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To nourish, in a general sense; to foster, strengthen, develop, and guard. Thou shalt feed people Israel. 2 Sam. v. 2. Mightiest powers by deepest calms are feed. B. Cornwall.

viii. 5. He best can paint them who shall feel them most. Pope. Mankind have felt their strength and made it felt. Byron.

Concrete strengthened by a core or foundation skeleton of iron or steel bars, strips, etc. Floors, columns, piles, water pipes, etc., have been successfully made of it. Called also armored concrete steel, and reënforced concrete.

A ring or cap of metal put round a cane, tool, handle, or other similar object, to strengthen it, or prevent splitting and wearing.

Sinew; strength; toughness; as, a man of real fiber. Yet had no fibers in him, nor no force. Chapman.

Strength or disposition for fighting; pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of fight in him. [Colloq.]

Strength; stability. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Strength; firmness; stability. [Obs.] Chillingworth.

A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard.

ready. [Obs.] So fit to shoot, she singled forth among her foes who first her quarry's strength should feel. Fairfax.

An external or internal rib, or rim, for strength, as the flange of an iron beam; or for a guide, as the flange of a car wheel (see Car wheel.); or for attachment to another object, as the flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc. Knight.

ake up a new position. -- Flanks of a frontier, salient points in a national boundary, strengthened to protect the frontier against hostile incursion. -- Flank patrol, detachments acting independently of the column of an army, but patrolling along its flanks, to secure it against surprise and to observe the movements…

A preparation of capsicum, burnt sugar, etc., for coloring and giving a fictious strength to liquors. Flash light, or Flashing light, a kind of light shown by lighthouses, produced by the revolution of reflectors, so as to show a flash of light every few seconds, alternating with periods of dimness. Knight. -- Flash i…

Weak; feeble; limp; slight; vain; without strength or solidity; of loose and unsubstantial structure; without reason or plausibility; as, a flimsy argument, excuse, objection. Proud of a vast extent of flimsy lines. Pope. All the flimsy furniture of a country miss's brain. Sheridan.

Strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigor; might; often, an unusual degree of strength or energy; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect; especially, power to persuade, or convince, or impose obligation; pertinency; validity; special signification; as, the force of an appeal, an argume…

A piece of timber placed across the stem, to unite the bows and strengthen the fore part of the ship; a breast hook.

Apt to forget; easily losing remembrance; as, a forgetful man should use helps to strengthen his memory.

Wasted in strength; tired; exhausted. [Archaic] A gentleman almost forspent with speed. Shak.

other means of defense; a fortification. Detached works, depending solely on their own strength, belong to the class of works termed forts. Farrow.

Furnished with, or guarded by, forts; strengthened or defended, as by forts. [R.] Shak.