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An animal of the Weasel family (Mustela or Putorius furo), about fourteen inches in length, of a pale yellow or white color, with red eyes. It is a native of Africa, but has been domesticated in Europe. Ferrets are used to drive rabbits and rats out of their holes.

ain objects; as, to fetch a compass; to fetch a leap; to fetch a sigh. I'll fetch a turn about the garden. Shak. He fetches his blow quick and sure. South.

ls. It is of malarial origin. -- Fever blister (Med.), a blister or vesicle often found about the mouth in febrile states; a variety of herpes. -- Fever bush (Bot.), the wild allspice or spice bush. See Spicewood. -- Fever powder. Same as Jame's powder. -- Fever root (Bot.), an American herb of the genus Triosteum…

ned 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 poop deck.

The raised molding about the muzzle of a gun.

an inch; also, the length of finger, a measure in domestic use in the United States, of about four and a half inches or one eighth of a yard. A piece of steel three fingers thick. Bp. Wilkins.

Extravagant, like some stories about catching fish; improbable; also, rank or foul. [Colloq.]

To run about; to frisk; to whisk. [Obs.] He fisks abroad, and stirreth up erroneous opinions. Latimer.

alleable, as a metallic substance. Bacon. To fix on, to settle the opinion or resolution about; to determine regarding; as, the contracting parties have fixed on certain leading points.

- distinguished from volatile or essential oils. -- Fixed pivot (Mil.), the fixed point about which any line of troops wheels. -- Fixed stars (Astron.), such stars as always retain nearly the same apparent position and distance with respect to each other, thus distinguished from planets and comets.

Liable to be blown about. Bailey.

One who strolls about aimlessly; a lounger; a loafer.

audy colors; to flaunt; to be offensively bright or showy. With ribbons pendant, flaring about her head. Shak.

up large bodies of water from the surface; to splash. [Obs.] He rudely flashed the waves about. Spenser. Flashed glass. See Flashing, n., 3.

hrow or spread out; to flutter; to move ostentatiously; as, a flaunting show. You flaunt about the streets in your new gilt chariot. Arbuthnot. One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade. Pope.

plant of the genus Linum, esp. the L. usitatissimum, which has a single, slender stalk, about a foot and a half high, with blue flowers. The fiber of the bark is used for making thread and cloth, called linen, cambric, lawn, lace, etc. Linseed oil is expressed from the seed.

ody, as distinguished from the soul; the corporeal person. As if this flesh, which walls about our life, Were brass impregnable. Shak.

To waver unsteadily, like a flame in a current of air, or when about to expire; as, the flickering light. The shadows flicker to fro. Tennyson.

The distance to which an arrow or flight may be shot; bowshot, -- about the fifth of a mile. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Within a flight-shot it inthe valley. Evelyn. Half a flight-shot from the king's oak. Sir W. Scott.

To toss or throw about; to move playfully to and fro; as, to flirt a fan.