fi·acre [fē-'äkrᵊ] -n

  1. a small hackney coach

fi·an·ce [,fē-,än-'sā, fē-'än-,] -n

  1. a man engaged to be married

fi·an·cee [,fē-,än-'sā, fē-'än-,] -n

  1. a woman engaged to be married

fi·an·chet·to [,fē-ən-'ke-(,)tō, -'che-] -vb

  1. to develop (a bishop) in a chess game to the second square on the adjacent knight's file
  2. to fianchetto a bishop

fi·as·co [fē-'as-(,)kō also -'äs-] -n

  1. a complete failure
  2. bottle, flask
  3. a bulbous long-necked straw-covered bottle for wine

fi·at ['fē-ət, -,at, -,ät; 'fī-ət, -,at] -n

  1. a command or act of will that creates something without or as if without further effort
  2. an authoritative determination : dictate
    • a fiat of conscience
  3. an authoritative or arbitrary order : decree
    • government by fiat

fiat money -n

  1. money (as paper currency) not convertible into coin or specie of equivalent value

fib ['fib] -n

  1. a trivial or childish lie
  2. to tell a fib
  3. pummel, beat

fi·ber ['fī-bər] -n, adj

  1. : a thread or a structure or object resembling a thread: as
  2. a slender root (as of a grass)
  3. an elongated tapering thick-walled plant cell void at maturity that imparts elasticity, flexibility, and tensile strength
  4. a strand of nerve tissue : axon, dendrite
  5. one of the filaments composing most of the intercellular matrix of connective tissue
  6. one of the elongated contractile cells of muscle tissue
  7. a slender and greatly elongated natural or synthetic filament (as of wool, cotton, asbestos, gold, glass, or rayon) typically capable of being spun into yarn
  8. mostly indigestible material in food that stimulates the intestine to peristalsis called also bulk roughage
  9. material made of fibers
  10. vulcanized fiber
  11. an element that gives texture or substance
  12. basic toughness : strength, fortitude
  13. essential structure or character
    • the very fiber of a person's being

fi·ber·board [-,bȯrd] -n

  1. a material made by compressing fibers (as of wood) into stiff sheets
  2. cardboard

fi·ber·fill [-,fil] -n

  1. synthetic fibers used as a filling material (as for cushions)

fi·ber·glass [-,glas] -n

  1. glass in fibrous form used in making various products (as glass wool for insulation)
  2. a composite structural material of plastic and fiberglass

fiberglass -vt

  1. to protect or repair by applying fiberglass

fi·ber·ize ['fī-bə-,rīz] -vt, n

  1. to make or break down into fibers

fi·berop·tic ['fī-bər-,äp-tik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or using fiber optics

fiber optics -n pl

  1. thin transparent fibers of glass or plastic that are enclosed by material of a lower refractive index and that transmit light throughout their length by internal reflections
  2. a bundle of such fibers used in an instrument (as for viewing body cavities)
  3. the technique of the use of fiber optics

fi·ber·scope ['fī-bər-,skōp] -n

  1. a flexible instrument utilizing fiber optics and used for examination of inaccessible areas

Fi·bo·nac·ci number [,fē-bə-'nä-chē-, ,fi-bə-] -n

  1. an integer in the infinite sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,...of which the first two terms are 1 and 1 and each succeeding term is the sum of the two immediately preceding

fibr- -comb form

  1. fiber : fibrous tissue
    • fibr oid
    : fibrous and
    • fibro vascular

fi·branne ['fī-,bran, fī-'] -n

  1. a fabric made of spun-rayon yarn

fi·bre ['fī-bər] -n, adj

(variant of fiber)

  1. : a thread or a structure or object resembling a thread: as
  2. a slender root (as of a grass)
  3. an elongated tapering thick-walled plant cell void at maturity that imparts elasticity, flexibility, and tensile strength
  4. a strand of nerve tissue : axon, dendrite
  5. one of the filaments composing most of the intercellular matrix of connective tissue
  6. one of the elongated contractile cells of muscle tissue
  7. a slender and greatly elongated natural or synthetic filament (as of wool, cotton, asbestos, gold, glass, or rayon) typically capable of being spun into yarn
  8. mostly indigestible material in food that stimulates the intestine to peristalsis called also bulk roughage
  9. material made of fibers
  10. vulcanized fiber
  11. an element that gives texture or substance
  12. basic toughness : strength, fortitude
  13. essential structure or character
    • the very fiber of a person's being

fi·bril ['fī-brəl, 'fi-] -n, adj

  1. : a small filament or fiber: as
  2. root hair
  3. one of the fine threads into which a striated muscle fiber can be longitudinally split
  4. neurofibril

fi·bril·late ['fi-brə-,lāt, 'fī-] -vb

  1. to undergo or exhibit fibrillation
  2. to cause to undergo fibrillation

fi·bril·la·tion [,fi-brə-'lā-shən, ,fī-] -n

  1. an act or process of forming fibers or fibrils
  2. a muscular twitching involving individual muscle fibers acting without coordination
  3. very rapid irregular contractions of the muscle fibers of the heart resulting in a lack of synchronism between heartbeat and pulse

fi·brin ['fī-brən] -n, adj

  1. a white insoluble fibrous protein formed from fibrinogen by the action of thrombin esp. in the clotting of blood

fi·brin·o·gen [fī-'bri-nə-jən] -n

  1. a plasma protein that is produced in the liver and is converted into fibrin during blood clot formation

fi·bri·noid ['fi-brə-,nȯid, 'fī-] -n

  1. a homogeneous acidophilic refractile material that somewhat resembles fibrin and is formed in the walls of blood vessels and in connective tissue in some pathological conditions and normally in the placenta

fi·bri·no·ly·sin [,fī-brə-nə-'lī-sᵊn] -n

  1. any of several proteolytic enzymes that promote the dissolution of blood clots
  2. plasmin

fi·bri·no·ly·sis [-'ī-səs, -brə-'nä-lə-səs] -n, adj

  1. the usu. enzymatic breakdown of fibrin

fi·bri·no·pep·tide [,fī-brə-nō-'pep-,tīd] -n

  1. any of the vertebrate polypeptides that are cleaved from fibrinogen by thrombin during clot formation

fi·bro·blast ['fī-brə-,blast, 'fi-] -n, adj

  1. a connective-tissue cell of mesenchymal origin that secretes proteins and esp. molecular collagen from which the extracellular fibrillar matrix of connective tissue forms

fibroblast growth factor -n

  1. any of several protein growth factors that stimulate the proliferation esp. of endothelial cells and that promote angiogenesis

fi·bro·cys·tic [,fī-brə-'sis-tik, ,fi-] -adj

  1. characterized by the presence or development of fibrous tissue and cysts

fi·broid ['fī-brȯid, 'fi-] -adj

  1. resembling, forming, or consisting of fibrous tissue
    • a fibroid tumor

fibroid -n

  1. a benign tumor that consists of fibrous and muscular tissue and occurs esp. in the uterine wall

fi·bro·in ['fī-brə-wən, 'fi-, -brō-ən] -n

  1. an insoluble protein comprising the filaments of the raw silk fiber

fi·bro·ma [fī-'brō-mə] -n, adj

  1. a benign tumor consisting mainly of fibrous tissue

fi·bro·my·al·gia [,fī-,brō-,mī-'al-j(ē)ə] -n

  1. a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, and stiffness of muscles and associated connective tissue structures that is typically accompanied by fatigue, headache, and sleep disturbances

fi·bro·nec·tin [,fī-brə-'nek-tən] -n

  1. any of a group of glycoproteins of cell surfaces, blood plasma, and connective tissue that promote cellular adhesion and migration

fi·bro·sar·co·ma [,fī-brə-sär-'kō-mə, ,fi-] -n

  1. a sarcoma of relatively low malignancy consisting chiefly of spindle-shaped cells that tend to form collagenous fibrils

fi·bro·sis [fī-'brō-səs] -n, adj

  1. a condition marked by increase of interstitial fibrous tissue

fi·bro·si·tis [,fī-brə-'sī-təs, ,fi-] -n

  1. a rheumatic disorder of fibrous tissue
  2. fibromyalgia

fi·brous ['fī-brəs] -adj

  1. containing, consisting of, or resembling fibers
  2. characterized by fibrosis
  3. capable of being separated into fibers
    • a fibrous mineral
  4. tough, sinewy
    • fibrous texture

fibrous root -n

  1. a root (as in most grasses) that has no prominent central axis and that branches in all directions

fi·bro·vas·cu·lar [,fī-brō-'vas-kyə-lər, ,fi-] -adj

  1. having or consisting of fibers and conducting cells

fibrovascular bundle -n

  1. vascular bundle

fib·u·la ['fi-byə-lə] -n, adj

  1. the outer and usu. smaller of the two bones between the knee and ankle in the hind or lower limbs of vertebrates
  2. a clasp resembling a safety pin used esp. by the ancient Greeks and Romans

FICA -abbr

  1. Federal Insurance Contributions Act

fice ['fīst] -n

(variant of feist)

  1. a small dog

fiche ['fēsh also 'fish] -n

  1. microfiche

fi·chu ['fi-(,)shü, 'fē-] -n

  1. a woman's light triangular scarf that is draped over the shoulders and fastened in front or worn to fill in a low neckline

fi·cin ['fī-sᵊn] -n

  1. a protease obtained from the latex of fig trees and used as an anthelmintic and protein digestive

fick·le ['fi-kəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. marked by lack of steadfastness, constancy, or stability : given to erratic changeableness

fi·co ['fē-(,)kō] -n

  1. fig

fict -abbr

  1. fiction; fictitious

fic·tile ['fik-tᵊl, -,tī(-ə)l] -adj

  1. plastic
  2. of or relating to pottery
  3. malleable

fic·tion ['fik-shən] -n, adj, adv

  1. something invented by the imagination or feigned
  2. an invented story
  3. fictitious literature (as novels or short stories)
  4. a work of fiction
  5. novel
  6. an assumption of a possibility as a fact irrespective of the question of its truth
    • a legal fiction
  7. a useful illusion or pretense
  8. the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination

fic·tion·al·ise ['fik-shnə-,līz, -shə-nə-,līz] -vt, n

(variant of fictionalize)

  1. to make into or treat in the manner of fiction
    • fictionalize a biography

fic·tion·al·ize ['fik-shnə-,līz, -shə-nə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to make into or treat in the manner of fiction
    • fictionalize a biography

fic·tion·eer [,fik-shə-'nir] -n

  1. one who writes fiction esp. in quantity and without high standards

fic·tion·ist ['fik-sh(ə-)nist] -n

  1. a writer of fiction
  2. novelist

fic·tion·ize ['fik-shə-,nīz] -vt, n

  1. fictionalize

fic·ti·tious [fik-'ti-shəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of fiction : imaginary
  2. conventionally or hypothetically assumed or accepted
    • a fictitious concept
  3. false, assumed
  4. not genuinely felt

fic·tive ['fik-tiv] -adj, adv, n

  1. not genuine : feigned
  2. of, relating to, or capable of imaginative creation
  3. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of fiction : fictional

fi·cus ['fī-kəs] -n

  1. fig

fid ['fid] -n

  1. a tapered usu. wooden pin used in opening the strands of a rope

fid·dle ['fi-dᵊl] -n

  1. violin
  2. a device (as a slat, rack, or light railing) to keep objects from sliding off a table aboard ship
  3. fiddlesticks used as an interjection
  4. swindle

fiddle ['fid-liŋ, 'fi-dᵊl-iŋ] -vb, n

  1. to play on a fiddle
  2. to move the hands or fingers restlessly
  3. to spend time in aimless or fruitless activity : putter, tinker
    • fiddled around with the engine for hours
  4. meddle, tamper
  5. to make minor manual movements esp. to adjust something
    • fiddled with the radio knobs
  6. to play (as a tune) on a fiddle
  7. cheat, swindle
  8. to alter or manipulate deceptively for fraudulent gain
    • accountants fiddling the books -- Stanley Cohen

fiddle away -vt

  1. to fritter away
    • fiddling away the time

fid·dle·back ['fi-dᵊl-,bak] -n

  1. something resembling a fiddle

fid·dlefad·dle ['fi-dᵊl-,fa-dᵊl] -n

  1. nonsense often used as an interjection

fid·dlefoot·ed [,fi-dᵊl-'fu̇-təd] -adj

  1. skittish, jumpy
    • a fiddlefooted horse
  2. prone to wander
    • the nameless fiddlefooted drifters, the shifty riders who traveled the back trails -- Luke Short

fid·dle·head ['fi-dᵊl-,hed] -n

  1. one of the young unfurling fronds of some ferns that are often eaten as greens called also fiddlehead fern

fiddler crab -n

  1. any of a genus ( Uca) of burrowing crabs in which the male has one claw that is greatly enlarged

