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take 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 movemen…

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.

or 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.

One who, or that which, fortifies, strengthens, supports, or upholds.

To add strength to; to strengthen; to confirm; to furnish with power to resist attack. Timidity was fortified by pride. Gibbon. Pride came to the aid of fancy, and both combined to fortify his resolution. Sir W. Scott.

Very loud; with the utmost strength or loudness.

Power to resist attack; strength; firmness. [Obs.] The fortitude of the place is best known to you. Shak.

system, whether of timber or metal, that gives to a building, vessel, etc., its model and strength; the skeleton of a structure. These are thy glorius works, Parent of good, Almighty! thine this universal frame. Milton.

To draw together; to bind with a view to secure and strengthen, as a vessel by passing cables around it; to tighten; as a tackle by drawing the lines together. Tottem.

ng by taking away a little at a time; also, to waste piecemeal; as, to fritter away time, strength, credit, etc.

- To gain ground, to make progress; to advance in any undertaking; to prevail; to acquire strength or extent. -- To gain over, to draw to one's party or interest; to win over. -- To gain the wind (Naut.), to reach the windward side of another ship.

respectively, of the angle through which the needle is deflected, is proportional to the strength of the current passed through the instrument.

Full of spirit or strength; stimulating; exalting; as, generous wine.

A person of extraordinary strength or powers, bodily or intellectual.