Felt Felt transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Felted ; present participle & verbal noun Felting .] 1. To make into felt, or a feltike substance; to cause to adhere and mat together. Sir M. Hale. 2. To cover with, or as with, felt; as, to felt the cylinder of a steam engine.

Felter Felt"er transitive verb To clot or mat together like felt.

His feltered locks that on his bosom fell.

Fairfax.

Felting Felt"ing noun 1. The material of which felt is made; also, felted cloth; also, the process by which it is made. 2. The act of splitting timber by the felt grain.

Feltry Fel"try noun [ Old French feltre .] See Felt , noun [ Obsolete]

Felucca Fe·luc"ca noun [ Italian feluca (cf. Spanish faluca , Portuguese falua ), from Arabic fulk ship, or harrāqah a sort of ship.] (Nautical) A small, swift-sailing vessel, propelled by oars and lateen sails, -- once common in the Mediterranean. Sometimes it is constructed so that the helm may be used at either end.

Felwort Fel"wort` noun [ Probably a corruption of fieldwort .] (Botany) A European herb ( Swertia perennis ) of the Gentian family.

Female Fe"male noun [ Middle English femel , femal , French femelle , from Latin femella , dim. of femina woman. See Feminine .] 1. An individual of the sex which conceives and brings forth young, or (in a wider sense) which has an ovary and produces ova.

The male and female of each living thing.

Drayton. 2. (Botany) A plant which produces only that kind of reproductive organs which are capable of developing into fruit after impregnation or fertilization; a pistillate plant.

Female Fe"male adjective 1. Belonging to the sex which conceives and gives birth to young, or (in a wider sense) which produces ova; not male.

As patient as the female dove
When that her golden couplets are disclosed.

Shak. 2. Belonging to an individual of the female sex; characteristic of woman; feminine; as, female tenderness. " Female usurpation.'b8 Milton.

To the generous decision of a female mind, we owe the discovery of America.

Belknap. 3. (Botany) Having pistils and no stamens; pistillate; or, in cryptogamous plants, capable of receiving fertilization. Female rhymes (Pros.) , double rhymes, or rhymes (called in French feminine rhymes because they end in e weak, or feminine ) in which two syllables, an accented and an unaccented one, correspond at the end of each line. » A rhyme, in which the final syllables only agree ( strain , complain ) is called a male rhyme; one in which the two final syllables of each verse agree, the last being short ( motion , ocean ), is called female . Brande & C. -- Female screw , the spiral-threaded cavity into which another, or male, screw turns. Nicholson. -- Female fern (Botany) , a common species of fern with large decompound fronds ( Asplenium Filixfæmina ), growing in many countries; lady fern. » The names male fern and female fern were anciently given to two common ferns; but it is now understood that neither has any sexual character. Syn. -- Female , Feminine . We apply female to the sex or individual, as opposed to male ; also, to the distinctive belongings of women; as, female dress, female form, female character, etc.; feminine , to things appropriate to, or affected by, women; as, feminine studies, employments, accomplishments, etc. " Female applies to sex rather than gender, and is a physiological rather than a grammatical term. Feminine applies to gender rather than sex, and is grammatical rather than physiological." Latham.

Femalist Fe"mal·ist noun A gallant. [ Obsolete]

Courting her smoothly like a femalist .

Marston.

Femalize Fe"mal·ize transitive verb To make, or to describe as, female or feminine. Shaftesbury.

Feme Feme (fĕm or făm) noun [ Old French feme , French femme .] (Old Law) A woman. Burrill. Feme covert (Law) , a married woman. See Covert , adjective , 3. -- Feme sole (Law) , a single or unmarried woman; a woman who has never been married, or who has been divorced, or whose husband is dead. -- Feme sole trader or merchant (Eng. Law) , a married woman, who, by the custom of London, engages in business on her own account, inpendently of her husband.

Femeral Fem"er·al noun (Architecture) See Femerell .

Femerell Fem"er·ell noun [ Old French fumeraille part of a chimney. See Fume .] (Architecture) A lantern, or louver covering, placed on a roof, for ventilation or escape of smoke.

Feminal Fem"i·nal adjective Feminine. [ Obsolete] West.

Feminality Fem`i·nal"i·ty noun Feminity.

Feminate Fem"i·nate adjective [ Latin feminatus effeminate.] Feminine. [ Obsolete]

Femineity Fem`i·ne"i·ty noun [ Latin femineus womanly.] Womanliness; femininity. C. Reade.

Feminine Fem"i·nine adjective [ Latin femininus , from femina woman; probably akin to Latin fetus , or to Greek qh^sqai to suck, qh^sai to suckle, Sanskrit dhā to suck; confer Anglo-Saxon fǣmme woman, maid: confer French féminin . See Fetus .] 1. Of or pertaining to a woman, or to women; characteristic of a woman; womanish; womanly.

Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine ease and grace.

Macaulay. 2. Having the qualities of a woman; becoming or appropriate to the female sex; as, in a good sense, modest, graceful, affectionate, confiding; or, in a bad sense, weak, nerveless, timid, pleasure-loving, effeminate.

Her heavenly form
Angelic, but more soft and feminine .

Milton.

Ninus being esteemed no man of war at all, but altogether feminine , and subject to ease and delicacy.

Sir W. Raleigh. Feminine rhyme . (Pros.) See Female rhyme , under Female , adjective Syn. -- See Female , adjective

Feminine Fem"i·nine noun 1. A woman. [ Obsolete or Colloq.]

They guide the feminines toward the palace.

Hakluyt. 2. (Gram.) Any one of those words which are the appellations of females, or which have the terminations usually found in such words; as, actress , songstress , abbess , executrix .

There are but few true feminines in English.

Latham.

Femininely Fem"i·nine·ly adverb In a feminine manner. Byron.

Feminineness Fem"i·nine·ness noun The quality of being feminine; womanliness; womanishness.

Femininity Fem`i·nin"i·ty noun 1. The quality or nature of the female sex; womanliness. 2. The female form. [ Obsolete]

O serpent under femininitee .

Chaucer.

Feminity Fe·min"i·ty noun Womanliness; femininity. [ Obsolete] "Trained up in true feminity ." Spenser.

Feminization Fem`i·ni·za"tion noun The act of feminizing, or the state of being feminized.

Feminize Fem"i·nize transitive verb [ Confer French féminiser .] To make womanish or effeminate. Dr. H. More.

Feminye Fem"i·nye noun [ Old French femenie , feminie , the female sex, realm of women.] The people called Amazons. [ Obsolete] "[ The reign of] feminye ." Chaucer.

Femme Femme noun [ French] A woman. See Feme , noun Femme de chambre . [ French] A lady's maid; a chambermaid.

Femoral Fem"o·ral adjective [ Latin femur , femoris , thigh: confer French fémoral .] Pertaining to the femur or thigh; as, the femoral artery. " Femoral habiliments." Sir W. Scott.

Femur Fe"mur (fē"mŭr) noun ; plural Femora (fĕm"o*rȧ). [ Latin thigh.] (Anat.) (a) The thigh bone. (b) The proximal segment of the hind limb containing the thigh bone; the thigh. See Coxa .

Fen Fen noun [ Anglo-Saxon fen , fenn , marsh, mud, dirt; akin to Dutch veen , OFries. fenne , fene , Old High German fenna , German fenn , Icelandic fen , Goth. fani mud.] Low land overflowed, or covered wholly or partially with water, but producing sedge, coarse grasses, or other aquatic plants; boggy land; moor; marsh.

'Mid reedy fens wide spread.

Wordsworth. » Fen is used adjectively with the sense of belonging to , or of the nature of , a fen or fens . Fen boat , a boat of light draught used in marshes. -- Fen duck (Zoology) , a wild duck inhabiting fens; the shoveler. [ Prov. Eng.] -- Fen fowl (Zoology) , any water fowl that frequent fens. -- Fen goose (Zoology) , the graylag goose of Europe. [ Prov. Eng.] -- Fen land , swamp land.

Fen cricket Fen" crick`et (Zoology) The mole cricket. [ Prov. Eng.]

Fen-sucked Fen"-sucked` adjective Sucked out of marches. " Fen-sucked fogs." Shak.

Fence Fence noun [ Abbrev. from defence.] 1. That which fends off attack or danger; a defense; a protection; a cover; security; shield.

Let us be backed with God and with the seas,
Which he hath given for fence impregnable.

Shak.

A fence betwixt us and the victor's wrath.

Addison. 2. An inclosure about a field or other space, or about any object; especially, an inclosing structure of wood, iron, or other material, intended to prevent intrusion from without or straying from within.

Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold.

Milton. » In England a hedge, ditch, or wall, as well as a structure of boards, palings, or rails, is called a fence . 3. (Locks) A projection on the bolt, which passes through the tumbler gates in locking and unlocking. 4. Self-defense by the use of the sword; the art and practice of fencing and sword play; hence, skill in debate and repartee. See Fencing .

Enjoy your dear wit, and gay rhetoric,
That hath so well been taught her dazzing fence .

Milton.

Of dauntless courage and consummate skill in fence .