fid·dle·stick ['fi-dᵊl-,stik] -n

  1. a violin bow
  2. something of little value : trifle
    • didn't care a fiddlestick for that
  3. nonsense used as an interjection

fiddling -adj

  1. trifling, petty
    • a fiddling excuse

fid·dly ['fi-dᵊl-ē] -adj

  1. requiring close attention to detail : fussy
  2. requiring an annoying amount of close attention
    • the tiny control buttons on the back are fiddly -- M. J. McNamara

fi·de·ism ['fē-(,)dā-,i-zəm] -n, adj

  1. reliance on faith rather than reason in pursuit of religious truth

Fi·del·is·ta [,fē-də-'lē-stə] -n

  1. an adherent of Castroism

fi·del·i·ty [fə-'de-lə-tē, fī-] -n

  1. the quality or state of being faithful
  2. accuracy in details : exactness
  3. the degree to which an electronic device (as a record player, radio, or television) accurately reproduces its effect (as sound or picture)

fidge ['fij] -vi

  1. fidget

fidg·et ['fi-jət] -n

  1. uneasiness or restlessness as shown by nervous movements usu. used in pl.
  2. one that fidgets

fidget -vi

  1. to move or act restlessly or nervously
  2. to cause to move or act nervously

fidg·ety ['fi-jə-tē] -adj, n

  1. inclined to fidget
  2. making unnecessary fuss : fussy

fi·do ['fī-(,)dō] -n

  1. a coin having a minting error

fi·du·cial [fə-'dü-shəl, -'dyü-, fī-] -adj, adv

  1. taken as standard of reference
    • a fiducial mark
  2. founded on faith or trust
  3. having the nature of a trust : fiduciary

fi·du·cia·ry [-'dü-shē-,er-ē, -shə-rē, -'dyü-] -n

  1. one that holds a fiduciary relation or acts in a fiduciary capacity

fiduciary -adj

  1. : of, relating to, or involving a confidence or trust: as
  2. held or founded in trust or confidence
  3. holding in trust
  4. depending on public confidence for value or currency
    • fiduciary fiat money

fie ['fī] -interj

  1. used to express disgust or disapproval

fief ['fēf] -n

  1. a feudal estate : fee
  2. something over which one has rights or exercises control
    • a politician's fief

field ['fēld] -n

  1. an open land area free of woods and buildings
  2. an area of land marked by the presence of particular objects or features
    • dune field s
  3. an area of cleared enclosed land used for cultivation or pasture
    • a field of wheat
  4. land containing a natural resource
  5. airfield
  6. the place where a battle is fought
  7. battle
  8. a large unbroken expanse (as of ice)
  9. an area or division of an activity, subject, or profession
  10. the sphere of practical operation outside a base (as a laboratory, office, or factory)
    • geologists working in the field
  11. an area for military exercises or maneuvers
  12. an area constructed, equipped, or marked for sports
  13. the portion of an indoor or outdoor sports area enclosed by the running track and on which field events are conducted
  14. any of the three sections of a baseball outfield
    • hits to all field s
  15. : a space on which something is drawn or projected: as
  16. the space on the surface of a coin, medal, or seal that does not contain the design
  17. the ground of each division in a flag
  18. the whole surface of an escutcheon
  19. the individuals that make up all or part of the participants in a contest
  20. all participants with the exception of the favorite or the winner in a contest where more than two are entered
  21. the area visible through the lens of an optical instrument
  22. a region or space in which a given effect (as magnetism) exists
  23. a region of embryonic tissue capable of a particular type of differentiation
    • a morphogenetic field
  24. a set of mathematical elements that is subject to two binary operations the second of which is distributive relative to the first and that constitutes a commutative group under the first operation and also under the second if the zero or unit element under the first is omitted
  25. a complex of forces that serve as causative agents in human behavior
  26. a series of drain tiles and an absorption area for septic-tank outflow
  27. a particular area (as of a record in a database) in which the same type of information is regularly recorded
  28. : of or relating to a field: as
  29. growing in or inhabiting the fields or open country
  30. made, conducted, or used in the field
  31. operating or active in the field
  32. to catch or pick up (as a batted ball) and usu. throw to a teammate
  33. to take care of or respond to (as a telephone call or a request)
  34. to give an impromptu answer or solution to
    • the senator field ed the reporters' questions
  35. to put into the field
    • field an army
    • field a team
  36. to enter in competition
  37. to play as a fielder

field artillery -n

  1. artillery other than antiaircraft artillery used with armies in the field

field bed -n

  1. a four-poster with a canopy arched at the center

field corn -n

  1. an Indian corn (as dent corn or flint corn) with starchy kernels grown for feeding livestock or for market grain

field crop -n

  1. an agricultural crop (as hay, grain, or cotton) grown on large areas

field day -n

  1. a day for military exercises or maneuvers
  2. an outdoor meeting or social gathering
  3. a day of sports and athletic competition
  4. a time of extraordinary pleasure or opportunity
    • the newspaper had a field day with the scandal

fieldef·fect transistor ['fēld-ə-,fekt-] -n

  1. a transistor in which the output current is controlled by a variable electric field

field·er ['fēl-dər] -n

  1. one that fields
  2. a defensive player stationed in the field (as in baseball)

fielder's choice -n

  1. a situation in baseball in which a batter reaches base safely because the fielder attempts to put out another base runner on the play

field event -n

  1. an event (as weight-throwing or jumping) in a track-and-field meet other than a race

field·fare ['fēl(d)-,fer] -n

  1. a medium-sized Eurasian thrush ( Turdus pilaris) with an ash-colored head and chestnut wings and back

field glass -n

  1. a binocular without prisms esp. for use outdoors usu. used in pl.

field goal -n

  1. a score of three points in football made by drop-kicking or place-kicking the ball over the crossbar from ordinary play
  2. a goal in basketball made while the ball is in play

field grade -n

  1. the rank of a field officer

field guide -n

  1. an illustrated manual for identifying natural objects, flora, or fauna in nature

field hand -n

  1. an outdoor farm laborer

field hockey -n

  1. a game played on a turfed field between two teams of 11 players each whose object is to direct a ball into the opponent's goal with a hockey stick

field house -n

  1. a building at an athletic field for housing equipment or providing dressing facilities
  2. a building enclosing a large area suitable for various forms of athletics and usu. providing seats for spectators

fielding percentage -n

  1. the average (as of a baseball fielder) determined by dividing the number of putouts and assists by the number of chances called also fielding average

field judge -n

  1. a football official whose duties include covering action on kicks and forward passes and timing intermission periods and time-outs

field lens -n

  1. the lens in a compound eyepiece that is nearer the objective

field magnet -n

  1. a magnet for producing and maintaining a magnetic field esp. in a generator or electric motor

field marshal -n

  1. the highest ranking military officer (as in the British army)

field mouse -n

  1. any of various mice and voles that inhabit fields

field mushroom -n

  1. meadow mushroom

field officer -n

  1. a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps of the rank of colonel, lieutenant colonel, or major

field of force

  1. field

field of honor

  1. battlefield
  2. a place where a duel is fought

field of view

  1. field

field of vision

  1. visual field

field pea -n

  1. a small-seeded pea ( Pisum sativumvar. arvense) widely grown for forage, food, and green manure
  2. its usu. dried green or yellow seed
  3. cow pea

field·piece ['fēl(d)-,pēs] -n

  1. a gun or howitzer for use in the field

field spaniel -n

  1. any of a breed of medium-sized hunting and retrieving spaniels developed in England that have a flat dense usu. black, liver, red, or roan coat

field·stone ['fēl(d)-,stōn] -n

  1. stone (as in building) in usu. unaltered form as taken from the field

field·strip [-,strip] -vt

  1. to take apart (a weapon) to the extent authorized for routine cleaning, lubrication, and minor repairs

fieldtest [-,test] -vt, n

  1. to test (as a procedure or product) in actual situations reflecting intended use

field theory -n

  1. any theory in physics consisting of a detailed mathematical description of the assumed physical properties of a region under some influence (as gravitation)

field trial -n

  1. a trial of sporting dogs in actual performance
  2. a trial of a new product in actual situations for which it is intended

field trip -n

  1. a visit (as to a factory, farm, or museum) made (as by students and a teacher) for purposes of firsthand observation

field winding -n

  1. the winding of a field magnet

field·work ['fēld-,wərk] -n

  1. a temporary fortification thrown up by an army in the field
  2. work done in the field (as by students) to gain practical experience and knowledge through firsthand observation
  3. the gathering of anthropological or sociological data through the interviewing and observation of subjects in the field

fiend ['fēnd] -n

  1. devil
  2. demon
  3. a person of great wickedness or maliciousness
  4. a person extremely devoted to a pursuit or study : fanatic
    • a golf fiend
  5. addict
    • a dope fiend
  6. wizard
    • a fiend at mathematics

fiend·ish ['fēn-dish] -adj, adv, n

  1. perversely diabolical
    • took a fiendish pleasure in hurting people
  2. extremely cruel or wicked
  3. excessively bad, unpleasant, or difficult
    • fiendish weather

fierce ['firs] -adj, n

  1. violently hostile or aggressive in temperament
  2. given to fighting or killing : pugnacious
  3. marked by unrestrained zeal or vehemence
    • a fierce argument
  4. extremely vexatious, disappointing, or intense
    • fierce pain
  5. furiously active or determined
    • make a fierce effort
  6. wild or menacing in appearance

fierce·ly -adv

  1. in a fierce or vehement manner
    • fiercely competitive
  2. to a high degree : very
    • fiercely expensive

fi·eri fa·cias [,fī-(ə-)rē-'fā-sh(ē-)əs] -n

  1. a writ authorizing the sheriff to obtain satisfaction of a judgment in debt or damages from the goods and chattels of the defendant

fi·ery ['fī(-ə)-rē] -adj, adv, n

  1. consisting of fire
  2. marked by fire
    • a fiery crash
  3. using or carried out with fire
  4. liable to catch fire or explode : flammable
    • a fiery vapor
  5. hot like a fire
  6. being in an inflamed state or condition
    • a fiery boil
  7. feverish and flushed
    • a fiery forehead
  8. of the color of fire : red
    • a fiery sunset
  9. full of or exuding emotion or spirit
    • a fiery sermon
  10. easily provoked : irritable
    • a fiery temper

fi·es·ta [fē-'es-tə] -n

  1. festival
  2. a saint's day celebrated in Spain and Latin America with processions and dances

fi fa -abbr

  1. fieri facias

fife ['fīf] -n

  1. a small transverse flute with six to eight finger holes and usu. no keys

fife rail -n

  1. a rail about the mast near the deck to which rigging is belayed

FIFO -abbr

  1. first in, first out

fif·teen [,fif-'tēn, 'fif-,] -n, adj, pron, pl in constr, adj or n

  1. the first point scored by a side in a game of tennis called also five

fifth ['fith, 'fif(t)th, 'fift] -n, adj or adv, adv

  1. the musical interval embracing five diatonic degrees
  2. a tone at this interval
  3. dominant
  4. the harmonic combination of two tones at this interval
  5. a unit of measure for liquor equal to one fifth of a U.S. gallon (0.757 liter)
  6. the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
  7. the right accorded by the Fifth Amendment to refuse to testify against oneself usu. used in the phrase take the Fifth

fifth column [-'kä-ləm-,(n)i-zəm] -n

  1. a group of secret sympathizers or supporters of an enemy that engage in espionage or sabotage within defense lines or national borders

fifth disease -n

  1. an acute virus disease esp. of children caused by a parvovirus (species Human parvovirus B19of the genus Erythrovirus) and manifested by a blotchy red rash on the cheeks which spreads to the extremities and is usu. accompanied by fever and malaise

fifth wheel -n

  1. a horizontal wheel or segment of a wheel that consists of two parts rotating on each other above the fore axle of a carriage and that forms support to prevent tipping
  2. a similar coupling between tractor and trailer of a semitrailer
  3. one that is superfluous, unnecessary, or burdensome

fif·ty ['fif-tē] -n, adj or n, adj, pron, pl in constr

  1. the numbers 50 to 59
  2. the years 50 to 59 in a lifetime or century
  3. a 50-dollar bill

fif·tyfif·ty [,fif-tē-'fif-tē] -adj, adv

  1. shared, assumed, or borne equally
    • a fiftyfifty proposition
  2. half favorable and half unfavorable
    • a fiftyfifty chance

fig ['fig] -n

  1. an oblong or pear-shaped syconium fruit of a tree (genus Ficus) of the mulberry family
  2. a tree bearing figs
  3. a widely cultivated tree ( F. carica) that produces edible figs
  4. a worthless trifle : the least bit
    • doesn't care a fig
  5. dress, array
    • a young woman in dazzling royal full fig -- Mollie Panter-Downes
  6. figurative; figuratively; figure

