Fibrinogenous Fi`bri·nog"e·nous adjective (Physiol. Chem.) Possessed of properties similar to fibrinogen; capable of forming fibrin.

Fibrinoplastic Fi`bri·no·plas"tic adjective (Physiol.Chem.) Like fibrinoplastin; capable of forming fibrin when brought in contact with fibrinogen.

Fibrinoplastin Fi`bri·no·plas"tin noun [ Fibrin + Greek ... to form, mold.] (Physiol.Chem.) An albuminous substance, existing in the blood, which in combination with fibrinogen forms fibrin; -- called also paraglobulin .

Fibrinous Fi"bri·nous adjective Having, or partaking of the properties of, fibrin; as, fibrious exudation.

Fibrocartilage Fi`bro·car"ti·lage noun [ Latin fibra a fiber + English cartilage .] (Anat.) A kind of cartilage with a fibrous matrix and approaching fibrous connective tissue in structure. -- Fi`bro*car`ti*lag"i*nous adjective

Fibrochondrosteal Fi`bro·chon·dros"te·al adjective [ Latin fibra a fiber + gr. ... cartilage + ... bone.] (Anat.) Partly fibrous, partly cartilaginous, and partly osseous. St. George Mivart.

Fibroid Fi"broid adjective [ Latin fibra a fiber + -oid .] (Medicine) Resembling or forming fibrous tissue; made up of fibers; as, fibroid tumors. - - noun A fibroid tumor; a fibroma.

Fibroid degeneration , a form of degeneration in which organs or tissues are converted into fibroid tissue. -- Fibroid phthists , a form of pulmonary consumption associated with the formation of fibrous tissue in the lungs, and the gradual atrophy of the lungs, from the pressure due to the contraction of this tissue.

Fibroin Fi"bro·in noun [ Latin fibra a fiber.] (Chemistry) A variety of gelatin; the chief ingredient of raw silk, extracted as a white amorphous mass.

Fibrolite Fi"bro·lite noun [ Latin fibra a fiber + -lite : confer French fibrolithe .] (Min.) A silicate of alumina, of fibrous or columnar structure. It is like andalusite in composition; -- called also sillimanite , and bucholizite .

Fibroma Fi·bro"ma noun [ New Latin See Fiber , and -oma .] (Medicine) A tumor consisting mainly of fibrous tissue, or of same modification of such tissue.

Fibrospongiæ Fi`bro·spon"gi·æ noun plural [ New Latin , from Latin fibra a fiber + spongia a sponge.] (Zoology) An order of sponges having a fibrous skeleton, including the commercial sponges.

Fibrous Fi"brous adjective [ Confer French fibreux .] Containing, or consisting of, fibers; as, the fibrous coat of the cocoanut; the fibrous roots of grasses. -- Fi"brous*ness , noun

Fibrovascular Fi`bro·vas"cu·lar adjective [ Latin fibra a fiber + English vascular .] (Botany) Containing woody fiber and ducts, as the stems of all flowering plants and ferns; -- opposed to cellular .

Fibster Fib"ster noun One who tells fibs. [ Jocular]

Fibu-lar Fib"u-lar adjective Pertaining to the fibula.

Fibula Fib"u·la noun ; plural FibulÆ . [ Latin , clasp, buckle.] 1. A brooch, clasp, or buckle.

Mere fibulæ , without a robe to clasp.

Wordsworth.

2. (Anat.) The outer and usually the smaller of the two bones of the leg, or hind limb, below the knee.

3. (Surg.) A needle for sewing up wounds.

Fibulare Fib`u·la"re noun ; plural Fibularia . [ New Latin See Fibula .] (Anat.) The bone or cartilage of the tarsus, which articulates with the fibula, and corresponds to the calcaneum in man and most mammals.

Fice Fice noun A small dog; -- written also fise , fyce , fiste , etc. [ Southern U.S.]

Fiché Fi·ché adjective (Her.) See FitchÉ .

Fichtelite Fich"tel·ite noun (Min.) A white crystallized mineral resin from the Fichtelgebirge, Bavaria.

Fichu Fich"u noun [ French, neckerchief.] A light cape, usually of lace, worn by women, to cover the neck and throat, and extending to the shoulders.

Fickle Fic"kle adjective [ Middle English fikel untrustworthy, deceitful, Anglo-Saxon ficol , from fic , gefic , fraud, deceit; confer fācen deceit, Old Saxon f...kn , Old High German feichan , Icelandic feikn portent. Confer Fidget .] Not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable; of a changeable mind; not firm in opinion or purpose; inconstant; capricious; as, Fortune's fickle wheel. Shak.

