F-Word Definitions
| fabiau. | medieval verse tale, comic and ribald |
| Farbry’s disease. | hereditary, impaired kidney function |
| facete. | funny, witty |
| facies. | appearance rock distinguished from others |
| –facient. | causing, bringing about |
| factitive. | transitive verb that sometimes takes an objective complement to dir. object.. |
| facula | bright spots on sun’s photosphere |
| fado.. | plaintive Portuguese folk song |
| Fafnir. | guarded Nibelungs treasure, slain by Fafnir |
| fag. | drudgery, a drudge |
| fagoting. | pulling out horizontal threads and tying vertical threads into bunches |
| faience. | Earthenware decorated with colorful, opaque glazes |
| faille. | slightly-ribbed, woven fabric |
| fainéant. | irresponsible idler |
| fairlead. | rigging grommet |
| faitour. | deceiver, imposter |
| felafel. | fried ground chickpeas and fava beans |
| Falange. | Falangists |
| falcate. | sickle-shaped |
| falchion. | short medieval broadsword |
| falciform. | falcate |
| falcongentle. | female peregrine falcon |
| faldstool. | where worshipers kneel to pray, British monarch kneels at coronation |
| fallal. | frippery |
| Fallot’s tetralogy. | congenital heart condition |
| false keel. | protective strip below main keel |
| Falstaffian. | Ho, ho, ho! |
| faltboat. | foldboat |
| falx. | sickle-shaped |
| famulus. | private attendant or servant |
| fandango. | Spanish dance in triple time |
| fanfaronade. | bragging or blustering |
| fanion. | surveyor’s flag, military |
| fanlight. | half-circle window with crossbars arranged like ribs of fan |
| fantoccini. | animated puppets |
| fantod. | state of nervous irritability |
| fan vaulting. | ribs arch our like a fan |
| fanwort. | aquatic |
| farandolé. | spirited Provencal circle dance |
| farci. | stuffed, as with ground meat |
| farcy. | chronic cutaneous glanders |
| fardel. | pack, burden |
| farfel. | noodles in shape of small pellets |
| farina. | fine cereal meal |
| farinaceous. | starchy; mealy or powdery |
| farinose. | covered with mealy powder |
| farkleberry. | hard, black berries |
| farnesol. | used in perfumery |
| faroese. | Faeroe Islands (Germanic) |
| farrago. | salmagundi |
| farrier. | blacksmith |
| farrow. | litter of pigs |
| farthing. | worth 1/4th cent |
| farthingale. | skirt spreader |
| fascia. | enclosing muscles; band of color; band between moldings; dashboard |
| fasciate. | abnormally flattened |
| fascicle. | one part of a book; cluster of stems, a small bundle |
| fasciulus. | bundle of nerve fibers having common functions and connections |
| fascine. | bundle of sticks tied together |
| fascioliasis. | nematode infestation |
| fastigate. | tapering to a point; erect and almost parallel (branches) |
| fastigium. | period of maximum development of a disease |
| fata morgana. | mirage |
| fatidic. | mantic |
| faubourg. | suburb; municipal district |
| fauces. | space between mouth and pharynx, bounded by pallatine arches, soft |
| faugh!. | derisive. |
| Faunus. | Roman God of nature and fertility |
| fauvism. | bold, often distorted forms and vivid colors |
| fava bean. | broad bean |
| favus. | chronic scalp, nail infection |
| fay. | to join or fit closely |
| fay. | fairy |
| fazenda. | hacienda, coffee plantation |
| fayalite. | yellowish to black olivene |
| Feast of Lights. | Chanukah |
| featherbone. | lightweight corset bone made from fowl quill |
| featheredge | tapering edge of board |
| febrifacient. | causes fever |
| feckless. | ineffective; irresponsible |
| fecundate. | to render fruitful |
| fee simple. | unqualified ownership |
| fee tail. | land estate limited to specific group of heirs |
| feeze. | heavy impact; state of vexation |
| fell. | inhumanly cruel nature; lethal; biting |
| fell. | animal hide |
| felatio. | oral stimulation of the penis |
| fellmonger. | hide-maker |
| felly. | the rim of a wheel supported by spokes |
| felsite. | feldspar and quartz |
| femur. | thighbone |
| felodese. | act of committing suicide; death through unlawful and malicious act |
| fen. | low, flat swampy land.. a bog |
| Fenian. | legendary, heroic Irish warriors, 3rd C. A. D. |
| fennec. | small North-African fox |
| fennel. | flowers, seeds for flavoring |
| fenny. | pertaining to fens |
