Search the Dictionary

oops drawn up on the right or left of a battalion; usually grenadiers, light infantry, or riflemen. -- Flank defense (Fort.), protection of a work against undue exposure to an enemy's direct fire, by means of the fire from other works, sweeping the ground in its front. -- Flank en potence (Mil.), any part of the righ…

A small cartridge designed for target shooting; -- sometimes called ball cap. Flobert rifle, a rifle adapted to the use of floberts.

To play the fool; to trifle; to toy; to spend time in idle sport or mirth. Is this a time for fooling Dryden.

A trifler; a fribble.

To act frivolously; to trifle. Kipling. -- Friv"ol*er (#), Friv"ol*ler, n. [All Colloq.]

A tumult; a bustle; unnecessary or annoying ado about trifles. Byron. Zealously, assiduously, and with a minimum of fuss or noise Carlyle.

Making a fuss; disposed to make an unnecessary ado about trifles; overnice; fidgety. Not at all fussy about his personal appearance. R. G. White.

hou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion. Ezek. xxii. 12. Gaining twist, in rifled firearms, a twist of the grooves, which increases regularly from the breech to the muzzle. To gain on or upon. (a) To encroach on; as, the ocean gains on the land. (b) To obtain influence with. (c) To win ground upon; to mo…

A showy trifle; a toy; a splendid plaything; a pretty but worthless bauble. A heavy gewgaw called a crown. Dryden.

e minute and form globular heads. -- Globe sight, a form of front sight placed on target rifles. -- Globe slater (Zoöl.), an isopod crustacean of the genus Spheroma. -- Globe thistle (Bot.), a thistlelike plant with the flowers in large globular heads (Cynara Scolymus); also, certain species of the related genus Ech…

a bird that catches gnats. -- Gnat strainer, a person ostentatiously punctilious about trifles. Cf. Matt. xxiii. 24.

e is placed, with an explosive charge behind, which is ignited by various means. Muskets, rifles, carbines, and fowling pieces are smaller guns, for hand use, and are called small arms. Larger guns are called cannon, ordnance, fieldpieces, carronades, howitzers, etc. See these terms in the Vocabulary. As swift as a pel…

The goods and wares sold by a haberdasher; also (Fig.), trifles. Burke.

A built-up, rifled, rapid-fire gun of oil-tempered steel, having a rectangular breechblock which moves horizontally or vertically in a mortise cut completely through the jacket. It is made in France.

soonest if set or cut in the increase of the moon. Bacon. Increase twist, the twixt of a rifle groove in which the angle of twist increases from the breech to the muzzle.

ling sound, as a rattle. If you plant where savages are, do not only entertain them with trifles and jingles,but use them justly. Bacon.

A trifle or toy; a bawble; a gewgaw.

Knowledge; hence, experience. " In my knowing." Shak. This sore night Hath trifled former knowings. Shak.

Belonging or becoming to a lady; ladylike. "Some lady trifles." Shak.

ed, as the level part of a millstone between the furrows, or the surface of the bore of a rifled gun between the grooves. Land agent, a person employed to sell or let land, to collect rents, and to attend to other money matters connected with land. -- Land boat, a vehicle on wheels propelled by sails. -- Land blink,…