Fin-toed adjective (Zoology) Having toes connected by a membrane; palmiped; palmated; also, lobate.

Finner noun (Zoology) A finback whale.

Finnic adjective Of or pertaining to the Finns.

Finnikin noun (Zoology) A variety of pigeon, with a crest somewhat resembling the mane of a horse. [ Written also finikin .]

Finnish adjective Of or pertaining to Finland, to the Finns, or to their language. -- noun A Northern Turanian group of languages; the language of the Finns.

Finns noun plural ; sing. Finn . (Ethnol.) (a) Natives of Finland; Finlanders. (b) A branch of the Mongolian race, inhabiting Northern and Eastern Europe, including the Magyars, Bulgarians, Permians, Lapps, and Finlanders. [ Written also Fins .]

Finny adjective
1. (Zoology) Having, or abounding in, fins, as fishes; pertaining to fishes.

2. Abounding in fishes.

With patient angle trolls the finny deep.

Goldsmoth.

Finochio noun [ Italian finocchio fennel, Late Latin fenuclum . See Fennel .] (Botany) An umbelliferous plant ( Fœniculum dulce ) having a somewhat tuberous stem; sweet fennel. The blanched stems are used in France and Italy as a culinary vegetable.

Finos noun plural [ Spanish , plural, from fino fine.] Second best wool from Merino sheep. Gardner.

Finpike noun (Zoology) The bichir. See Crossopterygii .

Finsen light [ After Prof. Niels R. Finsen (b. 1860), Danish physician.] (Medicine) Highly actinic light, derived from sunlight or from some form of electric lamp, used in the treatment of lupus and other cutaneous affections.

Fint 3d pers. sing. pr. of Find , for findeth . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Fiord (fy...rd; i or y consonant, § 272) noun [ Dan. & Norw. fiord . See Frith .] A narrow inlet of the sea, penetrating between high banks or rocks, as on the coasts of Norway and Alaska. [ Written also fjord .]

Fiorin noun [ Confer Ir. fiothran a sort of grass.] (Botany) A species of creeping bent grass ( Agrostis alba ); -- called also fiorin grass .

Fiorite noun (Min.) A variety of opal occuring in the cavities of volcanic tufa, in smooth and shining globular and botryoidal masses, having a pearly luster; - - so called from Fiora , in Ischia.

Fioriture noun plural [ Italian , plural of fioritura a flowering.] (Mus.) Little flowers of ornament introduced into a melody by a singer or player.

Fippenny bit (? or ?). [ Corruption of five penny bit .] The Spanish half real, or one sixteenth of a dollar, - - so called in Pennsylvania and the adjacent States. [ Obsolete]

» Before the act of Congress, Feb. 21, 1857, caused the adoption of decimal coins and the withdrawal of foreign coinage from circulation, this coin passed currently for 6¼ cents, and was called in New England a fourpence ha'penny or fourpence ; in New York a sixpence ; in Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc., a fip ; and in Louisiana, a picayune .

Fipple (fẽr) noun [ perh. from Latin fibula a clasp, a pin; confer Prov. English fible a stick used to stir pottage.] A stopper, as in a wind instrument of music. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

Fir (fẽr) noun [ Danish fyr , fyrr ; akin to Swedish furu , Icelandic fura , Anglo-Saxon furh in furh wudu fir wood, German föhre , Old High German forha pine, vereh eih a sort of oak, Latin quercus oak.] (Botany) A genus ( Abies ) of coniferous trees, often of large size and elegant shape, some of them valued for their timber and others for their resin. The species are distinguished as the balsam fir , the silver fir , the red fir , etc. The Scotch fir is a Pinus .

» Fir in the Bible means any one of several coniferous trees, including, cedar, cypress, and probably three species of pine. J. D. Hooker.

Fir tree See Fir .

Fire (fīr) noun [ Middle English fir , fyr , fur Anglo-Saxon fȳr ; akin to Dutch vuur , Old Saxon & Old High German fiur , German feuer , Icelandic fȳri , fūrr , Greek py^r , and perhaps to Latin purus pure, English pure Confer Empyrean , Pyre .]
1. The evolution of light and heat in the combustion of bodies; combustion; state of ignition.

» The form of fire exhibited in the combustion of gases in an ascending stream or current is called flame . Anciently, fire , air, earth, and water were regarded as the four elements of which all things are composed.

2. Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in a stove or a furnace.

3. The burning of a house or town; a conflagration.

4. Anything which destroys or affects like fire.

5. Ardor of passion, whether love or hate; excessive warmth; consuming violence of temper.

he had fire in his temper.

Atterbury.

6. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and zeal.

And bless their critic with a poet's fire .

Pope.

7. Splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a star.

Stars, hide your fires .

Shak.

As in a zodiac
representing the heavenly fires .

Milton.

