The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section F, G and H

Chapter 38

Chapter 384,073 wordsPublic domain

Four (fr), a. [OE. four, fower, feower, AS. feÛwer; akin to OS. fiwar, D. & G. vier, OHG. fior, Icel. fjrir, Sw. fyra, Dan. fire, Goth. fidwr, Russ. chetuire, chetvero, W. pedwar, L. quatuor, Gr. te`ttares, te`ssares, pi`syres, Skr. catur. √302. Cf. Farthing, Firkin, Forty, Cater four, Quater-cousin, Quatuor, Quire of paper, tetrarch.] One more than three; twice two.

Four, n. 1. The sum of four units; four units or objects.

2. A symbol representing four units, as 4 or iv.

3. Four things of the same kind, esp. four horses; as, a chariot and four.

All fours. See All fours, in the Vocabulary.

{ Fourb, Fourbe (?) }, n. [F.] A tricky fellow; a cheat. [Obs.] Evelyn. Denham.

||Four`chÈ" (fr`sh"), a. [F. See Fork.] (Her.) Having the ends forked ||or branched, and the ends of the branches terminating abruptly as if ||cut off; -- said of an ordinary, especially of a cross.

||Four`chette" (fr`sht"), n. [F., dim. of fourche. See Fork.] 1. A ||table fork.

2. (Anat.) (a) A small fold of membrane, connecting the labia in the posterior part of the vulva. (b) The wishbone or furculum of birds. (c) The frog of the hoof of the horse and allied animals.

3. (Surg.) An instrument used to raise and support the tongue during the cutting of the frÊnum.

4. (Glove Making) The forked piece between two adjacent fingers, to which the front and back portions are sewed. Knight.

Four"-cor`nered (?), a. Having four corners or angles.

Four`dri`nier" (?), n. A machine used in making paper; -- so named from an early inventor of improvements in this class of machinery.

Four"fold` (?), a. & adv. [AS. feÛwerfeold.] Four times; quadruple; as, a fourfold division.

He shall restore the lamb fourfold.

2 Sam. xii. 6.

Four"fold`, n. Four times as many or as much.

Four"fold`, v. t. To make four times as much or as many, as an assessment; to quadruple.

Four"foot`ed (?), a. Having four feet; quadruped; as, fourfooted beasts.

||Four`gon" (?), n. [F.] (Mil.) (a) An ammunition wagon. (b) A French ||baggage wagon.

Four"hand`ed (?), a. 1. Having four hands; quadrumanous. Goldsmith.

2. Requiring four "hands" or players; as, a fourhanded game at cards.

Fou"ri*er*ism (?), n. The coˆperative socialistic system of Charles Fourier, a Frenchman, who recommended the reorganization of society into small communities, living in common.

{ Fou"ri*er*ist, Fou"ri*er*ite (?) }, n. One who adopts the views of Fourier.

Four"-in-hand (?), a. Consisting of four horses controlled by one person; as, a four-in-hand team; drawn by four horses driven by one person; as, a four-in- hand coach. -- n. A team of four horses driven by one person; also, a vehicle drawn by such a team.

As quaint a four-in-hand As you shall see.

Tennyson.

Four"ling, n. 1. One of four children born at the same time.

2. (Crystallog.) A compound or twin crystal consisting of four individuals.

||Four`neau" (?), n. [F.] (Mil.) The chamber of a mine in which the ||powder is placed.

Four"-o'clock` (?), n. 1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Mirabilis. There are about half a dozen species, natives of the warmer parts of America. The common four-o'clock is M. Jalapa. Its flowers are white, yellow, and red, and open toward sunset, or earlier in cloudy weather; hence the name. It is also called marvel of Peru, and afternoon lady.

2. (Zoˆl.) The friar bird; -- so called from its cry, which resembles these words.

Four"pence (?), n. 1. A British silver coin, worth four pence; a groat.

2. A name formerly given in New England to the Spanish half real, a silver coin worth six and a quarter cents.

Four"-post`er (?), n. A large bedstead with tall posts at the corners to support curtains. [Colloq.]

Four"rier (?; F. &?;), n. [F., fr. OF. forre. See Forage, n.] A harbinger. [Obs.]

Four"score` (?), a. [Four + core, n.] Four times twenty; eighty.

