Webster's Dictionary, 1913
Ferule noun [ Latin
ferula : confer French
férule . See
Ferula .]
A flat piece of wood, used for striking, children, esp. on the hand, in punishment.
Ferule transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Feruled ;
present participle & verbal noun Feruling .]
To punish with a ferule.
Ferulic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, asafetida ( Ferula asafœtida ); as, ferulic acid. [ Written also ferulaic .]
Fervence noun Heat; fervency. [ Obsolete]
Fervency noun [ Confer Old French
fervence . See
Fervent .]
The state of being fervent or warm; ardor; warmth of feeling or devotion; eagerness. When you pray, let it be with attention, with fervency , and with perseverance.
Wake.
Fervent adjective [ French
fervent , Latin
fervens ,
-entis . present participle of
fervere o the boiling hot, to boil, glow.]
1. Hot; glowing; boiling; burning; as, a fervent summer. The elements shall melt with fervent heat.
2 Pet. iii. 10. 2. Warm in feeling; ardent in temperament; earnest; full of fervor; zealous; glowing. Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit.
Rom. iii. 11. So spake the fervent angel.
Milton. A fervent desire to promote the happiness of mankind.
Macaulay. --
Fer"vent*ly ,
adverb --
Fer"vent*ness ,
noun Laboring fervently for you in prayers.
Col. iv. 12.
Fervescent adjective [ Latin
fervescens , present participle of
fervescere to become boiling hot, incho., from
fervere . See
Fervent .]
Growing hot.
Fervid adjective [ Latin
fervidus , from
fervere . See
Fervent .]
1. Very hot; burning; boiling. The mounted sun
Shot down direct his fervid rays.
Milton. 2. Ardent; vehement; zealous. The fervid wishes, holy fires.
Parnell. --
Fer"vid*ly ,
adverb --
Fer"vid*ness ,
noun
Fervor noun [ Written also
fervour .] [ Old French
fervor ,
fervour , French
ferveur , Latin
fervor , from
fervere . See
Fervent .]
1. Heat; excessive warmth. The fevor of ensuing day.
Waller. 2. Intensity of feeling or expression; glowing ardor; passion; holy zeal; earnestness. Hooker. Winged with fervor of her love.
Shak. Syn. --
Fervor ,
Ardor .
Fervor is a boiling heat, and
ardor is a burning heat. Hence, in metaphor, we commonly use
fervor and its derivatives when we conceive of thoughts or emotions under the image of ebullition, or as pouring themselves forth. Thus we speak of the
fervor of passion,
fervid declamation,
fervid importunity,
fervent supplication,
fervent desires, etc.
Ardent is used when we think of anything as springing from a deepseated glow of soul; as,
ardent friendship,
ardent zeal,
ardent devotedness; burning with
ardor for the fight.
Fescennine adjective [ Latin Fescenninus , from Fescennia , a city of Etruria.] Pertaining to, or resembling, the Fescennines. -- noun A style of low, scurrilous, obscene poetry originating in fescennia.
Fescue (fĕs"ku)
noun [ Middle English
festu , Old French
festu , French
fétu , from Latin
festuca stalk, straw.]
1. A straw, wire, stick, etc., used chiefly to point out letters to children when learning to read. "Pedantic
fescue ."
Sterne. To come under the fescue of an imprimatur.
Milton. 2. An instrument for playing on the harp; a plectrum. [ Obsolete]
Chapman. 3. The style of a dial. [ Obsolete]
4. (Botany) A grass of the genus Festuca . Fescue grass (Botany) ,
a genus of grasses ( Festuca ) containing several species of importance in agriculture. Festuca ovina is sheep's fescue ; F. elatior is meadow fescue .
Fescue (fĕs"ku)
intransitive verb & t. [
imperfect & past participle Fescued ;
present participle & verbal noun Fescuing .]
To use a fescue, or teach with a fescue. Milton.
Fesels noun plural [ Written also
fasels .]
See Phasel . [ Obsolete]
May (Georgics).