8. Torture by burning; severe trial or affliction.

9. The discharge of firearms; firing; as, the troops were exposed to a heavy fire .

Blue fire , Red fire , Green fire (Pyrotech.) , compositions of various combustible substances, as sulphur, niter, lampblack, etc., the flames of which are colored by various metallic salts, as those of antimony, strontium, barium, etc. -- Fire alarm (a) A signal given on the breaking out of a fire. (b) An apparatus for giving such an alarm. -- Fire annihilator , a machine, device, or preparation to be kept at hand for extinguishing fire by smothering it with some incombustible vapor or gas, as carbonic acid. -- Fire balloon . (a) A balloon raised in the air by the buoyancy of air heated by a fire placed in the lower part . (b) A balloon sent up at night with fireworks which ignite at a regulated height. Simmonds. -- Fire bar , a grate bar. -- Fire basket , a portable grate; a cresset. Knight. -- Fire beetle . (Zoology) See in the Vocabulary. -- Fire blast , a disease of plants which causes them to appear as if burnt by fire. -- Fire box , the chamber of a furnace, steam boiler, etc., for the fire. -- Fire brick , a refractory brick, capable of sustaining intense heat without fusion, usually made of fire clay or of siliceous material, with some cementing substance, and used for lining fire boxes, etc. -- Fire brigade , an organized body of men for extinguished fires. -- Fire bucket . See under Bucket . -- Fire bug , an incendiary; one who, from malice or through mania, persistently sets fire to property; a pyromaniac. [ U.S.] -- Fire clay . See under Clay . -- Fire company , a company of men managing an engine in extinguishing fires. -- Fire cross . See Fiery cross . [ Obsolete] Milton. -- Fire damp . See under Damp . -- Fire dog . See Firedog , in the Vocabulary. -- Fire drill . (a) A series of evolutions performed by fireman for practice . (b) An apparatus for producing fire by friction, by rapidly twirling a wooden pin in a wooden socket; -- used by the Hindoos during all historic time, and by many savage peoples. -- Fire eater . (a) A juggler who pretends to eat fire. (b) A quarrelsome person who seeks affrays; a hotspur. [ Colloq.] -- Fire engine , a portable forcing pump, usually on wheels, for throwing water to extinguish fire. -- Fire escape , a contrivance for facilitating escape from burning buildings. -- Fire gilding (Fine Arts) , a mode of gilding with an amalgam of gold and quicksilver, the latter metal being driven off afterward by heat. -- Fire gilt (Fine Arts) , gold laid on by the process of fire gilding. -- Fire insurance , the act or system of insuring against fire; also, a contract by which an insurance company undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium or small percentage -- usually made periodically -- to indemnify an owner of property from loss by fire during a specified period. -- Fire irons , utensils for a fireplace or grate, as tongs, poker, and shovel. -- Fire main , a pipe for water, to be used in putting out fire. -- Fire master (Mil) , an artillery officer who formerly supervised the composition of fireworks. -- Fire office , an office at which to effect insurance against fire. -- Fire opal , a variety of opal giving firelike reflections. -- Fire ordeal , an ancient mode of trial, in which the test was the ability of the accused to handle or tread upon red-hot irons. Abbot. -- Fire pan , a pan for holding or conveying fire, especially the receptacle for the priming of a gun. -- Fire plug , a plug or hydrant for drawing water from the main pipes in a street, building, etc., for extinguishing fires. -- Fire policy , the writing or instrument expressing the contract of insurance against loss by fire. -- Fire pot . (a) (Mil.) A small earthen pot filled with combustibles, formerly used as a missile in war. (b) The cast iron vessel which holds the fuel or fire in a furnace. (c) A crucible. (d) A solderer's furnace. -- Fire raft , a raft laden with combustibles, used for setting fire to an enemy's ships. -- Fire roll , a peculiar beat of the drum to summon men to their quarters in case of fire. -- Fire setting (Mining) , the process of softening or cracking the working face of a lode, to facilitate excavation, by exposing it to the action of fire; -- now generally superseded by the use of explosives. Raymond. -- Fire ship , a vessel filled with combustibles, for setting fire to an enemy's ships. -- Fire shovel , a shovel for taking up coals of fire. -- Fire stink , the stench from decomposing iron pyrites, caused by the formation of sulphureted hydrogen. Raymond. -- Fire surface , the surfaces of a steam boiler which are exposed to the direct heat of the fuel and the products of combustion; heating surface. -- Fire swab , a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc. Farrow. -- Fire teaser , in England, the fireman of a steam emgine. -- Fire water , ardent spirits; -- so called by the American Indians. -- Fire worship , the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly in Persia, among the followers of Zoroaster, called Chebers , or Guebers , and among the Parsees of India. -- Greek fire . See under Greek . -- On fire , burning; hence, ardent; passionate; eager; zealous. -- Running fire , the rapid discharge of firearms in succession by a line of troops. -- St. Anthony's fire , erysipelas; -- an eruptive fever which St. Anthony was supposed to cure miraculously. Hoblyn. -- St. Elmo's fire . See under Saint Elmo . -- To set on fire , to inflame; to kindle. -- To take fire , to begin to burn; to fly into a passion.

