Chapter 16

Fi"er*y (? or ?), a. [Formerly written firy, fr. fire.] 1. Consisting of, containing, or resembling, fire; as, the fiery gulf of Etna; a fiery appearance.

And fiery billows roll below.

I. Watts.

2. Vehement; ardent; very active; impetuous.

Hath thy fiery heart so parched thine entrails?

Shak.

The fiery spirit of his forefathers.

W. Irwing.

3. Passionate; easily provoked; irritable.

You know the fiery quality of the duke.

Shak.

4. Unrestrained; fierce; mettlesome; spirited.

One curbed the fiery steed.

Dryden.

5. heated by fire, or as if by fire; burning hot; parched; feverish. Pope.

The sword which is made fiery.

Hooker.

Fiery cross, a cross constructed of two firebrands, and pitched upon the point of a spear; formerly in Scotland borne by a runner as a signal for the clan to take up arms. Sir W. Scott.

Fife (?), n. [F. fifre, OHG. pffa, LL. pipa pipe, pipare to play on the pipe, fr. L. pipire, pipare, to peep, pip, chirp, as a chiken. See Pipe.] (Mus.) A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music.

Fife major (Mil.), a noncommissioned officer who superintends the fifers of a regiment. -- Fife rail. (Naut.) (a) A rail about the mast, at the deck, to hold belaying pins, etc. (b) A railing around the break of a poop deck.

Fife, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fifed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. fifing.] To play on a fife.

Fif"er (?), n. One who plays on a fife.

Fif"teen` (?), a. [OE. fiftene, AS. fftne, fftne. See Five, and Ten, and cf. Fifty.] Five and ten; one more than fourteen.

Fif"teen`, n. 1. The sum of five and ten; fifteen units or objects.

2. A symbol representing fifteen units, as 15, or xv.

Fif"teenth` (?), a. [OE. fiftenthe; cf. fiftethe, AS. fftea. See Fifteen.] 1. Next in order after the fourteenth; -- the ordinal of fifteen.

2. Consisting of one of fifteen equal parts or divisions of a thing.

Fif"teenth`, n. 1. One of fifteen equal parts or divisions; the quotient of a unit divided by fifteen.

2. A species of tax upon personal property formerly laid on towns, boroughs, etc., in England, being one fifteenth part of what the personal property in each town, etc., had been valued at. Burrill.

3. (Mus.) (a) A stop in an organ tuned two octaves above the diaposon. (b) An interval consisting of two octaves.

Fifth (?), a. [OE. fifte, fifthe, AS. ffta. See Five.] 1. Next in order after the fourth; -- the ordinal of five.

2. Consisting of one of five equal divisions of a thing.

Fifth monarchy men (Hist.), a fanatical sect in England, of the time of the commonwealth, who maintained that there would be a fifth universal monarchy, during which Christ would reign on earth a thousand years. -- Fifth wheel, a horizontal wheel or segment above the fore axle of a carriage and beneath the body, forming an extended support to prevent careening.

Fifth (?), n. 1. The quotient of a unit divided by five; one of five equal parts; a fifth part.

2. (Mus.) The interval of three tones and a semitone, embracing five diatonic degrees of the scale; the dominant of any key.

Fifth"ly, adv. In the fifth place; as the fifth in order.

Fif"ti*eth (?), a. [AS. fftigoa. See Fifty.] 1. Next in order after the forty-ninth; -- the ordinal of fifty.

2. Consisting of one of fifty equal parts or divisions.

Fif"ti*eth, n. One of fifty equal parts; the quotient of a unit divided by fifty.

Fif"ty (?), a. [AS. fftig; akin to OHG. finfzug, fimfzuc, G. f¸nfzig, funfzig, Goth. fimftigjus. See Five, and Ten, and cf. Fifteen.] Five times ten; as, fifty men.

Fif"ty, n.; pl. Fifties (&?;). 1. The sum of five tens; fifty units or objects.