| fentugreek. | clover-like |
| feoffment. | act of granting a feudal estate or fee |
| feral. | having returned to its wild state |
| feria. | a weekday on a church calendar when no feast is observed |
| ferine. | feral |
| fermata. | prolongation of a chord beyond its nominal value |
| fermi. | 10-15 meters |
| ferret. | narrow piece of tape used to edge fabric |
| ferriage | business of ferrying |
| ferruginous. | iron; rust-colored |
| ferrule. | metal cap |
| ferule. | baton used to punish children |
| fescinnine. | licentious, obscene |
| fess. | horizontal band forming mid-section of an escutcheon |
| fesspoint. | center point of escutcheon |
| festinate. | hasten |
| festschriff. | von Braun’s 50th anniversary volume |
| feta. | white cheese made from goat’s milk |
| fetation. | fetal development |
| fète champètre. | outdoor party |
| faterita. | sorghum |
| feticide. | murder of a fetus |
| fetlock. | knob behind horse’s hoof, tuft of hair, fetlock joint |
| fetor. | stench |
| fettle. | to line the hearth of a reverberatory furnace with loose sand before pouring |
| fettling. | material used to fettle |
| fettucini. | narrow strips of pasta |
| feud. | a fee |
| feudatory. | vassal holding a fee |
| feuilleton. | European newspaper section containing light fiction, reviews and art |
| Feulgen reaction. | stained DNA |
| feverfew. | aromatic plant |
| fevertree. | eucalyptus |
| fey. | soon to die; under a spell; visionary powers |
| fiacre. | small hackney coach |
| fiat money. | not backed by gold or silver |
| fibula. | with tibula. outer, smaller shank-bone |
| fichu. | woman’s triangular scarf of lightweight fabric, tied in loose knot in front |
| fictile. | plastic, moldable |
| fictive. | pertaining to the creation of fiction |
| fido. | coin containing a minting error |
| field capacity. | water capacity of a field |
| field fare. | Old World thrush |
| fiere facias. | writ to seize goods of a debtor |
| fife rail. | rail around ship’s mast to which belaying pins for rigging are secured |
| fig. | dress array (in full fig); physical condition |
| figural. | pictorial composition of human, animal figures |
| figurant. | stage performer without a speaking part; corps de ballet who doesn’t solo |
| filar. | pertaining to threads; reticle |
| filaree. | alfilaria (flower) |
| filaria. | nematodes transmitted by biting insects |
| filature. | spinning, reeling raw silk from cocoons |
| filet. | net or lace with simple pattern of squares |
| filiate. | to assign paternity to a bastard child |
| filiation. | line of descent |
| fillip. | a snap of your thumb |
| filoplume. | hair-like feather with few or no barbs |
| filose. | having a threadlike part |
| filter feeder. | feeds on particulates in water |
| fimbriate. | fringed, like the edge of a petal |
| fin de siècle. | end of 19th C.: effete artistic sophistication |
| fines herbes. | finely chopped herbs |
| finial. | screw on top of lampshade, top ornament |
| finnan haddie. | smoked haddock |
| finochio. | fennel |
| fipple. | the wooden block that forms a flue in wind instrument mouthpieces |
| fire beetle. | luminous spots |
| fire blight. | destructive fruit tree disease |
| firebird. | birds with bright plumage (Baltimore oriole) |
| firedamp. | combustible gas in mines |
| firebrat. | windless destructive insect |
| firedrake. | fiery dragon (German) |
| firelock. | flintlock |
| fire pink. | flower |
| fireflood. | injecting compressed air into petroleum reservoir and burning some |
| firkin. | small wooden barrel.. about 9 gallons |
| firmer chisel. | fine-blade chisel for finishing work |
| firn. | snow that has been partially consolidated but not yet converted to glacial ice |
| firstling. | first of a kind; firstborn |
| firth. | fjord |
| fisc. | treasury of a kingdom |
| fish hawk. | osprey |
| fish plate. | plates that hold beams or railroad rails in place |
| fish joint. | fish-plate joint |
| fissi-. | split, cleft |
| fishipalmate. | having lobed or partially-webbed toes (birds) |
| fissiparous. | reproducing by fission |
| fissiped. | separated toes |
| fistula. | abnormal duct to the body surface or to another cavity |
| fistulous. | reed-like |
| fitch. | fur of the Old World polecat (ferret?) |