fight ['fīt] -vb

  1. to contend in battle or physical combat
  2. to strive to overcome a person by blows or weapons
  3. to engage in boxing
  4. to put forth a determined effort
  5. to contend against in or as if in battle or physical combat
  6. to box against in the ring
  7. to attempt to prevent the success or effectiveness of
    • the company fought the takeover attempt
  8. to oppose the passage or development of
    • fight a bill in Congress
  9. wage, carry on
    • fight a battle
  10. to take part in (as a boxing match)
  11. to struggle to endure or surmount
    • fight a cold
  12. to gain by struggle
    • fight s his way through
  13. to resolve by struggle
    • fought out their differences in court
  14. to manage (a ship) in a battle or storm
  15. to cause to struggle or contend
  16. to manage in an unnecessarily rough or awkward manner
  17. a hostile encounter : battle, combat
  18. a boxing match
  19. a verbal disagreement : argument
  20. a struggle for a goal or an objective
    • a fight for justice
  21. strength or disposition for fighting : pugnacity
    • still full of fight

fight·er ['fī-tər] -n

  1. : one that fights: as
  2. warrior, soldier
  3. a pugnacious or game individual
  4. boxer
  5. an airplane of high speed and maneuverability with armament designed to destroy enemy aircraft

fight·erbomb·er [-'bä-mər] -n

  1. a fighter aircraft fitted to carry bombs and rockets in addition to its normal armament

fighting chair -n

  1. a chair from which a salt-water angler plays a hooked fish

fighting chance -n

  1. a chance that may be realized by a struggle
    • the patient had a fighting chance to live

fighting word -n

  1. a word likely to provoke a fight

fightorflight -adj

  1. relating to, being, or causing physiological changes in the body (as an increase in heart rate or dilation of bronchi) in response to stress
    • epinephrine is a fightorflight hormone
    • a fightorflight reaction

fight song -n

  1. a song used to inspire enthusiasm usu. during an athletic competition

fig leaf -n

  1. the leaf of a fig tree
  2. something that conceals or camouflages usu. inadequately or dishonestly

fig·ment ['fig-mənt] -n

  1. something made up or contrived

fig·ur·al ['fi-g(y)ə-rəl] -adj

  1. figurative
  2. of, relating to, or consisting of human or animal figures
    • a figural composition

fig·u·ra·tion [,fi-g(y)ə-'rā-shən] -n

  1. form, outline
  2. the act or process of creating or providing a figure
  3. an act or instance of representation in figures and shapes
    • cubism was explained as a synthesis of colored figuration s of objects -- Janet Flanner
  4. ornamentation of a musical passage by using decorative and usu. repetitive figures

fig·u·ra·tive ['fi-g(y)ə-rə-tiv] -adj, adv, n

  1. representing by a figure or resemblance : emblematic
  2. of or relating to representation of form or figure in art
    • figurative sculpture
  3. expressing one thing in terms normally denoting another with which it may be regarded as analogous : metaphorical
    • figurative language
  4. characterized by figures of speech
    • a figurative description

fig·ure ['fi-gyər, Brit & often US 'fi-gər] -n

  1. a number symbol : numeral, digit
  2. arithmetical calculations
    • good at figure s
  3. a written or printed character
  4. value esp. as expressed in numbers : sum, price
    • sold at a low figure
  5. digits representing an amount (as of money earned or points scored)
    • made six figure s last year
    • a score in double figure s
  6. a geometric form (as a line, triangle, or sphere) esp. when considered as a set of geometric elements (as points) in space of a given number of dimensions
    • a square is a plane figure
  7. bodily shape or form esp. of a person
    • a slender figure
  8. an object noticeable only as a shape or form
    • figure s moving in the dusk
  9. the graphic representation of a form esp. of a person or geometric entity
  10. a diagram or pictorial illustration of textual matter
  11. a person, thing, or action representative of another
  12. figure of speech
  13. an intentional deviation from the ordinary form or syntactical relation of words
  14. the form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term
  15. an often repetitive pattern or design in a manufactured article (as cloth) or natural product (as wood)
    • a polka-dot figure
  16. appearance made : impression produced
    • the couple cut quite a figure
  17. a series of movements in a dance
  18. an outline representation of a form traced by a series of evolutions (as with skates on an ice surface or by an airplane in the air)
  19. a prominent personality : personage
    • great figure s of history
  20. a short coherent group of notes or chords that may constitute part of a phrase, theme, or composition

figure ['fi-gyə-riŋ, 'fi-g(ə-)riŋ] -vb, n

  1. to represent by or as if by a figure or outline
  2. to decorate with a pattern
  3. to write figures over or under (the bass) in order to indicate the accompanying chords
  4. to indicate or represent by numerals
  5. calculate
  6. conclude, decide
    • figured there was no use in further effort
  7. assume
    • figure it will rain
  8. regard, consider
  9. to appear likely
    • figure s to win
  10. to be or appear important or conspicuous
  11. to be involved or implicated
    • figured in a robbery
  12. to perform a figure in dancing
  13. compute, calculate
  14. to seem rational, normal, or expected
    • that figure s
  15. to make sense of something used interjectionally in the phrase go figure to suggest that something is surprising or perplexing
    • why do they think women will buy this lie? Go figure -- Ellen Bravo

figured -adj

  1. adorned with, formed into, or marked with a figure
    • figured muslin
    • figured wood
  2. being represented : portrayed
  3. indicated by figures

figured bass -n

  1. continuo

figure eight -n

  1. : something resembling the Arabic numeral eight in form or shape: as
  2. a small knot
  3. an embroidery stitch
  4. a dance pattern
  5. a skater's figure called also figure-of-eight

fig·ure·head ['fi-g(y)ər-,hed] -n

  1. the figure on a ship's bow
  2. a head or chief in name only

figure in -vt

  1. to include esp. in a reckoning

figure of merit

  1. a numerical quantity based on one or more characteristics of a system or device that represents a measure of efficiency or effectiveness

figure of speech

  1. a form of expression (as a simile or metaphor) used to convey meaning or heighten effect often by comparing or identifying one thing with another that has a meaning or connotation familiar to the reader or listener

figure out -vt

  1. discover, determine
    • try to figure out a way to do it
  2. solve, fathom
    • figure out a problem

figure skating -n

  1. skating characterized by the performance of various jumps, spins, and dance movements and formerly by the tracing of prescribed figures

fig·u·rine [,fi-g(y)ə-'rēn] -n

  1. a small carved or molded figure : statuette

fig wasp -n

  1. a minute wasp ( Blastophaga psenesof the family Agaontidae) that breeds in the caprifig and is the agent of caprification
  2. any wasp of the same family

fig·wort ['fig-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Scrophularia) of chiefly herbaceous often fetid plants of the snapdragon family with terminal cymes of small purple, yellow, or greenish flowers

Fi·ji·an ['fē-(,)jē-ən, fi-'] -n, adj

  1. a member of a Melanesian people of Fiji
  2. the Austronesian language of the Fijians

fil·a·ment ['fi-lə-mənt] -n, adj

  1. : a single thread or a thin flexible threadlike object, process, or appendage: as
  2. a tenuous conductor (as of carbon or metal) made incandescent by the passage of an electric current
  3. a cathode in the form of a metal wire in an electron tube
  4. a thin and fine elongated constituent part of a gill
  5. an elongated thin series of cells attached one to another or a very long thin cylindrical single cell (as of some algae, fungi, or bacteria)
  6. the anther-bearing stalk of a stamen

fi·lar ['fī-lər] -adj

  1. of or relating to a thread or line
  2. having threads across the field of view
    • a filar eyepiece

fi·lar·ia [fə-'ler-ē-ə] -n, adj, adj or n

  1. any of numerous slender filamentous nematodes ( Filariaand related genera) that as adults are parasites in the blood or tissues of mammals and as larvae usu. develop in biting insects

fil·a·ri·a·sis [,fi-lə-'rī-ə-səs] -n

  1. infestation with or disease caused by filariae

fil·a·ture ['fil-ə-,chu̇r, -chər, -,t(y)u̇r] -n

  1. a factory where silk is reeled

fil·bert ['fil-bərt] -n

  1. either of two Eurasian hazels ( Corylus avellanaand C. maxima)
  2. the sweet thick-shelled nut of the filbert
  3. hazelnut

filch ['filch] -vt

  1. to appropriate furtively or casually
    • filch a cookie

file ['fī(-ə)l] -n

  1. a tool usu. of hardened steel with cutting ridges for forming or smoothing surfaces esp. of metal
  2. a shrewd or crafty person
  3. to rub, smooth, or cut away with or as if with a file
  4. defile, corrupt
  5. to arrange in order for preservation and reference
    • file letters
  6. to place among official records as prescribed by law
    • file a mortgage
  7. to send (copy) to a newspaper
    • filed a story
  8. to return to the office of the clerk of a court without action on the merits
  9. to initiate (as a legal action) through proper formal procedure
    • threatened to file charges
  10. to register as a candidate esp. in a primary election
  11. to place items in a file
  12. to submit documents necessary to initiate a legal proceeding
    • file for bankruptcy
  13. a device (as a folder, case, or cabinet) by means of which papers are kept in order
  14. roll, list
  15. a collection of papers or publications usu. arranged or classified
  16. a collection of related data records (as for a computer)
  17. a complete collection of data (as text or a program) treated by a computer as a unit esp. for purposes of input and output
  18. single file
  19. any of the rows of squares that extend across a chessboard from one player's side to the other player's side
  20. to march or proceed in single file

fi·le [fə-'lā, (,)fē-'lā, 'fē-(,)lā] -n

  1. powdered young leaves of sassafras used to thicken soups or stews

file clerk -n

  1. a clerk who works on files

file·fish ['fī(-ə)l-,fish] -n

  1. any of various small-mouthed bony fishes (family Monacantidae, esp. genera Aluterus, Cantherhines,and Monacanthus) with rough granular leathery skin

fi·let [fi-'lā] -n

  1. a lace with a square mesh and geometric designs

fi·let mi·gnon [,fi-(,)lā-mēn-'yōⁿ, fi-,lā-] -n

  1. a thick slice of beef cut from the narrow end of a beef tenderloin

fili- -comb form

  1. thread
    • fili form

fil·ial ['fi-lē-əl, 'fil-yəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter
    • filial obedience
  2. having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring

filial generation -n

  1. a generation in a breeding experiment that is successive to a mating between parents of two distinctively different but usu. relatively pure genotypes

fil·i·a·tion [,fi-lē-'ā-shən] -n

  1. filial relationship esp. of a son to his father
  2. the adjudication of paternity
  3. descent or derivation esp. from a culture or language
  4. the act or process of determining such relationship

fil·i·bus·ter ['fi-lə-,bəs-tər] -n

  1. an irregular military adventurer
  2. an American engaged in fomenting insurrections in Latin America in the mid-19th century
  3. the use of extreme dilatory tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action esp. in a legislative assembly
  4. an instance of this practice

filibuster [-t(ə-)riŋ] -vb, n

  1. to carry out insurrectionist activities in a foreign country
  2. to engage in a filibuster
  3. to subject to a filibuster

fil·i·cide ['fi-lə-,sīd] -n

  1. the murder of one's own daughter or son

fi·li·form ['fi-lə-,fȯrm, 'fī-] -adj

  1. shaped like a filament

fil·i·gree ['fi-lə-,grē] -n

  1. ornamental work esp. of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces
  2. ornamental openwork of delicate or intricate design
  3. a pattern or design resembling such openwork
    • a filigree of frost
  4. ornamentation, embellishment
    • writings...heavy with late Victorian filigree -- Jack Beatty

filigree -vt

  1. to adorn with or as if with filigree

fil·ing ['fī-liŋ] -n

  1. an act or instance of using a file
  2. a fragment rubbed off in filing
    • iron filing s

filing -n

  1. an act or instance of filing something
  2. a document filed

fil·io·pi·etis·tic ['fi-lē-ō-,pī-ə-'tis-tik] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to an often excessive veneration of ancestors or tradition

