Chapter 42

America was first visited by Friends in 1656.

T. Chase.

5. A paramour of either sex. [Obs.] Shak.

A friend at court or in court, one disposed to act as a friend in a place of special opportunity or influence. -- To be friends with, to have friendly relations with. "He's . . . friends with CÊsar." Shak. -- To make friends with, to become reconciled to or on friendly terms with. "Having now made friends with the Athenians." Jowett (Thucyd.).

Friend, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Friended; p. pr. & vb. n. Friending.] To act as the friend of; to favor; to countenance; to befriend. [Obs.]

Fortune friends the bold.

Spenser.

Friend"ed, a. 1. Having friends; [Obs.]

2. Inclined to love; well-disposed. [Obs.] Shak.

Friend"ing, n. Friendliness. [Obs.] Shak.

Friend"less, a. [AS. freÛndle·s.] Destitute of friends; forsaken. -- Friend"less*ness, n.

Friend"li*ly (?), adv. In a friendly manner. Pope.

Friend"li*ness, n. The condition or quality of being friendly. Sir P. Sidney.

Friend"ly, a. [AS. freÈndlce.] 1. Having the temper and disposition of a friend; disposed to promote the good of another; kind; favorable.

2. Appropriate to, or implying, friendship; befitting friends; amicable.

In friendly relations with his moderate opponents.

Macaulay.

3. Not hostile; as, a friendly power or state.

4. Promoting the good of any person; favorable; propitious; serviceable; as, a friendly breeze or gale.

On the first friendly bank he throws him down.

Addison.

Syn. -- Amicable; kind; conciliatory; propitious; favorable. See Amicable.

Friend"ly, adv. In the manner of friends; amicably; like friends. [Obs.] Shak.

In whom all graces that can perfect beauty Are friendly met.

Beau. & Fl.

Friend"ship, n. [AS. freÛndscipe. See Friend, and -ship.] 1. The state of being friends; friendly relation, or attachment, to a person, or between persons; affection arising from mutual esteem and good will; friendliness; amity; good will.

There is little friendship in the world.

Bacon.

There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.

Rambler.

Preferred by friendship, and not chosen by sufficiency.

Spenser.

2. Kindly aid; help; assistance, [Obs.]

Some friendship will it [a hovel] lend you gainst the tempest.

Shak.

3. Aptness to unite; conformity; affinity; harmony; correspondence. [Obs.]

Those colors . . . have a friendship with each other.

Dryden.

Fri"er (?), n. One who fries.

Friese (?), n. Same as Friesic, n.

Fries"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to Friesland, a province in the northern part of the Netherlands.

Fries"ic, n. The language of the Frisians, a Teutonic people formerly occupying a large part of the coast of Holland and Northwestern Germany. The modern dialects of Friesic are spoken chiefly in the province of Friesland, and on some of the islands near the coast of Germany and Denmark.

Fries"ish, a. Friesic. [R.]

Frieze (?), n. [Perh. the same word as frieze a, kind of cloth. Cf. Friz.] (Arch.) (a) That part of the entablature of an order which is between the architrave and cornice. It is a flat member or face, either uniform or broken by triglyphs, and often enriched with figures and other ornaments of sculpture. (b) Any sculptured or richly ornamented band in a building or, by extension, in rich pieces of furniture. See Illust. of Column.

Cornice or frieze with bossy sculptures graven.

Milton.

Frieze (?), n. [F. frise, perh. originally a woolen cloth or stuff from Friesland (F. Frise); cf. LL. frisii panni and frissatus pannus, a shaggy woolen cloth, F. friser to friz, curl. Cf. Friz.] A kind of coarse woolen cloth or stuff with a shaggy or tufted (friezed) nap on one side. "Robes of frieze." Goldsmith.

Frieze, v. t. To make a nap on (cloth); to friz. See Friz, v. t., 2.

Friezing machine, a machine for friezing cloth; a friezing machine.

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Friezed (?), a. Gathered, or having the map gathered, into little tufts, knots, or protuberances. Cf. Frieze, v. t., and Friz, v. t., 2.

Frie"zer (?), n. One who, or that which, friezes or frizzes.

