fr -abbr

  1. father
  2. franc
  3. friar
  4. from

Fr -abbr

  1. France; French
  2. Friday
  3. francium

Fra ['frä] -n

  1. used as a title equivalent to brother preceding the name of an Italian monk or friar

fra·cas ['frā-kəs, 'fra-, Brit 'fra-,kä] -n

  1. a noisy quarrel : brawl

frac·tal ['frak-tᵊl] -n, adj

  1. any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part is similar in shape to a given larger or smaller part when magnified or reduced to the same size

fract·ed ['frak-təd] -adj

  1. broken

frac·tion ['frak-shən] -n

  1. a numerical representation (as , , or 3.234) indicating the quotient of two numbers
  2. a piece broken off : fragment
  3. a discrete unit : portion
  4. one of several portions (as of a distillate) separable by fractionation
  5. bit, little
    • a fraction closer

frac·tion·al [-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or being a fraction
  2. of, relating to, or being fractional currency
  3. relatively small : inconsiderable
  4. of, relating to, or involving a process for separating components of a mixture through differences in physical or chemical properties
    • fractional distillation

fractional currency -n

  1. paper money in denominations of less than one dollar issued by the U.S. 186376
  2. currency in denominations less than the basic monetary unit

frac·tion·al·ize ['frak-shnə-,līz, -shə-nə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to break up into parts or sections

frac·tion·ate ['frak-shə-,nāt] -vt, n

  1. to separate (as a mixture) into different portions esp. by a fractional process
  2. to divide or break up

frac·tious ['frak-shəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. tending to be troublesome : unruly
    • a fractious crowd
  2. quarrelsome, irritable

frac·ture ['frak-chər, -shər] -n

  1. the result of fracturing : break
  2. the act or process of breaking or the state of being broken
  3. the breaking of hard tissue (as bone)
  4. the rupture (as by tearing) of soft tissue
    • kidney fracture
  5. the general appearance of a freshly broken surface of a mineral

fracture [-chə-riŋ, -shriŋ] -vb

  1. to cause a fracture in : break
    • fracture a rib
  2. rupture, tear
  3. to damage or destroy as if by rupturing
  4. to cause great disorder in
  5. to break up : fractionate
  6. to go beyond the limits of (as rules) : violate
    • fractured the English language with malaprops -- Goodman Ace
  7. to undergo fracture

fracture zone -n

  1. an area of suboceanic crust characterized by fractures

frae ['frā] -prep

  1. from

frag·ile ['fra-jəl, -,jī(-ə)l] -adj, n

  1. easily broken or destroyed
    • a fragile vase
  2. constitutionally delicate : lacking in vigor
    • a fragile child
  3. tenuous, slight
    • fragile hope

fragile X syndrome -n

  1. an X-linked inherited disorder that is characterized esp. by moderate to severe mental retardation, by a long face and large ears, and by large testes in males and that often has limited or no effect in heterozygous females called also fragile X

frag·ment ['frag-mənt] -n

  1. a part broken off, detached, or incomplete
  2. to fall to pieces
  3. to break up or apart into fragments

frag·men·tal [frag-'men-tᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. fragmentary

frag·men·tary ['frag-mən-,ter-ē] -adj, adv, n

  1. consisting of fragments : incomplete
    • fragmentary evidence
    • a fragmentary account

frag·men·ta·tion [,frag-mən-'tā-shən, -,men-] -n, vb

  1. the act or process of fragmenting or making fragmentary
  2. the state of being fragmented or fragmentary

fragmentation bomb -n

  1. a bomb or shell whose casing is splintered upon explosion and thrown in fragments in all directions

frag·men·tize ['frag-mən-,tīz] -vt

  1. fragment

fra·grance ['frā-grən(t)s] -n

  1. a sweet or delicate odor (as of fresh flowers, pine trees, or perfume)
  2. something (as a perfume) compounded to give off a sweet or pleasant odor
  3. the quality or state of having a sweet odor

fra·gran·cy [-grən(t)-sē] -n

  1. fragrance

fra·grant ['frā-grənt] -adj, adv

  1. having a sweet or pleasant smell

frail ['frāl] -adj, adv, n

  1. easily led into evil
    • frail humanity
  2. easily broken or destroyed : fragile
  3. physically weak
  4. slight, unsubstantial

frail·ty ['frāl-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being frail
  2. a fault due to weakness esp. of moral character

fraise ['frāz] -n

  1. an obstacle of pointed stakes driven into the ramparts of a fortification in a horizontal or inclined position

Frak·tur [fräk-'tu̇r] -n

  1. a German style of black letter
  2. a Pennsylvania German document (as a birth or wedding certificate) that is written in calligraphy and illuminated with decorative motifs (as tulips, birds, and scrolls)

fram·be·sia [fram-'bē-zh(ē-)ə] -n

  1. yaws

fram·boise [fräⁿ-'bwäz] -n

  1. a brandy or liqueur made from raspberries

frame ['frām] -vb, adj, n

  1. to construct by fitting and uniting the parts of the skeleton of (a structure)
  2. plan, contrive
    • framed a new method of achieving their purpose
  3. shape, construct
  4. to give expression to : formulate
  5. to draw up (as a document)
  6. to devise falsely (as a criminal charge)
  7. to contrive the evidence against (an innocent person) so that a verdict of guilty is assured
  8. fix
  9. to fit or adjust esp. to something or for an end : arrange
  10. produce
  11. to enclose in a frame
  12. to enclose as if in a frame
  13. proceed, go
  14. manage
  15. something composed of parts fitted together and united
  16. the physical makeup of an animal and esp. a human body : physique, figure
  17. the underlying constructional system or structure that gives shape or strength (as to a building)
  18. a frame dwelling
  19. the act or manner of framing
  20. a machine built upon or within a framework
    • a spinning frame
  21. an open case or structure made for admitting, enclosing, or supporting something
    • a window frame
  22. a part of a pair of glasses that holds one of the lenses
  23. that part of a pair of glasses other than the lenses
  24. a structural unit in an automobile chassis supported on the axles and supporting the rest of the chassis and the body
  25. an enclosing border
  26. : the matter or area enclosed in such a border: as
  27. one of the squares in which scores for each round are recorded (as in bowling)
  28. a round in bowling
  29. an individual drawing in a comic strip usu. enclosed by a bordering line
  30. one picture of the series on a length of film
  31. a complete image for display (as on a television set)
  32. an inning in baseball
  33. framework
  34. context, frame of reference
  35. an event that forms the background for the action of a novel or play
  36. frame-up
  37. having a wood frame
    • frame houses

frame of mind

  1. mental attitude or outlook : mood

frame of reference

  1. an arbitrary set of axes with reference to which the position or motion of something is described or physical laws are formulated
  2. a set of ideas, conditions, or assumptions that determine how something will be approached, perceived, or understood
    • a Marxian frame of reference

frame·shift ['frām-,shift] -adj, n

  1. relating to, being, or causing a mutation in which a number of nucleotides not divisible by three is inserted or deleted so as to change the reading frame of some triplet codons during genetic translation

frameup ['frām-,əp] -n

  1. an act or series of actions in which someone is framed
  2. an action that is framed

frame·work ['frām-,wərk] -n

  1. a basic conceptional structure (as of ideas)
    • the framework of the U.S. Constitution
  2. a skeletal, openwork, or structural frame
  3. frame of reference
  4. the larger branches of a tree that determine its shape

fram·ing ['frā-miŋ] -n

  1. frame, framework

franc ['fraŋk] -n

  1. any of various former basic monetary units (as in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg)

fran·chise ['fran-,chīz] -n

  1. freedom or immunity from some burden or restriction vested in a person or group
  2. a special privilege granted to an individual or group
  3. the right to be and exercise the powers of a corporation
  4. a constitutional or statutory right or privilege
  5. the right to vote
  6. the right or license granted to an individual or group to market a company's goods or services in a particular territory
  7. a business granted such a right or license
  8. the territory involved in such a right
  9. the right of membership in a professional sports league
  10. a team and its operating organization having such membership

franchise -vt

  1. free
  2. to grant a franchise to

fran·chi·see [,fran-,chī-'zē, -chə-] -n

  1. one granted a franchise

fran·chis·er ['fran-,chī-zər] -n

  1. franchisee
  2. franchisor

fran·chi·sor [,fran-,chī-'zȯr, -chə-] -n

  1. one that grants a franchise

Fran·cis·can [fran-'sis-kən] -n, adj

  1. a member of the Order of Friars Minor founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209 and dedicated esp. to preaching, missions, and charities

fran·ci·um ['fran(t)-sē-əm] -n

  1. a short-lived radioactive element of the alkali-metal group occurring naturally as a disintegration product of actinium and also produced artificially

Franco- -comb form

  1. French and
    • Franco- American
  2. French
    • Franco phile

Fran·coAmer·i·can [,fraŋ-kō-ə-'mer-ə-kən] -n, adj

  1. an American of French or esp. French-Canadian descent

fran·co·lin ['fraŋ-k(ə-)lən] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Francolinus) of partridges of chiefly southern Asia and Africa

Fran·co·phile ['fraŋ-kə-,fī(-ə)l, -kō-] -adj, n

  1. markedly friendly to France or French culture

Fran·co·phobe [-,fōb] -adj, n

  1. marked by a fear or strong dislike of France or French culture or customs

fran·co·phone [-,fōn] -adj, n

  1. of, having, or belonging to a population using French as its first or sometimes second language

francti·reur [,fräⁿ-(,)tē-'rər] -n

  1. a civilian and esp. a guerrilla fighter or sniper

fran·gi·ble ['fran-jə-bəl] -adj, n

  1. readily or easily broken

fran·gi·pane ['fran-jə-,pān, fräⁿ-zhē-'pän] -n

  1. a custard usu. flavored with almonds

fran·gi·pa·ni [,fran-jə-'pa-nē, -'pä-] -n

  1. a perfume derived from or imitating the odor of the flower of a frangipani ( Plumeria rubra)
  2. any of a genus ( Plumeria) of shrubs or small trees of the dogbane family that are native to the American tropics and widely cultivated as ornamentals

fran·glais [fräⁿ-'glā] -n

  1. French marked by a considerable number of borrowings from English

frank ['fraŋk] -adj, n

  1. marked by free, forthright, and sincere expression
    • a frank reply
  2. unmistakably evident
    • frank materialism
  3. clinically evident and unmistakable
    • frank pus
  4. to mark (a piece of mail) with an official signature or sign indicating the right of the sender to free mailing
  5. to mail free
  6. to affix to (mail) a stamp or a marking indicating the payment of postage
  7. to enable to pass or go freely or easily
  8. the signature of the sender on a piece of franked mail serving in place of a postage stamp
  9. a mark or stamp on a piece of mail indicating postage paid
  10. a franked envelope
  11. the privilege of sending mail free of charge
  12. frankfurter