| fixed oil. | non-volatile( fatty) oil as distinguished from an essential oil |
| fjeld. | high, barren Scandinavian plateau |
| flabellate. | fan-shaped |
| flabellum. | fan-shaped anatomical structure |
| flack. | press agent |
| flacon. | small decorative flagon with tight-fitting stopper |
| flagellum. | one who whips |
| flageliform. | whip-shaped |
| flageolet. | small flute-like instrument. 4 finger holes, 2 thumbholes |
| flagitious. | extremely brutal or cruel crimes |
| flake. | fish-drying platform |
| flamen. | priest of a Roman deity |
| flan. | tart filled with custard, fruit, or cheese; a coin blank |
| flanerie. | aimless idling, dawdling |
| flaneur. | An aimless idler |
| flannel cake. | pancake |
| flannel leaf. | a mullein (plant) |
| flapdoodle. | nonsense |
| flareback. | backflash in breach of gun |
| flashboard. | board raising the top of a dam |
| flatlet. | an efficiency apartment |
| flatus. | gas in stomach |
| flavescent. | turning yellow or yellowish |
| flavone. | number of important yellow pigments |
| fleche. | slender spire above nave-transept intersection |
| fleer | smirk or laugh |
| fleiship. | prepared with meat (Yiddish) |
| fleshings. | flesh-colored tights; bits of flesh removed from a hide |
| flews. | pendulous corners of a hound’s lips |
| flexagon. | folded paper: reveals different features on folding |
| flexuous. | binding or winding alternatively from side to side |
| fley. | frighten |
| flinders. | bits |
| flinkite. | brownish-green manganese arsenate |
| flint disease. | pneumonoconiosis |
| flint head. | the wood ibis |
| flitch. | salted, cured side of bacon; several beams fastened together |
| flitter. | to flutter |
| floc. | flocculent mass |
| flocculent. | fluffy-looking; woolly masses; woolly, waxy insect secretion |
| flocculus. | two small cerebellar lobes |
| Flora. | Goddess of flowers |
| florentine. | dull chased or rubbed surface; served with spinach |
| florescence. | condition, time of blossoming |
| floret. | small flower, esp. of a composite plant |
| floribunda. | houseplant |
| florin. | British coin worth two shillings |
| floristics. | study of the numerical distributions of plants |
| flotage. | floatation |
| flubdub. | pretentious nonsense |
| flue. | one of several kinds of fishing nets |
| flugelhorn. | bugle with valves |
| flummery. | custard; meaningless flattery, nonsense |
| flummox. | to confuse |
| fluorosis. | excessive flouride intake, mottling of teeth |
| flourspar. | a flourite |
| fluvial. | river |
| fluviomarine. | joint deposits near ocean |
| fly agaric. | poisonous mushroom |
| flyblow. | blowfly egg |
| flying fox. | fruit-eating bats of Africa |
| flying frog. | gliding frog (S. E. Asia) |
| flying gurnard. | flying fishes |
| flying jib. | a light sail attached to a jib extension |
| flying lemur. | A lemur with a patagium |
| flying lizard. | A lizard with a patagium |
| flying mare. | wrestling throw |
| fly poison. | plant |
| foehn. | a warm, dry wind coming off the leeward side of mountain range |
| fog bow. | often seen opposite the sun in a fog back |
| fogdog. | bright or clear spot in a fog bank |
| fotate. | folic acid |
| foliaceous. | leaf of a plant |
| folie a deux. | same delusional ideas shared by two |
| folicolous. | parasitic to leaves |
| foliose. | leafy |
| foliuk. | thin layer of rock; loop asymptotic to straight line |
| folkmote. | general assembly in medieval England of a town, shire, etc. |
| Folsom. | east of Rockies, leaf-shaped stone implements |
| fomite. | inanimate object that transfer infections |
| fondant. | sweet, creamy sugar paste |
| fondle. | pamper; stroke |
| fontanelle. | soft membranous intervals in infants’ incompletely ossified skulls |
| fontina. | ripened cheese |
| foofaraw. | flashy ornamentation; much ado about nothing |
| fool’s parsley. | poisonous plant |
| footfault. | tennis |
| footle. | waste time, talk nonsense |
| footling. | trifling |
| footpace. | raised platform |
| footrope. | rope attached to sail’s lower portion; rope rigged below a yard to stand on during the reefing or furling of a sail |
| footwall. | mass of rock lying underneath a mineral deposit in a mine |
| foramen. | opening through a bone or membrane |
| foramen magnum. | spinal cord |
