Fret Fret noun 1. Ornamental work in relief, as carving or embossing. See Fretwork .

2. (Architecture) An ornament consisting of small fillets or slats intersecting each other or bent at right angles, as in classical designs, or at oblique angles, as often in Oriental art.

His lady's cabinet is a adorned on the fret , ceiling, and chimney-piece with . . . carving.

Evelyn.

3. The reticulated headdress or net, made of gold or silver wire, in which ladies in the Middle Ages confined their hair.

A fret of gold she had next her hair.

Chaucer.

Fret saw , a saw with a long, narrow blade, used in cutting frets, scrolls, etc.; a scroll saw; a keyhole saw; a compass saw.

Fret Fret noun [ French frette a saltire, also a hoop, ferrule, probably a dim. of Latin ferrum iron. For sense 2, confer also English fret to rub.] 1. (Her.) A saltire interlaced with a mascle.

2. (Mus.) A short piece of wire, or other material fixed across the finger board of a guitar or a similar instrument, to indicate where the finger is to be placed.

Fret Fret transitive verb To furnish with frets, as an instrument of music.

Fretful Fret"ful adjective [ See 2d Fret .] Disposed to fret; ill-humored; peevish; angry; in a state of vexation; as, a fretful temper. -- Fret"ful*ly , adverb -- Fret"ful*ness , noun

Syn. -- Peevish; ill-humored; ill-natured; irritable; waspish; captious; petulant; splenetic; spleeny; passionate; angry. - - Fretful , Peevish , Cross . These words all indicate an unamiable working and expression of temper. Peevish marks more especially the inward spirit: a peevish man is always ready to find fault. Fretful points rather to the outward act, and marks a complaining impatience: sickly children are apt to be fretful . Crossness is peevishness mingled with vexation or anger.

Frett Frett noun [ See 2d Fret .] (Mining) The worn side of the bank of a river. See 4th Fret , noun , 4.

Frett Frett noun [ See Frit .] A vitreous compound, used by potters in glazing, consisting of lime, silica, borax, lead, and soda.

Fretted Fret"ted past participle & adjective [ From 2d Fret .]

1. Rubbed or worn away; chafed.

2. Agitated; vexed; worried.

Fretted Fret"ted past participle & adjective [ See 5th Fret .] 1. Ornamented with fretwork; furnished with frets; variegated; made rough on the surface.

2. (Her.) Interlaced one with another; -- said of charges and ordinaries.

Fretten Fret"ten adjective [ The old past participle of fret to rub.] Rubbed; marked; as, pock- fretten , marked with the smallpox. [ Obsolete] Wright.

Fretter Fret"ter noun One who, or that which, frets.

Fretty Fret"ty adjective [ See 5th Fret .] Adorned with fretwork.

Fretum Fre"tum noun ; plural Freta . [ Latin ] A strait, or arm of the sea.

Fretwork Fret"work noun [ 6th fret + work .] Work adorned with frets; ornamental openwork or work in relief, esp. when elaborate and minute in its parts. Hence, any minute play of light and shade, dark and light, or the like.

Banqueting on the turf in the fretwork of shade and sunshine.

Macaulay.

Freya Frey"a (frī"ȧ) noun [ Icelandic Freyja .] (Scand. Myth.) The daughter of Njörd, and goddess of love and beauty; the Scandinavian Venus; - - in Teutonic myths confounded with Frigga, but in Scandinavian, distinct. [ Written also Frea , Freyia , and Freyja .]

Friabiiity Fri"a·bii"i·ty noun [ Confer French friabilité .] The quality of being friable; friableness. Locke.

Friable Fri"a·ble adjective [ Latin friabilis , from friare to rub, break, or crumble into small pieces, confer fricare to rub, English fray : confer French friable .] Easily crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder. " Friable ground." Evelyn. "Soft and friable texture." Paley. -- Fri'a*ble*ness , noun

Friar Fri"ar noun [ OR. frere , French frère brother, friar , from Latin frater brother. See Brother .] 1. (R. C. Ch.) A brother or member of any religious order, but especially of one of the four mendicant orders, viz: (a) Minors, Gray Friars, or Franciscans. (b) Augustines . (c) Dominicans or Black Friars. (d) White Friars or Carmelites. See these names in the Vocabulary.

2. (Print.) A white or pale patch on a printed page.

3. (Zoology) An American fish; the silversides.

Friar bird (Zoology) , an Australian bird ( Tropidorhynchus corniculatus ), having the head destitute of feathers; -- called also coldong , leatherhead , pimlico ; poor soldier , and four- o'clock . The name is also applied to several other species of the same genus. -- Friar's balsam (Medicine) , a stimulating application for wounds and ulcers, being an alcoholic solution of benzoin, styrax, tolu balsam, and aloes; compound tincture of benzoin. Brande & C. -- Friar's cap (Botany) , the monkshood. -- Friar's cowl (Botany) , an arumlike plant ( Arisarum vulgare ) with a spathe or involucral leaf resembling a cowl. -- Friar's lantern , the ignis fatuus or Will-o'-the-wisp. Milton. -- Friar skate (Zoology) , the European white or sharpnosed skate ( Raia alba ); -- called also Burton skate , border ray , scad , and doctor .