Frank ['fraŋk] -n

  1. a member of a West Germanic tribal confederacy that entered the Roman provinces in a.d.253, occupied the Netherlands and most of Gaul, and established themselves along the Rhine

Fran·ken·food ['fraŋ-kən-,füd] -n

  1. genetically engineered food

Fran·ken·stein ['fraŋ-kən-,stīn also -,stēn] -n, adj

  1. the title character in Mary W. Shelley's novel Frankensteinwho creates a monster by which he is eventually killed
  2. a monster in the shape of a man esp. in popularized versions of the Frankenstein story
  3. a monstrous creation
  4. a work or agency that ruins its originator

frank·furt·er ['fraŋk-fə(r)t-ər, -,fərt-] -n

  1. a cured cooked sausage (as of beef or beef and pork) that may be skinless or stuffed in a casing

frank·in·cense ['fraŋ-kən-,sen(t)s] -n

  1. a fragrant gum resin from trees of a genus ( Boswelliaof the family Burseraceae) of Somalia and southern coastal Arabia that is an important incense resin and has been used in religious rites, perfumery, and embalming

Frank·ish ['fraŋ-kish] -adj

  1. of or relating to the Franks

Frankish -n

  1. the Germanic language of the Franks

frank·lin ['fraŋ-klən] -n

  1. a medieval English landowner of free but not noble birth

Franklin stove -n

  1. a metal heating stove resembling an open fireplace but designed to be set out in a room

frank·ly ['fraŋ-klē] -adv

  1. in a frank manner
    • spoke frankly
  2. in truth : indeed
    • frankly, I don't know

frank·pledge ['fraŋk-,plej] -n

  1. an Anglo-Saxon system under which each adult male member of a tithing was responsible for the good conduct of the others
  2. the member himself or the tithing

fran·tic ['fran-tik] -adj, adv, n

  1. mentally deranged
  2. emotionally out of control
    • frantic with anger and frustration
  3. marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity
    • made a frantic search for the lost child

frap ['frap] -vt

  1. to draw tight (as with ropes or cables)
    • frap a sail

frap·pe [fra-'pā] -adj

  1. chilled or partly frozen
  2. a partly frozen drink (as of fruit juice)
  3. a liqueur served over shaved ice
  4. a thick milk shake

Fra·ser fir ['frā-zər-] -n

  1. a southern Appalachian fir ( Abies fraseri) that resembles the balsam fir

frass ['fras] -n

  1. debris or excrement produced by insects

frat ['frat] -n

  1. fraternity

fra·ter·nal [frə-'tər-nᵊl] -adj, n, adv

  1. of, relating to, or involving brothers
  2. of, relating to, or being a fraternity or society
    • a fraternal order
  3. derived from two ova : dizygotic
    • fraternal twins
  4. friendly, brotherly

fra·ter·ni·ty [frə-'tər-nə-tē] -n

  1. : a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest, or pleasure: as
  2. a fraternal order
  3. guild
  4. a men's student organization formed chiefly for social purposes having secret rites and a name consisting of Greek letters
  5. a student organization for scholastic, professional, or extracurricular activities
    • a debating fraternity
  6. the quality or state of being brothers : brotherliness
  7. persons of the same class, profession, character, or tastes
    • the racetrack fraternity

frat·er·nize ['fra-tər-,nīz] -vi, n

  1. to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms
  2. to associate on close terms with members of a hostile group esp. when contrary to military orders
  3. to be friendly or amiable

frat·ri·cide ['fra-trə-,sīd] -n, adj

  1. one that murders or kills his or her own brother or sister or an individual (as a countryman) having a relationship like that of a brother or sister
  2. the act of a fratricide

Frau ['frau̇] -n

  1. a German married woman : wife used as a title equivalent to Mrs.

fraud ['frȯd] -n

  1. deceit, trickery
  2. intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right
  3. an act of deceiving or misrepresenting : trick
  4. a person who is not what he or she pretends to be : impostor
  5. one who defrauds : cheat
  6. one that is not what it seems or is represented to be

fraud·ster ['frȯd-stər] -n

  1. a person who engages in fraud : cheat

fraud·u·lence ['frȯ-jə-lən(t)s] -n

  1. the quality or state of being fraudulent

fraud·u·lent [-lənt] -adj, adv, n

  1. characterized by, based on, or done by fraud : deceitful

fraught ['frȯk̲t] -n

  1. load, cargo
  2. load, freight
  3. laden
  4. well supplied or provided
  5. full of or accompanied by something specified used with with
    • a situation fraught with danger
  6. causing or characterized by emotional distress or tension : uneasy
    • a fraught relationship

frau·lein ['frȯi-,līn] -n

  1. an unmarried German woman used as a title equivalent to Miss
  2. a German governess

frax·i·nel·la [,frak-sə-'ne-lə] -n

  1. a Eurasian perennial herb ( Dictamnus albus) of the rue family with flowers that emit an aromatic flammable vapor in hot weather called also gas plant

fray ['frā] -vt

  1. scare
  2. to frighten away
  3. a usu. disorderly or protracted fight, struggle, or dispute
  4. to wear (as an edge of cloth) by or as if by rubbing : fret
  5. to separate the threads at the edge of
  6. strain, irritate
    • tempers became a bit fray ed
  7. to wear out or into shreds
  8. to show signs of strain
    • fray ing nerves
  9. a raveled place or worn spot (as on fabric)

fray·ing -n

  1. something rubbed or worn off by fraying

fraz·zle ['fra-zəl] -vb

  1. fray
  2. to put in a state of extreme physical or nervous fatigue
  3. upset
  4. to become frazzled

frazzle -n

  1. the state of being frazzled
  2. a condition of fatigue or nervous exhaustion
    • worn to a frazzle

FRB -abbr

  1. Federal Reserve Board

freak ['frēk] -n

  1. a sudden and odd or seemingly pointless idea or turn of the mind
  2. a seemingly capricious action or event
  3. a whimsical quality or disposition
  4. : one that is markedly unusual or abnormal: as
  5. a person or animal having a physical oddity and appearing in a circus sideshow
  6. a sexual deviate
  7. a person who uses an illicit drug
  8. hippie
  9. an atypical postage stamp usu. caused by a unique defect in paper (as a crease) or a unique event in the manufacturing process (as a speck of dirt on the plate) that does not produce a constant or systematic effect
  10. an ardent enthusiast
    • film freak s
  11. a person who is obsessed with something
    • a control freak
  12. having the character of a freak
    • a freak accident
  13. to make greatly distressed, astonished, or discomposed often used with out
    • the news freak ed them out
  14. to put under the influence of a psychedelic drug often used with out
  15. to withdraw from reality esp. by taking drugs often used with out
  16. to experience nightmarish hallucinations as a result of taking drugs often used with out
  17. to behave irrationally or unconventionally under the influence of drugs often used with out
  18. to react with extreme or irrational distress or discomposure often used with out
  19. to streak esp. with color
    • silver and mother-of-pearl freak ing the intense azure -- Robert Bridges 1930

freak·ing ['frē-kᵊn, -kiŋ] -adj or adv

  1. damned used as an intensive

freak·ish ['frē-kish] -adj, adv, n

  1. whimsical, capricious
  2. markedly strange or abnormal
    • freakish appearance

freak of nature

  1. freak

freakout ['frēk-,au̇t] -n

  1. an act or instance of freaking out
  2. a gathering of hippies

freak show -n

  1. an exhibition (as a sideshow) featuring freaks of nature

freaky ['frē-kē] -adj, n

  1. freakish

freck·le ['fre-kəl] -n, adj

  1. any of the small brownish spots in the skin due to augmented melanin production that increase in number and intensity on exposure to sunlight

freckle ['fre-k(ə-)liŋ] -vb

  1. to sprinkle or mark with freckles or small spots
  2. to become marked with freckles

free ['frē] -adj, n

  1. having the legal and political rights of a citizen
  2. enjoying civil and political liberty
    • free citizens
  3. enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination
  4. enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another
  5. not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being : choosing or capable of choosing for itself
  6. determined by the choice of the actor or performer
    • free actions
  7. made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously
  8. relieved from or lacking something and esp. something unpleasant or burdensome
    • free from pain
    • a speech free of political rhetoric
    often used in combination
    • error -free
  9. not bound, confined, or detained by force
  10. having no trade restrictions
  11. not subject to government regulation
  12. not subject to restriction or official control
  13. having no obligations (as to work) or commitments
    • I'll be free this evening
  14. not taken up with commitments or obligations
    • a free evening
  15. having a scope not restricted by qualification
    • a free variable
  16. not obstructed, restricted, or impeded
    • free to leave
  17. not being used or occupied
    • waved with his free hand
  18. not hampered or restricted in its normal operation
  19. not fastened
    • the free end of the rope
  20. not confined to a particular position or place
    • in twelve-tone music, no note is wholly free for it must hold its place in the series -- J. L. Stewart
  21. capable of moving or turning in any direction
    • a free particle
  22. performed without apparatus
    • free tumbling
  23. done with artificial aids (as pitons) used only for protection against falling and not for support
    • a free climb
  24. not parsimonious
    • free spending
  25. outspoken
  26. availing oneself of something without stint
  27. frank, open
  28. overly familiar or forward in action or attitude
  29. licentious
  30. not costing or charging anything
  31. not united with, attached to, combined with, or mixed with something else : separate
    • free ores
    • a free surface of a bodily part
  32. freestanding
    • a free column
  33. chemically uncombined
    • free oxygen
    • free acids
  34. not permanently attached but able to move about
    • a free electron in a metal
  35. capable of being used alone as a meaningful linguistic form
    • the word hats is a free form
  36. not literal or exact
    • free translation
  37. not restricted by or conforming to conventional forms
    • free skating
  38. favorable used of a wind blowing from a direction more than six points from dead ahead
  39. not allowing slavery
  40. open to all comers
  41. to cause to be free
  42. to relieve or rid of what restrains, confines, restricts, or embarrasses
    • free a person from debt
    often used with up
    • free up space on the hard drive
  43. disentangle, clear
  44. banish
  45. in a free manner
  46. without charge
  47. with the wind more than six points from dead ahead
    • sailing free

free agent -n

  1. a professional athlete (as a baseball player) who is free to negotiate a contract with any team

free alongside ship -adv or adj

  1. with delivery at the side of the ship free of charges and the buyer's liability then beginning

free and easy [,frē-ən(d)-'ē-zē-nəs] -adj, n, adv

  1. marked by informality and lack of constraint
    • the free and easy, open-air life of the plains -- Allan Murray
  2. not observant of strict demands
    • too free and easy in accepting political contributions