Four"score`, n. The product of four times twenty; eighty units or objects.

Four"square` (?), a. Having four sides and four equal angles. Sir W. Raleigh.

Four"teen` (?), a. [OE. fourtene, feowertene, AS. feÛwertne, feÛwertne. See Four, and Ten, and cf. Forty.] Four and ten more; twice seven.

Four"teen`, n. 1. The sum of ten and four; forteen units or objects.

2. A symbol representing fourteen, as 14 or xiv.

Four"teenth` (?), a. [Cf. OE. fourtende, fourtethe, AS. feÛwerteoa.] 1. Next in order after the thirteenth; as, the fourteenth day of the month.

2. Making or constituting one of fourteen equal parts into which anything may be divided.

Four"teenth`, n. 1. One of fourteen equal parts into which one whole may be divided; the quotient of a unit divided by fourteen; one next after the thirteenth.

2. (Mus.) The octave of the seventh.

Fourth (?), a. [OE. fourthe, ferthe, feorthe, AS. feÛra, fr. feÛwer four.] 1. Next in order after the third; the ordinal of four.

2. Forming one of four equal parts into which anything may be divided.

Fourth, n. 1. One of four equal parts into which one whole may be divided; the quotient of a unit divided by four; one coming next in order after the third.

2. (Mus.) The interval of two tones and a semitone, embracing four diatonic degrees of the scale; the subdominant of any key.

The Fourth, specifically, in the United States, the fourth day of July, the anniversary of the declaration of American independence; as, to celebrate the Fourth.

Fourth"ly, adv. In the fourth place.

Four"-way` (?), a. Allowing passage in either of four directions; as, a four-way cock, or valve. Francis.

Four-way cock, a cock connected with four pipes or ports, and having two or more passages in the plug, by which the adjacent pipes or ports may be made to communicate; formerly used as a valve in the steam engine, and now for various other purposes. In the illustration, a leads to the upper end of a steam engine cylinder, and b to the lower end; c is the steam pipe, and d the exhaust pipe.

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Four"-wheeled` (?), a. Having four wheels.

Four"-wheel`er (?), n. A vehicle having four wheels. [Colloq.]

||Fous"sa (?), n. [Natibe name.] (Zoˆl.) A viverrine animal of ||Madagascar (Cryptoprocta ferox). It resembles a cat in size and form, ||and has retractile claws.

Fou"ter (?), n. [F. foutre to lecher, L. futuere. Cf. Fouty.] A despicable fellow. [Prov. Eng.] Brockett.

Fou"tra (?), n. [See Fouter.] A fig; -- a word of contempt. [Obs.]

A foutra for the world and wordlings base!

Shak.

Fou"ty (?), a. [Cf. F. foutu, p. p. of foutre; OF. foutu scoundrel. See Fouter.] Despicable. [Obs.]

||Fo"ve*a (?), n.; pl. FoveÊ (#). [L., a small pit.] A slight ||depression or pit; a fossa.

Fo"ve*ate (?), a. [L. fovea a pit.] Having pits or depressions; pitted.

||Fo*ve"o*la (?), n.; pl. FoveolÊ (#). [NL., dim. of L. fovea.] A small ||depression or pit; a fovea.

Fo"ve*o*late (? or ?), a. Having small pits or depressions, as the receptacle in some composite flowers.

Fo"ve*o*la`ted (?), a. Foveolate.

Fo*vil"la (?), n.; pl. FovillÊ (#). [Dim. fr. L. fovere to cherish.] (Bot.) One of the fine granules contained in the protoplasm of a pollen grain.

Fowl (?), n. Instead of the pl. Fowls the singular is often used collectively. [OE. foul, fowel, foghel, fuhel, fugel, AS. fugol; akin to OS. fugal D. & G. vogel, OHG. fogal, Icel. & Dan. fugl, Sw. fogel, fÂgel, Goth. fugls; of unknown origin, possibly by loss of l, from the root of E. fly, or akin to E. fox, as being a tailed animal.] 1. Any bird; esp., any large edible bird.

Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air.

Gen. i. 26.

Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not.

Matt. vi. 26.

Like a flight of fowl Scattered by winds and high tempestuous gusts.

Shak.

2. Any domesticated bird used as food, as a hen, turkey, duck; in a more restricted sense, the common domestic cock or hen (Gallus domesticus).