Fil·i·pi·na [,fi-lə-'pē-nə] -n

  1. a Filipino girl or woman

Fil·i·pi·no [-'pē-(,)nō] -n, adj

  1. a native of the Philippine Islands
  2. a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines
  3. the Tagalog-based official language of the Republic of the Philippines

fill ['fil] -vb

  1. to put into as much as can be held or conveniently contained
    • fill a cup with water
  2. to supply with a full complement
    • the class is fill ed
  3. to cause to swell or billow
    • wind fill ed the sails
  4. to trim (a sail) to catch the wind
  5. to raise the level of with fill
    • fill ed land
  6. to repair the cavities of (teeth)
  7. to stop up : obstruct
    • wreckage fill ed the channel
  8. to stop up the interstices, crevices, or pores of (as cloth, wood, or leather) with a foreign substance
  9. feed, satiate
  10. satisfy, fulfill
    • fill s all requirements
  11. make out, complete used with out or in
    • fill out a form
    • fill in the blanks
  12. to draw the playing cards necessary to complete (as a straight or flush in poker)
  13. to occupy the whole of
    • smoke fill ed the room
  14. to spread through
    • music fill ed the air
  15. to make full
    • a mind fill ed with fantasies
  16. to possess and perform the duties of : hold
    • fill an office
  17. to place a person in
    • fill a vacancy
  18. to supply as directed
    • fill a prescription
  19. to cover the surface of with a layer of precious metal
  20. to become full
  21. a full supply
  22. a quantity that satisfies or satiates
    • eat your fill
  23. : something that fills: as
  24. material used to fill a receptacle, cavity, passage, or low place
  25. a bit of instrumental music that fills the pauses between phrases (as of a vocalist or soloist)
  26. artificial light used in photography to reduce or eliminate shadows often used attributively
    • fill flash

fill away -vi

  1. to trim a sail to catch the wind
  2. to proceed on the course esp. after being brought up in the wind

fill·er ['fi-lər] -n

  1. : one that fills: as
  2. a substance added to a product (as to increase bulk, weight, viscosity, opacity, or strength)
  3. a composition used to fill the pores and grain esp. of a wood surface before painting or varnishing
  4. a piece used to cover or fill in a space between two parts of a structure
  5. tobacco used to form the core of a cigar
  6. material used to fill extra space in a column or page of a newspaper or magazine or to increase the size of a work (as a book)
  7. a pack of paper for a loose-leaf notebook
  8. a sound, word, or phrase (as you know?) used to fill pauses in speaking

fil·ler ['fi-,ler] -n

  1. see forint at

fil·let ['fi-lət, in sense 2b also fi-'lā, 'fi-(,)lā] -n

  1. a ribbon or narrow strip of material used esp. as a headband
  2. a thin narrow strip of material
  3. a piece or slice of boneless meat or fish
  4. the tenderloin of beef
  5. a concave junction formed where two surfaces meet (as at an angle)
  6. a strip that gives a rounded appearance to such a junction
  7. a strip to reinforce the corner where two surfaces meet
  8. : a narrow flat architectural member:
  9. a flat molding separating others
  10. the space between two flutings in a shaft
  11. to bind, furnish, or adorn with or as if with a fillet
  12. to cut into fillets

fillet weld -n

  1. a weld of approximately triangular cross section used to join two pieces esp. perpendicularly

fillin ['fil-,in] -n

  1. someone or something that fills in

fill in -vt

  1. to enrich (as a design) with detail
  2. to give necessary or recently acquired information to
    • I'll fill you in
  3. to fill a vacancy usu. temporarily
    • interns filled in for regular staffers

fill·ing ['fi-liŋ] -n

  1. an act or instance of filling
  2. something used to fill a cavity, container, or depression
  3. : something that completes: as
  4. the yarn interlacing the warp in a fabric
  5. yarn for the shuttle
  6. a food mixture used to fill pastry or sandwiches

filling station -n

  1. gas station

fil·lip ['fi-ləp] -vt

  1. to make a filliping motion with
  2. to strike or tap with a fillip
    • fillip ed him on the nose
  3. to project quickly by or as if by a fillip
    • fillip crumbs off the table
  4. stimulate
    • with this to fillip his spirits -- Robert Westerby

fillip -n

  1. a blow or gesture made by the sudden forcible straightening of a finger curled up against the thumb
  2. a short sharp blow : buffet
  3. : something tending to arouse or excite: as
  4. stimulus
    • just the fillip my confidence needed
    • lent a fillip of danger to the sport
  5. a trivial addition : embellishment
    • showy fillip s of language
  6. a significant and often unexpected development : wrinkle
    • plot twists and fillip s

fill out -vi

  1. to put on flesh

fillup ['fil-,əp] -n

  1. an action or instance of filling up something (as a gas tank)

fil·ly ['fi-lē] -n

  1. a young female horse usu. of less than four years
  2. a young woman : girl

film ['film, Southern also 'fi(ə)m] -n, adj

  1. a thin skin or membranous covering : pellicle
  2. an abnormal growth on or in the eye
  3. a thin covering or coating
    • a film of ice
  4. an exceedingly thin layer : lamina
  5. a thin flexible transparent sheet (as of plastic) used esp. as a wrapping
  6. a thin sheet of cellulose acetate or nitrocellulose coated with a radiation-sensitive emulsion for taking photographs
  7. motion picture
  8. to cover with or as if with a film
  9. to make a motion picture of or from
    • film a scene
  10. to become covered or obscured with or as if with a film
  11. to make a motion picture

film badge -n

  1. a small pack of sensitive photographic film worn as a badge for indicating exposure to radiation

film·dom ['film-dəm] -n

  1. the motion-picture industry

film·go·er [-,gō-ər] -n

  1. one who frequently attends films

film·ic ['fil-mik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or resembling motion pictures

film·land ['film-,land] -n

  1. filmdom

film·mak·er ['film-,mā-kər] -n

  1. one who makes motion pictures

film·mak·ing [-,mā-kiŋ] -n

  1. the making of motion pictures

film noir [-'nwär] -n

  1. a type of crime film featuring cynical malevolent characters in a sleazy setting and an ominous atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music
  2. a film of this type

film·og·ra·phy [fil-'mä-grə-fē] -n

  1. a list of motion pictures featuring the work of a prominent film figure or relating to a particular topic

film·set·ting ['film-,se-tiŋ] -n

  1. photocomposition

film·strip ['film-,strip] -n

  1. a strip of film bearing a sequence of images for projection as still pictures

filmy ['fil-mē] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, resembling, or composed of film : gauzy
    • filmy draperies
  2. covered with a haze or film

filo ['fē-(,)lō, 'fī-] -n

(variant of phyllo)

  1. extremely thin dough that is layered to produce a flaky pastry

fi·lo·vi·rus ['fī-lō-,vī-rəs] -n

  1. any of a family ( Filoviridae) of single-stranded chiefly filamentous RNA viruses that infect vertebrates and include the Marburg virus and the Ebola viruses

fils ['fēs] -n

  1. son used after a family name to distinguish a son from his father
  2. see dinar, dirham, rial at

fil·ter ['fil-tər] -n

  1. a porous article or mass (as of paper or sand) through which a gas or liquid is passed to separate out matter in suspension
  2. an apparatus containing a filter medium
  3. a device or material for suppressing or minimizing waves or oscillations of certain frequencies (as of electricity, light, or sound)
  4. a transparent material (as colored glass) that absorbs light of certain wavelengths or colors selectively and is used for modifying light that reaches a sensitized photographic material called also color filter
  5. something that has the effect of a filter (as by holding back elements or modifying the appearance of something)
    • his work is too often viewed through the filter of race -- Brent Staples
  6. software for sorting or blocking access to certain online material

filter [-t(ə-)riŋ] -vb

  1. to subject to the action of a filter
  2. to remove by means of a filter
  3. to pass or move through or as if through a filter
  4. to come or go in small units over a period of time
    • people began filter ing in

fil·ter·able ['fil-t(ə-)rə-bəl] -adj, n

  1. capable of being filtered or of passing through a filter

filterable virus -n

  1. any of the infectious agents that pass through a filter of diatomite or unglazed porcelain with the filtrate and remain virulent and that include the viruses as presently understood and various other groups (as the mycoplasmas and rickettsias) which were orig. considered viruses before their cellular nature was established

filter bed -n

  1. a sand or gravel bed for filtering water or sewage

filter feeder -n

  1. an animal (as a clam or baleen whale) that obtains its food by filtering organic matter or minute organisms from a current of water that passes through some part of its system

filter paper -n

  1. porous unsized paper used esp. for filtering

filter tip [,fil-tər-'tipt] -n, adj

  1. a cigar or cigarette tip designed to filter the smoke before it enters the smoker's mouth
  2. a cigar or cigarette provided with such a tip

filth ['filth] -n

  1. foul or putrid matter
  2. loathsome dirt or refuse
  3. moral corruption or defilement
  4. something that tends to corrupt or defile

filthy ['fil-thē] -adj, adv, n

  1. covered with, containing, or characterized by filth
  2. underhand, vile
  3. obscene
    • filthy language
  4. in a filthy manner
    • filthy dirty
    • filthy rich

fil·trate ['fil-,trāt] -n

  1. fluid that has passed through a filter

fil·tra·tion [fil-'trā-shən] -n

  1. the process of filtering
  2. the process of passing through or as if through a filter
  3. diffusion

fim·bria ['fim-brē-ə] -n, adj

  1. a bordering fringe esp. at the entrance of the fallopian tubes
  2. a pilus of a bacterium

fim·bri·at·ed ['fim-brē-,ā-təd] -adj, n

  1. having the edge or extremity bordered by slender processes : fringed

fin ['fin] -n, adj

  1. an external membranous process of an aquatic animal (as a fish) used in propelling or guiding the body
  2. : something resembling a fin: as
  3. hand, arm
  4. an appendage of a boat (as a submarine)
  5. an airfoil attached to an airplane for directional stability
  6. flipper
  7. any of the projecting ribs on a radiator or an engine cylinder
  8. to equip with fins
  9. to show the fins above the water
  10. to move through water propelled by fins
  11. a 5-dollar bill
  12. finance; financial
  13. finish

fi·na·gle [fə-'nā-gəl] -vb, n

  1. to obtain by indirect or involved means
    • finagle a ride home
  2. to obtain by trickery
    • finagled his way into the concert
  3. to use devious or dishonest methods to achieve one's ends

fi·nal ['fī-nᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. not to be altered or undone
    • all sales are final
  2. of or relating to a concluding court action or proceeding
    • final decree
  3. coming at the end : being the last in a series, process, or progress
    • the final chapter
  4. of or relating to the ultimate purpose or result of a process
    • our final goal

final -n

  1. : something that is final: as
  2. a deciding match, game, heat, or trial usu. used in pl.
  3. the last examination in a course often used in pl.

fi·na·le [fə-'na-lē, fi-'nä-] -n

  1. : the close or termination of something: as
  2. the last section of an instrumental musical composition
  3. the closing part, scene, or number in a public performance
  4. the last and often climactic event or item in a sequence

fi·nal·ise ['fī-nə-,līz] -vt, n

(variant of finalize)

  1. to put in final or finished form
    • soon my conclusion will be finalized -- D. D. Eisenhower
  2. to give final approval to
    • finalizing the papers prepared...by his staff -- Newsweek

fi·nal·ist ['fī-nə-list] -n

  1. a contestant in a competition finals

fi·nal·i·ty [fī-'na-lə-tē, fə-] -n

  1. the character or condition of being final, settled, irrevocable, or complete
  2. the condition of being at an ultimate point esp. of development or authority
  3. something final
  4. a fundamental fact, action, or belief

fi·nal·ize ['fī-nə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to put in final or finished form
    • soon my conclusion will be finalized -- D. D. Eisenhower
  2. to give final approval to
    • finalizing the papers prepared...by his staff -- Newsweek

final solution -n

  1. the Nazi program for extermination of all Jews in Europe

fi·nance [fə-'nan(t)s, 'fī-,, fī-'] -n

  1. money or other liquid resources of a government, business, group, or individual
  2. the system that includes the circulation of money, the granting of credit, the making of investments, and the provision of banking facilities
  3. the science or study of the management of funds
  4. the obtaining of funds or capital : financing

finance -vt

  1. to raise or provide funds or capital for
    • finance a new house
  2. to furnish with necessary funds
    • finance a son through college
  3. to sell something to on credit

finance company -n

  1. a company that makes usu. small short-term loans usu. to individuals

fi·nan·cial [fə-'nan(t)-shəl, fī-] -adj, adv

  1. relating to finance or financiers
    • financial aid
    • the financial district

fi·nan·cials [-shəlz] -n pl

  1. financial statistics
    • reviewed the company's financials

fi·nan·cier [,fi-nən-'sir; fə-,nan-, ,fī-] -n

  1. one who specializes in raising and expending public moneys
  2. one who deals with finance and investment on a large scale

financing -n

  1. the act or process or an instance of raising or providing funds
  2. the funds thus raised or provided

fi·nas·te·ride [fə-'nas-tə-,rīd] -n

  1. a nitrogenous steroid derivative C 23H 36N 2O 2that is used esp. to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia and to increase hair growth in male-pattern baldness

fin·back ['fin-,bak] -n

  1. fin whale

fin·ca ['fiŋ-kə] -n

  1. a rural property, ranch, or farm in Spain or Spanish America

finch ['finch] -n

  1. any of numerous passerine songbirds (families Fringillidae, Estrildidae, Emberizidae, and Cardinalidae) having a short stout usu. conical bill adapted for crushing seeds

find ['fīnd] -vb, adj

  1. to come upon often accidentally : encounter
  2. to meet with (a particular reception)
    • hoped to find favor
  3. to come upon by searching or effort
    • must find a suitable person for the job
  4. to discover by study or experiment
    • find an answer
  5. to obtain by effort or management
    • find the time to study
  6. attain, reach
    • the bullet found its mark
  7. to discover by the intellect or the feelings : experience
    • find much pleasure in your company
  8. to perceive (oneself) to be in a certain place or condition
  9. to gain or regain the use or power of
    • trying to find his tongue
  10. to bring (oneself) to a realization of one's powers or of one's proper sphere of activity
    • must help the student to find himself as an individual -- N. M. Pusey
  11. provide, supply
  12. to furnish (room and board) esp. as a condition of employment
  13. to determine and make a statement about
    • find a verdict
    • found her guilty
  14. to determine a case judicially by a verdict
    • find for the defendant
  15. an act or instance of finding
  16. : something found: as
  17. a valuable discovery
    • an archaeological find
  18. a person whose ability proves to be unexpectedly good

find·er ['fīn-dər] -n

  1. one that finds
  2. a small astronomical telescope of low power and wide field attached to a larger telescope for finding an object
  3. viewfinder

fin de sie·cle [,fan-də-sē-'e-kᵊl; faⁿ-də-'syeklᵊ] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the close of the 19th century and esp. its literary and artistic climate of sophistication, world-weariness, and fashionable despair
  2. of or relating to the end of a century

finding -n

  1. the act of one that finds
  2. find
  3. small tools and supplies used by an artisan (as a dressmaker, jeweler, or shoemaker)
  4. the result of a judicial examination or inquiry
  5. the results of an investigation usu. used in pl.