Macaulay. 5. A receiver of stolen goods, or a place where they are received. [ Slang] Mayhew. Fence month (Forest Law) , the month in which female deer are fawning, when hunting is prohibited. Bullokar. -- Fence roof , a covering for defense. "They fitted their shields close to one another in manner of a fence roof." Holland. -- Fence time , the breeding time of fish or game, when they should not be killed. -- Rail fence , a fence made of rails, sometimes supported by posts. -- Ring fence , a fence which encircles a large area, or a whole estate, within one inclosure. -- Worm fence , a zigzag fence composed of rails crossing one another at their ends; -- called also snake fence , or Virginia rail fence . -- To be on the fence , to be undecided or uncommitted in respect to two opposing parties or policies. [ Colloq.]

Fence Fence transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Fenced ; present participle & verbal noun Fencing .] 1. To fend off danger from; to give security to; to protect; to guard.

To fence my ear against thy sorceries.

Milton. 2. To inclose with a fence or other protection; to secure by an inclosure.

O thou wall! . . . dive in the earth,
And fence not Athens.

Shak.

A sheepcote fenced about with olive trees.

Shak. To fence the tables (Scot. Church) , to make a solemn address to those who present themselves to commune at the Lord's supper, on the feelings appropriate to the service, in order to hinder, so far as possible, those who are unworthy from approaching the table. McCheyne.

Fence Fence intransitive verb 1. To make a defense; to guard one's self of anything, as against an attack; to give protection or security, as by a fence.

Vice is the more stubborn as well as the more dangerous evil, and therefore, in the first place, to be fenced against.

Locke. 2. To practice the art of attack and defense with the sword or with the foil, esp. with the smallsword, using the point only.

He will fence with his own shadow.

Shak. 3. Hence, to fight or dispute in the manner of fencers, that is, by thrusting, guarding, parrying, etc.

They fence and push, and, pushing, loudly roar;
Their dewlaps and their sides are bat...ed in gore.

Dryden.

As when a billow, blown against,
Falls back, the voice with which I fenced
A little ceased, but recommenced.

Tennyson.

Fenceful Fence"ful adjective Affording defense; defensive. [ Obsolete] Congreve.

Fenceless Fence"less adjective Without a fence; uninclosed; open; unguarded; defenseless. Milton.

Fencer Fen"cer noun One who fences; one who teaches or practices the art of fencing with sword or foil.

As blunt as the fencer's foils.

Shak.

Fenci-ble Fen"ci-ble adjective Capable of being defended, or of making or affording defense. [ Obsolete]

No fort so fencible , nor walls so strong.

Spenser.

Fencible Fen"ci·ble noun (Mil.) A soldier enlisted for home service only; -- usually in the plural

Fencing Fen"cing noun 1. The art or practice of attack and defense with the sword, esp. with the smallsword. See Fence , intransitive verb , 2. 2. Disputing or debating in a manner resembling the art of fencers. Shak. 3. The materials used for building fences. [ U.S.] 4. The act of building a fence. 5. The aggregate of the fences put up for inclosure or protection; as, the fencing of a farm.

Fend Fend noun A fiend. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Fend Fend transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Fended ; present participle & verbal noun Fending .] [ Abbrev. from defend .] To keep off; to prevent from entering or hitting; to ward off; to shut out; -- often with off ; as, to fend off blows.

With fern beneath to fend the bitter cold.

Dryden. To fend off a boat or vessel (Nautical) , to prevent its running against anything with too much violence.

Fend Fend intransitive verb To act on the defensive, or in opposition; to resist; to parry; to shift off.

The dexterous management of terms, and being able to fend . . . with them, passes for a great part of learning.

Locke.

Fender Fen"der noun [ From Fend , transitive verb & i. , confer Defender .] One who or that which defends or protects by warding off harm ; as: (a) A screen to prevent coals or sparks of an open fire from escaping to the floor. (b) Anything serving as a cushion to lessen the shock when a vessel comes in contact with another vessel or a wharf. (c) A screen to protect a carriage from mud thrown off the wheels: also, a splashboard. (d) Anything set up to protect an exposed angle, as of a house, from damage by carriage wheels.

Fendliche Fend"liche adjective Fiendlike. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Fenerate Fen"er·ate intransitive verb [ Latin faeneratus , past participle of faenerari lend on interest, from faenus interest.] To put money to usury; to lend on interest. [ Obsolete] Cockeram.

Feneration Fen`er·a"tion noun [ Latin faeneratio .] The act of fenerating; interest. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.

Fenes-tella Fen`es-tel"la noun [ Latin , dim. of fenestra ... window.] (Architecture) Any small windowlike opening or recess, esp. one to show the relics within an altar, or the like.

Fenestra Fe·nes"tra noun ; plural Fenestræ . [ Latin , a window.] (Anat.) A small opening; esp., one of the apertures, closed by membranes, between the tympanum and internal ear.