Chapter IX: Part 9

Syn. -- Finical, Spruce, Foppish. These words are applied to persons who are studiously desirous to cultivate finery of appearance. One who is spruce is elaborately nice in dress; one who is finical shows his affectation in language and manner as well as in dress; one who is foppish distinguishes himself by going to the extreme of the fashion in the cut of his clothes, by the tawdriness of his ornaments, and by the ostentation of his manner. "A finical gentleman clips his words and screws his body into as small a compass as possible, to give himself the air of a delicate person; a spruce gentleman strives not to have a fold wrong in his frill or cravat, nor a hair of his head to lie amiss; a foppish gentleman seeks . . . to render himself distinguished for finery." Crabb.

-- Fin"i*cal*ly, adv. -- Fin"i*cal*ness, n.

Fin`i*cal"i*ty (?), n. The quality of being finical; finicalness.

{ Fin"ick*ing (?), Fin"ick*y, a. } Finical; unduly particular. [Colloq.]

Fi*nif"ic (? or ?), n. [L. finis end + facere to make.] A limiting element or quality. [R.]

The essential finific in the form of the finite.

Coleridge.

Fin"i*fy (? or ?), v. t. [Fine, a. + -fy.] To make fine; to dress finically. [Obs.]

Hath so pared and finified them [his feet.]

B. Jonson.

Fin"i*kin (?), a. [Fine, a. + -kin.] Precise in trifles; idly busy. [Colloq.] Smart.

Fin"ing (?), n. 1. The act of imposing a fin&?;.

2. The process of fining or refining; clarification; also (Metal.), the conversion of cast iron into suitable for puddling, in a hearth or charcoal fire.

3. That which is used to refine; especially, a preparation of isinglass, gelatin, etc., for clarifying beer.

Fining pot, a vessel in which metals are refined. Prov. xvii. 3.

||Fi"nis (?), n. [L.] An end; conclusion. It is often placed at the end ||of a book.

Fin"ish (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Finished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Finishing.] [F. finir (with a stem finiss- in several forms, whence E. -ish: see -ish.),fr. L. finire to limit, finish, end, fr. finis boundary, limit, end; perh. for fidnis, and akin findere to cleave, E. fissure.] 1. To arrive at the end of; to bring to an end; to put an end to; to make an end of; to terminate.

And heroically hath finished A life heroic.

Milton.

2. To bestow the last required labor upon; to complete; to bestow the utmost possible labor upon; to perfect; to accomplish; to polish.

Syn. -- To end; terminate; close; conclude; complete; accomplish; perfect.

Fin"ish, v. i. 1. To come to an end; to terminate.

His days may finish ere that hapless time.

Shak.

2. To end; to die. [R.] Shak.

Fin"ish, n. 1. That which finishes, puts an end to&?; or perfects.

2. (Arch.) The joiner work and other finer work required for the completion of a building, especially of the interior. See Inside finish, and Outside finish.

3. (Fine Arts) (a) The labor required to give final completion to any work; hence, minute detail, careful elaboration, or the like. (b) See Finishing coat, under Finishing.

4. The result of completed labor, as on the surface of an object; manner or style of finishing; as, a rough, dead, or glossy finish given to cloth, stone, metal, etc.

5. Completion; -- opposed to start, or beginning.

Fin"ished (?), a. Polished to the highest degree of excellence; complete; perfect; as, a finished poem; a finished education.

Finished work (Mach.), work that is made smooth or polished, though not necessarily completed.

Fin"ish*er (?), n. 1. One who finishes, puts an end to, completes, or perfects; esp. used in the trades, as in hatting, weaving, etc., for the workman who gives a finishing touch to the work, or any part of it, and brings it to perfection.

O prophet of glad tidings, finisher Of utmost hope!

Milton.

2. Something that gives the finishing touch to, or settles, anything. [Colloq.]

Fin"ish*ing, n. The act or process of completing or perfecting; the final work upon or ornamentation of a thing.

Fin"ish*ing, a. Tending to complete or to render fit for the market or for use.