| foraminifer. | unicellular microorganisms with calcareous shells through which pseudopods project |
| forb. | a herbaceous plant other than a grass, esp., growing in a meadow. |
| force majeure. | unexpected, uncontrollable event |
| forcemeat. | finely-ground meat used in stuffing |
| forcipate. | forceps-shaped |
| foredo. | to utterly exhaust |
| forebrain. | anterior region of embryonic brain |
| forecastle. | front deck |
| forelock. | cotter pin, linch pin |
| foremast. | forward mast |
| forepeak. | at the bow |
| forereach. | to gain ground (sailing) |
| foresheet. | rope used for trimming the foresail; the space near bow of open boat |
| foresail. | principal square sail; principal triangular sail (hung to forestay, sloop & cutter. |
| foreshore. | part covered by high tide |
| forestay. | stay from head of foremast to bowsprit |
| fore-to-ken. | foreshow, presage |
| foretop. | platform at top of ship’s foremast |
| foretopgallant. | mast directly above the foremast |
| foretopmast. | mast above the foretop platform |
| foretopsail. | sail hung from the foretopmast |
| foreyard. | lowest yard on a foremest |
| forficate. | deeply forked or notched (bird’s tail) |
| forgetive. | inventive |
| formicary. | ant nest |
| formcivorous. | feeding on ants |
| fornix. | pair of bands of white fibers beneath corpus callosum |
| foreswear. | renounce |
| fortalice. | small fort |
| fortis. | pronounced with tension and strong articulation (fortis consonants: f, p) |
| Fortuna. | Roman goddess of fortune |
| forzando. | storzando |
| fosse. | ditch or moat |
| fossa . | hollow or depression |
| fossick. | to search for gold (among tailings); to rummage (for profit) |
| fossorial. | adapted for burrowing or digging |
| foudroyant. | dazzling or stunning |
| foulard. | lightweight twill or plain woven; silk |
| fourchette. | forked reinforcement on backs of gloves |
| fourdrinier. | continuous paper roll machine |
| fourgon. | baggage wagon |
| fourragére. | ornamental braided cord looped around left shoulder (awarded to military) |
| fovea. | cup-like depression in bone or other organ |
| fovea centralis. | eye |
| fowling piece. | light shotgun |
| foxfire. | produced by fungi |
| foxglove. | source of digitalis |
| foy. | farewell feast, drink, or gift |
| fracted. | broken |
| frae. | from fraise: defense of pointed stakes; 16th C. ruff |
| fraktur. | old German letter style |
| frambesia. | yaws (spirochete skin disease) |
| francolin. | bird (quail or partridge) |
| frangipani. | showy, fragrant shrub, perfume; almond-filled pastry |
| franklin. | rich medieval English freeholder |
| franklinite. | zinc, iron, and manganese source of zinc |
| frankpledge. | Old English law: tithings of 10 households, held responsible for one another’s conduct |
| franseria. | herbs and shrubs |
| frap. | lash together; take up slack |
| frappè. | icees; frozen fruit; milk shake (with ice cream) |
| fraxinela. | gas plant (ash tree) |
| free alongside ship. | free at no extra charge |
| freemartin. | sexually deficient female calf born as bull café’s twin |
| freemasonry. | spontaneous fellowship and sympathy among a number of people |
| fremitus. | palpable vibration felt on chest during coughing or speaking |
| frena. | plural of frenum |
| French chalk. | tailors’ chalk |
| French seam. | seam turned wrong-side out |
| frenum. | membranous structure like fold under tongue that supports or restrains |
| fresco. | painting on fresh, moist plaster with earth colors dissolved in water |
| freshet. | a sudden overflow of a stream; fresh water stream meeting salt water |
| fresh gale. | 49 to 46 miles an hour |
| fret. | Medieval women’s interlaced wire headdress |
| Frey. | Norse god of good weather and bountiful crops |
| Freya. | Frey’s sister: goddess of love and beauty |
| friable. | brittle, easily crumbled |
| friar’s lantern. | ignis fatuus |
| fribble. | to waste time; a frivolity |
| fricandeau. | larded and braised cut of veal |
| fricasee. | pieces of meat stewed in a gravy |
| fricative. | "f" forcing of air through a restricted passage |
| Friedlander’s bacteria. | one of the pneumonia bacteria |
| Friedmanite. | Milton Friedman: government should regulate the money supply |
| frieze. | decorated strip between architrave and cornice |
