Search the Dictionary

A stop in an organ tuned two octaves above the diaposon.

in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; -- followed by with or against. You do fight against your country's foes. Shak. To fight with thee no man of arms will deign. Milton.

ation to be kept at hand for extinguishing fire by smothering it with some incombustible vapor or gas, as carbonic acid. -- Fire balloon. (a) A balloon raised in the air by the buoyancy of air heated by a fire placed in the lower part. (b) A balloon sent up at night with fireworks which ignite at a regulated height. S…

A gun, pistol, or any weapon from a shot is discharged by the force of an explosive substance, as gunpowder.

A sudden and violent attack of a disorder; a stroke of disease, as of epilepsy or apoplexy, which produces convulsions or unconsciousness; a convulsion; a paroxysm; hence, a period of exacerbation of a disease; in general, an attack of disease; as, a fit of sickness. And when the fit was on him, I did mark How he did s…

A state of resistance to evaporation or volatilization by heat; -- said of metals. Bacon.

The quality of a body which resists evaporation or volatilization by heat; solidity; cohesion of parts; as, the fixedness of gold.

An ancient military weapon, like the common flail, often having the striking part armed with rows of spikes, or loaded. Fairholt. No citizen thought himself safe unless he carried under his coat a small flail, loaded with lead, to brain the Popish assassins. Macaulay.

A stream of burning vapor or gas, emitting light and heat; darting or streaming fire; a blaze; a fire.

A Brazilian apocynaceous vine (Macrosiphonia longiflora) having woolly leaves.

ht. Flashing point (Chem.), that degree of temperature at which a volatile oil gives off vapor in sufficient quantity to burn, or flash, on the approach of a flame, used as a test of the comparative safety of oils, esp. kerosene; a flashing point of 100º F. is regarded as a fairly safe standard. The burning point of th…

with the first game they take, or other flesh. Hence, to use upon flesh (as a murderous weapon) so as to draw blood, especially for the first time. Full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy maiden sword. Shak. The wild dog Shall flesh his tooth on every innocent. Shak.

The waving of a weapon or other thing; a brandishing; as, the fluorish of a sword.

Watery vapor condensed in the lower part of the atmosphere and disturbing its transparency. It differs from cloud only in being near the ground, and from mist in not approaching so nearly to fine rain. See Cloud.

A blunt weapon used in fencing, resembling a smallsword in the main, but usually lighter and having a button at the point. Blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, but hurt not. Shak. socrates contended with a foil against Demosthenes with a word. Mitford.

The stem which supports which supports the eye in decapod Crustacea; eyestalk.

om the Franciscan Order, chiefly in Italy and Sicily, in 1294, repudiating the pope as an apostate, maintaining the duty of celibacy and poverty, and discountenancing oaths. Called also Fratricellians and Fraticelli.

from slipping. -- Frost smoke, an appearance resembling smoke, caused by congelation of vapor in the atmosphere in time of severe cold. The brig and the ice round her are covered by a strange black obscurity: it is the frost smoke of arctic winters. Kane. -- Frost valve, a valve to drain the portion of a pipe, hydrant…

scouring and cleansing cloth, to imbibe grease. -- Fuller's herb (Bot.), the soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), formerly used to remove stains from cloth. -- Fuller's thistle or weed (Bot.), the teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) whose burs are used by fullers in dressing cloth. See Teasel.

An air-tight compartment in which vapor may be generated to destroy germs or insects; esp., the apparatus used to destroy San José scale on nursery stock, with hydrocyanic acid vapor.