Firetail Fire"tail` noun (Zoology) The European redstart; -- called also fireflirt . [ prov. Eng.]

Firewarden Fire"ward`en noun An officer who has authority to direct in the extinguishing of fires, or to order what precautions shall be taken against fires; -- called also fireward .

Fireweed Fire"weed` noun (Botany) (a) An American plant ( Erechthites hiercifolia ), very troublesome in spots where brushwood has been burned. (b) The great willow-herb ( Epilobium spicatum ).

Firewood Fire"wood` noun Wood for fuel.

Firework Fire"work` noun 1. A device for producing a striking display of light, or a figure or figures in plain or colored fire, by the combustion of materials that burn in some peculiar manner, as gunpowder, sulphur, metallic filings, and various salts. The most common feature of fireworks is a paper or pasteboard tube filled with the combustible material. A number of these tubes or cases are often combined so as to make, when kindled, a great variety of figures in fire, often variously colored. The skyrocket is a common form of firework . The name is also given to various combustible preparations used in war.
[ 1913 Webster]

2. plural A pyrotechnic exhibition. [ Obsolete in the sing.]

Night before last, the Duke of Richmond gave a firework .

Walpole.

Fireworm Fire"worm` noun (Zoology) The larva of a small tortricid moth which eats the leaves of the cranberry, so that the vines look as if burned; -- called also cranberry worm .

Firing Fir"ing noun 1. The act of discharging firearms.

2. The mode of introducing fuel into the furnace and working it. Knight.

3. The application of fire, or of a cautery. Dunglison.

4. The process of partly vitrifying pottery by exposing it to intense heat in a kiln.

5. Fuel; firewood or coal. [ Obsolete] Mortimer.

Firing iron , an instrument used in cauterizing.

Firing pin Fir"ing pin` In the breech mechanism of a firearm, the pin which strikes the head of the cartridge and explodes it.

Firk Firk transitive verb [ Confer Middle English ferken to proceed, hasten, Anglo-Saxon fercian to bring, assist; perhaps akin to faran to go, English fare .] To beat; to strike; to chastise. [ Obsolete]

I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him.

Shak.

Firk Firk intransitive verb To fly out; to turn out; to go off. [ Obsolete]

A wench is a rare bait, with which a man

No sooner's taken but he straight firks mad.B.Jonson.

Firk Firk noun A freak; trick; quirk. [ Obsolete] Ford.

Firkin Fir"kin noun [ From Anglo-Saxon feówer four (or an allied word, perhaps Dutch or Danish) + -kin . See Four .] 1. A varying measure of capacity, usually being the fourth part of a barrel; specifically, a measure equal to nine imperial gallons. [ Eng.]

2. A small wooden vessel or cask of indeterminate size, -- used for butter, lard, etc. [ U.S.]

Firlot Fir"lot noun [ Scot., the fourth part of a boll of grain, from a word equiv. to English four + lot part, portion. See Firkin .] A dry measure formerly used in Scotland; the fourth part of a boll of grain or meal. The Linlithgow wheat firlot was to the imperial bushel as 998 to 1000; the barley firlot as 1456 to 1000. Brande & C.

Firm Firm adjective [ Compar. Firmer ; superl. Firmest .] [ Middle English ferme , French ferme , from Latin firmus ; confer Sanskrit dharman support, law, order, dh... to hold fast, carry. Confer Farm , Throne .] 1. Fixed; hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid; -- applied to the matter of bodies; as, firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood.

2. Not easily excited or disturbed; unchanging in purpose; fixed; steady; constant; stable; unshaken; not easily changed in feelings or will; strong; as, a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent.

Under spread ensigns, moving nigh, in slow
But firm battalion.

Milton.

By one man's firm obediency fully tried.

Milton.

3. Solid; -- opposed to fluid ; as, firm land.

4. Indicating firmness; as, a firm tread; a firm countenance.

Syn. -- Compact; dense; hard; solid; stanch; robust; strong; sturdly; fixed; steady; resolute; constant.

Firm Firm noun [ Italian firma the (firm, sure, or confirming) signature or subscription, or Portuguese firma signature, firm, confer Spanish firma signature; all from Latin firmus , adj., firm. See Firm , adjective ] The name, title, or style, under which a company transacts business; a partnership of two or more persons; a commercial house; as, the firm of Hope & Co.

Firm Firm transitive verb [ Middle English fermen to make firm, French fermer , from Latin firmare to make firm. See Firm , adjective ] 1. To fix; to settle; to confirm; to establish. [ Obsolete]

And Jove has firmed it with an awful nod.

Dryden.

2. To fix or direct with firmness. [ Obsolete]

He on his card and compass firms his eye.

Spenser.

Firmament Fir"ma·ment noun [ Latin firmamentum , from firmare to make firm: confer French firmament . See Firm , v. & adjective ] 1. Fixed foundation; established basis. [ Obsolete]

Custom is the . . . firmament of the law.

Jer. Taylor.

2. The region of the air; the sky or heavens.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Gen. i. 6.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament .

Gen. i. 14.

» In Scripture, the word denotes an expanse, a wide extent; the great arch or expanse over out heads, in which are placed the atmosphere and the clouds, and in which the stars appear to be placed, and are really seen.