free association [,frē-ə-'sō-s(h)ē-,āt] -n, vi, adj

  1. the expression (as by speaking or writing) of the content of consciousness without censorship as an aid in gaining access to unconscious processes esp. in psychoanalysis
  2. the reporting of the first thought that comes to mind in response to a given stimulus (as a word)
  3. an idea or image elicited by free association
  4. a method using free association

free·base ['frē-,bās] -vi, n

  1. to prepare or use freebase cocaine
  2. to prepare or use (cocaine) as freebase

freebase -n

  1. a purified solid form of cocaine (as crack) that is obtained by treating the powdered hydrochloride of cocaine with an alkaloid base (as sodium bicarbonate) and that can be smoked or heated to produce vapors for inhalation
  2. a form derived from treatment of the hydrochloride of cocaine with ammonia or similar alkaloid solution followed by extraction with a solvent (as ether)

free beach -n

  1. a beach at which nudity is permitted

free·bie ['frē-bē] -n

  1. something (as a theater ticket) given without charge

free·board ['frē-,bȯrd] -n

  1. the distance between the waterline and the main deck or weather deck of a ship or between the level of the water and the upper edge of the side of a small boat
  2. the height above the recorded high-water mark of a structure (as a dam) associated with the water

free·boo·ter ['frē-,bü-tər] -n, vi

  1. pirate, plunderer

free·born ['frē-'bȯrn] -adj

  1. not born in vassalage or slavery
  2. of, relating to, or befitting one that is freeborn

freeclimb ['frē-,klīm] -vt, n

  1. to climb (as a rock face) without using aids for support
  2. to free-climb something

free diver -n

  1. one who engages in skin diving

freed·man ['frēd-mən, -,man] -n

  1. a person freed from slavery

free·dom ['frē-dəm] -n

  1. : the quality or state of being free: as
  2. the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
  3. liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence
  4. the quality or state of being exempt or released usu. from something onerous
    • freedom from care
  5. ease, facility
    • spoke the language with freedom
  6. the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken
    • answered with freedom
  7. improper familiarity
  8. boldness of conception or execution
  9. unrestricted use
    • gave him the freedom of their home
  10. a political right
  11. franchise, privilege

freedom fighter -n

  1. a person who takes part in a resistance movement against an oppressive political or social establishment

freedom of the seas

  1. the right of a merchant ship to travel any waters except territorial waters either in peace or war

freedom ride -n

  1. a ride made by civil rights workers through states of the southern U.S. to ascertain whether public facilities (as bus terminals) are desegregated

freed·wom·an ['frēd-,wu̇-mən] -n

  1. a woman freed from slavery

freeelec·tron laser ['frē-i-'lek-,trän-] -n

  1. a laser that can be tuned over a wide range of frequencies and that produces electromagnetic radiation by the motion of electrons moving at relativistic velocities in a magnetic field

free enterprise -n

  1. freedom of private business to organize and operate for profit in a competitive system without interference by government beyond regulation necessary to protect public interest and keep the national economy in balance

free enterpriser -n

  1. a supporter or advocate of free enterprise

free fall -n, vi

  1. the condition of unrestrained motion in a gravitational field
  2. such motion
  3. the part of a parachute jump before the parachute opens
  4. a rapid and continuing drop or decline
    • a free fall in stock prices

freefire zone ['frē-,fī-(ə)-r-] -n

  1. a combat area in which any moving thing is a legitimate target

freefloat·ing [-'flō-tiŋ] -adj

  1. floating freely
    • freefloating vegetation
  2. lacking specific attachment, direction, or purpose
    • freefloating ideas
  3. felt as an emotion without apparent cause
    • freefloating anxiety

freeflow·ing [-,flō-iŋ] -adj

  1. characterized by easy freedom in movement, progression, or style
    • a freeflowing essay

freeforall ['frē-fə-,rȯl] -n, adj

  1. a competition, dispute, or fight open to all comers and usu. with no rules : brawl
  2. a chaotic situation resembling a free-for-all esp. in lacking rules or structure
    • the press conference deteriorated into a freeforall

freeform ['frē-'fȯrm] -adj

  1. having or being an irregular or asymmetrical shape or design
    • freeform furniture
  2. free
    • freeform dancing

free·hand ['frē-,hand] -adj, adv

  1. done without mechanical aids or devices
    • freehand drawing

free hand [-'hand] -n

  1. freedom of action or decision

free·hand·ed ['frē-'han-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. generous, openhanded

free·heart·ed [-'här-təd] -adj, adv

  1. frank, unreserved
  2. generous

free·hold ['frē-,hōld] -n, adj or adv

  1. a tenure of real property by which an estate in fee simple or fee tail or an estate for life is held
  2. an estate held by such tenure
  3. an estate held in fee simple

free jazz -n

  1. free-form jazz marked esp. by an abandonment of preset chord progression and a lack of melodic pattern

free kick -n

  1. a kick (as in football, soccer, or rugby) with which an opponent may not interfere
  2. such a kick in any direction awarded because of an infraction of the rules by an opponent

free·lance ['frē-,lan(t)s] -n

  1. a mercenary soldier esp. of the Middle Ages : condottiere
  2. a person who acts independently without being affiliated with or authorized by an organization
  3. a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer

freelance -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or being a freelance : independent
    • a freelance writer
  2. done by a freelance
    • freelance reviewing
  3. not sponsored by an organization
    • freelance terrorists
  4. to act or work as a freelance
  5. to produce as a freelance
    • freelancing magazine articles

free·lanc·er ['frē-,lan(t)-sər] -n

  1. freelance
  2. freelance

freeliv·ing ['frē-'li-viŋ] -adj

  1. marked by more than usual freedom in the gratification of appetites
  2. not fixed to the substrate but capable of motility
    • a freeliving protozoan
  3. being metabolically independent : neither parasitic nor symbiotic
    • a freeliving adult hairworm

free·load [-,lōd] -vi, n

  1. to impose upon another's generosity or hospitality without sharing in the cost or responsibility involved : sponge

free love -n

  1. the practice of living openly with one of the opposite sex without marriage
  2. sexual relations without any commitments by either partner

free lunch -n

  1. something one does not have to pay for
  2. free ride

free·ly ['frē-lē] -adv

  1. : in a free manner: as
  2. of one's own accord
    • left home freely
  3. with freedom from external control
    • a freely elected government
  4. without restraint or reservation
    • spent freely on clothes
  5. without hindrance
    • a gate swinging freely
  6. not strictly following a model, convention, or rule
    • freely translated

free·man ['frē-mən, -,man] -n

  1. one enjoying civil or political liberty
  2. one having the full rights of a citizen

free market -n

  1. an economic market operating by free competition

free marketeer -n

  1. a proponent of a free-market economy

free·mar·tin ['frē-,mär-tᵊn] -n

  1. a sexually imperfect usu. sterile female calf twinborn with a male

Free·ma·son [-'mā-sᵊn] -n

  1. a member of a major fraternal organization called Free and Accepted Masons or Ancient Free and Accepted Masons that has certain secret rituals

free·ma·son·ry [-rē] -n

  1. the principles, institutions, or practices of Freemasons called also Masonry
  2. natural fellowship based on some common experience

free on board -adv or adj

  1. without charge for delivery to and placing on board a carrier at a specified point

free port -n

  1. an enclosed port or section of a port where goods are received and shipped free of customs duty

freer ['frē] -adj, n

(variant of free)

  1. having the legal and political rights of a citizen
  2. enjoying civil and political liberty
    • free citizens
  3. enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination
  4. enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another
  5. not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being : choosing or capable of choosing for itself
  6. determined by the choice of the actor or performer
    • free actions
  7. made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously
  8. relieved from or lacking something and esp. something unpleasant or burdensome
    • free from pain
    • a speech free of political rhetoric
    often used in combination
    • error -free
  9. not bound, confined, or detained by force
  10. having no trade restrictions
  11. not subject to government regulation
  12. not subject to restriction or official control
  13. having no obligations (as to work) or commitments
    • I'll be free this evening
  14. not taken up with commitments or obligations
    • a free evening
  15. having a scope not restricted by qualification
    • a free variable
  16. not obstructed, restricted, or impeded
    • free to leave
  17. not being used or occupied
    • waved with his free hand
  18. not hampered or restricted in its normal operation
  19. not fastened
    • the free end of the rope
  20. not confined to a particular position or place
    • in twelve-tone music, no note is wholly free for it must hold its place in the series -- J. L. Stewart
  21. capable of moving or turning in any direction
    • a free particle
  22. performed without apparatus
    • free tumbling
  23. done with artificial aids (as pitons) used only for protection against falling and not for support
    • a free climb
  24. not parsimonious
    • free spending
  25. outspoken
  26. availing oneself of something without stint
  27. frank, open
  28. overly familiar or forward in action or attitude
  29. licentious
  30. not costing or charging anything
  31. not united with, attached to, combined with, or mixed with something else : separate
    • free ores
    • a free surface of a bodily part
  32. freestanding
    • a free column
  33. chemically uncombined
    • free oxygen
    • free acids
  34. not permanently attached but able to move about
    • a free electron in a metal
  35. capable of being used alone as a meaningful linguistic form
    • the word hats is a free form
  36. not literal or exact
    • free translation
  37. not restricted by or conforming to conventional forms
    • free skating
  38. favorable used of a wind blowing from a direction more than six points from dead ahead
  39. not allowing slavery
  40. open to all comers
  41. to cause to be free
  42. to relieve or rid of what restrains, confines, restricts, or embarrasses
    • free a person from debt
    often used with up
    • free up space on the hard drive
  43. disentangle, clear
  44. banish
  45. in a free manner
  46. without charge
  47. with the wind more than six points from dead ahead
    • sailing free

free radical -n

  1. an esp. reactive atom or group of atoms that has one or more unpaired electrons
  2. one that is produced in the body by natural biological processes or introduced from an outside source (as tobacco smoke, toxins, or pollutants) and that can damage cells, proteins, and DNA by altering their chemical structure

freerange ['frē-,rānj] -adj

  1. allowed to range and forage with relative freedom
    • freerange chickens
  2. of, relating to, or produced by free-range animals
    • freerange eggs

free reed -n

  1. a reed in a musical instrument (as a harmonium) that vibrates in an air opening just large enough to allow the reed to move freely

free rein -n

  1. unrestricted liberty of action or decision

free ride -n, vi

  1. a benefit obtained at another's expense or without the usual cost or effort
  2. soft or easy treatment

free safety -n

  1. a safety in football who has no particular receiver to cover in a man-to-man defense

free·sia ['frē-zh(ē-)ə, -zē-ə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Freesia) of sweet-scented African herbs of the iris family with usu. red, pink, white, or yellow flowers

freesoil [-'sȯi-lər] -adj, n

  1. characterized by free soil
    • freesoil states
  2. opposing the extension of slavery into U.S. territories and the admission of slave states into the Union prior to the Civil War
  3. of, relating to, or constituting a minor U.S. political party having these aims

free soil -n

  1. U.S. territory where prior to the Civil War slavery was prohibited

free speech -n

  1. speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
  2. the right to such speech
    • an unconstitutional restraint on free speech -- Nat'l Law Jour.