Frig"ate (?), n. [F. frÈgate, It. fregata, prob. contracted fr. L. fabricata something constructed or built. See Fabricate.] 1. Originally, a vessel of the Mediterranean propelled by sails and by oars. The French, about 1650, transferred the name to larger vessels, and by 1750 it had been appropriated for a class of war vessels intermediate between corvettes and ships of the line. Frigates, from about 1750 to 1850, had one full battery deck and, often, a spar deck with a lighter battery. They carried sometimes as many as fifty guns. After the application of steam to navigation steam frigates of largely increased size and power were built, and formed the main part of the navies of the world till about 1870, when the introduction of ironclads superseded them. [Formerly spelled frigat and friggot.]

2. Any small vessel on the water. [Obs.] Spenser.

Frigate bird (Zoˆl.), a web- footed rapacious bird, of the genus Fregata; -- called also man-of-war bird, and frigate pelican. Two species are known; that of the Southern United States and West Indies is F. aquila. They are remarkable for their long wings and powerful flight. Their food consists of fish which they obtain by robbing gulls, terns, and other birds, of their prey. They are related to the pelicans. -- Frigate mackerel (Zoˆl.), an oceanic fish (Auxis Rochei) of little or no value as food, often very abundant off the coast of the United States. -- Frigate pelican. (Zoˆl.) Same as Frigate bird.

Frig"ate-built" (?), a. (Naut.) Built like a frigate with a raised quarter-deck and forecastle.

Frig"a*toon` (?), n. [It. fregatone: cf. F. frÈgaton. See Frigate.] (Naut.) A Venetian vessel, with a square stern, having only a mainmast, jigger mast, and bowsprit; also a sloop of war ship- rigged.

Frig"e*fac`tion (?), n. [L. frigere to be cold + facere to make.] The act of making cold. [Obs.]

Frig"e*fac`tive (?), a. Cooling. [Obs.] Boyle.

Frig"er*ate (?), v. t. [L. frigerare, fr. frigus cold.] To make cool. [Obs.] Blount.

{ Frigg (?), Frig"ga (?) } n. [Icel. Frigg. See Friday.] (Scand. Myth.) The wife of Odin and mother of the gods; the supreme goddess; the Juno of the Valhalla. Cf. Freya.

Fright (frt), n. [OE. frigt, freyht, AS. fyrhto, fyrhtu; akin to OS. forhta, OHG. forhta, forahta, G. furcht, Dan. frygt, Sw. fruktan, Goth. fa˙rhtei fear, fa˙rhts timid.]

1. A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger; sudden and violent fear, usually of short duration; a sudden alarm.

2. Anything strange, ugly or shocking, producing a feeling of alarm or aversion. [Colloq.]

Syn. -- Alarm; terror; consternation. See Alarm.

Fright (?), v. t. [imp. Frighted; p. pr. & vb. n.. Frighting.] [OE. frigten to fear, frighten, AS. fyrhtan to frighten, forhtian to fear; akin to OS. forhtian, OHG. furihten, forahtan, G. f¸rchten, Sw. frukta, Dan. frygte, Goth. faurhtjan. See Fright, n., and cf. Frighten.] To alarm suddenly; to shock by causing sudden fear; to terrify; to scare.

Nor exile or danger can fright a brave spirit.

Dryden.

Syn. -- To affright; dismay; daunt; intimidate.

Fright"en (?), v. t. [imp. Frightened (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Frightening (#).] [See Fright, v. t.] To disturb with fear; to throw into a state of alarm or fright; to affright; to terrify.

More frightened than hurt.

Old Proverb.

Fright"ful (?), a. 1. Full of fright; affrighted; frightened. [Obs.]

See how the frightful herds run from the wood.

W. Browne.

2. Full of that which causes fright; exciting alarm; impressing terror; shocking; as, a frightful chasm, or tempest; a frightful appearance.

Syn. -- Terrible; dreadful; alarming; fearful; terrific; awful; horrid; horrible; shocking. -- Frightful, Dreadful, Awful. These words all express fear. In frightful, it is a sudden emotion; in dreadful, it is deeper and more prolonged; in awful, the fear is mingled with the emotion of awe, which subdues us before the presence of some invisible power. An accident may be frightful; the approach of death is dreadful to most men; the convulsions of the earthquake are awful.

