Chapter 611

&hand; The true flycatchers of the Old World are Oscines, and belong to the family Muscicapid\'91 , as the spotted flycatcher ( Muscicapa grisola ). The American flycatchers, or tyrant flycatchers, are Clamatores, and belong to the family Tyrannid\'91 , as the kingbird, pewee, crested flycatcher ( Myiarchus crinitus ), and the vermilion flycatcher or churinche ( Pyrocephalus rubineus ). Certain American flycatching warblers of the family Sylvicolid\'91 are also called flycatchers, as the Canadian flycatcher ( Sylvania Canadensis ), and the hooded flycatcher ( S. mitrata ). See Tyrant flycatcher .

Fly-catching <Xpage=576>

Fly"-catch`ing , a. (Zo\'94l.) Having the habit of catching insects on the wing.

Flyer <Xpage=576>

Fly"er (?) , n. [See Flier .] 1. One that uses wings.

2. The fly of a flag: See Fly , n. , 6.

3. Anything that is scattered abroad in great numbers as a theatrical programme, an advertising leaf, etc.

4. (Arch.) One in a flight of steps which are parallel to each other(as in ordinary stairs), as distinguished from a winder .

5. The pair of arms attached to the spindle of a spinning frame, over which the thread passes to the bobbin; -- so called from their swift revolution. See Fly , n. , 11.

6. The fan wheel that rotates the cap of a windmill as the wind veers.

Internat. Cyc.

7. (Stock Jobbing) A small operation not involving ? considerable part of one's capital, or not in the line of one's ordinary business; a venture. [Cant]

Bartlett.

Flyfish <Xpage=576>

Fly"fish` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A California scorp\'91noid fish ( Sebastichthys rhodochloris ), having brilliant colors.

Fly-fish <Xpage=576>

Fly"-fish , v. i. To angle, using flies for bait.

Walton.

Flying <Xpage=576>

Fly"ing (?) , a. [From Fly , v. i. ] Moving in the air with, or as with, wings; moving lightly or rapidly; intended for rapid movement.

<page="577"> Page 577

Flying army (Mil.) a body of cavalry and infantry, kept in motion, to cover its own garrisons and to keep the enemy in continual alarm. Farrow. -- Flying artillery (Mil.) , artillery trained to rapid evolutions, -- the men being either mounted or trained to spring upon the guns and caissons when they change position. -- Flying bridge , Flying camp . See under Bridge , and Camp . -- Flying buttress (Arch.) , a contrivance for taking up the thrust of a roof or vault which can not be supported by ordinary buttresses. It consists of a straight bar of masonry, usually sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid pier or buttress sufficient to receive the thrust. The word is generally applied only to the straight bar with supporting arch. -- Flying colors , flags unfurled and waving in the air ; hence: To come off with flying colors , to be victorious; to succeed thoroughly in an undertaking. -- Flying doe (Zo\'94l.) , a young female kangaroo. -- Flying dragon . (a) (Zo\'94l.) See Dragon , 6. (b) A meteor. See under Dragon . -- Flying Dutchman . (a) A fabled Dutch mariner condemned for his crimes to sail the seas till the day of judgment. (b) A spectral ship. -- Flying fish . (Zo\'94l.) See Flying fish , in the Vocabulary. -- Flying fox (Zo\'94l.) , the colugo. -- Flying frog (Zo\'94l.) , an East Indian tree frog of the genus Rhacophorus , having very large and broadly webbed feet, which serve as parachutes, and enable it to make very long leaps. -- Flying gurnard (Zo\'94l.) , a species of gurnard of the genus Cephalacanthus or Dactylopterus , with very large pectoral fins, said to be able to fly like the flying fish, but not for so great a distance. Three species are known; that of the Atlantic is Cephalacanthus volitans . -- Flying jib (Naut.) , a sail extended outside of the standing jib, on the flying-jib boom. -- Flying-jib boom (Naut.) , an extension of the jib boom. -- Flying kites (Naut.) , light sails carried only in fine weather. -- Flying lemur . (Zo\'94l.) See Colugo . -- Flying level (Civil Engin.) , a reconnoissance level over the course of a projected road, canal, etc. -- Flying lizard . (Zo\'94l.) See Dragon , n , 6. -- Flying machine , an apparatus for navigating the air; a form of balloon. -- Flying mouse (Zo\'94l.) , the opossum mouse ( Acrobates pygm\'91us ), of Australia. It has lateral folds of skin, like the flying squirrels. -- Flying party (Mil.) , a body of soldiers detailed to hover about an enemy. -- Flying phalanger (Zo\'94l.) , one of several species of small marsuupials of the genera Petaurus and Belideus , of Australia and New Guinea, having lateral folds like those of the flying squirrels. The sugar squirrel ( B. sciureus ), and the ariel ( B. ariel ), are the best known; -- called also squirrel petaurus and flying squirrel . See Sugar squirrel . -- Flying pinion , the fly of a clock. -- Flying sap (Mil.) , the rapid construction of trenches (when the enemy's fire of case shot precludes the method of simple trenching), by means of gabions placed in juxtaposition and filled with earth. -- Flying shot , a shot fired at a moving object, as a bird on the wing. -- Flying spider . (Zo\'94l.) See Ballooning spider . -- Flying squid (Zo\'94l.) , an oceanic squid ( Ommastrephes, &or; Sthenoteuthis, Bartramii ), abundant in the Gulf Stream, which is able to leap out of the water with such force that it often falls on the deck of a vessel. -- Flying squirrel (Zo\'94l.) See Flying squirrel , in the Vocabulary. -- Flying start , a start in a sailing race in which the signal is given while the vessels are under way. -- Flying torch (Mil.) , a torch attached to a long staff and used for signaling at night.

