Search the Dictionary

Any whale of the genera Sibbaldius, Balænoptera, and allied genera, of the family Balænopteridæ, characterized by a prominent fin on the back. The common finbacks of the New England coast are Sibbaldius tectirostris and S. tuberosus.

ost bearing an index finger. -- Finger reading, reading printed in relief so as to be sensible to the touch; -- so made for the blind. -- Finger shell (Zoöl.), a marine shell (Pholas dactylus) resembling a finger in form. -- Finger sponge (Zoöl.), a sponge having finger-shaped lobes, or branches. -- Finger stall, a…

To bestow the last required labor upon; to complete; to bestow the utmost possible labor upon; to perfect; to accomplish; to polish.

o render (an impression) permanent by treating with such applications a will make it insensible to the action of light. Abney.

Ardent; passionate; burning with zeal; irrepressibly earnest; as, a flaming proclomation or harangue.

The time during which a flash is visible; an instant; a very brief period. The Persians and Macedonians had it for a flash. Bacon.

without strength or solidity; of loose and unsubstantial structure; without reason or plausibility; as, a flimsy argument, excuse, objection. Proud of a vast extent of flimsy lines. Pope. All the flimsy furniture of a country miss's brain. Sheridan.

Anything extremely hard, unimpressible, and unyielding, like flint. "A heart of flint." Spenser. Flint age. (Geol.) Same as Stone age, under Stone. -- Flint brick, a fire made principially of powdered silex. -- Flint glass. See in the Vocabulary. -- Flint implements (Archæol.), tools, etc., employed by men before th…

Opt.) See under Aplanatic. -- Conjugate focus (Opt.), the focus for rays which have a sensible divergence, as from a near object; -- so called because the positions of the object and its image are interchangeable. -- Focus tube (Phys.), a vacuum tube for Roentgen rays in which the cathode rays are focused upon the an…

ther contrivance that sounds an alarm, often automatically, near places of danger where visible signals would be hidden in thick weather. -- Fog bank, a mass of fog resting upon the sea, and resembling distant land. -- Fog ring, a bank of fog arranged in a circular form, -- often seen on the coast of Newfoundland.…

The mark or impression of the foot; a track; hence, visible sign of a course pursued; token; mark; as, the footsteps of divine wisdom. How on the faltering footsteps of decay Youth presses. Bryant.

f account; but for the presence or action of. "Moral consideration can no way move the sensible appetite, were it not for the will." Sir M. Hale.

See under Draught. -- Forced march (Mil.), a march of one or more days made with all possible speed. -- For"ced*ly, adv. -- For"ced*ness, n.

batteries, or by surrounding with a wall or ditch or other military works; to render defensible against an attack by hostile forces.

, the fountain of the gospel. Fuller. Author of all being, Fountain of light, thyself invisible. Milton. Air fountain. See under Air. -- Fountain heead, primary source; original; first principle. Young. -- Fountain inkstand, an inkstand having a continual supply of ink, as from elevated reservoir. -- Fountain lamp,…

Thrown open, or made accessible, to all; to be enjoyed without limitations; unrestricted; not obstructed, engrossed, or appropriated; open; -- said of a thing to be possessed or enjoyed; as, a free school. Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free For me as for you Shak.

Accessible. [R.] Sidney.

Coldness or insensibility; severity or rigidity of character. [R.] It was of those moments of intense feeling when the frost of the Scottish people melts like a snow wreath. Sir W. Scott. Black frost, cold so intense as to freeze vegetation and cause it to turn black, without the formation of hoarfrost. -- Frost beare…

ey shall eat the fruit of their doings. Is. iii 10. The fruits of this education became visible. Macaulay.

An oily liquid, resembling, and possibly identical with, furfurol, and obtained from fucus, and other seaweeds.