3. (Old Astron.) The orb of the fixed stars; the most rmote of the celestial spheres.

Firmamental Fir`ma·men"tal adjective Pertaining to the firmament; celestial; being of the upper regions. Dryden.

Firman Fir"man noun ; plural Firmans or . [ Pers. fermān .] In Turkey and some other Oriental countries, a decree or mandate issued by the sovereign; a royal order or grant; -- generally given for special objects, as to a traveler to insure him protection and assistance. [ Written also firmaun .]

Firmer-chisel Firm"er-chis"el noun A chisel, thin in proportion to its width. It has a tang to enter the handle instead of a socket for receiving it. Knight.

Firmitude Firm"i·tude noun [ Latin firmitudo . See Firm .] Strength; stability. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

Firmity Firm"i·ty noun [ Latin firmitas .] Strength; firmness; stability. [ Obsolete] Chillingworth.

Firmless Firm"less adjective 1. Detached from substance. [ Obsolete]

Does passion still the firmless mind control?

Pope.

2. Infirm; unstable. " Firmless sands." Sylvester.

Firmly Firm"ly adverb In a firm manner.

Firmness Firm"ness noun The state or quality of being firm.

Syn. -- Firmness , Constancy . Firmness belongs to the will, and constancy to the affections and principles; the former prevents us from yielding, and the latter from fluctuating. Without firmness a man has no character; "without constancy ," says Addison, "there is neither love, friendship, nor virtue in the world."

Firms Firms noun plural [ From Firm , adjective ] (Architecture) The principal rafters of a roof, especially a pair of rafters taken together. [ Obsolete]

Firring Fir"ring noun (Architecture) See Furring .

Firry Fir"ry adjective Made of fir; abounding in firs.

In firry woodlands making moan.

Tennyson.

First First adjective [ Middle English first , furst , Anglo-Saxon fyrst ; akin to Icelandic fyrstr , Swedish & Danish förste , Old High German furist , German fürst prince; a superlatiye form of English for , fore . See For , Fore , and confer Formeer , Foremost .] 1. Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest; as, the first day of a month; the first year of a reign.

2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of, all others.

3. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest; as, Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece.

At first blush . See under Blush . -- At first hand , from the first or original source; without the intervention of any agent.

It is the intention of the person to reveal it at first hand , by way of mouth, to yourself.

Dickens.

-- First coat (Plastering) , the solid foundation of coarse stuff, on which the rest is placed; it is thick, and crossed with lines, so as to give a bond for the next coat. -- First day , Sunday; -- so called by the Friends. -- First floor . (a) The ground floor. [ U.S.] (b) The floor next above the ground floor. [ Eng.] -- First fruit or fruits . (a) The fruits of the season earliest gathered. (b) (Feudal Law) One year's profits of lands belonging to the king on the death of a tenant who held directly from him. (c) (Eng. Eccl. Law) The first year's whole profits of a benefice or spiritual living. (d) The earliest effects or results.

See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung
From thy implanted grace in man!

Milton.

-- First mate , an officer in a merchant vessel next in rank to the captain. -- First name , same as Christian name . See under Name , noun -- First officer (Nautical) , in the merchant service, same as First mate (above). -- First sergeant (Mil.) , the ranking non-commissioned officer in a company; the orderly sergeant. Farrow. -- First watch (Nautical) , the watch from eight to twelve at midnight; also, the men on duty during that time. -- First water , the highest quality or purest luster; -- said of gems, especially of diamond and pearls.

Syn. -- Primary; primordial; primitive; primeval; pristine; highest; chief; principal; foremost.

First First adverb Before any other person or thing in time, space, rank, etc.; -- much used in composition with adjectives and participles.

Adam was first formed, then Eve.

1 Tim. ii. 13.

At first , At the first , at the beginning or origin. -- First or last , at one time or another; at the beginning or end.

And all are fools and lovers first or last .

Dryden.

First First noun (Mus.) The upper part of a duet, trio, etc., either vocal or instrumental; -- so called because it generally expresses the air, and has a preëminence in the combined effect.

First-class First"-class` adjective Of the best class; of the highest rank; in the first division; of the best quality; first-rate; as, a first-class telescope.

First-class car or First-class railway carriage , any passenger car of the highest regular class, and intended for passengers who pay the highest regular rate; -- distinguished from a second-class car .

First-hand First"-hand` adjective Obtained directly from the first or original source; hence, without the intervention of an agent.

One sphere there is . . . where the apprehension of him is first-hand and direct; and that is the sphere of our own mind.

J. Martineau.

First-rate First"-rate` adjective Of the highest excellence; preëminent in quality, size, or estimation.

Our only first-rate body of contemporary poetry is the German.

M. Arnold.

Hermocrates . . . a man of first-rate ability.

Jowett (Thucyd).

First-rate First"-rate` noun (Nautical) A war vessel of the highest grade or the most powerful class.

Firstborn First"born` adjective First brought forth; first in the order of nativity; eldest; hence, most excellent; most distinguished or exalted.