Barndoor fowl, or Barnyard fowl, a fowl that frequents the barnyard; the common domestic cock or hen.

Fowl, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fowled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fowling.] To catch or kill wild fowl, for game or food, as by shooting, or by decoys, nets, etc.

Such persons as may lawfully hunt, fish, or fowl.

Blackstone.

Fowling piece, a light gun with smooth bore, adapted for the use of small shot in killing birds or small quadrupeds.

Fowl"er (?), n. A sportsman who pursues wild fowl, or takes or kills for food.

Fow"ler*ite (?), n. [From Dr. Samuel Fowler.] (Min.) A variety of rhodonite, from Franklin Furnace, New Jersey, containing some zinc.

Fow"ler's so*lu"tion (?). An aqueous solution of arsenite of potassium, of such strength that one hundred parts represent one part of arsenious acid, or white arsenic; -- named from Fowler, an English physician who first brought it into use.

Fox (?), n.; pl. Foxes (#). [AS. fox; akin to D. vos, G. fuchs, OHG. fuhs, foha, Goth. fa˙h&?;, Icel. f&?;a fox, fox fraud; of unknown origin, cf. Skr. puccha tail. Cf. Vixen.] 1. (Zoˆl.) A carnivorous animal of the genus Vulpes, family CanidÊ, of many species. The European fox (V. vulgaris or V. vulpes), the American red fox (V. fulvus), the American gray fox (V. Virginianus), and the arctic, white, or blue, fox (V. lagopus) are well-known species.

The black or silver-gray fox is a variety of the American red fox, producing a fur of great value; the cross- gray and woods-gray foxes are other varieties of the same species, of less value. The common foxes of Europe and America are very similar; both are celebrated for their craftiness. They feed on wild birds, poultry, and various small animals.

Subtle as the fox for prey.

Shak.

2. (Zoˆl.) The European dragonet.

3. (Zoˆl.) The fox shark or thrasher shark; -- called also sea fox. See Thrasher shark, under Shark.

4. A sly, cunning fellow. [Colloq.]

We call a crafty and cruel man a fox.

Beattie.

5. (Naut.) Rope yarn twisted together, and rubbed with tar; -- used for seizings or mats.

6. A sword; -- so called from the stamp of a fox on the blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox. [Obs.]

Thou diest on point of fox.

Shak.

7. pl. (Ethnol.) A tribe of Indians which, with the Sacs, formerly occupied the region about Green Bay, Wisconsin; -- called also Outagamies.

Fox and geese. (a) A boy's game, in which one boy tries to catch others as they run one goal to another. (b) A game with sixteen checkers, or some substitute for them, one of which is called the fox, and the rest the geese; the fox, whose first position is in the middle of the board, endeavors to break through the line of the geese, and the geese to pen up the fox. -- Fox bat (Zoˆl.), a large fruit bat of the genus Pteropus, of many species, inhabiting Asia, Africa, and the East Indies, esp. P. medius of India. Some of the species are more than four feet across the outspread wings. See Fruit bat. -- Fox bolt, a bolt having a split end to receive a fox wedge. -- Fox brush (Zoˆl.), the tail of a fox. -- Fox evil, a disease in which the hair falls off; alopecy. -- Fox grape (Bot.), the name of two species of American grapes. The northern fox grape (Vitis Labrusca) is the origin of the varieties called Isabella, Concord, Hartford, etc., and the southern fox grape (Vitis vulpina) has produced the Scuppernong, and probably the Catawba. -- Fox hunter. (a) One who pursues foxes with hounds. (b) A horse ridden in a fox chase. -- Fox shark (Zoˆl.), the thrasher shark. See Thrasher shark, under Thrasher. -- Fox sleep, pretended sleep. -- Fox sparrow (Zoˆl.), a large American sparrow (Passerella iliaca); -- so called on account of its reddish color. -- Fox squirrel (Zoˆl.), a large North American squirrel (Sciurus niger, or S. cinereus). In the Southern States the black variety prevails; farther north the fulvous and gray variety, called the cat squirrel, is more common. -- Fox terrier (Zoˆl.), one of a peculiar breed of terriers, used in hunting to drive foxes from their holes, and for other purposes. There are rough- and smooth-haired varieties. -- Fox trot, a pace like that which is adopted for a few steps, by a horse, when passing from a walk into a trot, or a trot into a walk. -- Fox wedge (Mach. & Carpentry), a wedge for expanding the split end of a bolt, cotter, dowel, tenon, or other piece, to fasten the end in a hole or mortise and prevent withdrawal. The wedge abuts on the bottom of the hole and the piece is driven down upon it. Fastening by fox wedges is called foxtail wedging. -- Fox wolf (Zoˆl.), one of several South American wild dogs, belonging to the genus Canis. They have long, bushy tails like a fox.