| frieze. | coarse shaggy woolen cloth with an uncut nap |
| frig. | to have sex |
| frigate. | high speed war vessel; intermediate between cruiser and destroyer |
| frigate bird. | snatches food from other birds in flight |
| Frigga. | Odin’s wife, goddess of the heavens |
| frigorific. | chilling |
| frijole. | bean |
| fringed polygala. | reddish-purple flowers |
| friseur. | hairdresser |
| Frisian. | Frisian Islands (West Germanic) |
| frith. | estuary |
| frisette. | curled fringe of hair worn on forehead |
| frizz. | to fry with a sizzling noise |
| frizzel. | to fry (bacon?) until curled |
| frow. | cleaving tool with blade at right angles to handle |
| froghopper . | the spittle bug |
| frondescent. | leafy, profusion of fronds |
| frondose. | frond-like |
| frontal. | drapery covering front of alter |
| frontenis. | Latin-American tennis played on a 3-walled court |
| frontlet. | forehead ornament worn as a phylactic; distinctively marked animal forehead; border of a frontal |
| front matter. | front of a book |
| frore. | extremely cold, frosty |
| frottage. | made by rubbing over object with paper |
| frou-frou. | rustling sound; showy ostentation |
| frowzy. | slovenly |
| frugivorous. | fruit-eater |
| frumentaceous. | resembling grain, esp. wheat |
| frumenty. | hulled wheat boiled in milk and flavored with sugar and spices |
| frump. | dull, plain unfashionable girl |
| frustule. | the hard siliceous shell of a diatom |
| frutescent. | pertaining to a shrub |
| fruticose. | shrub-like, esp. in form |
| fubsy. | chubby |
| fuchsin. | purple-red |
| fucus. | brown algae |
| fugacious. | evanescent; withering early |
| fugleman. | a soldier who serves as a role model for his company |
| fugue. | polyphonic: number of voices are developed contrapuntally |
| fugue. | person is apparently aware of his actions but doesn’t remember them |
| fulgent. | shining brilliantly |
| fulgurant. | flashing like lightning |
| fulgurite. | glassy rock formed by lightning strikes |
| fuliginous. | sooty |
| fuller. | one who fulls cloth (by shrinking, beating, and pressing) |
| fuller. | blacksmith’s hammer |
| fuller’s earth. | highly absorbent, clay-like, used in fulling woolen cloth, as filter |
| fuller’s teasel. | plant |
| full stop. | period at end of sentence |
| fulmar. | gull-like arctic bird |
| fulminant. | happening suddenly, rapidly and with great intensity |
| fulsome. | offensively flattering; offensive to taste |
| fumatorium. | kills pests |
| fumatory. | pertaining to smoke or fumigating |
| fumitory. | European flower |
| fundus. | inner basal surface farthest from the opening (as in the eye) |
| fungible. | one part may be swapped for another in payment of a debt |
| fungiform. | mushroom-shaped |
| fungo. | a practice fly ball hit to a fielder with a special bat |
| funiculus. | slender cord-like strand, esp., bundled of nerve fibers in nerve trunk, umbilical cord, stalk connecting the seed to the placenta |
| funk. | fright; depression |
| furanose. | a sugar—four carbon atoms and one oxygen |
| furbish. | brighten by cleaning; renovate |
| furcula. | forked process, esp., the wishbone of a bird |
| furfuraceous. | covered with scaly particles; like bran |
| furcate. | fork |
| furfural. | solvent for nitrocellulose |
| furfuran. | furan: used in synthesis of nylon |
| furlong. | 1/8th mile, 660 feet |
| furring. | strips of wood to provide level surface or air space |
| furuncle. | carbuncle |
| furunculosis. | has boils |
| furze. | gorse |
| fusel oil. | solvent from fermentation of plants |
| fusiform. | tapering at each end, spindle-shaped |
| fusil. | light flintlock musket |
| fusile. | formed by melting or casting |
| fustian. | pretentious or pompous language; coarse, sturdy cloth of cotton and flax |
| fustic. | small tropical tree, yellow dyestuff |
| fustigate. | to cudgel |
| fusty. | old-fashioned; musty |
| futhark. | the runic alphabet |
| futilitarian. | resistance is futile |
| futtock. | one of curved timbers in hull of ship |
| futtock shroud. | one of the iron rods used brace the mast of a ship |
| futtock plate. | One of the iron plates at the mast top to hold the ends of the futtock shrouds |
| fuxx. | the coppers |
| fylfot. | swastika |