Finishing coat. (a) (Plastering) the final coat of plastering applied to walls and ceilings, usually white and rubbed smooth. (b) (Painting) The final coat of paint, usually differently mixed applied from the others. -- Finishing press, a machine for pressing fabrics. -- Finishing rolls (Iron Working), the rolls of a train which receive the bar from roughing rolls, and reduce it to its finished shape. Raymond.

Fi"nite (?), a. [L. finitus, p. p. of finire. See Finish, and cf. Fine, a.] Having a limit; limited in quantity, degree, or capacity; bounded; -- opposed to infinite; as, finite number; finite existence; a finite being; a finite mind; finite duration.

Fi"nite*less, a. Infinite. [Obs.] Sir T. browne.

Fi"nite*ly, adv. In a finite manner or degree.

Fi"nite*ness, n. The state of being finite.

Fin"i*tude (?), n. [L. finire. See Finish.] Limitation. Cheyne.

Fin"land*er (?), n. A native or inhabitant of Finland.

Fin"less, a. (Zoˆl.) destitute of fins.

Fin"let (?), n. [Fin + - let.] A little fin; one of the parts of a divided fin.

Fin"like` (?), a. Resembling a fin.

Finn (?), a. A native of Finland; one of the Finn&?; in the ethnological sense. See Finns.

Fin"nan had"die (?). [See Haddock.] Haddock cured in peat smoke, originally at Findon (pron. fn"an), Scotland. the name is also applied to other kinds of smoked haddock. [Written also finnan haddock.]

Finned (?), a. Having a fin, or fins, or anything resembling a fin. Mortimer.

Fin"ner (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A finback whale.

Finn"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to the Finns.

Fin"ni*kin (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A variety of pigeon, with a crest somewhat resembling the mane of a horse. [Written also finikin.]

Finn"ish (?), a. Of or pertaining to Finland, to the Finns, or to their language. -- n. A Northern Turanian group of languages; the language of the Finns.

Finns (?), n. pl.; sing. Finn. (Ethnol.) (a) Natives of Finland; Finlanders. (b) A branch of the Mongolian race, inhabiting Northern and Eastern Europe, including the Magyars, Bulgarians, Permians, Lapps, and Finlanders. [Written also Fins.]

Fin"ny (?), a. 1. (Zoˆl.) Having, or abounding in, fins, as fishes; pertaining to fishes.

2. Abounding in fishes.

With patient angle trolls the finny deep.

Goldsmoth.

||Fi*no"chi*o (?; 277), n. [It. finocchio fennel, LL. fenuclum. See ||Fennel.] (Bot.) An umbelliferous plant (Fúniculum dulce) having a ||somewhat tuberous stem; sweet fennel. The blanched stems are used in ||France and Italy as a culinary vegetable.

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||Fi"nos (?), n. pl. [Sp., pl., fr. fino fine.] Second best wool from ||Merino sheep. Gardner.

Fin"pike` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The bichir. See Crossopterygii.

Fint (?), 3d pers. sing. pr. of Find, for findeth. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Fin"-toed` (?), a. (Zoˆl.) Having toes connected by a membrane; palmiped; palmated; also, lobate.

||Fiord (fy&?;rd; i or y consonant, ß 272), n. [Dan. & Norw. fiord. See ||Frith.] A narrow inlet of the sea, penetrating between high banks or ||rocks, as on the coasts of Norway and Alaska. [Written also fjord.]

Fi"o*rin (?), n. [Cf. Ir. fiothran a sort of grass.] (Bot.) A species of creeping bent grass (Agrostis alba); -- called also fiorin grass.

Fi"o*rite (?), n. (Min.) A variety of opal occuring in the cavities of volcanic tufa, in smooth and shining globular and botryoidal masses, having a pearly luster; - - so called from Fiora, in Ischia.

||Fio`ri*tu"re (?), n. pl. [It., pl. of fioritura a flowering.] (Mus.) ||Little flowers of ornament introduced into a melody by a singer or ||player.

Fip"pen*ny bit` (? or ?). [Corruption of five penny bit.] The Spanish half real, or one sixteenth of a dollar, - - so called in Pennsylvania and the adjacent States. [Obs.]