Friarly Fri"ar·ly adjective Like a friar; inexperienced. Bacon.

Friary Fri"ar·y adjective [ From Friar , noun ] Like a friar; pertaining to friars or to a convent. [ Obsolete] Camden.

Friary Fri"ar·y noun [ Old French frerie , frairie , from frère . See Friar .] 1. A monastery; a convent of friars. Drugdale.

2. The institution or practices of friars. Fuller.

Friation Fri·a"tion noun [ See Friable .] The act of breaking up or pulverizing.

Fribble Frib"ble adjective [ Confer French frivole , Latin frivolus , or English frippery .] Frivolous; trifling; silly.

Fribble Frib"ble noun A frivolous, contemptible fellow; a fop.

A pert fribble of a peer.

Thackeray.

Fribble Frib"ble intransitive verb 1. To act in a trifling or foolish manner; to act frivolously.

The fools that are fribbling round about you.

Thackeray.

2. To totter. [ Obsolete]

Fribbler Frib"bler noun A trifler; a fribble.

Fribbling Frib"bling adjective Frivolous; trining; toolishly captious.

Friborg, Friborgh Fri"borg, Fri"borgh noun [ Anglo-Saxon friðborh , lit., peace pledge; frið peace + borh , borg , pledge, akin to English borrow . The first part of the word was confused with free , the last part, with borough.] (Old Eng. Law) The pledge and tithing, afterwards called by the Normans frankpledge . See Frankpledge . [ Written also friburgh and fribourg .] Burril.

Fricace Fric"ace noun [ See Fricassee .] 1. Meat sliced and dressed with strong sauce. [ Obsolete] King.

2. An unguent; also, the act of rubbing with the unguent.

Fricandeau Fri`can`deau" Fric`an*do" noun [ French fricandeau ; confer Spanish fricandó .] A ragout or fricassee of veal; a fancy dish of veal or of boned turkey, served as an entrée , - - called also fricandel . A. J. Cooley.

Fricassee Fric"as·see` noun [ French fricassée , from fricasser to fry , fricassee ; confer Late Latin fricare , perhaps for frictare , fricare , frictum , to rub. Confer Fry , Friction .] A dish made of fowls, veal, or other meat of small animals cut into pieces, and stewed in a gravy.

Fricassee Fric"as·see` transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Fricasseed ; present participle &. verbal noun Fricasseeing .] To dress like a fricassee.

Frication Fri·ca"tion noun [ Latin fricatio , from fricare , fricatum , to rub. ] Friction. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

Fricative Fric"a·tive adjective [ See Frication .] (Phon.) Produced by the friction or rustling of the breath, intonated or unintonated, through a narrow opening between two of the mouth organs; uttered through a close approach, but not with a complete closure, of the organs of articulation, and hence capable of being continued or prolonged; -- said of certain consonantal sounds, as f , v , s , z , etc. -- noun A fricative consonant letter or sound. See Guide to Pronunciation , §§ 197-206, etc.

Fricatrice Fric"a·trice noun [ Confer Latin frictrix , from fricare to rub.] A lewd woman; a harlot. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Frickle Fric"kle noun A bushel basket. [ Obsolete]

Friction Fric"tion noun [ Latin frictio , from fricare , frictum ,to rub: confer French friction . See Fray to rub, arid confer Dentifrice .] 1. The act of rubbing the surface of one body against that of another; attrition; in hygiene, the act of rubbing the body with the hand, with flannel, or with a brush etc., to excite the skin to healthy action.

2. (Mech.) The resistance which a body meets with from the surface on which it moves. It may be resistance to sliding motion, or to rolling motion.

3. A clashing between two persons or parties in opinions or work; a disagreement tending to prevent or retard progress.

Angle of friction (Mech.) , the angle which a plane onwhich a body is lying makes with a horizontal plane,when the hody is just ready to slide dewn the plane. This angle varies for different bodies, and for planes of different materials. -- Anti-friction wheels (Machinery) , wheels turning freely on small pivots, and sustaining, at the angle formed by their circumferences, the pivot or journal of a revolving shaft, to relieve it of friction; -- called also friction wheels . -- Friction balls , or Friction rollers , balls or rollers placed so as to receive the pressure or weight of bodies in motion, and relieve friction, as in the hub of a bicycle wheel. -- Friction brake (Machinery) , a form of dynamometer for measuring the power a motor exerts. A clamp around the revolving shaft or fly wheel of the motor resists the motion by its friction, the work thus absorbed being ascertained by observing the force required to keep the clamp from revolving with the shaft; a Prony brake. -- Friction chocks , brakes attached to the common standing garrison carriages of guns, so as to raise the trucks or wheels off the platform when the gun begins to recoil, and prevent its running back. Earrow. -- Friction clutch , Friction coupling , an engaging and disengaging gear for revolving shafts, pulleys, etc., acting by friction ; esp.: (a) A device in which a piece on one shaft or pulley is so forcibly pressed against a piece on another shaft that the two will revolve together; as, in the illustration, the cone a on one shaft, when thrust forcibly into the corresponding hollow cone b on the other shaft, compels the shafts to rotate together, by the hold the friction of the conical surfaces gives. (b) A toothed clutch, one member of which, instead of being made fast on its shaft, is held by friction and can turn, by slipping, under excessive strain or in starting. -- Friction drop hammer , one in which the hammer is raised for striking by the friction of revolving rollers which nip the hammer rod. -- Friction gear . See Frictional gearing , under Frictional . -- Friction machine , an electrical machine, generating electricity by friction. -- Friction meter , an instrument for measuring friction, as in testing lubricants. -- Friction powder , Friction composition , a composition of chlorate of potassium, antimony, sulphide, etc, which readily ignites by friction. -- Friction primer , Friction tube , a tube used for firing cannon by means of the friction of a roughened wire in the friction powder or composition with which the tube is filled. -- Friction wheel (Machinery) , one of the wheels in frictional gearing. See under Frictional .