find out -vt

  1. to learn by study, observation, or search : discover
  2. to catch in an offense (as a crime)
    • the culprits were soon found out
  3. to ascertain the true character or identity of
    • the informer was found out
  4. to discover, learn, or verify something
    • I don't know, but I'll find out for you

fine ['fīn] -n

  1. end, conclusion
  2. a compromise of a fictitious suit used as a form of conveyance of lands
  3. a sum imposed as punishment for an offense
  4. a forfeiture or penalty paid to an injured party in a civil action
  5. to impose a fine on : punish by a fine
  6. free from impurity
  7. having a stated proportion of pure metal in the composition expressed in parts per thousand
    • a gold coin .9166 fine
  8. very thin in gauge or texture
    • fine thread
  9. not coarse
    • fine sand
  10. very small
    • fine print
  11. keen
    • a knife with a fine edge
  12. very precise or accurate
    • a fine adjustment
    • trying to be too fine with his pitches
  13. physically trained or hardened close to the limit of efficiency used of an athlete or animal
  14. delicate, subtle, or sensitive in quality, perception, or discrimination
    • a fine distinction
  15. superior in kind, quality, or appearance : excellent
    • a fine job
    • a fine day
    • fine wines
  16. ornate
    • fine writing
  17. marked by or affecting elegance or refinement
    • fine manners
  18. very well
    • feel fine
  19. all right
    • that's fine with me
  20. used as an intensive
    • the leader, in a fine frenzy, beheaded one of his wives -- Brian Crozier
  21. : finely: as
  22. very well
  23. all right
  24. with a very narrow margin of time or space
    • she had not intended to cut her escape so fine -- Melinda Beck et al.
  25. purify, clarify
    • fine and filter wine
  26. to make finer in quality or size
  27. to become pure or clear
    • the ale will fine
  28. to become smaller in lines or proportions

fi·ne ['fē-(,)nā] -n

  1. end used as a direction in music to mark the closing point after a repeat

fine art -n

  1. art (as painting, sculpture, or music) concerned primarily with the creation of beautiful objects usu. used in pl.
  2. objects of fine art
  3. an activity requiring a fine skill

fine·ly ['fīn-lē] -adv

  1. : in a fine manner: as
  2. extremely well : excellently
    • plays the hero very finely -- New Yorker
  3. with close discrimination : precisely
  4. with delicacy or subtlety : sensitively
    • a leader finely attuned to the needs of the people
  5. minutely
    • finely ground meal

fine print -n

  1. something thoroughly and often deliberately obscure
  2. a part of an agreement or document spelling out restrictions and limitations often in small type or obscure language

fin·ery ['fīn-rē, 'fī-nə-] -n

  1. ornament, decoration
  2. dressy or showy clothing and jewels

fines ['fīnz] -n pl

  1. finely crushed or powdered material (as ore)
  2. very small particles in a mixture of various sizes

fines herbes [fēn-'zerb, fē-'nerb] -n pl

  1. a mixture of herbs used as a seasoning or garnish

fine·spun ['fīn-'spən] -adj

  1. developed with extreme care or delicacy
  2. developed in excessively fine or subtle detail

fi·nesse [fə-'nes] -n

  1. refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture
  2. skillful handling of a situation : adroit maneuvering
  3. the withholding of one's highest card or trump in the hope that a lower card will take the trick because the only opposing higher card is in the hand of an opponent who has already played

finesse -vb

  1. to make a finesse in playing cards
  2. to play (a card) in a finesse
  3. to bring about, direct, or manage by adroit maneuvering
    • finesse his way through tight places -- Marquis James
  4. evade, skirt
    • finesse the hard issues

finest -n, pl in constr

  1. police officers usu. used with the possessive form of a city or area
    • the city's finest

fine structure -n, adj

  1. microscopic structure of a biological entity or one of its parts esp. as studied in preparations for the electron microscope

finetooth comb ['fīn-,tüth-] -n

  1. a comb with close-set teeth used esp. for clearing parasites or foreign matter from the hair
  2. an attitude or system of thorough searching or scrutinizing
    • went over the report with a fine-tooth comb

finetune ['fīn-'tün] -vt

  1. to adjust precisely so as to bring to the highest level of performance or effectiveness
    • finetune a TV set
    • finetune the format
  2. to improve through minor alteration or revision
    • finetune the temperature of the room
  3. to stabilize (an economy) by small-scale fiscal and monetary manipulations

fin·fish ['fin-,fish] -n

  1. fish

fin·ger ['fiŋ-gər] -n, adj

  1. any of the five terminating members of the hand : a digit of the forelimb
  2. one other than the thumb
  3. something that resembles a finger
    • a narrow finger of land
  4. a part of a glove into which a finger is inserted
  5. a projecting piece (as a pawl for a ratchet) brought into contact with an object to affect its motion
  6. the breadth of a finger
  7. interest, share often used in the phrase have a finger in the pie
  8. bird usu. used with the

finger [-g(ə-)riŋ] -vb

  1. to touch or feel with the fingers
  2. to play (a musical instrument) with the fingers
  3. to play (as notes or chords) with a specific fingering
  4. to mark the notes of (a music score) as a guide in playing
  5. to point out : identify
  6. to extend into or penetrate in the shape of a finger
  7. to touch or handle something
  8. to use the fingers in playing a musical instrument
  9. to have a certain fingering used of a musical instrument
  10. to extend in the shape or manner of a finger

fin·ger·board ['fiŋ-gər-,bȯrd] -n

  1. the part of a stringed instrument against which the fingers press the strings to vary the pitch

finger bowl -n

  1. a small water bowl for rinsing the fingers at the table

fingered -adj

  1. having fingers esp. of a specified kind or number used in combination
    • stubby- fingered
    • five- fingered
  2. having projections or processes like fingers
    • the fingered roots of giant trees

finger food -n

  1. a food that is to be held with the fingers for eating

fin·ger·hold ['fiŋ-gər-,hōld] -n

  1. a hold or place of support for the fingers
  2. a tenuous hold or support

finger hole -n

  1. any of several holes in the side of a wind instrument (as a recorder) which may be covered or left open by the fingers to change the pitch of the tone
  2. a hole (as in a telephone dial or a bowling ball) into which the finger is placed to provide a grip

fingering -n

  1. the act or method of using the fingers in playing an instrument
  2. the marking (as by figures on a musical score) of the method of fingering
  3. the act or process of handling or touching with the fingers

fin·ger·ling ['fiŋ-gər-liŋ] -n

  1. a small fish esp. up to one year of age

fin·ger·nail ['fiŋ-gər-,nāl, ,fiŋ-gər-'nāl] -n

  1. the nail of a finger

finger painting -n

  1. a technique of spreading pigment on paper chiefly with the fingers
  2. a picture so produced

fin·ger·pick·ing ['fiŋ-gər-,pi-kiŋ] -n, vb

  1. a method of playing a stringed instrument (as a guitar) with the thumb and tips of the fingers rather than with a pick

fin·gerpoint·ing [-,pȯin-tiŋ] -n

  1. the act of making explicit and often unfair accusations of blame

fin·ger·post ['fiŋ-gər-,pōst] -n

  1. a post bearing one or more signs often terminating in a pointing finger
  2. something serving as a guide to understanding or knowledge

fin·ger·print [-,print] -n, vt

  1. the impression of a fingertip on any surface
  2. an ink impression of the lines upon the fingertip taken for the purpose of identification
  3. : something that identifies: as
  4. a trait, trace, or characteristic revealing origin or responsibility
  5. analytical evidence (as a spectrogram) that characterizes an object or substance
  6. the chromatogram or electrophoretogram obtained by cleaving a protein by enzymatic action and subjecting the resulting collection of peptides to two-dimensional chromatography or electrophoresis
  7. the base-pair pattern in an individual's DNA obtained by DNA fingerprinting

finger spelling -n

  1. communication by signs made with the fingers called also dactylology

fin·ger·tip [-,tip] -n

  1. the tip of a finger
  2. a protective covering for the end of a finger

fingertip -adj

  1. readily accessible : being within easy reach
    • fingertip information
    • fingertip controls
  2. extending from head or shoulders to mid-thigh used of clothing

finger wave -n

  1. a method of setting hair by dampening with water or wave solution and forming waves or curls with the fingers and a comb

fin·i·al ['fi-nē-əl] -n

  1. a usu. foliated ornament forming an upper extremity esp. in Gothic architecture
  2. a crowning ornament or detail (as a decorative knob)

fin·i·cal ['fi-ni-kəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. finicky

fin·ick·ing [-kiŋ, -kən] -adj

  1. finicky

fin·icky ['fi-ni-kē] -adj, n

  1. extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards
    • a finicky eater
  2. requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort
    • a finicky recipe

fi·nis ['fi-nəs, 'fī-nəs; fə-'nē] -n

  1. end, conclusion

fin·ish ['fi-nish] -vb, n

  1. to come to an end : terminate
  2. end
  3. to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking
  4. to end relations used with with
    • decided to finish with him for good
  5. to end a competition in a specified manner or position
    • finish ed third in the race
  6. to bring to an end : terminate
    • finish ed the speech and sat down
  7. to use or dispose of entirely
    • her sandwich finish ed the loaf
  8. to bring to completion or issue
    • hope to finish their new home before winter
  9. to provide with a finish
  10. to put a final coat or surface on
    • finish a table with varnish
  11. to defeat or ruin utterly and finally
    • the scandal finish ed his career
  12. to bring about the death of

finish -n

  1. : something that completes or perfects: as
  2. the fine or decorative work required for a building or one of its parts
  3. a finishing material used in painting
  4. the final treatment or coating of a surface
  5. the taste in the mouth after swallowing a beverage (as wine)
  6. final stage : end
  7. the cause of one's ruin
  8. the result or product of a finishing process
    • a glossy finish
  9. the quality or state of being perfected

fin·ished [-nisht] -adj

  1. marked by the highest quality : consummate
    • finished workmanship

finishing school -n

  1. a private school for girls that emphasizes cultural studies and prepares students esp. for social activities

finish line -n

  1. a line marking the end of a racecourse

fi·nite ['fī-,nīt] -adj, n, adv

  1. having definite or definable limits
    • a finite number of possibilities
  2. having a limited nature or existence
    • finite beings
  3. completely determinable in theory or in fact by counting, measurement, or thought
    • the finite velocity of light
  4. less than an arbitrary positive integer and greater than the negative of that integer
  5. having a finite number of elements
    • a finite set
  6. of, relating to, or being a verb or verb form that can function as a predicate or as the initial element of one and that is limited (as in tense, person, and number)

finite difference -n

  1. any of a sequence of differences obtained by incrementing successively the dependent variable of a function by a fixed amount
  2. any of such differences obtained from a polynomial function using successive integral values of its dependent variable

fi·ni·tude ['fī-nə-,tüd, -,tyüd, 'fin-ə-] -n

  1. finite quality or state

fink ['fiŋk] -n

  1. one who is disapproved of or is held in contempt
  2. strikebreaker
  3. informer
  4. to turn informer : squeal

fink out -vi

  1. back out, cop out

Fin·land·i·za·tion [,fin-lən-də-'zā-shən, (,)fin-,lan-] -n, vt

  1. a foreign policy of neutrality under the influence of the Soviet Union
  2. the conversion to such a policy

