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FELT, felt, _n._ a fabric formed without weaving, by means of the natural tendency of the fibres of wool and certain kinds of hair to interlace with and cling to each other.--_v.t._ to make into felt: to cover with felt.--_v.t._ FELT'ER, to mat together like felt.--_n._ FELT'ING, the art or process of making felt: the felt itself. [A.S. _felt_; cf. Dut. _vilt_, Ger. _filz_.]

FELUCCA, fe-luk'a, _n._ a class of small merchant-vessels, used in the Mediterranean, with two masts, lateen sails, and often a rudder at each end. [It. _feluca_, which, like Fr. _felouque_, is from Ar. _fulk_, a ship.]

FEMALE, f[=e]'m[=a]l, _adj._ of the sex that produces young: pertaining to females: (_bot._) having a pistil or fruit-bearing organ.--_n._ one of the female sex, a woman.--_ns._ FEMAL'ITY, FEMINAL'ITY, the female nature.--_adj._ FEM'INAL.--_n._ FEMIN[=E]'ITY, the quality of being female.--_adj._ FEM'ININE, pertaining to women: tender: womanly: (_gram._) the gender denoting females.--_adv._ FEM'ININELY.--_ns._ FEM'ININENESS; FEMININ'ITY, the nature of the female sex.--FEMALE SCREW, a screw cut upon the inward surface of a cylindrical hole in wood or metal; FEMININE RHYME, a rhyme between words that terminate each in an unaccented syllable. [Fr.

_femelle_--L. _femella_, dim. of _femina_, a woman.]

FEMERELL, fem'er-el, _n._ a louvre or covering on the roof of a kitchen, &c., to allow the smoke to escape.

FEMUR, f[=e]'mer, _n._ the thigh-bone.--_adj._ FEM'ORAL, belonging to the thigh.--FEMORAL ARTERY, the main artery of the thigh. [L.

_femoralis_--_femur_, thigh.]

FEN, fen, _n._ a kind of low marshy land often, or partially, covered with water: a morass or bog.--_ns._ FEN'-BERR'Y, the cranberry; FEN'-FIRE, the Will-o'-the-wisp.--_adjs._ FEN'NY, FEN'NISH; FEN'-SUCKED (_Shak._), drawn out of bogs. [A.S. _fenn_; Ice. _fen_.]

FEN, fen, _v.t._ an exclamatory phrase in boys' games, meaning 'Check!'

'Bar!' [Cf. FEND.]

FENCE, fens, _n._ a wall or hedge for enclosing animals or for protecting land: the art of fencing: defence: a receiver of stolen goods, also a receiving-house.--_v.t._ to enclose with a fence: to fortify.--_v.i._ to practise fencing: to conceal the truth by equivocal answers.--_adjs._ FENCED, enclosed with a fence; FENCE'LESS, without fence or enclosure, open.--_n._ FENC'ER, one who practises fencing with a sword.--_adj._ FENC'IBLE, capable of being fenced or defended.--_n.pl._ FENC'IBLES, volunteer regiments raised for local defence during a special crisis: militia enlisted for home service.--_p.adj._ FENC'ING, defending or guarding.--_n._ the act of erecting a fence: the art of attack and defence with a sword or other weapon.--_n._ FENC'ING-MAS'TER, one who teaches fencing.--FENCE THE TABLES, in the ancient usage of Scotland, to debar from partaking in communion those guilty of any known sin.--SIT ON THE FENCE, to be still hesitating as between two opinions; SUNK FENCE, a ditch or water-course. [Abbrev. of _defence_.]

FEND, fend, _v.t._ to ward off: to shut out: to defend.--_v.i._ to offer resistance: to make provision for.--_n._ self-support, the shift one makes for one's self.--_adj._ FEND'Y, shifty. [Abbrev. of _defend_.]

FENDER, fend'[.e]r, _n._ a metal guard before a fire to confine the ashes: a protection for a ship's side against piers, &c., consisting of a bundle of rope, &c.--_ns._ FEND'ER-BEAM, a fender of wood, protecting a ship's side in dock: a permanent buffer at the end of a railway siding; FEND'ER-BOARD, a board protecting the steps of a carriage from the dust thrown up by the wheels. [_Fend_.]