2. A symbol representing fifty units, as 50, or l.

Fig (?), n. [F. figue the fruit of the tree, Pr. figa, fr. L. ficus fig tree, fig. Cf. Fico.] 1. (Bot.) A small fruit tree (Ficus Carica) with large leaves, known from the remotest antiquity. It was probably native from Syria westward to the Canary Islands.

2. The fruit of a fig tree, which is of round or oblong shape, and of various colors.

The fruit of a fig tree is really the hollow end of a stem, and bears numerous achenia inside the cavity. Many species have little, hard, inedible figs, and in only a few does the fruit become soft and pulpy. The fruit of the cultivated varieties is much prized in its fresh state, and also when dried or preserved. See Caprification.

3. A small piece of tobacco. [U.S.]

4. The value of a fig, practically nothing; a fico; -- used in scorn or contempt. "A fig for Peter." Shak.

Cochineal fig. See Conchineal fig. -- Fig dust, a preparation of fine oatmeal for feeding caged birds. -- Fig faun, one of a class of rural deities or monsters supposed to live on figs. "Therefore shall dragons dwell there with the fig fauns." Jer. i. 39. (Douay version). -- Fig gnat (Zoˆl.), a small fly said to be injurious to figs. -- Fig leaf, the leaf tree; hence, in allusion to the first clothing of Adam and Eve (Genesis iii.7), a covering for a thing that ought to be concealed; esp., an inadequate covering; a symbol for affected modesty. -- Fig marigold (Bot.), the name of several plants of the genus Mesembryanthemum, some of which are prized for the brilliancy and beauty of their flowers. -- Fig tree (Bot.), any tree of the genus Ficus, but especially F. Carica which produces the fig of commerce.

Fig, v. t. [See Fico, Fig, n.] 1. To insult with a fico, or contemptuous motion. See Fico. [Obs.]

When Pistol lies, do this, and fig me like The bragging Spaniard.

Shak.

2. To put into the head of, as something useless o&?; contemptible. [Obs.] L'Estrange.

Fig, n. Figure; dress; array. [Colloq.]

Were they all in full fig, the females with feathers on their heads, the males with chapeaux bras?

Prof. Wilson.

||Fi`ga`ro" (?), n. [From the name of the barber in Beaumarchais' ||"Barber of Seville."] An adroit and unscrupulous intriguer.

Fig"a*ry (?), n. [Corrupted fr. vagary.] A frolic; a vagary; a whim. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Fig"eat`er (?), n. (Zoˆl.) (a) A large beetle (Allorhina nitida) which in the Southern United States destroys figs. The elytra are velvety green with pale borders. (b) A bird. See Figpecker.

Fig"ent (?), a. Fidgety; restless. [Obs.]

Such a little figent thing.

Beau. & Fl.

Fig"gum (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] A juggler's trick; conjuring. [Obs.]

The devil is the author of wicked figgum.

B. Jonson.

Fight (ft), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fought (ft); p. pr. & vb. n. Fighting.] [OE. fihten, fehten, AS. feohtan; akin to D. vechten, OHG. fehtan, G. fechten, Sw. f‰kta, Dan. fegte, and perh. to E. fist; cf. L. pugnare to fight, pugnus fist.] 1. To strive or contend for victory, with armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; -- followed by with or against.

You do fight against your country's foes.

Shak.

To fight with thee no man of arms will deign.

Milton.

2. To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to contend; to strive; to make resistance.

To fight shy, to avoid meeting fairly or at close quarters; to keep out of reach.

Fight, v. t. 1. To carry on, or wage, as a conflict, or battle; to win or gain by struggle, as one's way; to sustain by fighting, as a cause.

He had to fight his way through the world.

Macaulay.

I have fought a good fight.

2 Tim. iv. 7.

2. To contend with in battle; to war against; as, they fought the enemy in two pitched battles; the sloop fought the frigate for three hours.

3. To cause to fight; to manage or maneuver in a fight; as, to fight cocks; to fight one's ship.

To fight it out, to fight until a decisive and conclusive result is reached.