Flying fish <Xpage=577>

Fly"ing fish` (?) . (Zo\'94l.) A fish which is able to leap from the water, and fly a considerable distance by means of its large and long pectoral fins. These fishes belong to several species of the genus Exoc\'d2tus , and are found in the warmer parts of all the oceans.

Flying squirrel <Xpage=577>

Fly"ing squir"rel (? or ?) . (Zo\'94l.) One of a group of squirrels, of the genera Pteromus and Sciuropterus , having parachute-like folds of skin extending from the fore to the hind legs, which enable them to make very long leaps.

&hand; The species of Pteromys are large, with bushy tails, and inhabit southern Asia and the East Indies; those of Sciuropterus are smaller, with flat tails, and inhabit the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America. The American species (Sciuropterus volucella) is also called Assapan. The Australian flying squrrels, or flying phalangers, are marsupials. See Flying phalanger (above).

Flyman <Xpage=577>

Fly"man (?) , n. ; pl. Flymen (-m?n) . The driver of a fly, or light public carriage.

Flysch <Xpage=577>

Flysch (fl?sh) , n. [A Swiss word, fr. G. fliessen to flow, melt.] (Geol.) A name given to the series of sandstones and schists overlying the true nummulitic formation in the Alps, and included in the Eocene Tertiary.

Flyspeck <Xpage=577>

Fly"speck (fl?'sp?k) , n. A speck or stain made by the excrement of a fly; hence, any insignificant dot.

Flyspeck <Xpage=577>

Fly"speck (?) , v. t. To soil with flyspecks.

Flytrap <Xpage=577>

Fly"trap (?) , n. 1 . A trap for catching flies. 2 . (Bot.) A plant (Dion\'91a muscipula) , called also Venus's flytrap, the leaves of which are fringed with stiff bristles, and fold together when certain hairs on their upper surface are touched, thus seizing insects that light on them. The insects so caught are afterwards digested by a secretion from the upper surface of the leaves.

Fnese <Xpage=577>

Fnese (?) , v. i. [AS. fn?san , gefn?san .] To breathe heavily; to snort. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Fo <Xpage=577>

Fo (?) , n. The Chinese name of Buddha.

Foal <Xpage=577>

Foal (?) , n. [OE. fole , AS. fola ; akin to OHG. folo , G. fohlen , Goth. fula , Icel. foli , Sw Lf?le , Gr.?????, L. pullus a young animal. Cf. Filly , Poultry , Pullet .] (Zo\'94.) The young of any animal of the Horse family (Equid\'91) ; a colt; a filly.

Foal teeth (Zo\'94l.) , the first set of teeth of a horse. -- In foal , With foal , being with young; pregnant; -- said of a mare or she ass.

Foal <Xpage=577>

Foal (?) , v.t. [ imp.& p.p. Foaled (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Foaling .] To bring forth (a colt); -- said of a mare or a she ass.

Foal <Xpage=577>

Foal (?) , v.i. To bring forth young, as an animal of the horse kind.

Foalfoot <Xpage=577>

Foal"foot` (?) , n. (Bot.) See Coltsfoot .

Foam <Xpage=577>

Foam (?) , n. [OE. fam, fom , AS. f?m ; akin to OHG. & G. feim .] The white substance, consisting of an aggregation of bubbles, which is formed on the surface of liquids,or in the mouth of an animal, by violent agitation or fermentation; froth; spume; scum; as, the foam of the sea.