free spirit ['frē-'spir-ə-təd] -n, adj

  1. nonconformist2

freespo·ken ['frē-'spō-kən] -adj

  1. speaking freely : outspoken

freest ['frē] -adj, n

(variant of free)

  1. having the legal and political rights of a citizen
  2. enjoying civil and political liberty
    • free citizens
  3. enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination
  4. enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another
  5. not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being : choosing or capable of choosing for itself
  6. determined by the choice of the actor or performer
    • free actions
  7. made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously
  8. relieved from or lacking something and esp. something unpleasant or burdensome
    • free from pain
    • a speech free of political rhetoric
    often used in combination
    • error -free
  9. not bound, confined, or detained by force
  10. having no trade restrictions
  11. not subject to government regulation
  12. not subject to restriction or official control
  13. having no obligations (as to work) or commitments
    • I'll be free this evening
  14. not taken up with commitments or obligations
    • a free evening
  15. having a scope not restricted by qualification
    • a free variable
  16. not obstructed, restricted, or impeded
    • free to leave
  17. not being used or occupied
    • waved with his free hand
  18. not hampered or restricted in its normal operation
  19. not fastened
    • the free end of the rope
  20. not confined to a particular position or place
    • in twelve-tone music, no note is wholly free for it must hold its place in the series -- J. L. Stewart
  21. capable of moving or turning in any direction
    • a free particle
  22. performed without apparatus
    • free tumbling
  23. done with artificial aids (as pitons) used only for protection against falling and not for support
    • a free climb
  24. not parsimonious
    • free spending
  25. outspoken
  26. availing oneself of something without stint
  27. frank, open
  28. overly familiar or forward in action or attitude
  29. licentious
  30. not costing or charging anything
  31. not united with, attached to, combined with, or mixed with something else : separate
    • free ores
    • a free surface of a bodily part
  32. freestanding
    • a free column
  33. chemically uncombined
    • free oxygen
    • free acids
  34. not permanently attached but able to move about
    • a free electron in a metal
  35. capable of being used alone as a meaningful linguistic form
    • the word hats is a free form
  36. not literal or exact
    • free translation
  37. not restricted by or conforming to conventional forms
    • free skating
  38. favorable used of a wind blowing from a direction more than six points from dead ahead
  39. not allowing slavery
  40. open to all comers
  41. to cause to be free
  42. to relieve or rid of what restrains, confines, restricts, or embarrasses
    • free a person from debt
    often used with up
    • free up space on the hard drive
  43. disentangle, clear
  44. banish
  45. in a free manner
  46. without charge
  47. with the wind more than six points from dead ahead
    • sailing free

free·stand·ing ['frē-'stan-diŋ] -adj

  1. standing alone or on its own foundation free of support or attachment
    • a freestanding wall
  2. independent
  3. not being part of or affiliated with another organization
    • a freestanding clinic
    • a freestanding city
    • a freestanding computer store

Free State -n

  1. a state of the U.S. in which slavery was prohibited before the Civil War

free·stone ['frē-,stōn] -n

  1. a stone that may be cut freely without splitting
  2. a fruit stone to which the flesh does not cling
  3. a fruit having such a stone

free·style ['frē-,stī(-ə)l] -n

  1. a competition in which the contestant is given more latitude than in related events
  2. swimming competition in which the swimmer may use any stroke
  3. crawl

freeswim·ming [-'swi-miŋ] -adj

  1. able to swim about : not attached
    • the freeswimming larva of the barnacle

freeswing·ing [-'swiŋ-iŋ] -adj

  1. bold, forthright, and heedless of personal consequences
    • a freeswinging soldier of fortune -- Will Herberg

freetailed bat ['frē-,tāld-] -n

  1. any of a family (Molossidae) of bats characterized by a tail that projects beyond the posterior part of the flight membrane and found in warm regions of the world

free·think·er [-'thiŋ-kər] -n, n or adj

  1. one who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority
  2. one who doubts or denies religious dogma

free thought -n

  1. unorthodox attitudes or beliefs
  2. 18th century deism

free throw -n

  1. an unhindered shot in basketball made from behind a set line and awarded because of a foul by an opponent

free throw lane -n

  1. a 12 or 16 foot wide lane on a basketball court that extends from underneath the goal to a line 15 feet in front of the backboard and that players may not enter during a free throw

free trade -n

  1. trade based on the unrestricted international exchange of goods with tariffs used only as a source of revenue

free trader -n

  1. one that practices or advocates free trade

free verse -n

  1. verse whose meter is irregular in some respect or whose rhythm is not metrical

free·ware ['frē-,wer] -n

  1. software that is available for use at no cost or for a nominal usu. voluntary fee

free·way ['frē-,wā] -n

  1. an expressway with fully controlled access
  2. a toll-free highway

free·wheel [-'(h)wēl] -n

  1. a clutch fitted in the rear hub of a bicycle that permits the rear wheel to run on free from the rear sprocket when the pedals are stopped

freewheel -vi, n

  1. to roll along freely independent of a gear
  2. to move, live, or play freely or irresponsibly

free·wheel·ing [,frē-'hwē-liŋ, -'wē-] -adj, adv

  1. : free and loose in form or manner: as
  2. heedless of social norms or niceties
    • the raider style of his freewheeling father -- Garry Wills
  3. not repressed or restrained
    • freewheeling promiscuity
    • a freewheeling competitive spirit
  4. not bound by formal rules, procedures, or guidelines
    • a freewheeling investigation
  5. loose and undisciplined : not defensive
    • a freewheeling style of hockey

free·will ['frē-,wil] -adj

  1. voluntary, spontaneous

free will -n

  1. voluntary choice or decision
    • I do this of my own free will
  2. freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention

Freewill Baptist -n

  1. a member of a Baptist group holding to Arminian doctrine and practicing open communion

free world -n

  1. the part of the world where democracy and capitalism or moderate socialism rather than totalitarian or Communist political and economic systems prevail

free·writ·ing ['frē-'rī-tiŋ] -n, vi

  1. automatic writing done esp. as a classroom exercise

freeze ['frēz] -vb, adv

  1. to become congealed into ice by cold
  2. to solidify as a result of abstraction of heat
  3. to withstand freezing
    • the bread freeze s well
  4. to become chilled with cold
    • almost froze to death
  5. to adhere solidly by or as if by freezing
    • pressure caused the metals to freeze
  6. to become fixed or motionless
  7. to become incapable of acting or speaking
  8. to become clogged with ice
    • the water pipes froze
  9. to harden into ice
  10. to convert from a liquid to a solid by cold
  11. to make extremely cold : chill
  12. to act on usu. destructively by frost
  13. to anesthetize by cold
  14. to cause to grip tightly or remain in immovable contact
  15. to cause to become fixed, immovable, unavailable, or unalterable
    • freeze interest rates
  16. to immobilize by governmental regulation the expenditure, withdrawal, or exchange of
    • freeze foreign assets
  17. to render motionless
    • a fake froze the defender
  18. to attempt to retain continuous possession of (a ball or puck) without an attempt to score usu. in order to protect a small lead
  19. an act or instance of freezing
  20. the state of being frozen
  21. a state of weather marked by low temperature esp. when below the freezing point
  22. a halt in the production, testing, and deployment of military weapons
    • a nuclear freeze

freezedried [-'drīd] -adj

  1. being in a state produced by or as if by freeze-drying

freezedry [-'drī] -vt

  1. to dry (as food) in a frozen state under high vacuum esp. for preservation

freezeetch·ing ['frēz-,e-chiŋ] -n

  1. freeze fracture

freeze fracture -n, adj

  1. preparation of a specimen (as of tissue) for examination by an electron microscope after freezing, fracturing along natural structural lines, and preparing a replica (as by simultaneous vapor deposition of carbon and platinum)

freezeframe ['frēz-'frām] -n, vt

  1. a frame of a motion-picture film that is repeated so as to give the illusion of a static picture
  2. a static picture produced esp. from a videodisc or videotape recording
  3. something resembling a freeze-frame esp. in unchanging quality

freeze out ['frēz-,au̇t] -vt, n

  1. exclude

freez·er ['frē-zər] -n

  1. one that freezes or keeps cool
  2. a compartment, room, or device for freezing food or keeping it frozen

freezer burn -n

  1. light-colored spots developed in frozen foods as a result of surface evaporation and drying when inadequately wrapped or packaged

freezing point -n

  1. the temperature at which a liquid solidifies

free zone -n

  1. an area within which goods may be received and stored without payment of duty

freight ['frāt] -n

  1. the compensation paid for the transportation of goods
  2. cost
    • help pay the freight
  3. goods to be shipped : cargo
  4. load, burden
  5. meaning , significance
  6. the ordinary transportation of goods by a common carrier and distinguished from express
  7. a train designed or used for such transportation
  8. to load with goods for transportation
  9. burden, charge
    • freight ed with memories
  10. to transport or ship by freight

freight·age ['frā-tij] -n

  1. freight

freight·er [-tər] -n

  1. one that loads or charters and loads a ship
  2. shipper
  3. a ship or airplane used chiefly to carry freight

frem·i·tus ['fre-mə-təs] -n

  1. a sensation felt by a hand placed on a part of the body (as the chest) that vibrates during speech

french ['french] -vt

  1. to trim the meat from the end of the bone of (as a chop)
  2. to cut (green beans) in thin lengthwise strips before cooking

French ['french] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of France, its people, or their language
  2. of or relating to the overseas descendants of the French people
  3. a Romance language that developed out of the Vulgar Latin spoken in northern and central Transalpine Gaul and that became the literary and official language of France
  4. the French people
  5. strong language
    • pardon my French

French bean -n

  1. a bean (as a green bean) of which the whole young pod is eaten
  2. kidney bean

French bread -n

  1. a crusty white bread baked usu. in long thin loaves

French bulldog -n

  1. any of a breed of small compact heavy-boned dogs developed in France and having erect ears

French Canadian -n, adj

  1. one of the descendants of French settlers in Lower Canada

French chalk -n

  1. a soft white granular variety of steatite used esp. for drawing lines on cloth and for removing grease in dry cleaning

French cuff -n

  1. a soft double cuff that is made by turning back half of a wide cuff band and fastening with cuff links

french curve -n

  1. a curved piece of flat often plastic material used as a guide in drawing curves

French door -n

  1. a door with rectangular glass panes extending the full length
  2. french window

French dressing -n

  1. a salad dressing made with oil and vinegar or lemon juice, and spices
  2. a commercial salad dressing that is tomato-flavored and of creamy consistency

french fry -n

  1. a strip of potato fried in deep fat usu. used in pl.
  2. to fry (as strips of potato) in deep fat until brown