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Fight, n. [OE. fight, feht, AS. feoht. See Fight, v. i.] 1. A battle; an engagement; a contest in arms; a combat; a violent conflict or struggle for victory, between individuals or between armies, ships, or navies, etc.

Who now defies thee thrice to single fight.

Milton.

2. A struggle or contest of any kind.

3. Strength or disposition for fighting; pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of fight in him. [Colloq.]

4. A screen for the combatants in ships. [Obs.]

Up with your fights, and your nettings prepare.

Dryden.

Running fight, a fight in which the enemy is continually chased; also, one which continues without definite end or result.

Syn. -- Combat; engagement; contest; struggle; encounter; fray; affray; action; conflict. See Battle.

Fight"er (?), n. [AS. feohtere.] One who fights; a combatant; a warrior. Shak.

Fight"ing, a. 1. Qualified for war; fit for battle.

An host of fighting men.

2 Chron. xxvi. 11.

2. Occupied in war; being the scene of a battle; as, a fighting field. Pope.

A fighting chance, one dependent upon the issue of a struggle. [Colloq.] -- Fighting crab (Zoˆl.), the fiddler crab. -- Fighting fish (Zoˆl.), a remarkably pugnacious East Indian fish (Betta pugnax), reared by the Siamese for spectacular fish fights.

Fight"ing*ly, adv. Pugnaciously.

Fight"wite` (?), n. [Fight + wite.] (O.Eng. Law) A mulct or fine imposed on a person for making a fight or quarrel to the disturbance of the peace.

Fig"ment (?), n. [L. figmentum, fr. fingere to form, shape, invent, feign. See Feign.] An invention; a fiction; something feigned or imagined.

Social figments, feints, and formalism.

Mrs. Browning.

It carried rather an appearance of figment and invention . . . than of truth and reality.

Woodward.

Fig"peck`er (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The European garden warbler (Sylvia, or Currica, hortensis); -- called also beccafico and greater pettychaps.

Fig"-shell` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A marine univalve shell of the genus Pyrula, or Ficula, resembling a fig in form.

{ Fig"u*late (?), Fig"u*la`ted (?) }, a. [L. figulatus, p. p. of figulare to shape, fr. figulus potter, fr. fingere to shape.] Made of potter's clay; molded; shaped. [R.] Johnson.

Fig"u*line (? or ?), n. [F., fr. L. figulina pottery, fr. figulus. See Figulate.] A piece of pottery ornamented with representations of natural objects.

Whose figulines and rustic wares Scarce find him bread from day to day.

Longfellow.

Fig`ur*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. figurabilitÈ.] The quality of being figurable. Johnson.

Fig`ur*a*ble (?), a. [L. figurare to form, shape, fr. figura figure: cf. F. figurable. See Figure.] Capable of being brought to a fixed form or shape.

Lead is figurable, but water is not.

Johnson.

Fig"ur*al (?), a. [From Figure.] 1. Represented by figure or delineation; consisting of figures; as, figural ornaments. Sir T. Browne.

2. (Mus.) Figurate. See Figurate.

Figural numbers. See Figurate numbers, under Figurate.

Fig"u*rant` (? or ?), n. masc. [F., prop. p. pr. of figurer figure, represent, make a figure.] One who dances at the opera, not singly, but in groups or figures; an accessory character on the stage, who figures in its scenes, but has nothing to say; hence, one who figures in any scene, without taking a prominent part.

Fig"u*rante` (? or ?), n. fem. [F.] A female figurant; esp., a ballet girl.

Fig"ur*ate (?), a. [L. figuratus, p. p. of figurare. See Figure.] 1. Of a definite form or figure.

Plants are all figurate and determinate, which inanimate bodies are not.

Bacon.

2. Figurative; metaphorical. [Obs.] Bale.

3. (Mus.) Florid; figurative; involving passing discords by the freer melodic movement of one or more parts or voices in the harmony; as, figurate counterpoint or descant.