Fire transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Fired ; present participle & verbal noun Fring .]
1. To set on fire; to kindle; as, to fire a house or chimney; to fire a pile.

2. To subject to intense heat; to bake; to burn in a kiln; as, to fire pottery.

3. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions; as, to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge.

Love had fired my mind.

Dryden.

4. To animate; to give life or spirit to; as, to fire the genius of a young man.

5. To feed or serve the fire of; as, to fire a boiler.

6. To light up as if by fire; to illuminate.

[ The sun] fires the proud tops of the eastern pines.

Shak.

7. To cause to explode; as, to fire a torpedo; to disharge; as, to fire a musket or cannon; to fire cannon balls, rockets, etc.

8. To drive by fire. [ Obsolete]

Till my bad angel fire my good one out.

Shak.

9. (Far.) To cauterize.

To fire up , to light up the fires of, as of an engine.

Fire intransitive verb
1. To take fire; to be kindled; to kindle.

2. To be irritated or inflamed with passion.

3. To discharge artillery or firearms; as, they fired on the town.

To fire up , to grow irritated or angry. "He . . . fired up , and stood vigorously on his defense." Macaulay.

Fire beetle (Zoology) A very brilliantly luminous beetle ( Pyrophorus noctilucus ), one of the elaters, found in Central and South America; -- called also cucujo . The name is also applied to other species. See Firefly .

Fire-fanged adjective [ Fire + fanged seized.] Injured as by fire; burned; -- said of manure which has lost its goodness and acquired an ashy hue in consequence of heat generated by decomposition.

Fire-new adjective Fresh from the forge; bright; quite new; brand-new. Charles reade.

Your fire-new stamp of honor is scarce current.

Shak.

Firearm (-ärm`) noun A gun, pistol, or any weapon from which a shot is discharged by the force of an explosive substance, as gunpowder.

Fireback noun (Zoology) One of several species of pheasants of the genus Euplocamus , having the lower back a bright, fiery red. They inhabit Southern Asia and the East Indies.

Fireball noun (a) (Mil.) A ball filled with powder or other combustibles, intended to be thrown among enemies, and to injure by explosion; also, to set fire to their works and light them up, so that movements may be seen. (b) A luminous meteor, resembling a ball of fire passing rapidly through the air, and sometimes exploding.

Fireball noun Ball, or globular, lightning.

Firebare noun A beacon. [ Obsolete] Burrill.

Firebird noun (Zoology) The Baltimore oriole.

Fireboard noun A chimney board or screen to close a fireplace when not in use.

Firebote noun (O. Eng. Law) An allowance of fuel. See Bote .

Firebrand noun
1. A piece of burning wood. L'Estrange.

2. One who inflames factions, or causes contention and mischief; an incendiary. Bacon.

Firecracker noun See Cracker ., noun , 3.

Firecrest noun (Zoology) A small European kinglet ( Regulus ignicapillus ), having a bright red crest; -- called also fire-crested wren .

Firedog noun A support for wood in a fireplace; an andiron.

Firedrake noun [ Anglo-Saxon fȳrdraca ; fȳr fire + draca a dragon. See Fire , and Drake a dragon.] [ Obsolete]
1. A fiery dragon. Beau. & Fl.

2. A fiery meteor; an ignis fatuus; a rocket.

3. A worker at a furnace or fire. B. Jonson.

Firefish noun (Zoology) A singular marine fish of the genus Pterois , family Scorpænidæ , of several species, inhabiting the Indo-Pacific region. They are usually red, and have very large spinose pectoral and dorsal fins.

Fireflaire noun [ Fire + Prov. English flaire a ray.] (Zoology) A European sting ray of the genus Trygon ( T. pastinaca ); -- called also fireflare and fiery flaw .

Fireflame noun (Zoology) The European band fish ( Cepola rubescens ).

Firefly noun ; plural Fireflies (Zoology) Any luminous winged insect, esp. luminous beetles of the family Lampyridæ .

» The common American species belong to the genera Photinus and Photuris , in which both sexes are winged. The name is also applied to luminous species of Elateridæ . See Fire beetle .

Fireless adjective Destitute of fire.

Firelock noun An old form of gunlock, as the flintlock, which ignites the priming by a spark; perhaps originally, a matchlock. Hence, a gun having such a lock.

Fireman noun ; plural Firemen (-m e n).
1. A man whose business is to extinguish fires in towns; a member of a fire company.

2. A man who tends the fires, as of a steam engine; a stocker.

Fireplace noun The part a chimney appropriated to the fire; a hearth; -- usually an open recess in a wall, in which a fire may be built.

Fireproof adjective Proof against fire; incombustible.

Fireproofing noun The act or process of rendering anything incombustible; also, the materials used in the process.

Firer noun One who fires or sets fire to anything; an incendiary. [ R.] R. Carew.