FENESTELLA, fen-es-tel'a, _n._ a niche on the south side of an altar, containing the piscina, and sometimes the credence: a genus of Polyzoa, like the recent 'lace coral,' very common in Palaeozoic rocks. [L., dim. of _fenestra_, a window.]

FENESTRAL, fe-nes'tral, _adj._ belonging to or like a window: with transparent spots--also FENES'TR[=A]TE.--_n._ FENESTR[=A]'TION, the arrangement of windows in a building. [L. _fenestralis_--_fenestra_, window.]

FENGITE, fen'j[=i]t, _n._ a transparent alabaster for window panes.

FENIAN, f[=e]'ne-an, _n._ a member of an association of Irishmen founded in New York in 1857 for the overthrow of the English government in Ireland.--_adj._ belonging to the legendary Fenians, or to the modern conspirators.--_n._ F[=E]'NIANISM. [Old Ir. _Fene_, one of the names of the ancient population of Ireland, confused in modern times with _fiann_, the militia of Finn and other ancient Irish kings.]

FENKS, fengks, _n._ the refuse of whale-blubber.--Also FINKS.

FENNEC, fen'ek, _n._ a little African fox with large ears. [Moorish.]

FENNEL, fen'el, _n._ a genus of umbelliferous plants, allied to Dill, but distinguished by the cylindrical, strongly-ribbed fruit, the flower yellow.--_n._ FENN'EL-FLOW'ER, the _Nigella Damascena_, or ragged lady.

[A.S. _finul_--L. _foeniculum_, fennel--_fenum_, hay.]

FENT, fent, _n._ (_prov._) a slit, crack: a remnant or odd piece. [O. Fr.

_fente_--L. _find[)e]re_, to cleave.]

FENUGREEK, fen'[=u]-gr[=e]k, _n._ a genus of leguminous plants, allied to clover and melilot. [L. _fenum-graecum_, 'Greek hay.']

FEOD, FEODAL, FEODARY. Same as FEUD, FEUDAL, FEUDARY.

FEOFF, fef, _n._ a fief.--_v.t._ to grant possession of a fief or property in land.--_ns._ FEOFFEE', the person invested with the fief; FEOFF'ER, FEOFF'OR, he who grants the fief; FEOFF'MENT, the gift of a fief or feoff.

[O. Fr. _feoffer_ or _fiefer_--O. Fr. _fief_. See FEE.]

FERACIOUS, fe-r[=a]'shus, _adj._ fruitful.--_n._ FERAC'ITY (_rare_). [L.

_ferax_, _-acis_--_ferre_, to bear.]

FER-DE-LANCE, f[=a]r'de-langs', _n._ the lance-headed or yellow viper of tropical America.

FERE, f[=e]r, _n._ (_Spens._) a mate, companion, equal. [A.S. _gefera_, a companion, _ge-feran_, to travel.]

FERETORY, fer'e-tor-i, _n._ a shrine for relics carried in processions. [L.

_feretrum_--_ferre_, to bear.]

FERIAL, f[=e]'ri-al, _adj._ pertaining to holidays (_feriae_), belonging to any day of the week which is neither a fast nor a festival. [Fr.,--L.

_feria_, a holiday.]

FERINE, f[=e]'rin, _adj._ pertaining to, or like, a wild beast: savage.--_n.pl._ FERae (f[=e]'r[=e]), wild animals.--_adj._ F[=E]'RAL, wild, run wild.--_n._ FER'ITY, wildness.--F[=E]Rae NATURae, those animals that are wild or not domesticated, including game animals--deer, hares, pheasants, &c. [L. _ferinus_--_fera_, a wild beast--_ferus_; akin to Gr. _th[=e]r_, Ger. _thier_, a beast.]

FERINGHEE, fer-ing'g[=e], _n._ a Hindu name for an Englishman.--Also FARIN'GEE. [A corr. of _Frank_.]

FERLY, fer'li, _adj._ fearful: sudden: singular.--_n._ a wonder.--_v.i._ to wonder. [A.S. _f['ae]rlic_, sudden; cf. Ger. _ge-fahrlich_, dangerous.]

FERM, f[.e]rm, _n._ a farm: (_Spens._) abode, lodging.

FERMATA, fer-ma'ta, _n._ (_mus._) a pause or break. [It.]