Fox (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Foxed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Foxing.] [See Fox, n., cf. Icel. fox imposture.] 1. To intoxicate; to stupefy with drink.

I drank . . . so much wine that I was almost foxed.

Pepys.

2. To make sour, as beer, by causing it to ferment.

3. To repair the feet of, as of boots, with new front upper leather, or to piece the upper fronts of.

Fox, v. i. To turn sour; -- said of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting.

Fox"earth` (?), n. A hole in the earth to which a fox resorts to hide himself.

Foxed (?), a. 1. Discolored or stained; -- said of timber, and also of the paper of books or engravings.

2. Repaired by foxing; as, foxed boots.

Fox"e*ry (?), n. Behavior like that of a fox; cunning. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Fox"es (?), n. pl. (Ethnol.) See Fox, n., 7.

Fox"fish` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) (a) The fox shark; -- called also sea fox. See Thrasher shark, under Shark. (b) The european dragonet. See Dragonet.

Fox"glove` (?), n. [AS. foxes- glfa, foxes-clfa,foxes-clife.] (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Digitalis. The common English foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a handsome perennial or biennial plant, whose leaves are used as a powerful medicine, both as a sedative and diuretic. See Digitalis.

Pan through the pastures oftentimes hath run To pluck the speckled foxgloves from their stem.

W. Browne.

Fox"hound` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) One of a special breed of hounds used for chasing foxes.

Fox"-hunt`ing (?), a. Pertaining to or engaged in the hunting of foxes; fond of hunting foxes.

Fox"i*ness (?), n. 1. The state or quality of being foxy, or foxlike; craftiness; shrewdness.

2. The state of being foxed or discolored, as books; decay; deterioration.

3. A coarse and sour taste in grapes.

Fox"ish, a. Foxlike. [Obs.]

Fox"like` (?), a. Resembling a fox in his characteristic qualities; cunning; artful; foxy.

Fox"ly, a. Foxlike. [Obs.] "Foxly craft." Latimer.

Fox"ship, n. Foxiness; craftiness. [R.] Shak.

Fox"tail` (?), n. 1. The tail or brush of a fox.

2. (Bot.) The name of several kinds of grass having a soft dense head of flowers, mostly the species of Alopecurus and Setaria.

3. (Metal.) The last cinders obtained in the fining process. Raymond.

Foxtail saw, a dovetail saw. -- Foxtail wedging. See Fox wedge, under Fox.

Fox"y (?), a. 1. Like or pertaining to the fox; foxlike in disposition or looks; wily.

Modred's narrow, foxy face.

Tennyson.

2. Having the color of a fox; of a yellowish or reddish brown color; -- applied sometimes to paintings when they have too much of this color.

3. Having the odor of a fox; rank; strong smeelling.

4. Sour; unpleasant in taste; -- said of wine, beer, etc., not properly fermented; -- also of grapes which have the coarse flavor of the fox grape.

Foy (foi), n. [F. foi, old spelling foy, faith. See Faith.] 1. Faith; allegiance; fealty. [Obs.] Spenser.

2. A feast given by one about to leave a place. [Obs.]

He did at the Dog give me, and some other friends of his, his foy, he being to set sail to-day.

Pepys.

||Foy`er" (?), n. [F., fr. LL. focarium fireplace. See Focus, n.] 1. A ||lobby in a theater; a greenroom.

2. The crucible or basin in a furnace which receives the molten metal. Knight.

Foy"son (?), n. [Obs.] See Foison.

Fo"zi*ness (?), n. The state of being fozy; spiritlessness; dullness. [Scot.]

[The Whigs'] foziness can no longer be concealed.

Blackwood's.

