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The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance. Flowers have all exquisite figures. Bacon.

cavities of volcanic tufa, in smooth and shining globular and botryoidal masses, having a pearly luster; -- so called from Fiora, in Ischia.

(Zoöl.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Fire blast, a disease of plants which causes them to appear as if burnt by fire. -- Fire box, the chamber of a furnace, steam boiler, etc., for the fire. -- Fire brick, a refractory brick, capable of sustaining intense heat without fusion, usually made of fire clay or of siliceous m…

t water, the highest quality or purest luster; -- said of gems, especially of diamond and pearls.

A spear with barbed prongs used for harpooning fish. Knight.

A fishing spear. [Obs.] Sandys.

A sudden burst of light; a flood of light instantaneously appearing and disappearing; a momentary blaze; as, a flash of lightning.

A man of more appearance of wit than reality.

sk. Etym: [From Florence in Italy.] (a) Same as Betty, n., 3. (b) A glass flask, round or pear-shaped, with round or flat bottom, and usually very thin to allow of heating solutions. -- Pocket flask, a kind of pocket dram bottle, often covered with metal or leather to protect it from breaking.

A jumping plant louse of the family Psyllidæ, of many species. That of the pear tree is Psylla pyri.

or deficient accounts. [Humorous]Ham. Nav. Encyc. -- Flemish beauty (Bot.), a well known pear. It is one of few kinds which have a red color on one side. -- Flemish bond. (Arch.) See Bond, n., 8. -- Flemish brick, a hard yellow paving brick. -- Flemish coil, a flat coil of rope with the end in the center and the tu…

Small pieces or splinters; fragments. The tough ash spear, so stout and true, Into a thousand flinders flew. Sir W. Scott.

. like Jove, his lighting flung. Dryden. I know thy generous temper well. Fling but the appearance of dishonor on it, It straight takes fire. Addison.

(Archæol.), tools, etc., employed by men before the use of metals, such as axes, arrows, spears, knives, wedges, etc., which were commonly made of flint, but also of granite, jade, jasper, and other hard stones. -- Flint mill. (a) (Pottery) A mill in which flints are ground. (b) (Mining) An obsolete appliance for ligh…

g the nap of cloths, used as a coating for wall paper to give it a velvety or clothlike appearance; also, the dust of vegetable fiber used for a similar purpose. Flock bed, a bed filled with flocks or locks of coarse wool, or pieces of cloth cut up fine. "Once a flock bed, but repaired with straw." Pope. -- Flock pape…

To thrust with a sword or spear; to lunge. [Obs.] He stroke, he soused, he foynd, he hewed, he lashed. Spenser. They lash, they foin, they pass, they strive to bore Their corselets, and the thinnest parts explore. Dryden.

, a small star, north following or south following. In the direction toward which stars appear to move is called preceding.

, for aught he knows, the next minute supervene. Dr. H. More. For anything that legally appears to the contrary, it may be a contrivance to fright us. Swift.

; exerting force; mighty. -- Force"ful*ly, adv. Against the steed he threw His forceful spear. Dryden.

To dwindle away; to disappear. [Obs.] Rom of R.