Foam cock , in steam boilers, a cock at the water level, to blow off impurities.

Foam <Xpage=577>

Foam (?) , v.i. [imp.& p.p. Foamed (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. pos> Foaming .] [AS. f?man. See Foam, n.] 1. To gather foam; to froth; as, the billows foam .

He foameth , and gnasheth with his teeth. Mark ix. 18.

2 . To form foam, or become filled with foam; -- said of a steam boiler when the water is unduly agitated and frothy, as because of chemical action .

Foam <Xpage=577>

Foam (?) , v.t. To cause to foam; as,to foam the goblet; also (with out), to throw out with rage or violence, as foam. "Foaming out their own shame." Jude 13.

Foamingly <Xpage=577>

Foam"ing*ly (?) , adv. With foam; frothily.

Foamless <Xpage=577>

Foam"less (?) , a. Having no foam.

Foamy <Xpage=577>

Foam"y (?) , a. Covered with foam; frothy; spumy.

Behold how high the foamy billows ride! Dryden.

Fob <Xpage=577>

Fob (?) , n. [Cf.Prov. G. fuppe pocket.] A little pocket for a watch.

Fob chain , a short watch chain worn a watch carried in the fob.

Fob <Xpage=577>

Fob (?) , v.t. [ imp. & p. p. Fobbed (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Fobbing .] [Cf.Fop.]

1. To beat; to maul . [Obs.]

2. To cheat; to trick; to impose on .

Shak.

To fob off , to shift off by an artifice; to put aside; to delude with a trick."A conspiracy of bishops could prostrate and fob off the right of the people."

Milton.

Focal <Xpage=577>

Fo"cal (?) , a. [Cf.F. focal . See Focus .] Belonging to,or concerning, a focus; as, a focal point.

Focal distance, or length,of a lens or mirror (Opt.) , the distance of the focus from the surface of the lens or mirror, or more exactly, in the case of a lens, from its optical center. -- Focal distance of a telescope , the distance of the image of an object from the object glass.

Focalization <Xpage=577>

Fo`cal*i*za"tion (?) , n. The act of focalizing or bringing to a focus, or the state of being focalized.

Focalize <Xpage=577>

Fo"cal*ize (?) , v. t. [ imp.& p. p. Focalized (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Focalizing (?) .] To bring to a focus; to focus; to concentrate.

Light is focalized in the eye, sound in the ear. De Quincey.

Focillate <Xpage=577>

Foc"il*late (?) , v. t. [L. focilatus,p.p. of focillare.] To nourish. [Obs.]

Blount.

Focillation <Xpage=577>

Foc`il*la"tion (?) , n. Comfort; support. [Obs.]

Focimeter <Xpage=577>

Fo*cim"e*ter (?) , n. [ Focus + -meter .] (Photog.) An assisting instrument for focusing an object in or before a camera.

Knight.

Focus <Xpage=577>

Fo"cus (?) , n. ; pl. E. Focuses (#) , L. Foci (#) . [L. focus hearth, fireplace; perh. akin to E. bake. Cf. Curfew , Fuel , Fusil the firearm.] 1. (Opt.) A point in which the rays of light meet, after being reflected or refrcted, and at which the image is formed; as, the focus of a lens or mirror.

2. (Geom.) A point so related to a conic section and certain straight line called the directrix that the ratio of the distace between any point of the curve and the focus to the distance of the same point from the directrix is constant .

&hand; Thus, in the ellipse FGHKLM, A is the focus and CD the directrix, when the ratios FA:FE, GA:GD, MA:MC, etc., are all equal. So in the hyperbola, A is the focus and CD the directrix when the ratio HA:HK is constant for all points of the curve; and in the parabola, A is the focus and CD the directrix when the ratio BA:BC is constant. In the ellipse this ratio is less than unity, in the parabola equal to unity, and in the hyperbola greater than unity. The ellipse and hyperbola have each two foci, and two corresponding directrixes, and the parabola has one focus and one directrix. In the ellipse the sum of the two lines from any point of the curve to the two foci is constant; that is: AG+GB=AH+HB; and in the hyperbola the difference of the corresponding lines is constant. The diameter which passes through the foci of the ellipse is the major axis . The diameter which being produced passes through the foci of the hyperbola is the transverse axis . The middle point of the major or the transverse axis is the center of the curve. Certain other curves, as the lemniscate and the Cartesian ovals, have points called foci , possessing properties similar to those of the foci of conic sections. In an ellipse, rays of light coming from one focus, and reflected from the curve, proceed in lines directed toward the other; in an hyperbola, in lines directed from the other; in a parabola, rays from the focus, after reflection at the curve, proceed in lines parallel to the axis. Thus rays from A in the ellipse are reflected to B; rays from A in the hyperbola are reflected toward L and M away from B.