Fright"ful*ly (?), adv. In a frightful manner; to a frightful dagree.

Fright"ful*ness, n. The quality of being frightful.

Fright"less, a. Free from fright; fearless. [Obs.]

Fright"ment (?), n. Fear; terror. [Obs.]

Frig"id (?), a. [L. frigidus, fr. frigere to be cold; prob. akin to Gr. &?; to shudder, or perh. to &?; cold. Cf. Frill.] 1. Cold; wanting heat or warmth; of low temperature; as, a frigid climate.

2. Wanting warmth, fervor, ardor, fire, vivacity, etc.; unfeeling; forbidding in manner; dull and unanimated; stiff and formal; as, a frigid constitution; a frigid style; a frigid look or manner; frigid obedience or service.

3. Wanting natural heat or vigor sufficient to excite the generative power; impotent. Johnson.

Frigid zone, that part of the earth which lies between either polar circle and its pole. It extends 23&?; 28&?; from the pole. See the Note under Arctic.

||Frig"i*da`ri*um (?), n.; pl. Frigidaria (#). [L., neut. of ||frigidarium cooling.] The cooling room of the Roman thermÊ, furnished ||with a cold bath.

Fri*gid"i*ty (?), n. [L. frigiditas: cf. F. frigiditÈ.] 1. The condition or quality of being frigid; coldness; want of warmth.

Ice is water congealed by the frigidity of the air.

Sir T. Browne.

2. Want of ardor, animation, vivacity, etc.; coldness of affection or of manner; dullness; stiffness and formality; as, frigidity of a reception, of a bow, etc.

3. Want of heat or vigor; as, the frigidity of old age.

Frig"id*ly (?), adv. In a frigid manner; coldly; dully; without affection.

Frig"id*ness, n. The state of being frigid; want of heat, vigor, or affection; coldness; dullness.

{ Frig"o*rif"ic (?), Frig"o*rif`ic*al (?) } a. [L. frigorificus; frigus, frigoris, cold + facere to make: cf. F. frigorifique.] Causing cold; producing or generating cold. Quincy.

Frill (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Frilled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frilling.] [OF. friller, fr. L. frigidulus somewhat cold, dim. of frigidus cold; akin to F. frileux chilly.] 1. To shake or shiver as with cold; as, the hawk frills. Johnson.

2. (Photog.) To wrinkle; -- said of the gelatin film.

Frill, v. t. To provide or decorate with a frill or frills; to turn back. in crimped plaits; as, to frill a cap.

Frill, n. [See Frill, v. i.]. (Zoˆl.) (a) A ruffing of a bird's feathers from cold. (b) A ruffle, consisting of a fold of membrane, of hairs, or of feathers, around the neck of an animal. See Frilled lizard (below). (c) A similar ruffle around the legs or other appendages of animals. (d) A ruffled varex or fold on certain shells.

2. A border or edging secured at one edge and left free at the other, usually fluted or crimped like a very narrow flounce.

Frilled (?), a. Furnished with a frill or frills.

Frilled lizard (Zoˆl.), a large Australian lizard (Chlamydosaurus Kingii) about three feet long, which has a large, erectile frill on each side of the neck.

Frim (?), a. [Cf. AS. freme good, bold, and E. frame.] Flourishing; thriving; fresh; in good case; vigorous. [Obs.] "Frim pastures." Drayton.

||Fri"maire` (?), n. [F., fr. frimas hoarfrost.] The third month of the ||French republican calendar. It commenced November 21, and ended ||December 20., See VendÈmiaire.

Fringe (?), n. [OF, fringe, F. frange, prob. fr. L. fimbria fiber, thread, fringe, cf. fibra fiber, E. fiber, fimbriate.] 1. An ornamental appendage to the border of a piece of stuff, originally consisting of the ends of the warp, projecting beyond the woven fabric; but more commonly made separate and sewed on, consisting sometimes of projecting ends, twisted or plaited together, and sometimes of loose threads of wool, silk, or linen, or narrow strips of leather, or the like.

2. Something resembling in any respect a fringe; a line of objects along a border or edge; a border; an edging; a margin; a confine.

The confines of grace and the fringes of repentance.

Jer. Taylor.