Figurate counterpoint or descant (Mus.), that which is not simple, or in which the parts do not move together tone for tone, but in which freer movement of one or more parts mingles passing discords with the harmony; -- called also figural, figurative, and figured counterpoint or descant (although the term figured is more commonly applied to a bass with numerals written above or below to indicate the other notes of the harmony). -- Figurate numbers (Math.), numbers, or series of numbers, formed from any arithmetical progression in which the first term is a unit, and the difference a whole number, by taking the first term, and the sums of the first two, first three, first four, etc., as the successive terms of a new series, from which another may be formed in the same manner, and so on, the numbers in the resulting series being such that points representing them are capable of symmetrical arrangement in different geometrical figures, as triangles, squares, pentagons, etc. In the following example, the two lower lines are composed of figurate numbers, those in the second line being triangular, and represented thus: --

. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. . . . 1, 3, 6, 10, etc. . . . . . . . etc. 1, 4, 10, 20, etc . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fig"ur*a`ted (?), a. Having a determinate form.

Fig"ur*ate*ly (?), adv. In a figurate manner.

Fig`u*ra"tion (?), n. [L. figuratio.] 1. The act of giving figure or determinate form; determination to a certain form. Bacon.

2. (Mus.) Mixture of concords and discords.

Fig"ur*a*tive (?), a. [L. figurativus: cf. F. figuratif. See Figurative.] 1. Representing by a figure, or by resemblance; typical; representative.

This, they will say, was figurative, and served, by God's appointment, but for a time, to shadow out the true glory of a more divine sanctity.

Hooker.

2. Used in a sense that is tropical, as a metaphor; not literal; -- applied to words and expressions.

3. Abounding in figures of speech; flowery; florid; as, a highly figurative description.

4. Relating to the representation of form or figure by drawing, carving, etc. See Figure, n., 2.

They belonged to a nation dedicated to the figurative arts, and they wrote for a public familiar with painted form.

J. A. Symonds.

Figurative counterpoint or descant. See under Figurate.

-- Fig"ur*a*tive*ly, adv. -- Fig"ur*a*tive*ness, n.

Fig"ure (fg"r; 135), n. [F., figure, L. figura; akin to fingere to form, shape, feign. See Feign.] 1. The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance.

Flowers have all exquisite figures.

Bacon.

2. The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modeling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body; as, a figure in bronze; a figure cut in marble.

A coin that bears the figure of an angel.

Shak.

3. A pattern in cloth, paper, or other manufactured article; a design wrought out in a fabric; as, the muslin was of a pretty figure.

4. (Geom.) A diagram or drawing; made to represent a magnitude or the relation of two or more magnitudes; a surface or space inclosed on all sides; -- called superficial when inclosed by lines, and solid when inclosed by surfaces; any arrangement made up of points, lines, angles, surfaces, etc.

5. The appearance or impression made by the conduct or career of a person; as, a sorry figure.

I made some figure there.

Dryden.

Gentlemen of the best figure in the county.

Blackstone.

6. Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendor; show.

That he may live in figure and indulgence.

Law.

7. A character or symbol representing a number; a numeral; a digit; as, 1, 2,3, etc.

8. Value, as expressed in numbers; price; as, the goods are estimated or sold at a low figure. [Colloq.]

With nineteen thousand a year at the very lowest figure.

Thackeray.

9. A person, thing, or action, conceived of as analogous to another person, thing, or action, of which it thus becomes a type or representative.

Who is the figure of Him that was to come.

Rom. v. 14.

10. (Rhet.) A mode of expressing abstract or immaterial ideas by words which suggest pictures or images from the physical world; pictorial language; a trope; hence, any deviation from the plainest form of statement.

To represent the imagination under the figure of a wing.

Macaulay.

11. (Logic) The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term.

12. (Dancing) Any one of the several regular steps or movements made by a dancer.

