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Foul matter; anything that soils or defiles; dirt; nastiness.

A band of white matter bordering the hippocampus in the brain. -- Fim"bri*al, a.

One skilled in financial operations; one acquainted with money matters.

The result of a judicial examination or inquiry, especially into some matter of fact; a verdict; as, the finding of a jury. Burrill. After his friends finding and his rent. Chaucer.

A sum of money paid as the settlement of a claim, or by way of terminating a matter in dispute; especially, a payment of money imposed upon a party as a punishment for an offense; a mulct.

Freedom from foreign matter or alloy; clearness; purity; as, the fineness of liquor. The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion. Shak.

Fixed; hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid; -- applied to the matter of bodies; as, firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood.

nder Brain. -- Fissure vein (Mining), a crack in the earth's surface filled with mineral matter. Raymond.

A little particle of lighted or incandescent matter, darted from a fire; a flash. With flakes of ruddy fire. Somerville.

A trifing matter; an object of contempt. [Obs.] England were but a fling Save for the crooked stick and the gray goose wing. Old Proverb. To have one's fling, to enjoy one's self to the full; to have a season of dissipation. J. H. Newman. "When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of pleasure." D. Jerrol…

Soft clayey matter in the vein, or surrounding it. [Written also flookan, flukan, and fluccan.]

The matter thus discharged.

The matter that flows. Wiseman.

Fluid matter. [Obs.] Drayton.

ther than remain in a compact group; -- used of hair or clothing or of small particles of matter. Light objects or particles readily taking a static electric charge may be moved apart by acquisition of a charge, or by approach of a charged object. Such a property is called flyaway. Syn. -- fluttering. [WordNet 1.5]…

a general assembly of the people to consider and order matters of the commonwealth; also, a local court. [Hist.] To which folkmote they all with one consent Agreed to travel. Spenser.

for the mill. Spenser. It was young counsel for the persons, and violent counsel for the matters. Bacon. Shall I think the worls was made for one, And men are born for kings, as beasts for men, Not for protection, but to be devoured Dryden. For he writes not for money, nor for praise. Denham.

l.), the influence which causes and controls the metabolism of the body. -- No force, no matter of urgency or consequence; no account; hence, to do no force, to make no account of; not to heed. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- Of force, of necessity; unavoidably; imperatively. "Good reasons must, of force, give place to better." S…

rous, but really weak or insipid. He [Prof. Ayton] would purge his book of much offensive matter, if he struck out epithets which are in the bad taste of the forcible-feeble school. N. Brit. Review.

A leader, or would-be leader, in matters of knowledge or taste. [Obs.] Nor that the forewits, that would draw the rest unto their liking, always like the best. B. Jonson.