Fo"zy (?), a. Spongy; soft; fat and puffy. [Scot.]

Fra (fr), adv. & prep. [OE.] Fro. [Old Eng. & Scot.]

Fra (fr), n. [It., for frate. See Friar.] Brother; -- a title of a monk or friar; as, Fra Angelo. Longfellow.

Frab (?), v. i. & t. To scold; to nag. [Prov. Eng.]

Frab"bit (?), a. Crabbed; peevish. [Prov. Eng.]

Fra"cas (fr"kas; F. fr`k‰"; 277), n. [F., crash, din, tumult, It. fracasso, fr. fracassare to break in pieces, perh. fr. fra within, among (L. infra) + cassare to annul, cashier. Cf. Cashier, v. t.] An uproar; a noisy quarrel; a disturbance; a brawl.

Frache (frsh), n. A shallow iron pan to hold glass ware while being annealed.

Frac"id (?), a. [L. fracidus mellow, soft.] Rotten from being too ripe; overripe. [Obs.] Blount.

Fract (frkt), v. t. [L. fractus, p. p. of frangere to break.] To break; to violate. [Obs.] Shak.

Frac"ted, a. (Her.) Having a part displaced, as if broken; -- said of an ordinary. Macaulay.

Frac"tion (?), n. [F. fraction, L. fractio a breaking, fr. frangere, fractum, to break. See Break.] 1. The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence. [Obs.]

Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to any fraction or breaking up.

Foxe.

2. A portion; a fragment.

Some niggard fractions of an hour.

Tennyson.

3. (Arith. or Alg.) One or more aliquot parts of a unit or whole number; an expression for a definite portion of a unit or magnitude.

Common, or Vulgar, fraction, a fraction in which the number of equal parts into which the integer is supposed to be divided is indicated by figures or letters, called the denominator, written below a line, over which is the numerator, indicating the number of these parts included in the fraction; as Ω, one half, , two fifths. -- Complex fraction, a fraction having a fraction or mixed number in the numerator or denominator, or in both. Davies & Peck. -- Compound fraction, a fraction of a fraction; two or more fractions connected by of. -- Continued fraction, Decimal fraction, Partial fraction, etc. See under Continued, Decimal, Partial, etc. -- Improper fraction, a fraction in which the numerator is greater than the denominator. -- Proper fraction, a fraction in which the numerator is less than the denominator.

Frac"tion, v. t. (Chem.) To separate by means of, or to subject to, fractional distillation or crystallization; to fractionate; -- frequently used with out; as, to fraction out a certain grade of oil from pretroleum.

Frac"tion*al (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to fractions or a fraction; constituting a fraction; as, fractional numbers.

2. Relatively small; inconsiderable; insignificant; as, a fractional part of the population.

Fractional crystallization (Chem.), a process of gradual and approximate purification and separation, by means of repeated solution and crystallization therefrom. -- Fractional currency, small coin, or paper notes, in circulation, of less value than the monetary unit. -- Fractional distillation (Chem.), a process of distillation so conducted that a mixture of liquids, differing considerably from each other in their boiling points, can be separated into its constituents.

Frac"tion*al*ly, adv. By fractions or separate portions; as, to distill a liquid fractionally, that is, so as to separate different portions.

Frac"tion*a*ry (?), a. Fractional. [Obs.]

Frac"tion*ate (?), v. t. To separate into different portions or fractions, as in the distillation of liquids.

Frac"tious (?), a. [Cf. Prov. E. frack forward, eager, E. freak, fridge; or Prov. E. fratch to squabble, quarrel.] Apt to break out into a passion; apt to scold; cross; snappish; ugly; unruly; as, a fractious man; a fractious horse.

Syn. -- Snappish; peevish; waspish; cross; irritable; perverse; pettish.

-- Frac"tious*ly, v. -- Frac"tious*ness, n.

Frac"tur*al (?; 135), a. Pertaining to, or consequent on, a fracture. [R.]

Frac"ture (?; 135), n. [L. fractura, fr. frangere, fractum, to break: cf. F. fracture. See Fraction.] 1. The act of breaking or snapping asunder; rupture; breach.

2. (Surg.) The breaking of a bone.

3. (Min.) The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture.