13. (Astrol.) A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses. Johnson.

14. (Music) (a) Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression. Grove.

(b) A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a musical phrase or motive; a florid embellishment.

Figures are often written upon the staff in music to denote the kind of measure. They are usually in the form of a fraction, the upper figure showing how many notes of the kind indicated by the lower are contained in one measure or bar. Thus, 2/4 signifies that the measure contains two quarter notes. The following are the principal figures used for this purpose: --

2/22/42/8 4/22/44/8 3/23/43/8 6/46/46/8

Academy figure, Canceled figures, Lay figure, etc. See under Academy, Cancel, Lay, etc. -- Figure caster, or Figure flinger, an astrologer. "This figure caster." Milton. - - Figure flinging, the practice of astrology. -- Figure-of-eight knot, a knot shaped like the figure 8. See Illust. under Knot. -- Figure painting, a picture of the human figure, or the act or art of depicting the human figure. -- Figure stone (Min.), agalmatolite. -- Figure weaving, the art or process of weaving figured fabrics. -- To cut a figure, to make a display. [Colloq.] Sir W. Scott.

Fig"ure, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Figured (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Figuring.] [F. figurer, L. figurare, fr. figura. See Figure, n.] 1. To represent by a figure, as to form or mold; to make an image of, either palpable or ideal; also, to fashion into a determinate form; to shape.

If love, alas! be pain I bear,

No thought can figure, and no tongue declare.Prior.

2. To embellish with design; to adorn with figures.

The vaulty top of heaven Figured quite o'er with burning meteors.

Shak.

3. To indicate by numerals; also, to compute.

As through a crystal glass the figured hours are seen.

Dryden.

4. To represent by a metaphor; to signify or symbolize.

Whose white vestments figure innocence.

Shak.

5. To prefigure; to foreshow.

In this the heaven figures some event.

Shak.

6. (Mus.) (a) To write over or under the bass, as figures or other characters, in order to indicate the accompanying chords. (b) To embellish.

To figure out, to solve; to compute or find the result of. -- To figure up, to add; to reckon; to compute the amount of.

Fig"ure, v. i. 1. To make a figure; to be distinguished or conspicious; as, the envoy figured at court.

Sociable, hospitable, eloquent, admired, figuring away brilliantly.

M. Arnold.

2. To calculate; to contrive; to scheme; as, he is figuring to secure the nomination. [Colloq.]

Fig"ured (?), a. 1. Adorned with figures; marked with figures; as, figured muslin.

2. Not literal; figurative. [Obs.] Locke.

3. (Mus.) (a) Free and florid; as, a figured descant. See Figurate, 3. (b) Indicated or noted by figures.

Figured bass. See Continued bass, under Continued.

Fig"ure*head` (?), n. 1. (Naut.) The figure, statue, or bust, on the prow of a ship.

2. A person who allows his name to be used to give standing to enterprises in which he has no responsible interest or duties; a nominal, but not real, head or chief.

Fi*gu"ri*al (?), a. Represented by figure or delineation. [R.] Craig.

||Fi`gu`rine" (? or ?), n. [F., dim. of figure.] A very small figure, ||whether human or of an animal; especially, one in terra cotta or the ||like; -- distinguished from statuette, which is applied to small ||figures in bronze, marble, etc.

Fig"ur*ist (?), n. One who uses or interprets figurative expressions. Waterland.

Fig"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous plants (Scrophularia), mostly found in the north temperate zones. See Brownwort.

Fi"ji*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to the Fiji islands or their inhabitants. -- n. A native of the Fiji islands. [Written also Feejeean, Feejee.]

Fike (?), n. See Fyke.

Fil (?), obs. imp. of Fall, v. i. Fell. Chaucer.

Fi*la"ceous (? or ?), a. [L. filum thread.] Composed of threads. Bacon.