French horn -n

  1. a circular valved brass instrument having a conical bore, a funnel-shaped mouthpiece, and a usual range from B below the bass staff upward for more than three octaves

french·ify ['fren-chə-,fī] -vt, n

  1. to make French in qualities, traits, or typical practices

French kiss -n, vb

  1. an open-mouth kiss usu. involving tongue-to-tongue contact

French leave -n

  1. an informal, hasty, or secret departure

French letter -n

  1. condom

French·man ['french-mən] -n

  1. a native or inhabitant of France
  2. a person who is of French descent

French pastry -n

  1. a rich pastry filled esp. with custard or fruit

French press -n

  1. a coffeepot in which ground beans are infused and then pressed to the bottom by means of a plunger

French provincial -n

  1. a style of furniture, architecture, or fabric originating in or characteristic of the 17th and 18th century French provinces

French seam -n

  1. a strong seam stitched on both sides of the fabric to enclose all raw edges

French telephone -n

  1. handset

French toast -n

  1. bread dipped in a mixture of egg and milk and sauteed

French twist -n

  1. a woman's hairstyle in which the hair is coiled at the rear and secured in place

French window -n

  1. a pair of casement windows that reaches to the floor, opens in the middle, and is placed in an exterior wall

French·wom·an ['french-,wu̇-mən] -n

  1. a woman who is a native or inhabitant of France
  2. a woman of French descent

fren·e·my ['fre-nə-mē] -n

  1. one who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy

fre·net·ic [fri-'ne-tik] -adj, adv, n

  1. frenzied, frantic

fren·u·lum ['fren-yə-ləm] -n

  1. a connecting fold of membrane serving to support or restrain a part (as the tongue)
  2. a bristle or group of bristles on the front edge of the posterior wings of some lepidoptera that unites the wings by interlocking with a catch on the posterior part of the forewings

fre·num ['frē-nəm] -n

  1. frenulum

frenzied -adj, adv

  1. feeling or showing great or abnormal excitement or emotional disturbance
    • frenzied dancing

fren·zy ['fren-zē] -n

  1. a temporary madness
  2. a violent mental or emotional agitation
  3. intense usu. wild and often disorderly compulsive or agitated activity
    • a shopping frenzy

frenzy -vt

  1. to affect with frenzy

Fre·on ['frē-,än] -trademark

  1. used for any of various fluorocarbons

freq -abbr

  1. frequency
  2. frequent; frequently
  3. frequentative

fre·quence ['frē-kwən(t)s] -n

  1. frequency

fre·quen·cy ['frē-kwən(t)-sē] -n

  1. the fact or condition of occurring frequently
  2. the number of times that a periodic function repeats the same sequence of values during a unit variation of the independent variable
  3. the number, proportion, or percentage of items in a particular category in a set of data
  4. : the number of repetitions of a periodic process in a unit of time: as
  5. the number of complete alternations per second of an alternating current
  6. the number of complete oscillations per second of energy (as sound or electromagnetic radiation) in the form of waves

frequency distribution -n

  1. an arrangement of statistical data that exhibits the frequency of the occurrence of the values of a variable

frequency modulation -n

  1. modulation of the frequency of the carrier wave in accordance with speech or a signal
  2. fm

frequency response -n

  1. the ability of a device (as an audio amplifier) to handle the frequencies applied to it
  2. a graph representing this ability

fre·quent [frē-'kwent, 'frē-kwənt] -vt, n

  1. to associate with, be in, or resort to often or habitually
    • a bar frequent ed by sports fans
  2. to read systematically or habitually
  3. common, usual
  4. happening at short intervals : often repeated or occurring
    • a bus making frequent stops
  5. full, thronged
  6. acting or returning regularly or often
    • a frequent visitor
  7. intimate, familiar

fre·quen·ta·tive [frē-'kwen-tə-tiv] -adj, n

  1. denoting repeated or recurrent action or state used of a verb aspect, verb form, or meaning

fre·quentfli·er ['frē-kwənt-'flī-ər] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being an airline program that offers awards for specified numbers of air miles traveled

fre·quent·ly ['frē-kwənt-lē] -adv

  1. at frequent or short intervals

fres·co ['fres-(,)kō] -n, vt

  1. the art of painting on freshly spread moist lime plaster with water-based pigments
  2. a painting executed in fresco

fresh ['fresh] -adj, adv, n

  1. : having its original qualities unimpaired: as
  2. full of or renewed in vigor : refreshed
    • rose fresh from a good night's sleep
  3. not stale, sour, or decayed
    • fresh bread
  4. not faded
    • the lessons remain fresh in her memory
  5. not worn or rumpled
    • a fresh white shirt
  6. not altered by processing
    • fresh vegetables
  7. not salt
  8. free from taint : pure
    • fresh air
  9. moderately strong
  10. experienced, made, or received newly or anew
    • form fresh friendships
  11. additional, another
    • a fresh start
  12. original, vivid
    • a fresh portrayal
  13. lacking experience : raw
  14. newly or just come or arrived
    • fresh from school
  15. having the milk flow recently established
    • a fresh cow
  16. disposed to take liberties : impudent
    • don't get fresh with me
  17. fashionable, cool
  18. just recently : newly
    • we're fresh out of eggs
    • fresh caught fish
  19. an increased flow or rush (as of water) : freshet
  20. a stream, spring, or pool of freshwater

fresh breeze -n

  1. wind having a speed of 19 to 24 miles per hour (30 to 39 kilometers per hour)

fresh·en ['fre-shən] -vb, n

  1. : to grow or become fresh: as
  2. to increase in strength
  3. to become fresh in appearance or vitality usu. used with up
    • freshen up with a shower
  4. to begin lactating
  5. to make fresh
  6. refresh, revive

fresh·et ['fre-shət] -n

  1. stream
  2. a great rise or overflowing of a stream caused by heavy rains or melted snow
  3. a swelling quantity : influx
    • summer brings a freshet of tourists

fresh gale -n

  1. wind having a speed of 39 to 46 miles per hour (62 to 74 kilometers per hour)

fresh·man ['fresh-mən] -n

  1. a first-year student
  2. beginner, newcomer

fresh·wa·ter ['fresh-'wȯ-tər, -'wä-] -n

  1. water that is not salty esp. when considered as a natural resource

freshwater -adj

  1. of, relating to, being, or living in freshwater
  2. accustomed to navigating only in inland waters
    • a freshwater sailor
  3. unskilled
  4. inland and usu. provincial
    • a freshwater college

freshwater drum -n

  1. a croaker ( Aplodinotus grunniens) of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River valley that may attain a weight of 50 pounds (23 kilograms) or more called also sheepshead white perch

freshwater pearl -n

  1. a usu. very small pearl produced by a freshwater mollusk

Fres·nel lens ['frez-nəl-, frā-'nel-] -n

  1. a lens that has a surface consisting of a concentric series of simple lens sections so that a thin lens with a short focal length and large diameter is possible and that is used esp. for spotlights

fret ['fret] -vb

  1. to eat or gnaw into : corrode
  2. fray
  3. rub, chafe
  4. to make by wearing away a substance
    • the stream fretted a channel
  5. to cause to suffer emotional strain : vex
  6. to pass (as time) in fretting
  7. agitate, ripple
  8. to eat into something
  9. to affect something as if by gnawing or biting : grate
  10. wear, corrode
  11. chafe
  12. fray
  13. to become vexed or worried
  14. to become agitated
  15. the action of wearing away : erosion
  16. a worn or eroded spot
  17. an agitation of mind : irritation
  18. to decorate with interlaced designs
  19. to form a pattern upon
  20. to enrich with embossed or pierced carved patterns
  21. an ornamental network
  22. a medieval metallic or jeweled net for a woman's headdress
  23. an ornament or ornamental work often in relief consisting of small straight bars intersecting one another in right or oblique angles
  24. one of a series of ridges fixed across the fingerboard of a stringed musical instrument (as a guitar)
  25. to press (the strings of a stringed instrument) against the frets

fret·ful ['fret-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. disposed to fret : irritable, restless

fret·saw ['fret-,sȯ] -n

  1. a saw that resembles a coping saw but usu. has a deeper frame and is used for cutting curved outlines

fret·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. decoration consisting of work adorned with frets
  2. ornamental openwork or work in relief

Freud·ian ['frȯi-dē-ən] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or according with the psychoanalytic theories or practices of Sigmund Freud

Freudian slip -n

  1. a slip of the tongue that is motivated by and reveals some unconscious aspect of the mind

Frey ['frā] -n

  1. the Norse god of fertility, crops, peace, and prosperity

Freya ['frā-ə] -n

  1. the Norse goddess of love and beauty

FRG -abbr

  1. Federal Republic of Germany

Fri -abbr

  1. Friday

fri·a·ble ['frī-ə-bəl] -adj, n

  1. easily crumbled or pulverized
    • friable soil

fri·ar ['frī(-ə)r] -n

  1. a member of a mendicant order

fri·ar·ly [-lē] -adj

  1. resembling a friar : relating to friars

friar's lantern -n

  1. ignis fatuus

fri·ary ['frī(-ə)r-ē] -n

  1. a monastery of friars

frib·ble ['fri-bəl] -vb

  1. to trifle or fool away
  2. trifle
  3. dodder

fribble -n, adj

  1. a frivolous person, thing, or idea

fric·an·deau ['fri-kən-,dō] -n

  1. larded veal roasted and glazed in its own juices

fric·as·see ['fri-kə-,sē, ,fri-kə-'] -n

  1. a dish of cut-up pieces of meat (as chicken) or vegetables stewed in stock and served in a white sauce

fricassee -vt

  1. to cook as a fricassee

fric·a·tive ['fri-kə-tiv] -n, adj

  1. a consonant characterized by frictional passage of the expired breath through a narrowing at some point in the vocal tract

fric·tion ['frik-shən] -n, adj, adv

  1. the rubbing of one body against another
  2. the force that resists relative motion between two bodies in contact
  3. the clashing between two persons or parties of opposed views : disagreement
  4. sound produced by the movement of air through a narrow constriction in the mouth or glottis

fric·tion·al ['frik-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to friction
  2. moved or produced by friction

friction clutch -n

  1. a clutch in which connection is made through sliding friction

friction drive -n

  1. a power-transmission system that transmits motion by surface friction instead of teeth

friction tape -n

  1. a usu. cloth tape impregnated with water-resistant insulating material and an adhesive and used esp. to protect, insulate, and support electrical conductors