Comminuted fracture (Surg.), a fracture in which the bone is broken into several parts. -- Complicated fracture (Surg.), a fracture of the bone combined with the lesion of some artery, nervous trunk, or joint. -- Compound fracture (Surg.), a fracture in which there is an open wound from the surface down to the fracture. -- Simple fracture (Surg.), a fracture in which the bone only is ruptured. It does not communicate with the surface by an open wound.

Syn. -- Fracture, Rupture. These words denote different kinds of breaking, according to the objects to which they are applied. Fracture is applied to hard substances; as, the fracture of a bone. Rupture is oftener applied to soft substances; as, the rupture of a blood vessel. It is also used figuratively. "To be an enemy and once to have been a friend, does it not embitter the rupture?" South.

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Frac"ture (?; 135), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fractured (#; 135); p. pr. & vb. n.. Fracturing.] [Cf. F. fracturer.] To cause a fracture or fractures in; to break; to burst asunder; to crack; to separate the continuous parts of; as, to fracture a bone; to fracture the skull.

||FrÊn"u*lum (?), n.; pl. FrÊnula (#). [NL., dim. of L. fraenum a ||bridle.] (Anat.) A frÊnum.

{ FrÊ"num (?), or Fre"num }, n.; pl. E. FrÊnums (#), L. FrÊna (#). [L., a bridle.] (Anat.) A connecting fold of membrane serving to support or restrain any part; as, the frÊnum of the tongue.

Frag"ile (?), a. [L. fragilis, from frangere to break; cf. F. fragile. See Break, v. t., and cf. Frail, a.] Easily broken; brittle; frail; delicate; easily destroyed.

The state of ivy is tough, and not fragile.

Bacon.

Syn. -- Brittle; infirm; weak; frail; frangible; slight.

-- Frag"ile*ly, adv.

Fra*gil"i*ty (?), n. [L. fragilitas: cf. F. fragilitÈ. Cf. Frailty.] 1. The condition or quality of being fragile; brittleness; frangibility. Bacon.

2. Weakness; feebleness.

An appearance of delicacy, and even of fragility, is almost essential to it [beauty].

Burke.

3. Liability to error and sin; frailty. [Obs.]

The fragility and youthful folly of Qu. Fabius.

Holland.

Frag"ment (?), n. [L. fragmentum, fr. frangere to break: cf. F. fragment. See Break, v. t.] A part broken off; a small, detached portion; an imperfect part; as, a fragment of an ancient writing.

Gather up the fragments that remain.

John vi. 12.

Frag*men"tal (?), a. 1. Fragmentary.

2. (Geol.) Consisting of the pulverized or fragmentary material of rock, as conglomerate, shale, etc.

Frag*men"tal, n. (Geol.) A fragmentary rock.

Frag"men*ta*ri*ly (?), adv. In a fragmentary manner; piecemeal.

Frag"men*ta*ri*ness, n. The quality or property of being in fragments, or broken pieces; incompleteness; want of continuity. G. Eliot.

Frag"men*ta*ry (?), a. [Cf. F. fragmentaire.] 1. Composed of fragments, or broken pieces; disconnected; not complete or entire. Donne.

2. (Geol.) Composed of the fragments of other rocks.

Frag"ment*ed (?), a. Broken into fragments.

Frag"ment*ist, n. A writer of fragments; as, the fragmentist of Wolfenb¸ttel. [R.]

||Fra"gor (&?;), n. [L., a breaking to pieces, fr. frangere to break.] ||1. A loud and sudden sound; the report of anything bursting; a crash. ||I. Watts.

2. [Due to confusion with fragrant.] A strong or sweet scent. [Obs. & Illegitimate.] Sir T. Herbert.

{ Fra"grance (?), Fra"gran*cy (?) }, n. [L. fragrantia: cf. OF. fragrance.] The quality of being fragrant; sweetness of smell; a sweet smell; a pleasing odor; perfume.

Eve separate he spies, Veiled in a cloud of fragrance.

Milton.

The goblet crowned, Breathed aromatic fragrancies around.

Pope.

Fra"grant (?), a. [L. fragrans. -antis, p. pr. of fragrare to emit a smell of fragrance: cf. OF. fragrant.] Affecting the olfactory nerves agreeably; sweet of smell; odorous; having or emitting an agreeable perfume.

Fragrant the fertile earth After soft showers.

Milton.