Frictional Fric"tion·al adjective Relating to friction; moved by friction; produced by friction; as, frictional electricity.

Frictional gearing , wheels which transmit motion by surface friction instead of teeth. The faces are sometimes made more or less V-shaped to increase or decrease friction, as required.

Frictionless Fric"tion·less adjective Having no friction.

Friday Fri"day noun [ Anglo-Saxon frigedæg , from Frigu , the gooddes of marriage; friqu love + dæg day; confer Icelandic Frigg name of a goddess, the wife of Odin or Wodan, Old High German Frīatag , Icelandic Frjādagr . Anglo-Saxon frigu is probably from the root of English friend , free . See Free , and Day .] The sixth day of the week, following Thursday and preceding Saturday.

Fridge Fridge transitive verb [ Anglo-Saxon frician to dance, from free bold. Confer Freak , noun ] To rub; to fray. [ Obsolete] Sterne.

Fridstol Frid"stol` (frĭd"stōl`), Frith`stool" (frĭth"stōl`) , noun [ Anglo-Saxon friðstō l. See Fred , and Stool .] A seat in churches near the altar, to which offenders formerly fled for sanctuary. [ Written variously fridstool , freedstool , etc.] [ Obsolete]

Fried Fried (frīd), imperfect & past participle of Fry .

Friend Friend (frĕnd) noun [ OR. frend , freond , Anglo-Saxon freónd , prop. present participle of freón , freógan , to love; akin to Dutch vriend friend, Old Saxon friund friend, friohan to love, Old High German friunt friend, German freund , Icelandic frændi kinsman, Swedish frände . Goth. frijōnds friend, frijōn to love. √83. See Free , and confer Fiend .] 1. One who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect, and affection that he seeks his society and welfare; a wellwisher; an intimate associate; sometimes, an attendant.

Want gives to know the flatterer from the friend .

Dryden.

A friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Prov. xviii. 24.

2. One not inimical or hostile; one not a foe or enemy; also, one of the same nation, party, kin, etc., whose friendly feelings may be assumed. The word is some times used as a term of friendly address.

Friend , how camest thou in hither?

Matt. xxii. 12.

3. One who looks propitiously on a cause, an institution, a project, and the like; a favorer; a promoter; as, a friend to commerce, to poetry, to an institution.

4. One of a religious sect characterized by disuse of outward rites and an ordained ministry, by simplicity of dress and speech, and esp. by opposition to war and a desire to live at peace with all men. They are popularly called Quakers.

America was first visited by Friends in 1656.

T. Chase.

5. A paramour of either sex. [ Obsolete] Shak.

A friend at court or in court , one disposed to act as a friend in a place of special opportunity or influence. -- To be friends with , to have friendly relations with. "He's . . . friends with Cæsar." Shak. -- To make friends with , to become reconciled to or on friendly terms with. "Having now made friends with the Athenians." Jowett (Thucyd.).

Friend Friend transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Friended ; present participle & verbal noun Friending .] To act as the friend of; to favor; to countenance; to befriend. [ Obsolete]

Fortune friends the bold.

Spenser.

Friended Friend"ed adjective 1. Having friends; [ Obsolete]

2. Inclined to love; well-disposed. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Friending Friend"ing noun Friendliness. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Friendless Friend"less adjective [ Anglo-Saxon freóndleás .] Destitute of friends; forsaken. -- Friend"less*ness , noun

Friendlily Friend"li·ly adverb In a friendly manner. Pope.

Friendliness Friend"li·ness noun The condition or quality of being friendly. Sir P. Sidney.

Friendly Friend"ly adjective [ Anglo-Saxon freéndlīce .] 1. Having the temper and disposition of a friend; disposed to promote the good of another; kind; favorable.

2. Appropriate to, or implying, friendship; befitting friends; amicable.

In friendly relations with his moderate opponents.

Macaulay.

3. Not hostile; as, a friendly power or state.

4. Promoting the good of any person; favorable; propitious; serviceable; as, a friendly breeze or gale.

On the first friendly bank he throws him down.

Addison.

Syn. -- Amicable; kind; conciliatory; propitious; favorable. See Amicable .

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