Fess, Fesse noun [ Old French
fesse ,
faisse , French
fasce , from Latin
fascia band. See
Fascia .]
(Her.) A band drawn horizontally across the center of an escutcheon, and containing in breadth the third part of it; one of the nine honorable ordinaries. Fess point (Her.) ,
the exact center of the escutcheon. See Escutcheon .
Fessitude noun [ Latin fessus wearied, fatigued.] Weariness. [ Obsolete] Bailey.
Fesswise adverb In the manner of fess.
Fest noun [ See
Fist .]
The fist. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Fest, Feste noun A feast. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.
Festal adjective [ Latin
festum holiday, feast. See
feast .]
Of or pertaining to a holiday or a feast; joyous; festive. You bless with choicer wine the festal day.
Francis.
Festally adverb Joyously; festively; mirthfully.
Festennine noun A fescennine.
Fester intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Festered ;
present participle & verbal noun Festering .] [ Middle English
festern , from
fester ,
noun ;
or fr .
OF .
festrir , from
festre ,
noun See
Fester ,
noun ]
1. To generate pus; to become imflamed and suppurate; as, a sore or a wound festers . Wounds immedicable
Rankle, and fester , and gangrene.
Milton. Unkindness may give a wound that shall bleed and smart, but it is treachery that makes it fester .
South. Hatred . . . festered in the hearts of the children of the soil.
Macaulay. 2. To be inflamed; to grow virulent, or malignant; to grow in intensity; to rankle.
Fester transitive verb To cause to fester or rankle. For which I burnt in inward, swelt'ring hate,
And festered ranking malice in my breast.
Marston.
Fester noun [ Old French
festre , Latin
fistula a sort of ulcer. Confer
Fistula .]
1. A small sore which becomes inflamed and discharges corrupt matter; a pustule. 2. A festering or rankling. The fester of the chain their necks.
I. Taylor.
Festerment noun A festering. [ R.] Chalmers.
Festeye transitive verb [ Old French festier , festeer , French festoyer .] To feast; to entertain. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.
Festi-val noun A time of feasting or celebration; an anniversary day of joy, civil or religious. The morning trumpets festival proclaimed.
Milton. Syn. -- Feast; banquet; carousal. See
Feast .
Festinate adjective [ Latin festinatus , past participle of festinare to hasten.] Hasty; hurried. [ Obsolete] -- Fes"ti*nate*ly , adverb [ Obsolete] Shak.
Festination noun [ Latin festinatio .] Haste; hurry. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.
Festival adjective [ Old French
festival , from Latin
festivum festive jollity, from
festivus festive, gay. See
Festive .]
Pertaining to a fest; festive; festal; appropriate to a festival; joyous; mirthful. I cannot woo in festival terms.
Shak.
Festive adjective [ Latin
festivus , from
festum holiday, feast. See
feast , and confer
Festivous .]
Pertaining to, or becoming, a feast; festal; joyous; gay; mirthful; sportive. --
Fes"tive*ly ,
adverb The glad circle round them yield their souls
To festive mirth and wit that knows no gall.
Thomson.
Festivity noun ;
plural Festivities . [ Latin
festivitas : confer French
festivité .]
1. The condition of being festive; social joy or exhilaration of spirits at an entertaintment; joyfulness; gayety. The unrestrained festivity of the rustic youth.
Bp. Hurd. 2. A festival; a festive celebration. Sir T. Browne.
Festivous adjective [ See
Festive .]
Pertaining to a feast; festive. [ R.]
Sir W. Scott.
Festlich adjective [ See
Feast ,
noun ]
Festive; fond of festive occasions. [ Obsolete] "A
festlich man."
Chaucer.
Festoon noun [ French
feston (cf. Spanish
feston , Italian
festone ), probably from Latin
festum festival. See
Feast .]
1. A garland or wreath hanging in a depending curve, used in decoration for festivals, etc.; anything arranged in this way. 2. (Arch. & Sculp.) A carved ornament consisting of flowers, and leaves, intermixed or twisted together, wound with a ribbon, and hanging or depending in a natural curve. See Illust. of Bucranium .