They know how fickle common lovers are.

Dryden.

Syn. -- Wavering; irresolute; unsettled; vacillating; unstable; inconsonant; unsteady; variable; mutable; changeful; capricious; veering; shifting.

Fickleness Fic"kle·ness noun The quality of being fickle; instability; inconsonancy. Shak.

Fickly Fic"kly adverb In a fickle manner. [ Obsolete] Pepys.

Fico Fi"co noun ; plural Ficoes . [ Italian , a fig, from Latin ficus . See Fig .] A fig; an insignificant trifle, no more than the snap of one's thumb; a sign of contempt made by the fingers, expressing. A fig for you .

Steal! foh, a fico for the phrase.

Shak.

Fictile Fic"tile adjective [ Latin fictilis . See Fiction .] Molded, or capable of being molded, into form by art; relating to pottery or to molding in any soft material.

Fictile earth is more fragile than crude earth.

Bacon.

The earliest specimens of Italian fictile art.

C. Wordsworth.

Fictile ware , ware made of any material which is molded or shaped while soft; hence, pottery of any sort.

-- Fic"tile*ness , noun -- Fic*til"i*ty noun

Fiction Fic"tion noun [ French fiction , Latin fictio , from fingere , fictum to form, shape, invent, feign. See Feign .] 1. The act of feigning, inventing, or imagining; as, by a mere fiction of the mind. Bp. Stillingfleet.

2. That which is feigned, invented, or imagined; especially, a feigned or invented story, whether oral or written. Hence: A story told in order to deceive; a fabrication; -- opposed to fact , or reality .

The fiction of those golden apples kept by a dragon.

Sir W. Raleigh.

When it could no longer be denied that her flight had been voluntary, numerous fictions were invented to account for it.

Macaulay.

3. Fictitious literature; comprehensively, all works of imagination; specifically, novels and romances.

The office of fiction as a vehicle of instruction and moral elevation has been recognized by most if not all great educators.

Dict. of Education.

4. (Law) An assumption of a possible thing as a fact, irrespective of the question of its truth. Wharton.

5. Any like assumption made for convenience, as for passing more rapidly over what is not disputed, and arriving at points really at issue.

Syn. -- Fabrication; invention; fable; falsehood. -- Fiction , Fabrication . Fiction is opposed to what is real; fabrication to what is true. Fiction is designed commonly to amuse, and sometimes to instruct; a fabrication is always intended to mislead and deceive. In the novels of Sir Walter Scott we have fiction of the highest order. The poems of Ossian, so called, were chiefly fabrications by Macpherson.

Fictional Fic"tion·al adjective Pertaining to, or characterized by, fiction; fictitious; romantic. " Fictional rather than historical." Latham.

Fictionist Fic"tion·ist noun A writer of fiction. [ R.] Lamb.

Fictious Fic"tious adjective Fictitious. [ R.] Prior.

Fictitious Fic·ti"tious adjective [ Latin fictitius . See Fiction .] Feigned; imaginary; not real; fabulous; counterfeit; false; not genuine; as, fictitious fame.

The human persons are as fictitious as the airy ones.

Pope.

-- Fic*ti"tious*ly , adverb -- Fic*ti"tious*ness , noun

Fictive Fic"tive adjective [ Confer French fictif .] Feigned; counterfeit. "The fount of fictive tears." Tennyson.

Fictor Fic"tor noun [ Latin ] An artist who models or forms statues and reliefs in any plastic material. [ R.] Elmes.

Ficus Fi"cus noun [ Latin , a fig.] A genus of trees or shrubs, one species of which ( F. Carica ) produces the figs of commerce; the fig tree.

» Ficus Indica is the banyan tree; F. religiosa , the peepul tree; F. elastica , the India-rubber tree.

Fid Fid noun [ Prov. English fid a small, thick lump.] 1. (Nautical) A square bar of wood or iron, used to support the topmast, being passed through a hole or mortise at its heel, and resting on the trestle trees.

2. A wooden or metal bar or pin, used to support or steady anything.

3. A pin of hard wood, tapering to a point, used to open the strands of a rope in splicing.

» There are hand fids and standing fids (which are larger than the others, and stand upon a flat base). An iron implement for this purpose is called a marline spike .

4. (Mil.) A block of wood used in mounting and dismounting heavy guns.