Fri·day ['frī-(,)dā,-dē] -n, adv

  1. the sixth day of the week

fridge ['frij] -n

  1. refrigerator

fried -adj

  1. intoxicated, high

fried·cake ['frīd-,kāk] -n

  1. doughnut, cruller

fried rice -n

  1. a dish of boiled or steamed rice that is stir-fried with soy sauce and typically includes beaten egg and chopped meat and vegetables

friend ['frend] -n, adj

  1. one attached to another by affection or esteem
  2. acquaintance
  3. one that is not hostile
  4. one that is of the same nation, party, or group
  5. one that favors or promotes something (as a charity)
  6. a favored companion
  7. a member of a Christian sect that stresses Inner Light, rejects sacraments and an ordained ministry, and opposes war called also Quaker
  8. to act as the friend of : befriend

friend·ly ['fren(d)-lē] -adj, adv, n

  1. : of, relating to, or befitting a friend: as
  2. showing kindly interest and goodwill
  3. not hostile
    • a friendly merger offer
  4. involving or coming from actions of one's own forces
    • friendly fire
  5. cheerful, comforting
    • the friendly glow of the fire
  6. serving a beneficial or helpful purpose
  7. easy to use or understand
    • friendly computer software
    often used in combination
    • a reader- friendly layout
  8. compatible, accommodating
    • environmentally friendly packaging
    often used in combination
    • a kid- friendly restaurant

friendly -adv

  1. in a friendly manner : amicably
  2. one that is friendly
  3. a native who is friendly to settlers or invaders
  4. a match between sports teams and esp. international teams that has no connection with league or championship play

friendly society -n

  1. a mutual association for providing life and health insurance and old-age pension benefits to members

friend of the court

  1. amicus curiae

friend·ship ['fren(d)-,ship] -n

  1. the state of being friends
  2. the quality or state of being friendly : friendliness
  3. aid

frier ['frī(-ə)r] -n

(variant of fryer)

  1. : something intended for or used in frying: as
  2. a young chicken
  3. a deep utensil for frying foods

Frie·sian ['frē-zhən] -n

  1. holstein

frieze ['frēz or frē-'zā] -n

  1. a heavy durable coarse wool and shoddy fabric with a rough surface
  2. a pile surface of uncut loops or of patterned cut and uncut loops
  3. the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice
  4. a sculptured or richly ornamented band (as on a building or piece of furniture)
  5. a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze
    • a constant frieze of visitors wound its way around the...ruins -- Mollie Panter-Downes

frig ['frig] -vi

  1. copulate sometimes used in the present participle as a meaningless intensive

frig·ate ['fri-gət] -n

  1. a light boat propelled orig. by oars but later by sails
  2. a square-rigged war vessel intermediate between a corvette and a ship of the line
  3. a modern warship that is smaller than a destroyer

frigate bird -n

  1. any of a family (Fregatidae, containing a single genus Fregata) of tropical seabirds having a forked tail and large wingspans that are noted for aggressively taking food from other birds

Frig·ga ['fri-gə] -n

  1. the wife of Odin and Norse goddess of married love and of the hearth

fright ['frīt] -n

  1. fear excited by sudden danger : alarm
    • gave me quite a fright
  2. something strange, ugly, or shocking
  3. to alarm suddenly : frighten

fright·en ['frī-tᵊn] -vb, adv

  1. to make afraid : terrify
  2. to drive or force by frightening
    • frighten ed the boy into confessing
  3. to become frightened

fright·ful ['frīt-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. causing intense fear or alarm : terrifying
  2. startling esp. in being bad or objectionable
    • a frightful novel
  3. extreme
    • frightful thirst

fright wig -n

  1. a wig with hair that stands out from the head

frig·id ['fri-jəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. intensely cold
  2. lacking warmth or ardor : indifferent
  3. lacking imaginative qualities : insipid
  4. abnormally averse to sexual intercourse used esp. of women
  5. unable to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse

Frig·i·daire [,fri-jə-'der] -trademark

  1. used for an electric refrigerator

fri·gid·i·ty [fri-'ji-də-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being frigid
  2. marked or abnormal sexual indifference esp. in a woman

frigid zone -n

  1. the area or region between the arctic circle and the north pole or between the antarctic circle and the south pole

frig·o·rif·ic [,fri-gə-'ri-fik] -adj

  1. causing cold : chilling

fri·jo·le [frē-'hō-lē] -n

  1. any of various beans used in Mexican style cooking usu. used in pl.

frill ['fril] -vt

  1. to provide or decorate with a frill
  2. a gathered, pleated, or bias-cut fabric edging used on clothing
  3. a strip of paper curled at one end and rolled to be slipped over the bone end (as of a chop) in serving
  4. a ruff of hair or feathers or a bony or cartilaginous projection about the neck of an animal
  5. affectation, air usu. used in pl.
    • an honest...man who had no frill s, ...no nonsense about him -- W. A. White
  6. something decorative or useful and desirable but not essential : luxury

fringe ['frinj] -n, adj

  1. an ornamental border consisting of short straight or twisted threads or strips hanging from cut or raveled edges or from a separate band
  2. something resembling a fringe : edge, periphery often used in pl.
    • operated on the fringe s of the law
  3. bang
  4. one of various light or dark bands produced by the interference or diffraction of light
  5. an area bordering a putting green on a golf course with grass trimmed longer than on the green itself
  6. something that is marginal, additional, or secondary to some activity, process, or subject
    • a fringe sport
  7. a group with marginal or extremist views
  8. fringe benefit
  9. to furnish or adorn with a fringe
  10. to serve as a fringe for : border

fringe area -n

  1. a region in which reception from a given broadcasting station is weak or subject to serious distortion

fringe benefit -n

  1. an employment benefit (as a pension or a paid holiday) granted by an employer that has a monetary value but does not affect basic wage rates
  2. any additional benefit (increased energy is a fringe benefitof regular exercise)

fringe tree -n

  1. a small eastern U.S. tree ( Chionanthus virginicus) of the olive family that has clusters of white flowers and is widely cultivated as an ornamental

frip·pery ['fri-p(ə-)rē] -n

  1. cast-off clothes
  2. a place where old clothes are sold
  3. finery
  4. an elegant or showy garment
  5. something showy, frivolous, or nonessential
  6. ostentation
  7. something foolish or affectedly elegant

Fris·bee ['friz-bē] -trademark

  1. used for a plastic disk for tossing between players

Frise aileron ['frēz-] -n

  1. an aileron having a nose portion projecting ahead of the hinge axis and a lower surface in line with the lower surface of the wing

fri·see [frē-'zā] -n

  1. curly leaves of endive (sense 1) that have finely dissected edges and are used in salads called also curly endive frisee lettuce

Fri·sian ['fri-zhən, 'frē-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Friesland, the Frisians, or Frisian

Frisian -n

  1. a member of a people that inhabit principally the Netherlands province of Friesland and the Frisian islands in the North Sea
  2. the Germanic language of the Frisian people

frisk ['frisk] -vb, n

  1. to leap, skip, or dance in a lively or playful way : gambol
  2. to search (a person) for something (as a concealed weapon) by running the hand rapidly over the clothing and through the pockets
  3. caper
  4. gambol, romp
  5. diversion
  6. an act of frisking

fris·ket ['fris-kət] -n

  1. a masking device or material used esp. in printing or graphic arts

frisky ['fris-kē] -adj, adv, n

  1. inclined to frisk : playful
    • frisky puppies
  2. lively
    • a frisky performance

fris·son [frē-'sōⁿ] -n

  1. a brief moment of emotional excitement : shudder, thrill
    • produce a genuine frisson of disquiet -- Patricia Craig

frit ['frit] -n

  1. the calcined or partly fused materials of which glass is made
  2. any of various chemically complex glasses used ground esp. to introduce soluble or unstable ingredients into glazes or enamels
  3. to prepare (materials for glass) by heat : fuse
  4. to convert into a frit

frith ['frith] -n

  1. estuary

frit·il·lar·ia [,fri-tə-'ler-ē-ə, -'ar-] -n

  1. any of a widespread genus ( Fritillaria) of bulbous herbs of the lily family with variably colored and often mottled or checkered flowers

frit·il·lary ['fri-tə-,ler-ē] -n

  1. fritillaria
  2. any of numerous nymphalid butterflies ( Argynnis, Speyeria,and related genera) that usu. are orange with black spots on the upper side of both wings and silver spotted on the underside of the hind wing

frit·ta·ta [frē-'tä-tə] -n

  1. an unfolded omelet often containing chopped vegetables or meats

fritted -adj

  1. being porous glass made of sintered powdered glass or fiberglass

frit·ter ['fri-tər] -n

  1. a small mass of fried or sauteed batter often containing fruit or meat

fritter [-tər-ər] -vb, n

  1. to spend or waste bit by bit, on trifles, or without commensurate return usu. used with away
  2. to break into small fragments
  3. dissipate, dwindle

frit·to mi·sto ['frē-(,)tō-'mē-(,)stō] -n

  1. small morsels of meat, seafood, or vegetables coated with batter and deep fried

fritz ['frits] -n

  1. a state of disorder or disrepair used in the phrase on the fritz

friv·ol ['fri-vᵊl] -vi, n

  1. to act frivolously : trifle

fri·vol·i·ty [fri-'vä-lə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being frivolous
  2. a frivolous act or thing

friv·o·lous ['fri-və-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. of little weight or importance
  2. having no sound basis (as in fact or law)
    • a frivolous lawsuit
  3. lacking in seriousness
  4. marked by unbecoming levity

frizz ['friz] -vb

  1. to form into small tight curls
  2. to form a mass of tight curls
  3. a tight curl
  4. hair that is tightly curled
  5. to fry or sear with a sizzling noise
  6. sizzle

friz·zies ['fri-zēz] -n pl

  1. frizzy hair often used with the
    • a bad case of the frizzies

friz·zle ['fri-zᵊl] -vb

  1. frizz, curl

frizzle -n

  1. a crisp curl
  2. to fry until crisp and curled
  3. burn, scorch
  4. to cook with a sizzling noise

frizzy ['fri-zē] -adj, n

  1. tightly curled
    • frizzy hair

FRM -abbr

  1. fixed rate mortgage

fro [frə, 'frō] -prep

  1. from
  2. back, away used in the phrase to and fro

frock ['fräk] -n

  1. an outer garment worn by monks and friars : habit
  2. : an outer garment worn chiefly by men:
  3. a long loose mantle
  4. a workman's outer shirt
  5. smock frock
  6. a woolen jersey worn esp. by sailors
  7. a woman's dress
  8. to clothe in a frock
  9. to make a cleric of