FERMENT, f[.e]r'ment, _n._ what excites fermentation, as yeast, leaven: internal motion amongst the parts of a fluid: agitation: tumult.--_v.t._ FERMENT', to excite fermentation: to inflame.--_v.i._ to rise and swell by the action of fermentation: to work, used of wine, &c.: to be in excited action: to be stirred with anger.--_n._ FERMENTABIL'ITY.--_adj._ FERMENT'ABLE, capable of fermentation.--_n._ FERMENT[=A]'TION, the act or process of fermenting: the change which takes place in liquids exposed to air: the kind of spontaneous decomposition which produces alcohol: restless action of the mind or feelings.--_adj._ FERMENT'ATIVE, causing or consisting in fermentation.--_n._ FERMENT'ATIVENESS.--_adj._ FERMENTES'CIBLE, capable of being fermented. [Fr.,--L. _fermentum_, for _fervimentum_--_ferv[=e]re_, to boil.]

FERMETURE, fer'me-t[=u]r, _n._ a mechanism for closing the chamber of a breech-loading gun. [Fr.,--L. _firm[=a]re_, to make fast.]

FERN, fern, _n._ one of the beautiful class of higher or vascular cryptogamous plants--the natural order _Filices_.--_ns._ FERN'ERY, a place for rearing ferns; FERN'-OWL, the European goatsucker or night-jar; FERN'-SEED, the spores of ferns, which, properly gathered, render the bearers invisible; FERN'SHAW, a thicket of ferns; FERN'TICLE, a freckle.--_adjs._ FERN'TICLED; FERN'Y. [A.S. _fearn_; Ger. _farn_.]

FEROCIOUS, fe-r[=o]'shus, _adj._ savage, fierce: cruel.--_adv._ FER[=O]'CIOUSLY.--_ns._ FER[=O]'CIOUSNESS; FEROC'ITY, savage cruelty of disposition: untamed fierceness. [L. _ferox_, _ferocis_, wild--_ferus_, wild.]

FERRANDINE, fer'an-din, _n._ a silk and wool or silk and hair cloth.--Also FARR'ANDINE. [Fr.]

FERRARA, fer-a'ra, _n._ a make of sword-blade highly esteemed in Scotland from about the close of the 16th century--often ANDREA FERRARA--said to have been made at Belluno in Venetia by Cosmo, Andrea, and Gianantonio _Ferrara_. [Perh. a native of _Ferrara_, or prob. merely the It. _ferrajo_, a cutler--L. _ferrarius_, a smith.]

FERREOUS, fer'e-us, _adj._ pertaining to, or made of, iron. [L.

_ferreus_--_ferrum_, iron.]

FERRET, fer'et, _n._ ribbon woven from spun silk. [Corr. from It.

_fioretto_--L. _flos_, _floris_, a flower.]

FERRET, fer'et, _n._ a half-tamed albino variety of the polecat, employed in unearthing rabbits.--_v.t._ to drive out of a hiding-place: to search out cunningly:--_pr.p._ ferr'eting; _pa.p._ ferr'eted.--_n._ FERR'ETER, one who uses a ferret to catch rabbits, &c.: one who searches minutely. [O. Fr.

_furet_, a ferret--Low L. _furon-em_, robber--L. _fur_, a thief.]

FERRIAGE, fer'ri-[=a]j, _n._ See FERRY.

FERRIC, fer'ik, _adj._ pertaining to or obtained from iron: noting an acid compounded of iron and oxygen.--_ns._ FERR'ATE, a salt formed by the union of ferric acid with a base; FERROCYANOGEN (fer-o-s[=i]-an'[=o]-jen), a compound radical supposed by chemists to exist in ferrocyanic acid and the ferrocyanides, the chief of which is potassium ferrocyanide, yielding Prussian blue; FERR'OTYPE, a photographic process in which the negative was developed by a saturated solution of protosulphate of iron. [L. _ferrum_, iron.]

FERRIFEROUS, fer-rif'[.e]r-us, _adj._ bearing or yielding iron. [L.

_ferrum_, iron, _ferre_, to bear.]

FERRUGINOUS, fer-r[=oo]'jin-us, _adj._ of the colour of iron-rust impregnated with iron.--_n._ FERRU'GO, a disease of plants, commonly called rust. [L. _ferrugineus_--_ferrugo_, _-inem_, iron-rust--_ferrum_, iron.]

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