Before the act of Congress, Feb. 21, 1857, caused the adoption of decimal coins and the withdrawal of foreign coinage from circulation, this coin passed currently for 6º cents, and was called in New England a fourpence ha'penny or fourpence; in New York a sixpence; in Pennsylvania, Virginia, etc., a fip; and in Louisiana, a picayune.

Fip"ple (fr), n. [perh. fr. L. fibula a clasp, a pin; cf. Prov. E. fible a stick used to stir pottage.] A stopper, as in a wind instrument of music. [Obs.] Bacon.

Fir (fr), n. [Dan. fyr, fyrr; akin to Sw. furu, Icel. fura, AS. furh in furhwudu fir wood, G. fˆhre, OHG. forha pine, vereheih a sort of oak, L. quercus oak.] (Bot.) A genus (Abies) of coniferous trees, often of large size and elegant shape, some of them valued for their timber and others for their resin. The species are distinguished as the balsam fir, the silver fir, the red fir, etc. The Scotch fir is a Pinus.

Fir in the Bible means any one of several coniferous trees, including, cedar, cypress, and probably three species of pine. J. D. Hooker.

Fire (fr), n. [OE. fir, fyr, fur AS. fr; akin to D. vuur, OS. & OHG. fiur, G. feuer, Icel. fri, frr, Gr. py^r, and perh. to L. purus pure, E. pure Cf. Empyrean, Pyre.] 1. The evolution of light and heat in the combustion of bodies; combustion; state of ignition.

The form of fire exhibited in the combustion of gases in an ascending stream or current is called flame. Anciently, fire, air, earth, and water were regarded as the four elements of which all things are composed.

2. Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in a stove or a furnace.

3. The burning of a house or town; a conflagration.

4. Anything which destroys or affects like fire.

5. Ardor of passion, whether love or hate; excessive warmth; consuming violence of temper.

he had fire in his temper.

Atterbury.

6. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and zeal.

And bless their critic with a poet's fire.

Pope.

7. Splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a star.

Stars, hide your fires.

Shak.

As in a zodiac representing the heavenly fires.

Milton.