frock coat -n

  1. a man's knee-length usu. double-breasted coat

froe ['frō] -n

  1. a cleaving tool for splitting cask staves and shingles from the block

frog ['frȯg, 'fräg] -n

  1. any of various largely aquatic leaping anuran amphibians (as ranids) that have slender bodies with smooth moist skin and strong long hind legs with webbed feet
  2. the triangular elastic horny pad in the middle of the sole of the foot of a horse
  3. a loop attached to a belt to hold a weapon or tool
  4. an ornamental braiding for fastening the front of a garment that consists of a button and a loop through which it passes
  5. frenchman
  6. a device permitting the wheels on one rail of a track to cross an intersecting rail
  7. a condition in the throat that produces hoarseness
    • had a frog in his throat
  8. the nut of a violin bow
  9. a small holder (as of metal, glass, or plastic) with perforations or spikes for holding flowers in place in a bowl or vase

frog·eye [-,ī] -n

  1. any of various fungal leaf diseases characterized by concentric rings about the diseased spots

frog·hop·per [-,hä-pər] -n

  1. spittlebug

frog kick -n

  1. a breaststroke kick executed with the knees primarily turned outward and the legs alternately separated and closed

frog·let ['frȯg-lət, 'fräg-] -n

  1. a young frog
  2. one that has recently metamorphosed from a tadpole

frog·man ['frȯg-,man, 'fräg-, -mən] -n

  1. a person equipped (as with face mask, flippers, and air supply) for extended periods of underwater swimming
  2. a person so equipped for military reconnaissance and demolition

frogmarch [-,märch] -vt

  1. to seize from behind roughly and forcefully propel forward
    • frogmarch ed him out the door

frog spit -n

  1. cuckoo spit

frol·ic ['frä-lik] -adj

  1. full of fun : merry

frolic -vi, n

  1. to amuse oneself : make merry
  2. to play and run about happily : romp
  3. a playful or mischievous action
  4. an occasion or scene of fun : party
  5. fun, merriment

frol·ic·some ['frä-lik-səm] -adj

  1. full of gaiety : playful, sportive

from ['frəm, 'främ also fəm] -prep

  1. used as a function word to indicate a starting point of a physical movement or a starting point in measuring or reckoning or in a statement of limits
    • came here from the city
    • a week from today
    • cost from 5 to 10
  2. used as a function word to indicate the starting or focal point of an activity
    • called me from a pay phone
    • ran a business from her home
  3. used as a function word to indicate physical separation or an act or condition of removal, abstention, exclusion, release, subtraction, or differentiation
    • protection from the sun
    • relief from anxiety
  4. used as a function word to indicate the source, cause, agent, or basis
    • we conclude from this
    • a call from my lawyer
    • inherited a love of music from his father
    • worked hard from necessity

frond ['fränd] -n, adj

  1. a large leaf (esp. of a palm or fern) usu. with many divisions
  2. a thallus or thalloid shoot (as of a lichen or seaweed) resembling a leaf

fron·deur [frōⁿ-'dər] -n

  1. rebel, malcontent

front ['frənt] -n

  1. forehead
  2. the whole face
  3. external and often feigned appearance esp. in the face of danger or adversity
  4. vanguard
  5. a line of battle
  6. a zone of conflict between armies
  7. a stand on an issue : policy
  8. an area of activity or interest
    • progress on the educational front
  9. a movement linking divergent elements to achieve common objectives
  10. a political coalition
  11. a side of a building
  12. the side that contains the principal entrance
  13. the forward part or surface
  14. frontage
  15. a beach promenade at a seaside resort
  16. dickey
  17. the boundary between two dissimilar air masses
  18. beginning
  19. a position ahead of a person or of the foremost part of a thing
  20. used as a call by a hotel desk clerk in summoning a bellhop
  21. a position of leadership or superiority
  22. a person, group, or thing used to mask the identity or true character or activity of the actual controlling agent
  23. a person who serves as the nominal head or spokesman of an enterprise or group to lend it prestige
  24. to have the front or principal side adjacent to something
  25. to have frontage on something
    • a ten-acre plot front ing on a lake -- Current Biog.
  26. to serve as a front
    • front ing for special interests
  27. confront
    • went to the woods because I wished...to front only the essential facts of life -- H. D. Thoreau
  28. to appear before
    • daily front ed him in some fresh splendor -- Alfred Tennyson
  29. to be in front of
    • a lawn front ing the house
  30. to be the leader of (a musical group)
    • appeared as a soloist and front ed bands
  31. to face toward or have frontage on
    • the house front s the street
  32. to supply a front to
    • front ed the building with bricks
  33. to articulate (a sound) with the tongue farther forward
  34. to move (a word or phrase) to the beginning of a sentence
  35. to play in front of (an opposing player) rather than between the player and the basket
  36. advance7
    • front ed him the cash
  37. of, relating to, or situated at the front
  38. acting as a front
    • front company
  39. articulated at or toward the front of the oral passage
    • front vowels
  40. constituting the first nine holes of an 18-hole golf course
  41. frontispiece

front·age ['frən-tij] -n

  1. a piece of land that lies adjacent (as to a street or the ocean)
  2. the land between the front of a building and the street
  3. the length of a frontage
  4. the act or fact of facing a given way
  5. the front side of a building

frontage road -n

  1. a local street that parallels an expressway or through street and that provides access to property near the expressway called also service road

fron·tal ['frən-tᵊl] -n

  1. a cloth hanging over the front of an altar
  2. facade

frontal [-tᵊl-ē] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or adjacent to the forehead or the frontal bone
  2. of, relating to, or situated at the front
  3. directed against the front or at the main point or issue : direct
    • frontal assault
  4. parallel to the main axis of the body and at right angles to the sagittal plane
  5. of or relating to a meteorological front

frontal bone -n

  1. a bone that forms the forehead and roofs over most of the orbits and nasal cavity and that at birth consists of two halves separated by a suture

fron·tal·i·ty [,frən-'ta-lə-tē] -n

  1. a schematic composition of the front view that is complete without lateral movement
  2. the depiction of an object, figure, or scene in a plane parallel to the plane of the picture surface

frontal lobe -n

  1. the anterior division of each cerebral hemisphere

front and center -adv

  1. in or to the forefront of activity or consideration

front bench [-'ben-chər] -n

  1. either of the two benches nearest the chair in a British legislature (as the House of Commons) occupied by government and opposition leaders
  2. the leaders themselves

front burner -n, adj

  1. the condition of being in active consideration or development : a position of priority usu. used in the phrase on the front burner

front·court ['frənt-'kȯrt] -n

  1. a basketball team's offensive half of the court
  2. the positions of the forwards and center on a basketball team
  3. the forwards and center themselves

front dive -n

  1. a dive from a position facing the water

frontend -adj

  1. relating to or required at the beginning of an undertaking
    • no frontend charge at the time of investment

front end -n

  1. a unit in a computer system devoted to controlling the data communications link between terminals and the main computer and often to the preliminary processing of data
  2. a software interface (as a graphical user interface) designed to enable user-friendly interaction with a computer

frontend load -n

  1. the part of the total commission and expenses taken out of early payments under a contract plan for the periodic purchase of investment-company shares

frontend loader -n

  1. a usu. wheeled vehicle with a hydraulically operated scoop in front for excavating and loading loose material called also front loader

fron·tier [,frən-'tir, 'frən-,, frän-', 'frän-,] -n, adj

  1. a border between two countries
  2. a stronghold on a frontier
  3. a region that forms the margin of settled or developed territory
  4. the farthermost limits of knowledge or achievement in a particular subject
  5. a line of division between different or opposed things
    • the frontier s separating science and the humanities -- R. W. Clark
  6. a new field for exploitative or developmental activity

fron·tiers·man [,frən-'tirz-mən, frän-] -n

  1. a person who lives or works on a frontier

fron·tis·piece ['frən-tə-,spēs] -n

  1. the principal front of a building
  2. a decorated pediment over a portico or window
  3. an illustration preceding and usu. facing the title page of a book or magazine

front·less ['frənt-ləs] -adj

  1. shameless

front·let [-lət] -n

  1. a band or phylactery worn on the forehead
  2. the forehead esp. of an animal

front·line ['frənt-,līn] -adj

  1. relating to, being, or involved in a front line
    • frontline ambulances
  2. first-rate
    • frontline teachers
  3. first-string
    • a frontline goalie

front line -n

  1. a military line formed by the most advanced tactical combat units
  2. front
  3. an area of potential or actual conflict or struggle
  4. the most advanced, responsible, or visible position in a field or activity

frontload -vt

  1. to assign costs or benefits to the early stages of (as a contract, project, or time period)

front man -n

  1. a person serving as a front or figurehead
  2. the lead performer in a musical group

front matter -n

  1. matter preceding the main text of a book

front money -n

  1. money that is paid in advance for a promised service or product

fronto- -comb form

  1. boundary of an air mass
    • fronto genesis

front office -n

  1. the policy-making officials of an organization usu. hyphenated when used attributively
    • the front-office staff

front·o·gen·e·sis [,frən-tō-'je-nə-səs] -n

  1. the coming together into a distinct front of two dissimilar air masses that commonly react upon each other to induce cloud and precipitation

front·ol·y·sis [,frən-'tä-lə-səs] -n

  1. a process tending to destroy a meteorological front

fron·ton ['frän-,tän] -n

  1. a jai alai arena

frontpage ['frənt-'pāj] -adj

  1. printed on the front page of a newspaper
  2. very newsworthy
  3. to print or report on the front page

front room -n

  1. living room, parlor

frontrun·ner ['frənt-,rə-nər] -n

  1. a contestant who runs best when in the lead
  2. a leading contestant in or as if in a rivalry or competition
    • a political frontrunner

front·ward ['frənt-wərd] -adv or adj

  1. toward the front

frore ['frȯr] -adj

  1. frosty, frozen

frosh ['fräsh] -n

  1. freshman

frost ['frȯst] -n

  1. the process of freezing
  2. a covering of minute ice crystals on a cold surface
  3. ice particles formed from a gas
  4. the temperature that causes freezing
  5. coldness of deportment or temperament : an indifferent, reserved, or unfriendly manner
  6. failure
    • the play was...a most dreadful frost -- Arnold Bennett
  7. to cover with or as if with frost
  8. to put icing on (cake)
  9. to produce a fine-grained slightly roughened surface on (as metal or glass)
  10. to injure or kill (as plants) by frost
  11. to make angry or irritated
    • that really frost s me
  12. to become frosted

frost·bite ['frȯs(t)-,bīt] -vt

  1. to affect or injure by frost or frostbite

frostbite -n

  1. the superficial or deep freezing of the tissues of some part of the body (as the feet or hands)
  2. the damage to tissues caused by freezing
  3. done in cold weather
    • frostbite sailing
  4. of or relating to cold-weather sailing
    • frostbite sailors

frost·bit·ing [-,bī-tiŋ] -n

  1. the sport of sailing in cold weather

frost·ed ['frȯ-stəd] -adj

  1. having undergone frosting
    • frosted hair

frost heave -n

  1. an upthrust of ground or pavement caused by freezing of moist soil called also frost heaving