Finn ['fin] -n

  1. a member of a people speaking Finnish or a Finnic language
  2. a native or inhabitant of Finland
  3. one who is of Finnish descent

fin·nan had·die [,fi-nən-'ha-dē] -n

  1. smoked haddock called also finnan haddock

Finn·ic ['fi-nik] -adj

  1. of or relating to the Finns
  2. of, relating to, or constituting the branch of the Finno-Ugric subfamily that includes Finnish, Estonian, and Sami

Finn·ish ['fi-nish] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Finland, the Finns, or Finnish

Finnish -n

  1. the Finno-Ugric language of the Finns

Fin·noUgri·an [,fi-(,)nō-'(y)ü-grē-ən] -adj, n

  1. finno-ugric

Fin·noUgric [,fi-nō-'(y)ü-grik] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or constituting a subfamily of the Uralic family of languages comprising various languages spoken in Hungary, Lapland, Finland, Estonia, and parts of western Russia
  2. of or relating to any of the peoples speaking Finno-Ugric languages

fin·ny ['fi-nē] -adj

  1. provided with or characterized by fins
  2. relating to or being fish

fino ['fē-(,)nō] -n

  1. a very dry Spanish sherry

fi·noc·chio [fi-'nō-kē-,ō] -n

  1. florence fennel

fin whale -n

  1. a baleen whale ( Balaenoptera physalus) that may attain a length of over 70 feet (21 meters) and is found chiefly in subtropical to arctic and antarctic waters worldwide called also finback

FIO -abbr

  1. free in and out

fiord [fē-'ȯrd, 'fē-,; 'fyȯrd] -n

(variant of fjord)

  1. a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes

fio·ri·tu·ra [fē-,ȯr-ə-'tu̇r-ə] -n

  1. ornament

fip·ple flute ['fi-pəl-] -n

  1. any of a group of wind instruments (as a flageolet or recorder) having a straight tubular shape, a whistle mouthpiece, and finger holes

fir ['fər] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Abies) of north temperate evergreen trees of the pine family that have flattish leaves, circular leaf scars, and erect female cones and are valued for their wood
  2. any of various conifers (as the Douglas fir) of other genera
  3. the wood of a fir

fire ['fi(-ə)r] -n, adj

  1. the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat
  2. one of the four elements of the alchemists
  3. burning passion : ardor
  4. liveliness of imagination : inspiration
  5. fuel in a state of combustion (as on a hearth)
  6. a small gas or electric space heater
  7. a destructive burning (as of a building)
  8. death or torture by fire
  9. severe trial or ordeal
  10. brilliancy, luminosity
    • the fire of a gem
  11. the firing of weapons (as firearms, artillery, or missiles)
  12. intense verbal attack or criticism
  13. a rapidly delivered series (as of remarks)
  14. to set on fire : kindle
  15. ignite
    • fire a rocket engine
  16. to give life or spirit to : inspire
    • the description fired his imagination
  17. to fill with passion or enthusiasm often used with up
  18. to light up as if by fire
  19. to cause to start operating usu. used with up
    • fired up the engine
  20. to drive out or away by or as if by fire
  21. to dismiss from a position
  22. to cause to explode : detonate
  23. to propel from or as if from a gun : discharge, launch
    • fire a rocket
  24. shoot
    • fire a gun
  25. to score (a number) in a game or contest
  26. to throw with speed or force
    • fired the ball to first base
    • fire a left jab
  27. to utter with force and rapidity
  28. : to apply fire or fuel to: as
  29. to process by applying heat
    • fire pottery
  30. to feed or serve the fire of
    • fire a boiler
  31. to take fire : kindle, ignite
  32. to begin operation : start
    • the engine fired
  33. to operate esp. as the result of the application of an electrical impulse
    • the spark plug fire s
  34. to become irritated or angry often used with up
  35. to become filled with excitement or enthusiasm
  36. to discharge a firearm
    • fire at close range
  37. to emit or let fly an object
  38. to tend a fire
  39. to transmit a nerve impulse
    • the rate at which a neuron fire s

FIRE -abbr

  1. finance, insurance, and real estate

fire and brimstone -n, adj

  1. the torments suffered by sinners in hell

fire ant -n

  1. any of a genus ( Solenopsis) of fiercely stinging omnivorous ants
  2. imported fire ant

fire·arm ['fī(-ə)r-,ärm] -n

  1. a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder usu. used of small arms

fire away -vi

  1. to speak without hesitation usu. used as an imperative

fire·back [-,bak] -n

  1. an often decorated cast-iron plate lining the back wall of a fireplace

fire·ball ['fī(-ə)r-,bȯl] -n

  1. a ball of fire
  2. something resembling such a ball
    • the primordial fireball associated with the beginning of the universe -- Scientific American
  3. a brilliant meteor that may trail bright sparks
  4. the highly luminous cloud of vapor and dust created by a nuclear explosion
  5. a highly energetic person

fire·ball·er [-,bȯ-lər] -n, adj

  1. a baseball pitcher known for throwing fastballs

fire·base [-,bās] -n

  1. a secured site from which field artillery can lay down interdicting fire

fire blight -n

  1. a destructive infectious disease esp. of apples, pears, and related fruits caused by a bacterium ( Erwinia amylovora)

fire·boat ['fī(-ə)r-,bōt] -n

  1. a ship equipped with firefighting apparatus

fire·bomb [-,bäm] -n, vt

  1. an incendiary bomb

fire·box [-,bäks] -n

  1. a chamber (as of a furnace or steam boiler) that contains a fire
  2. a box containing an apparatus for transmitting an alarm to a fire station

fire·brand [-,brand] -n

  1. a piece of burning wood
  2. one that creates unrest or strife (as in aggressively promoting a cause) : agitator

fire·brat [-,brat] -n

  1. a wingless insect ( Thermobia domestica) related to the silverfish and found in warm moist places

fire·break [-,brāk] -n

  1. a barrier of cleared or plowed land intended to check a forest or grass fire

firebreath·ing [-,brē-th] -adj, n

  1. intimidatingly or violently aggressive in speech and manner
    • a firebreathing orator

fire·brick [-,brik] -n

  1. a refractory brick capable of sustaining high temperatures that is used esp. for lining furnaces or fireplaces

fire brigade -n

  1. : a body of firefighters: as
  2. a usu. private or temporary firefighting organization
  3. fire department

fire·bug [-,bəg] -n

  1. incendiary, pyromaniac

fire chief -n

  1. the head of a fire department

fire·clay [-,klā] -n

  1. clay capable of withstanding high temperatures that is used esp. for firebrick and crucibles

fire control -n

  1. the planning, preparation, and delivery of fire on targets

fire coral -n

  1. a colonial coralline hydrozoan (genus Millepora) having nematocysts that inflict a painful and burning sting

fire·crack·er [-,kra-kər] -n

  1. a usu. paper cylinder containing an explosive and a fuse and set off to make a noise

fired -adj

  1. using a specified fuel usu. used in combination
    • oil- fired power plant

fire·damp ['fī(-ə)r-,damp] -n

  1. a combustible mine gas that consists chiefly of methane
  2. the explosive mixture of this gas with air

fire department -n

  1. an organization for preventing or extinguishing fires
  2. a government division (as in a municipality) having these duties
  3. the members of a fire department

fire·dog [-,dȯg] -n

  1. andiron

fire·drake [-,drāk] -n

  1. a fire-breathing dragon esp. in Germanic mythology

fire drill -n

  1. a practice drill in extinguishing fires or in the conduct and manner of exit in case of fire

fireeat·er [-,ē-tər] -n

  1. a performer who pretends to eat fire
  2. a violent or pugnacious person
  3. a person who displays very militant or aggressive partisanship

fireeat·ing [-,ē-tiŋ] -adj

  1. violent or highly militant in disposition, bearing, or policy
    • a fireeating radical

fire engine -n

  1. a usu. mobile apparatus for directing an extinguishing agent upon fires
  2. fire truck

fireen·gine red [-,en-jən-] -n

  1. a bright red

fire escape -n

  1. a device for escape from a burning building
  2. a metal stairway attached to the outside of a building

fire extinguisher -n

  1. a portable or wheeled apparatus for putting out small fires by ejecting extinguishing chemicals

fire·fight ['fī(-ə)r-,fīt] -n

  1. a usu. brief intense exchange of fire between opposing military units
  2. a hostile confrontation that involves gunfire
  3. skirmish

fire·fight·er [-,fī-tər] -n

  1. a person who fights fires : fireman

fire·fly [-,flī] -n

  1. any of various winged nocturnal beetles (esp. family Lampyridae) that produce a bright soft intermittent light by oxidation of luciferin esp. for courtship purposes

fire·guard [-,gärd] -n

  1. a person who watches for the outbreak of fire
  2. a person whose duty is to extinguish fires
  3. fire screen
  4. firebreak

fire hall -n

  1. fire station

fire·house [-,hau̇s] -n

  1. fire station

fire irons -n pl

  1. utensils (as tongs) for tending a fire esp. in a fireplace

fire·light [-,līt] -n, adj

  1. the light of a fire (as in a fireplace)

fire line -n

  1. firebreak

fire·lock [-,läk] -n

  1. a gun's lock employing a slow match to ignite the powder charge
  2. a gun having such a lock
  3. flintlock
  4. wheel lock

fire·man [-mən] -n

  1. a person who tends or feeds fires : stoker
  2. a member of a fire department : firefighter
  3. an enlisted man in the navy who works with engineering machinery
  4. a relief pitcher in baseball

fire off -vt

  1. to write and send usu. in haste or anger
    • fired off a memo

fire opal -n

  1. girasole

fire·place [-,plās] -n, adj

  1. a framed opening made in a chimney to hold an open fire : hearth
  2. a metal container with a smoke pipe used for the same purpose
  3. an outdoor structure of brick, stone, or metal for an open fire

fire·plug [-,pləg] -n

  1. hydrant

fire·pot [-,pät] -n

  1. a clay pot filled with combustibles formerly used as a missile in war
  2. a vessel used in eastern Asian cuisine for cooking foods in broth at the table
  3. the food cooked in it

fire·pow·er [-,pau̇(-ə)r] -n

  1. the capacity (as of a military unit) to deliver effective fire on a target
  2. effective fire
  3. effective power or force
    • intellectual firepower
  4. the scoring ability of a team or player

fire·proof [-,prüf] -adj

  1. proof against or resistant to fire

fireproof -vt

  1. to make fireproof

firesale -adj

  1. heavily discounted
    • firesale prices

fire sale -n

  1. a sale of merchandise damaged in a fire
  2. a sale at very low prices

fire screen -n

  1. a protective screen before a fireplace

fire·ship ['fī(-ə)r-,ship] -n

  1. a ship carrying combustibles or explosives sent burning among the enemy's ships or works to set them on fire

fire·side [-,sīd] -n

  1. a place near the fire or hearth
  2. home

fireside -adj

  1. having an informal or intimate quality
    • a fireside chat

fire station -n

  1. a building housing fire apparatus and usu. firefighters

fire·stone ['fī(-ə)r-,stōn] -n

  1. pyrite formerly used for striking fire
  2. flint
  3. a stone that will endure high heat

firestop [-,stäp] -n, vt

  1. material used to close open parts esp. of a building for preventing the spread of fire

fire·storm [-,stȯrm] -n

  1. a large usu. stationary fire characterized by very high temperatures in which the central column of rising heated air induces strong inward winds which supply oxygen to the fire
  2. a sudden or violent outburst
    • a firestorm of public protest
  3. a raging controversy
    • a political firestorm

fire·thorn [-,thȯrn] -n

  1. pyracantha
  2. a European semievergreen shrub ( P. coccinea) with orange-red berries

fire tower -n

  1. a tower (as in a forest) from which a watch for fires is maintained

fire·trap [-,trap] -n

  1. a place (as a building) apt to catch on fire or difficult to escape from in case of fire

fire truck -n

  1. an automotive vehicle equipped with firefighting apparatus

fire wall ['fī(-ə)r-,wȯl] -n

  1. a wall constructed to prevent the spread of fire
  2. computer hardware or software that prevents unauthorized access to private data (as on a company's local area network or intranet) by outside computer users (as of the Internet)

fire·wa·ter ['fī(-ə)r-,wȯ-tər, -,wä-] -n

  1. strong alcoholic liquor

fire·weed [-,wēd] -n

  1. : any of several plants that grow esp. in clearings or burned districts: as
  2. a weedy annual composite ( Erechtites hieracifolia) of eastern No. America having flower heads of whitish tubular disk flowers enveloped by green bracts
  3. a tall perennial ( Epilobium angustifolium) of the evening-primrose family that has long spikes of pinkish-purple flowers and is an important honey plant in some areas called also willow herb