Fil"a*cer (?), n. [OE. filace a file, or thread, on which the records of the courts of justice were strung, F. filasse tow of flax or hemp, fr. L. filum thread.] (Eng. Law) A former officer in the English Court of Common Pleas; -- so called because he filed the writs on which he made out process. [Obs.] Burrill.

Fil"a*ment (?), n. [F. filament, fr. L. filum thread. See File a row.] A thread or threadlike object or appendage; a fiber; esp. (Bot.), the threadlike part of the stamen supporting the anther.

Fil`a*men"ta*ry (?), a. Having the character of, or formed by, a filament.

Fil"a*men*toid` (?), a. [Filament + -oid.] Like a filament.

Fil`a*men"tous (?), a. [Cf. F. filamenteux.] Like a thread; consisting of threads or filaments. Gray.

Fil"an*der (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A species of kangaroo (Macropus Brunii), inhabiting New Guinea.

Fil"an*ders (?), n. pl. [F. filandres, fr. L. filum thread.] (Falconry) A disease in hawks, characterized by the presence of small threadlike worms, also of filaments of coagulated blood, from the rupture of a vein; -- called also backworm. Sir T. Browne.

Fi"lar (?), a. [L. filum a thread.] Of or pertaining to a thread or line; characterized by threads stretched across the field of view; as, a filar microscope; a filar micrometer.

||Fi*la"ri*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L. filum a thread.] (Zoˆl.) A genus of ||slender, nematode worms of many species, parasitic in various ||animals. See Guinea worm.

Fil"a*to*ry (?), n. [LL. filatorium place for spinning, fr. filare to spin, fr. L. filum a thread.] A machine for forming threads. [Obs.] W. Tooke.

Fil"a*ture (?; 135), n. [LL. filatura, fr. filare to spin: cf. F. filature. See Filatory.] 1. A drawing out into threads; hence, the reeling of silk from cocoons. Ure.

2. A reel for drawing off silk from cocoons; also, an establishment for reeling silk.

Fil"bert (?), n. [Perh. fr. fill + bread, as filling the bread or husk; cf. G. bartnuss (lit., bread nut) filbert; or perh. named from a St. Philibert, whose day, Aug. 22, fell in the nutting season.] (Bot.) The fruit of the Corylus Avellana or hazel. It is an oval nut, containing a kernel that has a mild, farinaceous, oily taste, agreeable to the palate.

In England filberts are usually large hazelnuts, especially the nuts from selected and cultivated trees. The American hazelnuts are of two other species.

Filbert gall (Zoˆl.), a gall resembling a filbert in form, growing in clusters on grapevines. It is produced by the larva of a gallfly (Cecidomyia).

Filch (flch), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filched (flcht); p. pr. & vb. n. Filching.] [Cf. AS. feolan to stick to, OHG. felhan, felahan, to hide, Icel. fela, Goth. filhan to hide, bury, Prov. E. feal to hide slyly, OE. felen.] To steal or take privily (commonly, that which is of little value); to pilfer.

Fain would they filch that little food away.

Dryden.

But he that filches from me my good name, Robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.

Shak.

Filch"er (flch"r), n. One who filches; a thief.

Filch"ing*ly, adv. By pilfering or petty stealing.

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File (fl), n. [F. file row (cf. Pr., Sp., Pg., & It. fila), LL. fila, fr. L. filum a thread. Cf. Enfilade, Filament, Fillet.] 1. An orderly succession; a line; a row; as: (a) (Mil) A row of soldiers ranged one behind another; -- in contradistinction to rank, which designates a row of soldiers standing abreast; a number consisting the depth of a body of troops, which, in the ordinary modern formation, consists of two men, the battalion standing two deep, or in two ranks.

The number of files in a company describes its width, as the number of ranks does its depth; thus, 100 men in "fours deep" would be spoken of as 25 files in 4 ranks. Farrow.

(b) An orderly collection of papers, arranged in sequence or classified for preservation and reference; as, files of letters or of newspapers; this mail brings English files to the 15th instant. (c) The line, wire, or other contrivance, by which papers are put and kept in order.