frost·ing ['frȯs-tiŋ] -n

  1. icing
  2. trimming, ornamentation
  3. lusterless finish of metal or glass : mat
  4. a white finish produced on glass (as by etching)
  5. the lightening (as by chemicals) of small strands of hair throughout the entire head to produce a two-tone effect

frost·nip ['frȯs(t)-,nip] -n

  1. the reversible freezing of superficial skin layers that is usu. marked by numbness and whiteness of the skin

frost·work ['frȯs(t)-,wərk] -n

  1. the figures that moisture sometimes forms in freezing (as on a windowpane)

frosty ['frȯ-stē] -adj, adv, n

  1. attended with or producing frost : freezing
  2. briskly cold : chilly
  3. covered or appearing as if covered with frost : hoary
    • a man of 65, with frosty eyebrows and hair -- Nan Robertson
  4. marked by coolness or extreme reserve in manner
    • his smile was distinctly frosty -- Erle Stanley Gardner

froth ['frȯth] -n

  1. bubbles formed in or on a liquid : foam
  2. a foamy slaver sometimes accompanying disease or exhaustion
  3. something resembling froth (as in being unsubstantial, worthless, or light and airy)
  4. to foam at the mouth
  5. to throw froth out or up
  6. to become covered with or as if with froth
    • whole groves froth with nodding blossoms -- Amy Lovejoy
  7. to cause to foam
  8. to cover with froth
  9. vent, voice

frothy ['frȯ-thē, -thē] -adj, adv, n

  1. full of or consisting of froth
  2. gaily frivolous or light in content or treatment : insubstantial
    • a frothy comedy
  3. made of light thin material

frot·tage [frȯ-'täzh] -n

  1. the technique of creating a design by rubbing (as with a pencil) over an object placed underneath the paper
  2. a composition so made
  3. the act of obtaining sexual stimulation by rubbing against a person or object

frou·frou ['frü-(,)frü] -n

  1. a rustling esp. of a woman's skirts
  2. showy or frilly ornamentation

frow ['frō] -n

(variant of froe)

  1. a cleaving tool for splitting cask staves and shingles from the block

fro·ward ['frō-(w)ərd] -adj, adv, n

  1. habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
  2. adverse

frown ['frau̇n] -vb, n, adv

  1. to contract the brow in displeasure or concentration
  2. to give evidence of displeasure or disapproval by or as if by facial expression
    • critics frown on the idea
  3. to show displeasure with or disapproval of esp. by facial expression
  4. an expression of displeasure
  5. a wrinkling of the brow in displeasure or concentration

frows·ty ['frau̇-stē] -adj

  1. musty
  2. frowsy

frow·sy ['frau̇-zē] -adj

  1. musty, stale
    • a frowsy smell of stale beer and stale smoke -- W. S. Maugham
  2. having a slovenly or uncared-for appearance
    • a couple of frowsy stuffed chairs -- R. M. Williams

froze ['frēz] -vb, adv

(variant of freeze)

  1. to become congealed into ice by cold
  2. to solidify as a result of abstraction of heat
  3. to withstand freezing
    • the bread freeze s well
  4. to become chilled with cold
    • almost froze to death
  5. to adhere solidly by or as if by freezing
    • pressure caused the metals to freeze
  6. to become fixed or motionless
  7. to become incapable of acting or speaking
  8. to become clogged with ice
    • the water pipes froze
  9. to harden into ice
  10. to convert from a liquid to a solid by cold
  11. to make extremely cold : chill
  12. to act on usu. destructively by frost
  13. to anesthetize by cold
  14. to cause to grip tightly or remain in immovable contact
  15. to cause to become fixed, immovable, unavailable, or unalterable
    • freeze interest rates
  16. to immobilize by governmental regulation the expenditure, withdrawal, or exchange of
    • freeze foreign assets
  17. to render motionless
    • a fake froze the defender
  18. to attempt to retain continuous possession of (a ball or puck) without an attempt to score usu. in order to protect a small lead
  19. an act or instance of freezing
  20. the state of being frozen
  21. a state of weather marked by low temperature esp. when below the freezing point
  22. a halt in the production, testing, and deployment of military weapons
    • a nuclear freeze

fro·zen ['frō-zᵊn] -adj, adv, n

  1. treated, affected, or crusted over by freezing
  2. subject to long and severe cold
    • the frozen north
  3. incapable of being changed, moved, or undone : fixed
  4. debarred by official action from movement or from change in status
    • frozen wages
  5. not available for present use
    • frozen capital
  6. drained or incapable of emotion
  7. expressing or characterized by cold unfriendliness

FRS -abbr

  1. Federal Reserve System

frt -abbr

  1. freight

fruc·ti·fi·ca·tion [,frək-tə-fə-'kā-shən, ,fru̇k-] -n

  1. the reproductive organs or fruit of a plant
  2. sporophore

fruc·ti·fy ['frək-tə-,fī, 'fru̇k-] -vb

  1. to bear fruit
    • its seeds shall fructify -- Amy Lowell
    • no partnership can fructify without candor on both sides -- D. M. Ogilvy
  2. to make fruitful or productive

fruc·tose ['frək-,tōs, 'frük-, 'fru̇k-, -,tōz] -n

  1. a crystalline sugar C 6H 12O 6sweeter and more soluble than glucose
  2. the very sweet levorotatory d-form of fructose that occurs esp. in fruit juices and honey called also fruit sugar levulose

fruc·tu·ous ['frək-chə-wəs, 'fru̇k, -chü-əs] -adj

  1. fruitful
    • a fructuous land

fru·gal ['frü-gəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources

fru·giv·o·rous [frü-'ji-və-rəs] -adj, n

  1. feeding on fruit

fruit ['früt] -n, adj

  1. a product of plant growth (as grain, vegetables, or cotton)
    • the fruit s of the field
  2. the usu. edible reproductive body of a seed plant
  3. one having a sweet pulp associated with the seed
    • the fruit of the tree
  4. a succulent plant part (as the petioles of a rhubarb plant) used chiefly in a dessert or sweet course
  5. a dish, quantity, or diet of fruits
    • live on fruit
  6. a product of fertilization in a plant with its modified envelopes or appendages
  7. the ripened ovary of a seed plant and its contents
  8. the flavor or aroma of fresh fruit in mature wine
  9. offspring, progeny
  10. the state of bearing fruit
    • a tree in fruit
  11. the effect or consequence of an action or operation : product, result
    • the fruit s of our labor
  12. a male homosexual
  13. to bear fruit
  14. to cause to bear fruit

fruit·age ['frü-tij] -n

  1. fruit
  2. the condition or process of bearing fruit
  3. the product or result of an action

frui·tar·i·an [(,)frü(t)-'ter-ē-ən] -n

  1. a person who lives on fruit

fruit bat -n

  1. any of a family (Pteropodidae of the suborder Megachiroptera) of often large tropical and subtropical Old World bats that feed on ripe fruit, pollen, and nectar and that usu. use visual navigation rather than echolocation called also flying fox

fruit·cake ['früt-,kāk] -n

  1. a rich cake containing nuts, dried or candied fruits, and spices
  2. nut

fruit·er·er ['frü-tər-ər] -n

  1. a person who deals in fruit

fruit fly -n

  1. any of various small dipteran flies (as a drosophila) whose larvae feed on fruit or decaying vegetable matter

fruit·ful ['früt-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. yielding or producing fruit
  2. conducive to an abundant yield
  3. abundantly productive
    • a fruitful discussion

fruiting body -n

  1. a plant organ specialized for producing spores
  2. sporophore

fru·ition [frü-'i-shən] -n

  1. pleasurable use or possession : enjoyment
  2. the state of bearing fruit
  3. realization

fruit·less ['früt-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. unsuccessful
    • a fruitless attempt
  2. lacking or not bearing fruit

fruit·let [-lət] -n

  1. a small fruit
  2. a unit of a collective fruit

fruit machine -n

  1. slot machine

fruit sugar -n

  1. fructose

fruit·wood ['früt-,wu̇d] -n

  1. the wood of a fruit tree (as the apple, cherry, or pear)
    • fruitwood furniture

fruity ['frü-tē] -adj, adv, n

  1. relating to, made with, or resembling fruit
  2. having the flavor or aroma of ripe fruit
  3. extremely effective, interesting, or enjoyable
  4. sweet or sentimental esp. to excess
  5. rich and deep
  6. crazy, silly

fru·men·ty ['frü-mən-tē] -n

  1. a dish of wheat boiled in milk and usu. sweetened and spiced

frump ['frəmp] -n

  1. a dowdy unattractive girl or woman
  2. a staid, drab, old-fashioned person

frump·ish ['frəm-pish] -adj

  1. dowdy, drab

frumpy ['frəm-pē] -adj

  1. dowdy, drab

frus·trate ['frəs-,trāt] -vt

  1. to balk or defeat in an endeavor
  2. to induce feelings of discouragement in
  3. to make ineffectual : bring to nothing
  4. impede, obstruct
  5. to make invalid or of no effect

frustrate -adj

  1. characterized by frustration

frustrating [-tiŋ-lē] -adj, adv

  1. tending to produce or characterized by frustration
    • a frustrating delay

frus·tra·tion [(,)frəs-'trā-shən] -n

  1. the act of frustrating
  2. the state or an instance of being frustrated
  3. a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs
  4. something that frustrates

frus·tule ['frəs-(,)chül, -(,)t(y)ül] -n

  1. the 2-valved siliceous shell of a diatom

frus·tum ['frəs-təm] -n

  1. the basal part of a solid cone or pyramid formed by cutting off the top by a plane parallel to the base
  2. the part of a solid intersected between two usu. parallel planes

fru·ti·cose ['frü-ti-,kōs] -adj

  1. having a shrubby often branched thallus that grows perpendicular to the substrate
    • fruticose lichens

frwy -abbr

  1. freeway

fry ['frī] -vb

  1. to cook in a pan or on a griddle over heat esp. with the use of fat
  2. electrocute
  3. to damage or destroy (an electrical device or its circuitry) by overheating esp. as a result of unusually high voltage
  4. to undergo frying
  5. to get very hot or burn as if being fried
    • bodies fry ing on the beach
  6. a social gathering or picnic where food is fried and eaten
    • a fish fry
  7. a dish of something fried
  8. french fry usu. used in pl.
    • a burger and fries
  9. recently hatched or juvenile fishes
  10. the young of other animals
  11. very small adult fishes
  12. members of a group or class : individuals
    • small fry

fry bread -n

  1. quick bread cooked (as by American Indians) by deep-frying

fry·er ['frī(-ə)r] -n

  1. : something intended for or used in frying: as
  2. a young chicken
  3. a deep utensil for frying foods

frying pan -n

  1. a metal pan with a handle that is used for frying foods called also fry pan

fryup ['frī-,əp] -n

  1. a dish or meal of fried food