fire·wood [-,wu̇d] -n

  1. wood used for fuel

fire·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. a device for producing a striking display by the combustion of explosive or flammable compositions
  2. a display of fireworks
  3. a display of temper or intense conflict
  4. a spectacular display
    • the firework s of autumn leaves

fir·ing ['fī(-ə)r-iŋ] -n

  1. the act or process of one that fires
  2. the process of maturing ceramic products by the application of heat

firing line -n

  1. a line from which fire is delivered against a target
  2. the forefront of an activity used esp. in the phrase on the firing line

firing pin -n

  1. the pin that strikes the cartridge primer in the breech mechanism of a firearm

firing squad -n

  1. a detachment detailed to fire volleys over the grave of one buried with military honors
  2. a detachment detailed to carry out a sentence of death by shooting

fir·kin ['fər-kən] -n

  1. a small wooden vessel or cask
  2. any of various British units of capacity usu. equal to barrel

firm ['fərm] -adj, adv, n

  1. securely or solidly fixed in place
  2. not weak or uncertain : vigorous
  3. having a solid or compact structure that resists stress or pressure
  4. not subject to change or revision
  5. not subject to price weakness : steady
  6. not easily moved or disturbed : steadfast
  7. well-founded
  8. indicating firmness or resolution
    • a firm mouth
  9. in a firm manner : steadfastly, fixedly
  10. to make secure or fast : tighten
    • firm ing her grip on the racquet
    often used with up
  11. to make solid or compact
    • firm the soil
  12. to put into final form : settle
    • firm a contract
    • firm up plans
  13. to give additional support to : strengthen usu. used with up
  14. to become firm : harden often used with up
  15. to recover from a decline : improve
    • the market is firm ing
  16. the name or title under which a company transacts business
  17. a partnership of two or more persons that is not recognized as a legal person distinct from the members composing it
  18. a business unit or enterprise

fir·ma·ment ['fər-mə-mənt] -n, adj

  1. the vault or arch of the sky : heavens
  2. basis
  3. the field or sphere of an interest or activity
    • the international fashion firmament

fir·mer chisel ['fər-mər-] -n

  1. a woodworking chisel with a thin flat blade

firm·ware ['fərm-,wer] -n

  1. computer programs contained permanently in a hardware device (as a read-only memory)

firn ['firn] -n

  1. neve

first ['fərst] -adj

  1. : preceding all others in time, order, or importance: as
  2. earliest
  3. being the lowest forward gear or speed of a motor vehicle
  4. having the highest or most prominent part among a group of similar voices or instruments
    • first tenor
    • first violins
  5. before another in time, space, or importance
  6. in the first place often used with of all
  7. for the first time
  8. in preference to something else : sooner
  9. : something that is first: as
  10. the first occurrence or item of a kind
  11. the first forward gear or speed of a motor vehicle
  12. the highest or chief voice or instrument of a group
  13. an article of commerce of the finest grade
  14. the winning or highest place in a competition, examination, or contest
  15. first base

first aid -n

  1. emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained

first base [-'bā-smən] -n

  1. the base that must be touched first by a base runner in baseball
  2. the player position for defending the area around first base
  3. the first step or stage in a course of action
    • plans never got to first base

first·born ['fərs(t)-'bȯrn] -adj, n

  1. first brought forth : eldest

first cause -n

  1. the self-created ultimate source of all being

firstclass ['fərs(t)-'klas] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to first class
  2. of the highest quality
    • a firstclass meal

first class -n

  1. : the first or highest group in a classification: as
  2. the highest of usu. three classes of travel accommodations
  3. a class of mail that comprises letters, postcards, or matter sealed against inspection

first cousin -n

  1. cousin

first day cover -n

  1. a philatelic cover franked with a newly issued postage stamp and bearing the postmark of the first day of issue and an officially chosen place of issue

firstdegree burn -n

  1. a mild burn characterized by heat, pain, and reddening of the burned surface but not exhibiting blistering or charring of tissues

first down -n

  1. the first of a series of usu. four downs in which a football team must net a 10-yard gain to retain possession of the ball
  2. a gain of a total of 10 or more yards within usu. four downs giving the team the right to start a new series of downs

first edition -n

  1. the copies of a literary work first printed from the same type and issued at the same time
  2. a single copy from a first edition

first estate -n

  1. the first of the traditional political estates
  2. clergy

first floor -n

  1. ground floor
  2. the floor next above the ground floor

first·fruits ['fərs(t)-'früts] -n pl

  1. the earliest gathered fruits offered to the Deity in acknowledgment of the gift of fruitfulness
  2. the earliest products or results of an endeavor

first·hand ['fərst-'hand] -adj, adv

  1. obtained by, coming from, or being direct personal observation or experience
    • a firsthand account of the war

first lady -n

  1. the wife or hostess of the chief executive of a country or jurisdiction
  2. the leading woman of an art or profession

first lieutenant -n

  1. a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a second lieutenant and below a captain
  2. a naval officer responsible for a ship's upkeep

firstline ['fərst-'līn] -adj

  1. being the preferred, standard, or first choice
    • firstline treatment of tuberculosis

first·ling ['fərst-liŋ] -n

  1. the first of a class or kind
  2. the first offspring or result of something

first·ly [-lē] -adv

  1. in the first place : first

first mortgage -n

  1. a mortgage that has priority as a lien over all mortgages and liens except those imposed by law

first name -n

  1. the name that stands first in one's full name

first night -n

  1. the night on which a theatrical production is first performed at a given place
  2. the performance itself

firstnight·er ['fərs(t)-'nī-tər] -n

  1. a spectator at a first-night performance

first off -adv

  1. in the first place : before anything else

first offender -n

  1. one convicted of an offense for the first time

first papers -n pl

  1. papers declaring intention filed by an applicant for citizenship as the first step in the naturalization process

first person -n

  1. a set of linguistic forms (as verb forms, pronouns, and inflectional affixes) referring to the speaker or writer of the utterance in which they occur
  2. a linguistic form belonging to such a set
  3. reference of a linguistic form to the speaker or writer of the utterance in which it occurs
  4. a style of discourse marked by general use of verbs and pronouns of the first person

firstrate ['fərs(t)-'rāt] -adj, n

  1. of the first order of size, importance, or quality
  2. very well
    • is getting along firstrate, now -- Mark Twain

First Reader -n

  1. a Christian Scientist chosen to conduct meetings for a specified time and specif. to read aloud from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy

first reading -n

  1. the first submitting of a bill before a quorum of a legislative assembly usu. by title or number only

firstrun ['fərs(t)-'rən] -adj

  1. available for public viewing for the first time
    • firstrun movies
  2. exhibiting first-run movies
    • firstrun theaters

first sergeant -n

  1. a noncommissioned officer serving as the chief assistant to the commander of a military unit (as a company or squadron)
  2. the rank of a first sergeant
  3. a rank in the army above a sergeant first class and below a sergeant major and in the marine corps above a gunnery sergeant and below a master gunnery sergeant

first strike -n, adj

  1. a preemptive nuclear attack

firststring ['fərs(t)-'striŋ] -adj, n

  1. being a regular as distinguished from a substitute (as on a team)
  2. first-rate

first water -n

  1. the purest luster used of gems
  2. the highest grade, degree, or quality

first world -n

  1. the highly developed industrialized nations often considered the westernized countries of the world

firth ['fərth] -n

  1. estuary

fisc ['fisk] -n

  1. a state or royal treasury

fis·cal ['fis-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to taxation, public revenues, or public debt
    • fiscal policy
  2. of or relating to financial matters

fiscal -n

  1. revenue stamp
  2. fiscal year

fiscal year -n

  1. an accounting period of 12 months

fish ['fish] -n, adj

  1. an aquatic animal usu. used in combination
    • star fish
    • cuttle fish
  2. any of numerous cold-blooded strictly aquatic craniate vertebrates that include the bony fishes and usu. the cartilaginous and jawless fishes and that have typically an elongated somewhat spindle-shaped body terminating in a broad caudal fin, limbs in the form of fins when present at all, and a 2-chambered heart by which blood is sent through thoracic gills to be oxygenated
  3. the flesh of fish used as food
  4. a person who is caught or is wanted (as in a criminal investigation)
  5. fellow, person
    • an odd fish
  6. sucker
  7. : something that resembles a fish: as
  8. pisces
  9. pisces
  10. torpedo
  11. to attempt to catch fish
  12. to seek something by roundabout means
    • fish ing for a compliment
  13. to search for something underwater
    • fish for pearls
  14. to engage in a search by groping or feeling
    • fish ing around in her purse for her keys
  15. to try to catch fish in
  16. to fish with : use (as a boat, net, or bait) in fishing
  17. to go fishing for
    • fish salmon
  18. to pull or draw as if fishing
    • fish ed the ball from under the car
    • fish wires through a conduit

fishandchips [,fi-shᵊn-'chips] -n pl

  1. fried fish and french fried potatoes

fish·bowl ['fish-,bōl] -n

  1. a bowl for the keeping of live fish
  2. a place or condition that affords no privacy

fish cake -n

  1. a round fried cake made of shredded fish and mashed potato

fish duck -n

  1. merganser

fish·er ['fi-shər] -n

  1. one that fishes
  2. a dark brown No. American carnivorous mammal ( Martes pennanti) of the weasel family
  3. the fur or pelt of this animal

fish·er·folk ['fi-shər-,fōk] -n pl

  1. people who fish esp. for a living

fish·er·man [-mən] -n

  1. one who engages in fishing as an occupation or for pleasure
  2. a ship used in commercial fishing

fisherman's bend -n

  1. a knot made by passing the end twice round a spar or through a ring and then back under both turns

fish·er·wom·an ['fi-shər-,wu̇-mən] -n

  1. a woman who fishes as an occupation or for pleasure

fish·ery ['fi-shə-rē] -n

  1. the occupation, industry, or season of taking fish or other sea animals (as sponges, shrimp, or seals) : fishing
  2. a place for catching fish or taking other sea animals
  3. a fishing establishment
  4. its fishermen
  5. the legal right to take fish at a particular place or in particular waters
  6. the technology of fishery usu. used in pl.

fisheye ['fish-,ī] -adj

  1. being, having, or produced by a wide-angle photographic lens that has a highly curved protruding front, that covers an angle of about 180 degrees, and that gives a circular image

fish farm ['fish-,färm] -n, vt

  1. a commercial facility for raising aquatic animals for human food

fish finger -n

  1. fish stick

fish fry -n

  1. a picnic or supper featuring fried fish
  2. fried fish

fish hawk -n

  1. osprey

fish·hook ['fish-,hu̇k] -n

  1. a usu. barbed hook for catching fish

fish·ing ['fi-shiŋ] -n

  1. the sport or business of catching fish
  2. a place for catching fish

fishing expedition -n

  1. a legal interrogation or examination to discover information for a later proceeding
  2. an investigation that does not stick to a stated objective but hopes to uncover incriminating or newsworthy evidence

fish ladder -n

  1. a series of pools arranged like steps by which fish can pass over a dam in going upstream

fish meal -n

  1. ground dried fish and fish waste used as fertilizer and animal food

fish·mong·er ['fish-,mäŋ-gər, -,məŋ-] -n

  1. a fish dealer

fish·net [-,net] -n

  1. netting fitted with floats and weights or a supporting frame for catching fish
  2. a coarse open-mesh fabric

fish oil -n

  1. a fatty oil from the bodies of various fishes (as menhaden or sardines) that contains large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and is used in making various products (as cosmetics and paints)

fish out -vt

  1. to exhaust the supply of fish in by fishing

fish·plate [-,plāt] -n

  1. a steel plate used to lap a butt joint

fish·pond [-,pänd] -n

  1. a pond stocked with fish

fish protein concentrate -n

  1. a protein-rich food additive made from ground whole fish

fish stick -n

  1. a small elongated breaded fillet of fish

fish story -n

  1. an extravagant or incredible story

fish·tail ['fish-,tāl] -vi

  1. to swing the tail of an airplane from side to side to reduce speed esp. when landing
  2. to have the rear end slide from side to side out of control while moving forward
    • the car fishtail ed on the icy curve

fish·way [-,wā] -n

  1. a contrivance for enabling fish to pass around a fall or dam in a stream
  2. fish ladder

fish·wife [-,wīf] -n

  1. a woman who sells fish
  2. a vulgar abusive woman

fishy ['fi-shē] -adj

  1. of or resembling fish esp. in taste or odor
  2. creating doubt or suspicion : questionable