3. (Opt.) One of a number of light or dark bands, produced by the interference of light; a diffraction band; -- called also interference fringe.

4. (Bot.) The peristome or fringelike appendage of the capsules of most mosses. See Peristome.

Fringe tree (Bot.), a small tree (Chionanthus Virginica), growing in the Southern United States, and having snow-white flowers, with long pendulous petals.

Fringe, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fringed (?); p. pr. & vb. a. Fringing.] To adorn the edge of with a fringe or as with a fringe.

Precipices fringed with grass.

Bryant.

Fringing reef. See Coral reefs, under Coral.

Fringed (?), a. Furnished with a fringe.

Fringed lear (Bot.), a leaf edged with soft parallel hairs.

Fringe"less, a. Having no fringe.

Frin"gent (?), a. Encircling like a fringe; bordering. [R.] "The fringent air." Emerson.

||Frin*gil"la (?), a. [NL., fr. L. fringilla a chaffinch.] (Zoˆl.) A ||genus of birds, with a short, conical, pointed bill. It formerly ||included all the sparrows and finches, but is now restricted to ||certain European finches, like the chaffinch and brambling.

Frin`gil*la"ceous (?), a. (Zoˆl.) Fringilline.

Frin*gil"line (?), a. (Zoˆl.) Pertaining to the family FringillidÊ; characteristic of finches; sparrowlike.

Frin"gy (?), a. Aborned with fringes. Shak.

Frip"per (?), n. [F. fripier, fr. friper to rumple, fumble, waste.] One who deals in frippery or in old clothes. [Obs.] Bacon.

Frip"per*er (?), n. A fripper. [Obs.] Johnson.

Frip"per*y (?), n. [F. friperie, fr. fruper. See Fripper.] 1. Coast-off clothes. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

2. Hence: Secondhand finery; cheap and tawdry decoration; affected elegance.

Fond of gauze and French frippery.

Goldsmith.

The gauzy frippery of a French translation.

Sir W. Scott.

3. A place where old clothes are sold. Shak.

4. The trade or traffic in old clothes.

Frip"per*y (?), a. Trifling; contemptible.

||Fri"seur' (?), n. [F., fr. friser to curl, frizzle. See Frizzle.] A ||hairdresser.

Fri"sian (?), a. Of or pertaining to Friesland, a province of the Netherlands; Friesic.

Fri"sian, n. A native or inhabitant of Friesland; also, the language spoken in Friesland. See Friesic, n.

Frisk (?), a. [OF. frieque, cf. OHG. frise lively, brisk, fresh, Dan. & Sw. frisk, Icel. friskr. See Fresh, a.] Lively; brisk; frolicsome; frisky. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Frisk, a. A frolic; a fit of wanton gayety; a gambol: a little playful skip or leap. Johnson.

Frisk, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Frisked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frisking.] To leap, skip, dance, or gambol, in fronc and gayety.

The frisking satyrs on the summits danced.

Addison.

Frisk"al (?), n. A leap or caper. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Frisker (?), n. One who frisks; one who leaps of dances in gayety; a wanton; an inconstant or unsettled person. Camden.

Fris"ket (?), n. [F. frisguette. Perh. so named from the velocity or frequency of its motion. See Frisk a.] (Print.) The light frame which holds the sheet of paper to the tympan in printing.

Frisk"ful (?), a. Brisk; lively; frolicsome.

Frisk"i*ly' (?), adv. In a frisky manner.

Frisk"i*ness, n. State or quality of being frisky.

Frisk"y, a. Inclined to frisk; frolicsome; gay.

He is too frisky for an old man.

Jeffrey.

Fris"let (frz"lt), n. [Cf. Fraise a kind of defense; also Friz.] A kind of small ruffle. Halliwell.

Frist (frst), v. t. [OE. fristen, firsten, to lend, give respite, postpone, AS. firstan to give respite to; akin to first time, G. frist, Icel. frest delay.] To sell upon credit, as goods. [R.] Crabb.

||Fri"sure` (?), n. [F.] The dressing of the hair by crisping or ||curling. Smollett.

Frit (?), n. [F. fritte, fr. frit fried, p. p. of frire to fry. See Far, v. t.] 1. (Glass Making) The material of which glass is made, after having been calcined or partly fused in a furnace, but before vitrification. It is a composition of silex and alkali, occasionally with other ingredients. Ure.