3. A central point; a point of concentration .

Aplanatic focus . (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 R\'d2ntgen rays in which the cathode rays are focused upon the anticathode, for intensifying the effect. -- Principal, &or; Solar , focus (Opt.) , the focus for parallel rays.

Focus <Xpage=577>

Fo"cus (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Focused (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Focusing .] To bring to a focus; to focalize; as, to focus a camera.

R. Hunt.

Fodder <Xpage=577>

Fod"der (?) , n. [See 1st Fother .] A weight by which lead and some other metals were formerly sold, in England, varying from 19<frac12/ to 24 cwt.; a fother. [Obs.]

Fodder <Xpage=577>

Fod"der (?) , n. [AS. f?dder , f?ddor, fodder (also sheath case), fr. f?da food; akin to D. voeder, OHG. fuotar , G. futter , Icel. f??r , Sw. & Dan. foder . &root;75. See Food Land cf. Forage , Fur .] That which is fed out to cattle horses, and sheep, as hay, cornstalks, vegetables, etc.

Fodder <Xpage=577>

Fod"der (?) , v.t. [ imp.& p.p. Foddered (-d?rd) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Foddering .] To feed, as cattle, with dry food or cut grass, etc.;to furnish with hay, straw, oats, etc.

Fodderer <Xpage=577>

Fod"der*er (?) , n. One who fodders cattle.

Fodient <Xpage=577>

Fo"di*ent (?) , a. [L. fodiens , p. pr. of fodere to dig.] Fitted for, or pertaining to, digging.

Fodient <Xpage=577>

Fo"di*ent (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) One of the Fodientia.

Fodientia <Xpage=577>

Fo`di*en"ti*a (?) , n.pl. [NL., fr. L. fodiens p. pr., digging.] (Zo\'94l.) A group of African edentates including the aard-vark.

Foe <Xpage=577>

Foe (?) , n. [OE. fo , fa , AS. f?h hostile; prob. akin to E. fiend . &root;81.] See Fiend , and cf. Feud a quarrel.

1. One who entertains personal enmity, hatred, grudge, or malice, against another; an enemy.

A man's foes shall be they of his own household. Matt. x. 36

2. An enemy in war; a hostile army.

3. One who opposes on principle; an opponent; an adversary; an ill-wisher; as, a foe to religion.

A foe to received doctrines. I. Watts

Foe <Xpage=577>

Foe (?) , v. t. To treat as an enemy. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Foehood <Xpage=577>

Foe"hood (?) , n. Enmity.

Br. Bedell.

Foeman <Xpage=577>

Foe"man (?) , n. ; pl. Foemen (-men) . [AS. f?hman .] An enemy in war.

And the stern joy which warriors feel In foemen worthy of their steel. Sir W. Scott

F\'d2tal <Xpage=577>

F\'d2"tal (?) , a. Same as Fetal .

F\'d2tation <Xpage=577>

F\'d2*ta"tion (?) , n. Same as Fetation .

F\'d2ticide <Xpage=577>

F\'d2"ti*cide (?) , n. Same as Feticide .

F\'d2tor <Xpage=577>

F\'d2"tor (?) , n. Same as Fetor .

F\'d2tus <Xpage=577>

F\'d2"tus (?) , n. Same as Fetus .

Fog <Xpage=577>

Fog (?) , n. [Cf. Scot. fog , fouge , moss, foggag? rank grass, LL. fogagium , W. ffug dry grass.] (Agric.) (a) A second growth of grass; aftergrass . (b) Dead or decaying grass remaining on land through the winter; -- called also foggage . [Prov.Eng.] Halliwell . Sometimes called, in New England, old tore. In Scotland, fog is a general name for moss.

Fog <Xpage=577>

Fog (?) , v. t. (Agric.) To pasture cattle on the fog, or aftergrass, of; to eat off the fog from.

Fog <Xpage=577>

Fog (?) , v. i. [Etymol. uncertain.] To practice in a small or mean way; to pettifog. [Obs.]

Where wouldst thou fog to get a fee? Dryden.

Fog <Xpage=577>

Fog (?) , n. [Dan. sneefog snow falling thick, drift of snow, driving snow, cf. Icel. fok spray, snowdrift, fj?? snowstorm, fj?ka to drift.] 1. 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 .

2. A state of mental confusion .