fis·sile ['fi-səl, 'fi-,sī(-ə)l] -adj, n

  1. capable of being split or divided in the direction of the grain or along natural planes of cleavage
    • fissile wood
    • fissile crystals
  2. capable of undergoing fission

fis·sion ['fi-shᵊn, -zhᵊn] -n, adj

  1. a splitting or breaking up into parts
  2. reproduction by spontaneous division of the body into two or more parts each of which grows into a complete organism
  3. the splitting of an atomic nucleus resulting in the release of large amounts of energy

fission -vi

  1. to undergo fission
  2. to cause to undergo fission

fis·sion·able ['fi-shə-nə-bəl, -zhə-; 'fish-nə-, 'fizh-] -adj, n

  1. fissile

fis·sip·a·rous [fi-'si-p(ə-)rəs] -adj, n

  1. tending to break up into parts : divisive
    • fissiparous tendencies within a political party

fis·sure ['fi-shər] -n

  1. a narrow opening or crack of considerable length and depth usu. occurring from some breaking or parting
  2. a natural cleft between body parts or in the substance of an organ
  3. a break or slit in tissue usu. at the junction of skin and mucous membrane
  4. a separation or disagreement in thought or viewpoint : schism
    • fissure s in a political party

fissure -vb

  1. to break into fissures : cleave
  2. crack, divide

fist ['fist] -n

  1. the hand clenched with the fingers doubled into the palm and the thumb doubled inward across the fingers
  2. the hand closed as in grasping : clutch
  3. index
  4. to grip with the fist : handle
  5. to clench into a fist

fist·fight ['fist-,fīt] -n

  1. a usu. spontaneous fight with bare fists

fist·ful [-,fu̇l] -n

  1. handful
    • a fistful of coins
  2. a considerable number or amount
    • a whole fistful of musicians -- Thomas Lask

fist·ic ['fis-tik] -adj

  1. of or relating to boxing or to fighting with the fists
    • fistic prowess

fist·i·cuffs ['fis-ti-,kəfs] -n pl

  1. a fight with the fists

fist·note ['fis(t)-,nōt] -n

  1. matter in a text to which attention is directed by means of an index mark

fis·tu·la ['fis(h)-chə-lə] -n

  1. an abnormal passage that leads from an abscess or hollow organ or part to the body surface or from one hollow organ or part to another and that may be surgically created to permit passage of fluids or secretions

fis·tu·lous [-ləs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or having the form or nature of a fistula
  2. hollow like a pipe or reed

fistulous withers -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a deep-seated chronic inflammation of the withers of the horse in which bloody fluid is discharged

fit ['fit] -n

  1. a division of a poem or song
  2. adapted to an end or design : suitable by nature or by art
  3. adapted to the environment so as to be capable of surviving
  4. acceptable from a particular viewpoint (as of competence or morality) : proper
    • a movie fit for the whole family
  5. put into a suitable state : made ready
    • get the house fit for company
  6. being in such a state as to be or seem ready to do or suffer something
    • fair fit to cry I was -- Bryan MacMahon
    • laughing fit to burst
  7. sound physically and mentally : healthy
  8. a sudden violent attack of a disease (as epilepsy) esp. when marked by convulsions or unconsciousness : paroxysm
  9. a sudden but transient attack of a physical disturbance
  10. a sudden burst or flurry (as of activity)
    • cleaned the whole house in a fit of efficiency
  11. an emotional reaction (as in anger or frustration)
    • has a fit when I show up late
  12. to be suitable for or to : harmonize with
  13. to be seemly or proper for
    • it fit s us then to be as provident as fear may teach us -- Shak.
  14. to conform correctly to the shape or size of
    • it doesn't fit me anymore
  15. to insert or adjust until correctly in place
    • fit the mechanism into the box
  16. to make or adjust to the right shape and size
    • fitting the jacket to the customer
  17. to measure for determining the specifications of something to be worn by
    • fitted him for a new suit
  18. to make a place or room for : accommodate
  19. to be in agreement or accord with
    • the theory fit s all the facts
  20. to put into a condition of readiness
  21. to cause to conform to or suit something
  22. supply, equip
    • fitted the ship with new engines
    often used with out
  23. to adjust (a smooth curve of a specified type) to a given set of points
  24. to be seemly, proper, or suitable
  25. to conform to a particular shape or size
  26. to be accommodated
    • will we all fit into the car?
  27. to be in harmony or accord : belong often used with in
  28. : the fact, condition, or manner of fitting or being fitted: as
  29. the way clothing fits the wearer
  30. the degree of closeness between surfaces in an assembly of parts
  31. goodness of fit

fit ['fīt] -vb

(variant of fight)

  1. to contend in battle or physical combat
  2. to strive to overcome a person by blows or weapons
  3. to engage in boxing
  4. to put forth a determined effort
  5. to contend against in or as if in battle or physical combat
  6. to box against in the ring
  7. to attempt to prevent the success or effectiveness of
    • the company fought the takeover attempt
  8. to oppose the passage or development of
    • fight a bill in Congress
  9. wage, carry on
    • fight a battle
  10. to take part in (as a boxing match)
  11. to struggle to endure or surmount
    • fight a cold
  12. to gain by struggle
    • fight s his way through
  13. to resolve by struggle
    • fought out their differences in court
  14. to manage (a ship) in a battle or storm
  15. to cause to struggle or contend
  16. to manage in an unnecessarily rough or awkward manner
  17. a hostile encounter : battle, combat
  18. a boxing match
  19. a verbal disagreement : argument
  20. a struggle for a goal or an objective
    • a fight for justice
  21. strength or disposition for fighting : pugnacity
    • still full of fight

fitch ['fich] -n

  1. polecat
  2. the fur or pelt of the polecat

fitch·et ['fi-chət] -n

  1. polecat

fit·ful ['fit-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. characterized by fits or paroxysms
  2. having an erratic or intermittent character : irregular

fit·ment ['fit-mənt] -n

  1. furnishing , fixture, cabinetry usu. used in pl.

fit·ness ['fit-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being fit
  2. the capacity of an organism to survive and transmit its genotype to reproductive offspring as compared to competing organisms
  3. the contribution of an allele or genotype to the gene pool of subsequent generations as compared to that of other alleles or genotypes

fitted -adj

  1. fit, suitable
  2. shaped for a precise fit
    • a fitted sheet
  3. shaped to conform to the lines of the body
    • a fitted shirt

fitting [-tiŋ-lē] -adj, adv, n

  1. of a kind appropriate to the situation : suitable
  2. an action or act of one that fits
  3. a trying on of clothes which are in the process of being made or altered
  4. something used in fitting up : accessory
  5. a small often standardized part
    • an electrical fitting

five ['fīv] -n, adj, pron, pl in constr

  1. a British handball game
  2. the fifth in a set or series
    • the five of clubs
  3. something having five units or members
  4. a basketball team
  5. a 5-dollar bill
  6. fifteen
  7. a slapping of extended right hands by two people (as in greeting or celebration) usu. used in phrases with give or slap
    • so I slapped him five and hugged him -- J. R. Burke

fiveandten [,fīv-ən-'ten] -n

  1. a retail store that carries chiefly inexpensive merchandise (as notions and household goods) called also five-and-dime

fivefin·ger ['fīv-,fiŋ-gər] -n

  1. cinquefoil

five·fold ['fīv-,fōld, -'fōld] -adj, adv

  1. having five units or members
  2. being five times as great or as many

five of a kind

  1. four cards of the same rank plus a wild card in one hand

fiv·er ['fī-vər] -n

  1. a 5-dollar bill
  2. a 5-pound note

fivespice powder ['fīv-'spīs-] -n

  1. a blend of spices typically including anise, pepper, fennel, cloves, and cinnamon that is used in Chinese cooking

fivestar ['fīv-'stär] -adj

  1. of first class or quality
    • a fivestar hotel

fix ['fiks] -vb, adj

  1. to make firm, stable, or stationary
  2. : to give a permanent or final form to: as
  3. to change into a stable compound or available form
    • bacteria that fix nitrogen
  4. to kill, harden, and preserve for microscopic study
  5. to make the image of (a photographic film) permanent by removing unused salts
  6. affix, attach
  7. to hold or direct steadily
    • fix es his eyes on the horizon
  8. to capture the attention of
    • fix ed her with a stare
  9. to set or place definitely : establish
  10. to make an accurate determination of : discover
    • fix ing our location on the chart
  11. assign
    • fix the blame
  12. to set in order : adjust
  13. to get ready : prepare
    • fix lunch
  14. repair, mend
    • fix the clock
  15. restore, cure
    • the doctor fix ed him up
  16. spay, castrate
  17. to get even with
  18. to influence the actions, outcome, or effect of by improper or illegal methods
    • the race had been fix ed
  19. to become firm, stable, or fixed
  20. to get set : be on the verge
    • we're fix ing to leave soon
  21. to direct one's attention or efforts : focus
  22. decide, settle usu. used with on
    • had fix ed on the first Saturday in June
  23. a position of difficulty or embarrassment : predicament
  24. the position (as of a ship) determined by bearings, observations, or radio
  25. a determination of one's position
  26. an accurate determination or understanding esp. by observation or analysis
  27. an act or instance of improper or illegal fixing
    • the fix was in
  28. a supply or dose of something strongly desired or craved
    • a coffee fix
  29. a shot of a narcotic
  30. fixation
  31. something that fixes or restores : solution
    • an easy fix

fix·ate ['fik-,sāt] -vb

  1. to make fixed, stationary, or unchanging
  2. to focus one's gaze on
  3. to direct (the libido) toward an infantile form of gratification
  4. to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention intently or obsessively
  5. to undergo arrestment at a stage of development

fixated -adj

  1. arrested in development or adjustment
  2. arrested at a pregenital level of psychosexual development

fix·a·tion [fik-'sā-shən] -n

  1. : the act, process, or result of fixing, fixating, or becoming fixated: as
  2. a persistent concentration of libidinal energies upon objects characteristic of psychosexual stages of development preceding the genital stage
  3. stereotyped behavior (as in response to frustration)
  4. an obsessive or unhealthy preoccupation or attachment

fix·a·tive ['fik-sə-tiv] -n, adj

  1. : something that fixes or sets: as
  2. a substance added to a perfume esp. to prevent too rapid evaporation
  3. a substance used to fix living tissue
  4. a varnish used esp. for the protection of drawings (as in pastel or charcoal)

fixed ['fikst] -adj, adv, n

  1. securely placed or fastened : stationary
  2. nonvolatile
  3. formed into a chemical compound
  4. not subject to change or fluctuation
    • a fixed income
  5. firmly set in the mind
    • a fixed idea
  6. having a final or crystallized form or character
  7. recurring on the same date from year to year
    • fixed holidays
  8. immobile, concentrated
    • a fixed stare
  9. supplied with something (as money) needed
    • comfortably fixed

fixed charge -n

  1. a regularly recurring expense (as rent, taxes, or interest) that must be met when due

fixed oil -n

  1. a nonvolatile oil
  2. a fatty oil

fixedpoint -adj

  1. involving or being a mathematical notation (as in a decimal system) in which the point separating whole numbers and fractions is fixed

fixed star -n

  1. a star so distant that its motion can be measured only by very precise observations over long periods

fix·er ['fik-sər] -n

  1. : one that fixes: as
  2. a person who intervenes to enable someone to circumvent the law or obtain a political favor
  3. a person who adjusts matters or disputes by negotiation
  4. sodium thiosulfate
  5. a solution of sodium thiosulfate

fix·erup·per ['fik-sər-,ə-pər] -n

  1. something (as a house or car) that needs fixing up

fix·ing [-siŋ] -n

  1. the act or process of one that fixes
  2. customary accompaniments : trimmings
    • a turkey dinner with all the fixing s

fix·i·ty ['fik-sə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being fixed or stable
  2. something that is fixed

fix·ture ['fiks-chər] -n

  1. the act or process of fixing : the state of being fixed
  2. something that is fixed or attached (as to a building) as a permanent appendage or as a structural part
    • a plumbing fixture
  3. a device for supporting work during machining
  4. an item of movable property so incorporated into real property that it may be regarded as legally a part of it
  5. a familiar or invariably present element or feature in some particular setting
  6. a person long associated with a place or activity
  7. a settled date or time esp. for a sporting or festive event
  8. such an event esp. as a regularly scheduled affair

fix up -vt

  1. refurbish
    • fix up the attic
  2. to set right : settle
    • fixed up their dispute
  3. to provide with something needed or wanted
  4. to arrange a date for

fizz ['fiz] -vi

  1. to make a hissing or sputtering sound : effervesce
  2. to show excitement or exhilaration
  3. a hissing sound
  4. spirit, liveliness
  5. an effervescent beverage

fiz·zle ['fi-zəl] -vi

  1. fizz
  2. to fail or end feebly esp. after a promising start often used with out

fizzle -n

  1. an abortive effort : failure