2. (Ceramics) The material for glaze of pottery.

Frit brick, a lump of calcined glass materials, brought to a pasty condition in a reverberatory furnace, preliminary to the perfect vitrification in the melting pot.

Frit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fritted; p. pr. & vb. n. Fritting.] To prepare by heat (the materials for making glass); to fuse partially. Ure.

Frit, v. t. To fritter; -- with away. [R.] Ld. Lytton.

Frith (frth), n. [OE. firth, Icel. fjˆrr; akin to Sw. fj‰rd, Dan. fiord, E. ford. &radic;78. See Ford, n., and cf. Firth, Fiord, Fret a frith, Port a harbor.]

1. (Geog.) A narrow arm of the sea; an estuary; the opening of a river into the sea; as, the Frith of Forth.

2. A kind of weir for catching fish. [Eng.] Carew.

Frith, n. [OE. frith peace, protection, land inclosed for hunting, park, forest, AS. fri peace; akin to freno peace, protection, asylum, G. friede peace, Icel. frir, and from the root of E. free, friend. See Free, a., and cf. Affray, Defray.] 1. A forest; a woody place. [Obs.] Drayton.

2. A small field taken out of a common, by inclosing it; an inclosure. [Obs.] Sir J. Wynne.

Frith"y (?), a. Woody. [Obs.] Skelton.

||Frit"il*la`ri*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L. fritillus dicebox: cf. F. ||fritillaire. So named from the checkered markings of the petals.] ||(Bot.) A genus of liliaceous plants, of which the crown-imperial ||(Fritillaria imperialis) is one species, and the Guinea-hen flower ||(F. Meleagris) another. See Crown-imperial.

Frit"il*la*ry (?), n. 1. (Bot.) A plant with checkered petals, of the genus Fritillaria: the Guinea-hen flower. See Fritillaria.

2. (Zoˆl.) One of several species of butterflies belonging to Argynnis and allied genera; -- so called because the coloring of their wings resembles that of the common Fritillaria. See Aphrodite.

Frit"i*nan*cy (?), n. [L. fritinnire to twitter.] A chirping or creaking, as of a cricket. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Frit"ter (?), n. [OR. fritour, friture, pancake, F. friture frying, a thing fried, from frire to fry. See Far, v. t.] 1. A small quantity of batter, fried in boiling lard or in a frying pan. Fritters are of various kinds, named from the substance inclosed in the batter; as, apple fritters, clam fritters, oyster fritters.

2. A fragment; a shred; a small piece.

And cut whole giants into fritters.

Hudibras.

Corn fritter. See under Corn.

Frit"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frittered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frittering.] 1. To cut, as meat, into small pieces, for frying.

2. To break into small pieces or fragments.

Break all nerves, and fritter all their sense.

Pope.

To fritter away, to diminish; to pare off; to reduce to nothing by taking away a little at a time; also, to waste piecemeal; as, to fritter away time, strength, credit, etc.

Frit"ting (?), n. [See Frit to expose to heat.] The formation of frit or slag by heat with but incipient fusion.

Friv"o*lism (?), n. Frivolity. [R.] Pristley.

Fri*vol"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Frivolities (#). [Cg. F. frivolitÈ. See Frivolous.] The condition or quality of being frivolous; also, acts or habits of trifling; unbecoming levity of disposition.

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Friv"o*lous (?), a. [L. frivolus; prob. akin to friare to rub, crumble, E. friable: cf. F. frivole.]

1. Of little weight or importance; not worth notice; slight; as, a frivolous argument. Swift.

2. Given to trifling; marked with unbecoming levity; silly; interested especially in trifling matters.

His personal tastes were low and frivolous.

Macaulay.

Syn. -- Trifling; trivial; slight; petty; worthless.

-- Friv"o*lous*ly, adv. -- Friv"o*lous*ness, n.

Friz (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frizzed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frizzing (?).] [Cf. F. friser to curl, crisp, frizzle, to raise the nap (on certain stuffs); prob.akin to OFries. frisle hair of the head. Cf. Frieze kind of cloth.] [Written also frizz.] 1. To curl or form into small curls, as hair, with a crisping pin; to crisp.

