Search the Dictionary

ives a spreading flame shaped somewhat like the tail of a fish. -- Fish-tail propeller (Steamship), a propeller with a single blade that oscillates like the tail of a fish when swimming.

To hold steadily; to direct unwaveringly; to fasten, as the eye on an object, the attention on a speaker. Sat fixed in thought the mighty Stagirite. Pope. One eye on death, and one full fix'd on heaven. Young.

olving, or intermittent light. -- Fixed oils (Chem.), non-volatile, oily substances, as stearine and olein, which leave a permanent greasy stain, and which can not be distilled unchanged; -- distinguished from volatile or essential oils. -- Fixed pivot (Mil.), the fixed point about which any line of troops wheels. -…

The state or quality of being fixed; stability; steadfastness.

ee Car wheel.); or for attachment to another object, as the flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc. Knight.

To burn with an unsteady or waving flame; as, the candle flares.

That flares; flaming or blazing unsteadily; shining out with a dazzling light. His [the sun's] flaring beams. Milton.

A variety of water-tube boiler, used chiefly in steam automobiles, consisting of a nest of strong tubes with very little water space, kept nearly red hot so that the water as it trickles drop by drop into the tubes is immediately flashed into steam and superheated.

ing motion to pump rods at a distance. Raymond. -- Flat rope, a rope made by plaiting instead of twisting; gasket; sennit.

To use flattery or insincere praise. If it may stand him more in stead to lie, Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or adjure. Milton.

-- Flauto traverso ( Etym: [It., transverse flute], the German flute, held laterally, instead of being played, like the old flûte a bec, with a mouth piece at the end.

Producing tears. [Obs.] Blount.

Wavering; not steady; flickering. Bacon.

To waver unsteadily, like a flame in a current of air, or when about to expire; as, the flickering light. The shadows flicker to fro. Tennyson.

Unsteadiness; levity; lightness. [Obs.] Bp. Hopkins.

t board, one of the boards fixed radially to the rim of an undershot water wheel or of a steamer's paddle wheel; -- a vane. -- Float case (Naut.), a caisson used for lifting a ship. -- Float copper or gold (Mining), fine particles of metallic copper or of gold suspended in water, and thus liable to be lost. -- Float…

consisting of rafts or timber, with a floor of plank, supported wholly by the water; a bateau bridge. See Bateau. (b) (Mil.) A kind of double bridge, the upper one projecting beyond the lower one, and capable of being moved forward by pulleys; -- used for carrying troops over narrow moats in attacking the outworks of…

A kind of pudding or tart; a kind of meat pie. [Obs.] Stealing custards, tarts, and florentines. Beau. & Fl.

fluid; to change place or circulate, as a liquid; as, rivers flow from springs and lakes; tears flow from the eyes.

To move now in one direction and now in another; to be wavering or unsteady; to be irresolute or undetermined; to vacillate.