8. Torture by burning; severe trial or affliction.

9. The discharge of firearms; firing; as, the troops were exposed to a heavy fire.

Blue fire, Red fire, Green fire (Pyrotech.), compositions of various combustible substances, as sulphur, niter, lampblack, etc., the flames of which are colored by various metallic salts, as those of antimony, strontium, barium, etc. -- Fire alarm (a) A signal given on the breaking out of a fire. (b) An apparatus for giving such an alarm. -- Fire annihilator, a machine, device, or preparation to be kept at hand for extinguishing fire by smothering it with some incombustible vapor or gas, as carbonic acid. -- Fire balloon. (a) A balloon raised in the air by the buoyancy of air heated by a fire placed in the lower part. (b) A balloon sent up at night with fireworks which ignite at a regulated height. Simmonds. -- Fire bar, a grate bar. -- Fire basket, a portable grate; a cresset. Knight. -- Fire beetle. (Zoˆl.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Fire blast, a disease of plants which causes them to appear as if burnt by fire. -- Fire box, the chamber of a furnace, steam boiler, etc., for the fire. -- Fire brick, a refractory brick, capable of sustaining intense heat without fusion, usually made of fire clay or of siliceous material, with some cementing substance, and used for lining fire boxes, etc. -- Fire brigade, an organized body of men for extinguished fires. -- Fire bucket. See under Bucket. -- Fire bug, an incendiary; one who, from malice or through mania, persistently sets fire to property; a pyromaniac. [U.S.] -- Fire clay. See under Clay. -- Fire company, a company of men managing an engine in extinguishing fires. -- Fire cross. See Fiery cross. [Obs.] Milton. -- Fire damp. See under Damp. -- Fire dog. See Firedog, in the Vocabulary. -- Fire drill. (a) A series of evolutions performed by fireman for practice. (b) An apparatus for producing fire by friction, by rapidly twirling a wooden pin in a wooden socket; -- used by the Hindoos during all historic time, and by many savage peoples. -- Fire eater. (a) A juggler who pretends to eat fire. (b) A quarrelsome person who seeks affrays; a hotspur. [Colloq.] -- Fire engine, a portable forcing pump, usually on wheels, for throwing water to extinguish fire. -- Fire escape, a contrivance for facilitating escape from burning buildings. -- Fire gilding (Fine Arts), a mode of gilding with an amalgam of gold and quicksilver, the latter metal being driven off afterward by heat. -- Fire gilt (Fine Arts), gold laid on by the process of fire gilding. -- Fire insurance, the act or system of insuring against fire; also, a contract by which an insurance company undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium or small percentage -- usually made periodically -- to indemnify an owner of property from loss by fire during a specified period. -- Fire irons, utensils for a fireplace or grate, as tongs, poker, and shovel. -- Fire main, a pipe for water, to be used in putting out fire. -- Fire master (Mil), an artillery officer who formerly supervised the composition of fireworks. -- Fire office, an office at which to effect insurance against fire. -- Fire opal, a variety of opal giving firelike reflections. -- Fire ordeal, an ancient mode of trial, in which the test was the ability of the accused to handle or tread upon red-hot irons. Abbot. -- Fire pan, a pan for holding or conveying fire, especially the receptacle for the priming of a gun. -- Fire plug, a plug or hydrant for drawing water from the main pipes in a street, building, etc., for extinguishing fires. -- Fire policy, the writing or instrument expressing the contract of insurance against loss by fire. -- Fire pot. (a) (Mil.) A small earthen pot filled with combustibles, formerly used as a missile in war. (b) The cast iron vessel which holds the fuel or fire in a furnace. (c) A crucible. (d) A solderer's furnace. -- Fire raft, a raft laden with combustibles, used for setting fire to an enemy's ships. -- Fire roll, a peculiar beat of the drum to summon men to their quarters in case of fire. -- Fire setting (Mining), the process of softening or cracking the working face of a lode, to facilitate excavation, by exposing it to the action of fire; -- now generally superseded by the use of explosives. Raymond. -- Fire ship, a vessel filled with combustibles, for setting fire to an enemy's ships. -- Fire shovel, a shovel for taking up coals of fire. -- Fire stink, the stench from decomposing iron pyrites, caused by the formation of sulphureted hydrogen. Raymond. -- Fire surface, the surfaces of a steam boiler which are exposed to the direct heat of the fuel and the products of combustion; heating surface. -- Fire swab, a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc. Farrow. -- Fire teaser, in England, the fireman of a steam emgine. -- Fire water, ardent spirits; -- so called by the American Indians. -- Fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly in Persia, among the followers of Zoroaster, called Chebers, or Guebers, and among the Parsees of India. -- Greek fire. See under Greek. -- On fire, burning; hence, ardent; passionate; eager; zealous. -- Running fire, the rapid discharge of firearms in succession by a line of troops. -- St. Anthony's fire, erysipelas; -- an eruptive fever which St. Anthony was supposed to cure miraculously. Hoblyn. -- St. Elmo's fire. See under Saint Elmo. -- To set on fire, to inflame; to kindle. -- To take fire, to begin to burn; to fly into a passion.

Fire (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fired (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fring.] 1. To set on fire; to kindle; as, to fire a house or chimney; to fire a pile.

2. To subject to intense heat; to bake; to burn in a kiln; as, to fire pottery.

3. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions; as, to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge.

Love had fired my mind.

Dryden.

4. To animate; to give life or spirit to; as, to fire the genius of a young man.

5. To feed or serve the fire of; as, to fire a boiler.

6. To light up as if by fire; to illuminate.

[The sun] fires the proud tops of the eastern pines.

Shak.

7. To cause to explode; as, to fire a torpedo; to disharge; as, to fire a musket or cannon; to fire cannon balls, rockets, etc.

8. To drive by fire. [Obs.]

Till my bad angel fire my good one out.

Shak.

9. (Far.) To cauterize.

To fire up, to light up the fires of, as of an engine.

Fire, v. i. 1. To take fire; to be kindled; to kindle.

2. To be irritated or inflamed with passion.

3. To discharge artillery or firearms; as, they fired on the town.

To fire up, to grow irritated or angry. "He . . . fired up, and stood vigorously on his defense." Macaulay.

Fire"arm` (-‰rm`), n. A gun, pistol, or any weapon from which a shot is discharged by the force of an explosive substance, as gunpowder.