With her hair frizzed short up to her ears.

Pepys.

2. To form into little burs, prominences, knobs, or tufts, as the nap of cloth.

3. (Leather Manufacture) To soften and make of even thickness by rubbing, as with pumice stone or a blunt instrument.

Frizzing machine. (a) (Fabrics) A machine for frizzing the surface of cloth. (b) (Wood Working) A bench with a revolving cutter head slightly protruding above its surface, for dressing boards.

Friz, n.; pl. Frizzes (&?;). That which is frizzed; anything crisped or curled, as a wig; a frizzle. [Written also frizz.]

He [Dr. Johnson], who saw in his glass how his wig became his face and head, might easily infer that a similar fullbottomed, well-curled friz of words would be no less becoming to his thoughts.

Hare.

Frize (?), n. (Arch.) See 1st Frieze.

Friz"el (?), a. (Firearms) A movable furrowed piece of steel struck by the flint, to throw sparks into the pan, in an early form of flintlock. Knight.

Fri*zette" (?), n. [F. frisette curl.] A curl of hair or silk; a pad of frizzed hair or silk worn by women under the hair to stuff it out.

Frizz (?), v. t. & n. See Friz, v. t. & n.

Friz"zle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frizzled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frizzling (?).] [Dim. of friz.] To curl or crisp, as hair; to friz; to crinkle. Gay.

To frizzle up, to crinkle or crisp excessively.

Friz"zle, n. A curl; a lock of hair crisped. Milton.

Friz"zler` (?), n. One who frizzles.

{ Friz"zly (?), Friz"zy (?), } a. Curled or crisped; as, frizzly, hair.

Fro (fr), adv. [OE. fra, fro, adv. & prep., Icel. fr, akin to Dan. fra from, E. from. See From.] From; away; back or backward; -- now used only in opposition to the word to, in the phrase to and fro, that is, to and from. See To and fro under To. Milton.

Fro, prep. From. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Frock (?), n. [F. froc a monk's cowl, coat, garment, LL. frocus, froccus, flocus, floccus, fr. L. floccus a flock of wool; hence orig., a flocky cloth or garment; cf. L. flaccus flabby, E. flaccid.] 1. A loose outer garment; especially, a gown forming a part of European modern costume for women and children; also, a coarse shirtlike garment worn by some workmen over their other clothes; a smock frock; as, a marketman's frock.

2. A coarse gown worn by monks or friars, and supposed to take the place of all, or nearly all, other garments. It has a hood which can be drawn over the head at pleasure, and is girded by a cord.

Frock coat, a body coat for men, usually double-breasted, the skirts not being in one piece with the body, but sewed on so as to be somewhat full. -- Smock frock. See in the Vocabulary.

Frock, v. t. 1. To clothe in a frock.

2. To make a monk of. Cf. Unfrock.

Frocked (?), a. Clothed in a frock.

Frock"less (?), a. Destitute of a frock.

Froe (fr), n. [See Frow.] A dirty woman; a slattern; a frow. [Obs.] "Raging frantic froes." Draylon.

Froe, n. [See Frow the tool] An iron cleaver or splitting tool; a frow. [U. S.] Bartlett.

Frog (frg), n. [AS. froggu, frocga a frog (in sensel); akin to D. vorsch, OHG. frosk, G. frosch, Icel. froskr, fraukr, Sw. & Dan. frˆ.] 1. (Zoˆl.) An amphibious animal of the genus Rana and related genera, of many species. Frogs swim rapidly, and take long leaps on land. Many of the species utter loud notes in the springtime.

The edible frog of Europe (Rana esculenta) is extensively used as food; the American bullfrog (R. Catesbiana) is remarkable for its great size and loud voice.

2. [Perh. akin to E. fork, cf. frush frog of a horse.] (Anat.) The triangular prominence of the hoof, in the middle of the sole of the foot of the horse, and other animals; the fourchette.

3. (Railroads) A supporting plate having raised ribs that form continuations of the rails, to guide the wheels where one track branches from another or crosses it.

4. [Cf. fraco of wool or silk, L. floccus, E. frock.] An oblong cloak button, covered with netted thread, and fastening into a loop instead of a button hole.

5. The loop of the scabbard of a bayonet or sword.