Firstling First"ling noun [ First + - ling .] 1. The first produce or offspring; -- said of animals, especially domestic animals; as, the firstlings of his flock. Milton.

2. The thing first thought or done.

The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand.

Shak.

Firstling First"ling adjective Firstborn.

All the firstling males.

Deut. xv. 19.

Firstly First"ly adverb In the first place; before anything else; -- sometimes improperly used for first .

Firth Firth noun [ Scot. See Frith .] (geog.) An arm of the sea; a frith.

Fisc Fisc noun [ French fisc , from Latin fiscus basket, money basket, treasury; probably akin to fascis bundle. See Fasces .] A public or state treasury. Burke.

Fiscal Fis"cal adjective [ French fiscal , Latin fiscalis , from fiscus . See Fisc .] Pertaining to the public treasury or revenue.

The fiscal arreangements of government.

A>Hamilton.

Fiscal Fis"cal noun 1. The income of a prince or a state; revenue; exhequer. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

2. A treasurer. H. Swinburne.

3. A public officer in Scotland who prosecutes in petty criminal cases; -- called also procurator fiscal .

4. The solicitor in Spain and Portugal; the attorney-general.

Fisetic Fi·set"ic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to fustet or fisetin.

Fisetin Fis"e·tin noun [ German fisett holz a species of fustic.] (Chemistry) A yellow crystalline substance extracted from fustet, and regarded as its essential coloring principle; -- called also fisetic acid .

Fish Fish noun [ French fiche peg, mark, from fisher to fix.] A counter, used in various games.

Fish Fish noun ; plural Fishes , or collectively , Fish . [ Middle English fisch , fisc , fis , Anglo-Saxon fisc ; akin to Dutch visch , Old Saxon & Old High German fisk , German fisch , Icelandic fiskr , Swedish & Danish fisk , Goth. fisks , Latin piscis , Ir. iasg . Confer Piscatorial . In some cases, such as fish joint, fish plate, this word has probably been confused with fish , from French fiche a peg.] 1. A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water.

2. (Zoology) An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces .

» The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes), Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct classes, below the fishes.

3. plural The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces.

4. The flesh of fish, used as food.

5. (Nautical) (a) A purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard.

» Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear, fish -bellied.

Age of Fishes . See under Age , noun , 8. -- Fish ball , fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [ U.S.] -- Fish bar . Same as Fish plate (below). -- Fish beam (Mech.) , a beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the belly of a fish. Francis. -- Fish crow (Zoology) , a species of crow ( Corvus ossifragus ), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It feeds largely on fish. -- Fish culture , the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. -- Fish davit . See Davit . -- Fish day , a day on which fish is eaten; a fast day. -- Fish duck (Zoology) , any species of merganser. -- Fish fall , the tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor to the gunwale of a ship. -- Fish garth , a dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. - - Fish glue . See Isinglass . -- Fish joint , a joint formed by a plate or pair of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads. -- Fish kettle , a long kettle for boiling fish whole. -- Fish ladder , a dam with a series of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a river. -- Fish line , or Fishing line , a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in angling. -- Fish louse (Zoology) , any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus , Argulus , and other related genera. See Branchiura . -- Fish maw (Zoology) , the stomach of a fish; also, the air bladder, or sound. -- Fish meal , fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. -- Fish oil , oil obtained from the bodies of fish and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers, etc. -- Fish owl (Zoology) , a fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and Ketupa , esp. a large East Indian species ( K. Ceylonensis ). -- Fish plate , one of the plates of a fish joint. -- Fish pot , a wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs, lobsters, etc. -- Fish pound , a net attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir. [ Local, U.S.] Bartlett. -- Fish slice , a broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. -- Fish slide , an inclined box set in a stream at a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current. Knight. -- Fish sound , the air bladder of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. -- Fish story , a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or incredible narration. [ Colloq. U.S.] Bartlett. -- Fish strainer . (a) A metal colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler. (b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. -- Fish trowel , a fish slice. -- Fish weir or wear , a weir set in a stream, for catching fish. -- Neither fish nor flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.

Fish Fish intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Fished ; present participle & verbal noun Fishing .] 1. To attempt to catch fish; to be employed in taking fish, by any means, as by angling or drawing a net.

2. To seek to obtain by artifice, or indirectly to seek to draw forth; as, to fish for compliments.

Any other fishing question.

Sir W. Scott.

Fish Fish transitive verb [ Middle English fischen , fisken , fissen , Anglo-Saxon fiscian ; akin to German fischen , Old High German fisc...n , Goth. fisk...n . See Fish the animal.] 1. To catch; to draw out or up; as, to fish up an anchor.

2. To search by raking or sweeping. Swift.

3. To try with a fishing rod; to catch fish in; as, to fish a stream. Thackeray.

4. To strengthen (a beam, mast, etc.), or unite end to end (two timbers, railroad rails, etc.) by bolting a plank, timber, or plate to the beam, mast, or timbers, lengthwise on one or both sides. See Fish joint , under Fish , noun

To fish the anchor . (Nautical) See under Anchor .

Fish-bellied Fish"-bel`lied adjective Bellying or swelling out on the under side; as, a fish-bellied rail. Knight.

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