Fidalgo Fi·dal"go noun [ Portuguese See Hidalgo .] The lowest title of nobility in Portugal, corresponding to that of Hidalgo in Spain.

Fiddle Fid"dle (fĭd"d'l) noun [ Middle English fidele , fithele , Anglo-Saxon fiðele ; akin to Dutch vedel , Old High German fidula , German fiedel , Icelandic fiðla , and perhaps to English viol . Confer Viol .] 1. (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a violin; a kit.

2. (Botany) A kind of dock ( Rumex pulcher ) with fiddle-shaped leaves; -- called also fiddle dock .

3. (Nautical) A rack or frame of bars connected by strings, to keep table furniture in place on the cabin table in bad weather. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Fiddle beetle (Zoology) , a Japanese carabid beetle ( Damaster blaptoides ); -- so called from the form of the body. -- Fiddle block (Nautical) , a long tackle block having two sheaves of different diameters in the same plane, instead of side by side as in a common double block. Knight. -- Fiddle bow , fiddlestick. -- Fiddle fish (Zoology) , the angel fish. -- Fiddle head , an ornament on a ship's bow, curved like the volute or scroll at the head of a violin. -- Fiddle pattern , a form of the handles of spoons, forks, etc., somewhat like a violin. -- Scotch fiddle , the itch. (Low) -- To play first, or second , fiddle , to take a leading or a subordinate part. [ Colloq.]

Fiddle Fid"dle intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Fiddled ; present participle & verbal noun Fiddling .] 1. To play on a fiddle.

Themistocles . . . said he could not fiddle , but he could make a small town a great city.

Bacon.

2. To keep the hands and fingers actively moving as a fiddler does; to move the hands and fingers restlessy or in busy idleness; to trifle.

Talking, and fiddling with their hats and feathers.

Pepys.

Fiddle Fid"dle transitive verb To play (a tune) on a fiddle.

Fiddle-faddle Fid"dle-fad`dle noun A trifle; trifling talk; nonsense. [ Colloq.] Spectator.

Fiddle-faddle Fid"dle-fad`dle intransitive verb To talk nonsense. [ Colloq.] Ford.

Fiddle-shaped Fid"dle-shaped` adjective (Botany) Inversely ovate, with a deep hollow on each side. Gray.

Fiddledeedee Fid"dle·dee·dee` interj. An exclamatory word or phrase, equivalent to nonsense ! [ Colloq.]

Fiddler Fid"dler noun [ Anglo-Saxon fiðelere .] 1. One who plays on a fiddle or violin.

2. (Zoology) A burrowing crab of the genus Gelasimus , of many species. The male has one claw very much enlarged, and often holds it in a position similar to that in which a musician holds a fiddle, hence the name; -- called also calling crab , soldier crab , and fighting crab .

3. (Zoology) The common European sandpiper ( Tringoides hypoleucus ); -- so called because it continually oscillates its body.

Fiddler crab . (Zoology) See Fiddler , noun , 2.

Fiddlestick Fid"dle·stick` noun The bow, strung with horsehair, used in playing the fiddle; a fiddle bow.

Fiddlestring Fid"dle·string` noun One of the catgut strings of a fiddle.

Fiddlewood Fid"dle·wood` noun [ Corrupted from F. bois- fidèle , lit., faithful wood; -- so called from its durability.] The wood of several West Indian trees, mostly of the genus Citharexylum .

Fidejussion Fi`de·jus"sion noun [ Latin fidejussio , from fidejubere to be surety or bail; fides faith + jubere to order: confer French fidéjussion .] (Civil Law) The act or state of being bound as surety for another; suretyship.

Fidejussor Fi`de·jus"sor noun [ Latin : confer French fidéjusseur .] (Civil Law) A surety; one bound for another, conjointly with him; a guarantor. Blackstone.

Fidelity Fi·del"i·ty noun [ Latin fidelitas : confer French fidélité . See Fealty .] Faithfulness; adherence to right; careful and exact observance of duty, or discharge of obligations. Especially: (a) Adherence to a person or party to which one is bound; loyalty.

Whose courageous fidelity was proof to all danger.

Macaulay.

The best security for the fidelity of men is to make interest coincide with duty.

A. Hamilton.

(b) Adherence to the marriage contract. (c) Adherence to truth; veracity; honesty.

The principal thing required in a witness is fidelity .

Hooker.

Syn. -- Faithfulness; honesty; integrity; faith; loyalty; fealty.

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