Festoon transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Festooned ;
present participle & verbal noun Festooning .]
To form in festoons, or to adorn with festoons.
Festoony adjective Pertaining to, consisting of, or resembling, festoons. Sir J. Herschel.
Festucine adjective [ Latin
festula stalk, straw. Confer
Fescue .]
Of a straw color; greenish yellow. [ Obsolete]
A little insect of a festucine or pale green.
Sir T. Browne.
Festucous adjective Formed or consisting of straw. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.
Festue noun [ See
Fescue .]
A straw; a fescue. [ Obsolete]
Holland.
Fet noun [ Confer feat , French fait , and Italian fett... slice, German fetzen rag, Icelandic fat garment.] A piece. [ Obsolete] Dryton.
Fet transitive verb [ Middle English
fetten ,
feten , Anglo-Saxon
fetian ; akin to Anglo-Saxon
fæt a journey, and to English
foot ; confer German
fassen to seize. √ 77. See
Foot , and confer
Fetch .]
To fetch. [ Obsolete]
And from the other fifty soon the prisoner fet .
Spenser.
Fet past participle of
Fette .
Fetched. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Fetal adjective [ From
Fetus .]
Pertaining to, or connected with, a fetus; as, fetal circulation ; fetal membranes.
Fetation noun The formation of a fetus in the womb; pregnancy.
Fetch (fĕch; 224)
transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Fetched 2;
present participle & verbal noun .
Fetching .] [ Middle English
fecchen , Anglo-Saxon
feccan , perhaps the same word as
fetian ; or confer
facian to wish to get, OFries.
faka to prepare. √ 77. Confer
Fet ,
transitive verb ]
1. To bear toward the person speaking, or the person or thing from whose point of view the action is contemplated; to go and bring; to get. Time will run back and fetch the age of gold.
Milton. He called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bred in thine hand.
1 Kings xvii. 11, 12. 2. To obtain as price or equivalent; to sell for. Our native horses were held in small esteem, and fetched low prices.
Macaulay. 3. To recall from a swoon; to revive; -- sometimes with to ; as, to fetch a man to. Fetching men again when they swoon.
Bacon. 4. To reduce; to throw. The sudden trip in wrestling that fetches a man to the ground.
South. 5. To bring to accomplishment; to achieve; to make; to perform, with certain objects; as, to fetch a compass; to fetch a leap; to fetch a sigh. I'll fetch a turn about the garden.
Shak. He fetches his blow quick and sure.
South. 6. To bring or get within reach by going; to reach; to arrive at; to attain; to reach by sailing. Meantine flew our ships, and straight we fetched
The siren's isle.
Chapman. 7. To cause to come; to bring to a particular state. They could n't fetch the butter in the churn.
W. Barnes. To fetch a compass (Nautical) ,
to make a sircuit; to take a circuitious route going to a place. --
To fetch a pump ,
to make it draw water by pouring water into the top and working the handle. --
To fetch headway or sternway (Nautical) ,
to move ahead or astern. --
To fetch out ,
to develop. "The skill of the polisher
fetches out the colors [ of marble]"
Addison. --
To fetch up .
(a) To overtake. [ Obsolete] "Says [ the hare], I can
fetch up the tortoise when I please."
L'Estrange. (b) To stop suddenly.
fetch intransitive verb To bring one's self; to make headway; to veer; as, to fetch about; to fetch to windward. Totten.
To fetch away (Nautical) , to break loose; to roll slide to leeward. -- To fetch and carry , to serve obsequiously, like a trained spaniel.
Fetch noun 1. A stratagem by which a thing is indirectly brought to pass, or by which one thing seems intended and another is done; a trick; an artifice. Every little fetch of wit and criticism.
South. 2. The apparation of a living person; a wraith. The very fetch and ghost of Mrs. Gamp.
Dickens. Fetch candle ,
a light seen at night, superstitiously believed to portend a person's death.
Fetcher noun One who fetches or brings.