôr'ward, v. t.p. 537To help onward; to advance; to promote; to accelerate; to quicken; to hasten; as, to forward the growth of a plant; to forward one in improvement. 2. To send forward; to send toward the place of…
  40. Fôr'ward-er, n.p. 537One who promotes, or advances in, progress. 2. One who sends forward or transmits goods; a forwarding merchant. [U. S.]
  41. Fôr'ward-ing, n.p. 537The act or employment of transmitting or sending forward merchandise and other property for others.
  42. Fôr'ward-ly, adv.p. 537Eagerly; hastily. Atterbury.
  43. Fôr'ward-ness, n.p. 537The quality of being forward; cheerful readiness; promptness; as, the forwardness of Christians in propagating the gospel. 2. Eagerness; ardor; boldness; confidence; assurance; want of due reserve or…
  44. Fôr'wards, adv.p. 538See FORWARD.
  45. For-wāste', v. t.p. 538To lay waste; to desolate; to destroy. [Obs.] Spenser.
  46. For-wêa'ry, v. t.p. 538To weary extremely; to dispirit. [Obs.] Spenser.
  47. For-weep', v. i.p. 538To weep much. [Obs.] Chaucer.
  48. Fôr'word, n.p. 538A promise. [Obs.] Spenser.
  49. For-wōrn’, a.p. 538Much worn. [Obs.] A silly man, in simple weeds forworn. Spenser.
  50. For-zan'do, adv.p. 538(Mus.) Sudden and forcible; explosive;—used to designate a tone which is produced suddenly and forcibly, and instantly diminished;—usually indicated by the mark > over each note of the passage, or by…
  51. Fŏsse, n.p. 538(Fort.) A ditch or moat. 2. (Anat.) (a.) A non-articular depression in a bone, wider at the margin than at the bottom; as, temporal fosse. (b.) One of variously shaped cavities in the soft parts; as…
  52. Fŏs'set, n.p. 538A faucet. [Obs.] Shak.
  53. Fôs'sil, a.p. 538Dug out of the earth; as, fossil coal; fossil salt. 2. Pertaining to, or resembling, fossils; changed into stone; petrified; as, fossil shells, bones, or wood. Fossil copal, a kind of resinous…
  54. Fŏs'sil, n.p. 538A substance dug from the earth. Warburton. 2. (Palæon.) The petrified form of a plant or animal in the strata composing the surface of our globe.
  55. Fŏs'sil-īf'er-oŭs, a.p. 538(Paleon.) Containing fossil or organic remains; as, fossiliferous rocks.
  56. Fŏs'sil-i-fi-cā'tion, n.p. 538Act of becoming fossil.
  57. Fŏs'sil-ism, n.p. 538The science or quality of fossils. Coleridge.
  58. Fôs'sil-îst, n.p. 538One who studies the nature and properties of fossils; one who is versed in the science of fossils; a paleontologist. Black.
  59. Fŏs'sil-i-zā'tion, n.p. 538The act or process of converting into a fossil or petrifaction.
  60. Fōs'sil-īze, v. t.p. 538To convert into a fossil or petrifaction; as, to fossilize bones or wood. 2. To cause to become antiquated, rigid, or fixed, as by fossilization; to cause to lose the characteristics proper to the…