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To cause to explode; as, to fire a torpedo; to disharge; as, to fire a musket or cannon; to fire cannon balls, rockets, etc.

the merchant service, same as First mate (above). -- First sergeant (Mil.), the ranking non-commissioned officer in a company; the orderly sergeant. Farrow. -- First watch (Naut.), the watch from eight to twelve at midnight; also, the men on duty during that time. -- First water, the highest quality or purest luste…

The act of uniting chemically with a solid substance or in a solid form; reduction to a non-volatile condition; -- said of gaseous elements.

Stable; non-volatile. Fixed air (Old Chem.), carbonic acid or carbon dioxide; -- so called by Dr. Black because it can be absorbed or fixed by strong bases. See Carbonic acid, under Carbonic. -- Fixed alkali (Old Chem.), a non-volatile base, as soda, or potash, in distinction from the volatile alkali ammonia. -- Fixe…

; vocal; -- applied to any one of the sonant or vocal consonants, as distinguished from a nonsonant (or sharp) consonant. Flat arch. (Arch.) See under Arch, n., 2. (b). -- Flat cap, cap paper, not folded. See under Paper. -- Flat chasing, in fine art metal working, a mode of ornamenting silverware, etc., producing fi…

A yellow, crystalline substance, obtained from anthraquinone, and regarded as a hydroxyl derivative of it.

A non-metallic, gaseous element, strongly acid or negative, or associated with chlorine, bromine, and iodine, in the halogen group of which it is the first member. It always occurs combined, is very active chemically, and possesses such an avidity for most elements, and silicon especially, that it can neither be prepar…

A familiar spirit; a witch's attendant. [Obs.] A trifling fly, none of your great familiars. B. Jonson.

Nonsense. [Colloq.]

me applied to a limbo (see under Limbo) popularly believed to be the region of vanity and nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or condition of vain self-satistaction. -- Fool's parsley (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant (Æthusa Cynapium) resembling parsley, but nauseous and poisonous. -- To make a fool of, to ren…

An act of folly or weakness; a foolish practice; something absurd or nonsensical. That Pythagoras, Plato, or Orpheus, believed in any of these fooleries, it can not be suspected. Sir W. Raleigh.

Hastily; immediately; instantly; on the spot; hotfloot. Gower. Custance have they taken anon, foothot. Chaucer.

; indicating, in Old English, the reason of anything. And for of long that way had walkéd none, The vault was hid with plants and bushes hoar. Fairfax. And Heaven defend your good souls, that you think I will your serious and great business scant, For she with me. Shak.

teel away. Dryden. To force the tyrant from his seat by war. Sahk. Ethelbert ordered that none should be forced into religion. Fuller.

may passed by man or beast on foot, by wading. He swam the Esk river where ford there was none. Sir W. Scott.

The quality of being forgetful; prononess to let slip from the mind.

Out, as from a state of concealment, retirement, confinement, nondevelopment, or the like; out into notice or view; as, the plants in spring put forth leaves. When winter past, and summer scarce begun, Invites them forth to labor in the sun. Dryden.

An agreement; a covenant; a promise. [Obs.] Tell us a tale anon, as forward is. Chaucer.

is founded, or established by endowment; an endowed institution or charity. Against the canon laws of our foundation. Milton. Foundation course. See Base course, under Base, n. -- Foundation muslin, an open-worked gummed fabric used for stiffening dresses, bonnets, etc. -- Foundation school, in England, an endowed sc…

One who founds; one who casts metals in various forms; a caster; as, a founder of cannon, bells, hardware, or types. Fonder's dust. Same as Facing, 4. -- Founder's sand, a kind of sand suitable for purposes of molding.