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which the tail is spread in the form of a fan during flight. They belong to the family of flycatchers.

A person who conforms to the fashions; -- used chiefly in the plural.

of length, containing six feet; the space to which a man can extend his arms; -- used chiefly in measuring cables, cordage, and the depth of navigable water by soundings.

terrupt the continuity of (rock strata) by displacement along a plane of fracture; -- chiefly used in the p.p.; as, the coal beds are badly faulted.

Any of several explosive mixtures, chiefly of ammonium nitrate and a nitrate derivative of naphthalene. They are stable, but require protection from moisture. As prepared it is a compressed cylinder of the explosive, filled with loose powder of the same composition, all inclosed in waterproof wrappers. It is used for m…

The object of regard; person or thing favored. All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, His chief delight and favor. Milton.

A skin or hide of a beast with the wool or hair on; a pelt; -- used chiefly in composition, as woolfell. We are still handling our ewes, and their fells, you know, are greasy. Shak.

A straw, wire, stick, etc., used chiefly to point out letters to children when learning to read. "Pedantic fescue.' Sterne. To come under the fescue of an imprimatur. Milton.

a very high pressure which is afterward relieved suddenly by letting a lid at the muzzle fly open, when the rapid expansion separates the fibers. -- Fiber plants (Bot.), plants capable of yielding fiber useful in the arts, as hemp, flax, ramie, agave, etc.

A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music. Fife major (Mil.), a noncommissioned officer who superintends the fifers of a regiment. -- Fife rail. (Naut.) (a) A rail about the mast, at the deck, to hold belaying pins, etc. (b) A railing around the break of a…

ell there with the fig fauns." Jer. i. 39. (Douay version). -- Fig gnat (Zoöl.), a small fly said to be injurious to figs. -- Fig leaf, the leaf tree; hence, in allusion to the first clothing of Adam and Eve (Genesis iii.7), a covering for a thing that ought to be concealed; esp., an inadequate covering; a symbol for…

namental work, formerly with grains or breads, but now composed of fine wire and used chiefly in decorating gold and silver to which the wire is soldered, being arranged in designs frequently of a delicate and intricate arabesque pattern.

Composed of film or films. Whose filmy cord should bind the struggling fly. Dryden.

lender radiating spikes; common crab grass. See Crab grass, under Crab. -- Finger nut, a fly nut or thumb nut. -- Finger plate, a strip of metal, glass, etc., to protect a painted or polished door from finger marks. -- Finger post, a guide post bearing an index finger. -- Finger reading, reading printed in relief s…

called by the American Indians. -- Fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly in Persia, among the followers of Zoroaster, called Chebers, or Guebers, and among the Parsees of India. -- Greek fire. See under Greek. -- On fire, burning; hence, ardent; passionate; eager; zealous. -- Running fire, the r…

South America; -- called also cucujo. The name is also applied to other species. See Firefly.

To fly out; to turn out; to go off. [Obs.] A wench is a rare bait, with which a man No sooner's taken but he straight firks mad.B.Jonson.

n fishery; engaged in fishing; as, fishing boat; fishing tackle; fishing village. Fishing fly, an artificial fly for fishing. -- Fishing line, a line used in catching fish. -- Fishing net, a net of various kinds for catching fish; including the bag net, casting net, drag net, landing net, seine, shrimping net, trawl,…

A hising sound; as, the fizz of a fly.

To move as do wings, or as something broad or loose; to fly with wings beating the air. The crows flapped over by twos and threes. Lowell.