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.
Fôrt'night, n. p. 537The space of fourteen days; two weeks.Fôrt'night-ly, adv. p. 537Once in a fortnight; at intervals of a fortnight.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…Fôr'tress, v. t. p. 537To furnish with fortresses; to guard; to fortify. Shak.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…For-tū'i-tōūs-ly, adv. p. 537In a fortuitous manner; accidentally; casually; by chance.For-tū'i-tō'ū-ness, n. p. 537The quality of being fortuitous; accident; chance.For-tū'i-ty, n. p. 537Accident; chance; casualty.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…Fōrt'ū-nate-ly, adv. p. 537In a fortunate manner; luckily; successfully; happily.Fōrt'ū-nate-ness, n. p. 537The condition or quality of being fortunate; good luck; success; happiness.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…Fôrt'ūne, v. t. p. 537To make fortunate. Chaucer. 2. To dispose, fortunately or not. 3. To presage; to prognosticate. Dryden.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.Fôrt'ûne-book, n. p. 537A book to be consulted to discover future events. Crashaw.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.Fōrt'ūne-hūnt'ing, n. p. 537The seeking of a fortune by marriage.Fōrt'ūne-less, a. p. 537Luckless; also, destitute of a fortune or portion.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.Fôrt'ūne-têll'er, n. p. 537One who tells or reveals the future events of one's life.Fôrt'ūne-tĕll'ing, n. p. 537The act or practice of telling, or revealing the future fortune or events of one's life.Fôrt'ūn-īze, v. t. p. 537To regulate the fortune of. [Obs.] Spenser.Fôr'ty, a. p. 537Four times ten; thirty-nine and one added.Fôr'ty, n. p. 537The sum of forty units. 2. A symbol expressing forty units, as 40 or XL.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.For-wan'der, v. i. p. 537To wander away; to go astray; to wander far and to weariness. [Obs.] Spenser.Fōr'ward or Fōr'wards, adv. p. 537Toward a part or place before or in front; onward; in advance; progressively; — opposed to backward.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…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…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.]Fôr'ward-ing, n. p. 537The act or employment of transmitting or sending forward merchandise and other property for others.Fôr'ward-ly, adv. p. 537Eagerly; hastily. Atterbury.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…Fôr'wards, adv. p. 538See FORWARD.For-wāste', v. t. p. 538To lay waste; to desolate; to destroy. [Obs.] Spenser.For-wêa'ry, v. t. p. 538To weary extremely; to dispirit. [Obs.] Spenser.For-weep', v. i. p. 538To weep much. [Obs.] Chaucer.Fôr'word, n. p. 538A promise. [Obs.] Spenser.For-wōrn’, a. p. 538Much worn. [Obs.] A silly man, in simple weeds forworn. Spenser.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…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…Fŏs'set, n. p. 538A faucet. [Obs.] Shak.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…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.Fŏs'sil-īf'er-oŭs, a. p. 538(Paleon.) Containing fossil or organic remains; as, fossiliferous rocks.Fŏs'sil-i-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 538Act of becoming fossil.Fŏs'sil-ism, n. p. 538The science or quality of fossils. Coleridge.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.Fŏs'sil-i-zā'tion, n. p. 538The act or process of converting into a fossil or petrifaction.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…Fōs'sil-ize, v. i. p. 538To become, or be changed into, a fossil or petrifaction. 2. To become antiquated, rigid, or fixed, beyond the influence of change or progress.Fōs'sil-īzed, p. a. p. 538Converted into a fossil or petrifaction. 2. Fixed or hardened beyond the reach of change or progress.Fos-sō'rēs, n. pl. p. 538(Entom.) A group of insects which excavate cells in earth or wood, where they deposit their eggs, with the bodies of other insects for the support of the young when hatched.Fos-sō'ri-al, a. p. 538Fitted for digging, or accustomed to dig; as, a fossorial limb or instrument; a fossorial animal.Fos-sō'ri-al, n. p. 538(Zoöl.) An animal which digs into the earth for a retreat or lodge, and whose locomotive extremities are adapted for that purpose.Fōss'-rōad, n. p. 538A Roman military way in England, from Totnes to Barton;—so called from the ditches on each side. [Written also foss-way.]Fōs'su-late, a. p. 538Having trenches, or depressions like trenches. Brande.Fôss'-wày, n. p. 538See FOSS-ROAD.Fōs'ter, v. t. p. 538To feed; to nourish; to support; to bring up. Some say that ravens foster forlorn children. Shak. 2. To cherish; to forward; to promote the growth of; to encourage; to sustain and promote; as, to…Fōs'ter, v. i. p. 538To be nourished or trained up together. [Obs.] Spenser.