Fire"back` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) One of several species of pheasants of the genus Euplocamus, having the lower back a bright, fiery red. They inhabit Southern Asia and the East Indies.

Fire"ball` (?), n. (a) (Mil.) A ball filled with powder or other combustibles, intended to be thrown among enemies, and to injure by explosion; also, to set fire to their works and light them up, so that movements may be seen. (b) A luminous meteor, resembling a ball of fire passing rapidly through the air, and sometimes exploding.

Fire"bare` (?), n. A beacon. [Obs.] Burrill.

Fire" bee`tle (?). (Zoˆl.) A very brilliantly luminous beetle (Pyrophorus noctilucus), one of the elaters, found in Central and South America; -- called also cucujo. The name is also applied to other species. See Firefly.

Fire"bird` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The Baltimore oriole.

Fire"board` (?), n. A chimney board or screen to close a fireplace when not in use.

Fire"bote` (?), n. (O. Eng. Law) An allowance of fuel. See Bote.

Fire"brand` (?), n. 1. A piece of burning wood. L'Estrange.

2. One who inflames factions, or causes contention and mischief; an incendiary. Bacon.

Fire"crack`er (?), n. See Cracker., n., 3.

Fire"crest` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A small European kinglet (Regulus ignicapillus), having a bright red crest; -- called also fire-crested wren.

Fire"dog` (?), n. A support for wood in a fireplace; an andiron.

Fire"drake` (?), n. [AS. frdraca; fr fire + draca a dragon. See Fire, and Drake a dragon.] [Obs.] 1. A fiery dragon. Beau. & Fl.

2. A fiery meteor; an ignis fatuus; a rocket.

3. A worker at a furnace or fire. B. Jonson.

Fire"-fanged` (?), a. [Fire + fanged seized.] Injured as by fire; burned; -- said of manure which has lost its goodness and acquired an ashy hue in consequence of heat generated by decomposition.

Fire"fish` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A singular marine fish of the genus Pterois, family ScorpÊnidÊ, of several species, inhabiting the Indo-Pacific region. They are usually red, and have very large spinose pectoral and dorsal fins.

Fire"flaire` (?), n. [Fire + Prov. E. flaire a ray.] (Zoˆl.) A European sting ray of the genus Trygon (T. pastinaca); -- called also fireflare and fiery flaw.

Fire"flame` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The European band fish (Cepola rubescens).

Fire"fly` (?), n.; pl. Fireflies (&?;). (Zoˆl.) Any luminous winged insect, esp. luminous beetles of the family LampyridÊ.

The common American species belong to the genera Photinus and Photuris, in which both sexes are winged. The name is also applied to luminous species of ElateridÊ. See Fire beetle.

Fire"less, a. Destitute of fire.

Fire"lock`, n. An old form of gunlock, as the flintlock, which ignites the priming by a spark; perhaps originally, a matchlock. Hence, a gun having such a lock.

Fire"man (?), n.; pl. Firemen (-men). 1. A man whose business is to extinguish fires in towns; a member of a fire company.

2. A man who tends the fires, as of a steam engine; a stocker.

Fire"-new` (?), a. Fresh from the forge; bright; quite new; brand-new. Charles reade.

Your fire-new stamp of honor is scarce current.

Shak.

Fire"place` (?), n. The part a chimney appropriated to the fire; a hearth; -- usually an open recess in a wall, in which a fire may be built.

Fire"proof` (?), a. Proof against fire; incombustible.

Fire"proof`ing (?), n. The act or process of rendering anything incombustible; also, the materials used in the process.

Fir"er (?), n. One who fires or sets fire to anything; an incendiary. [R.] R. Carew.

Fire"-set` (?), n. A set of fire irons, including, commonly, tongs, shovel, and poker.

Fire"side` (?), n. A place near the fire or hearth; home; domestic life or retirement.

Fire"stone` (?; 110), n. [AS. frstn flint; fr fire + stn stone.] 1. Iron pyrites, formerly used for striking fire; also, a flint.

2. A stone which will bear the heat of a furnace without injury; -- especially applied to the sandstone at the top of the upper greensand in the south of England, used for lining kilns and furnaces. Ure.

Fire"tail` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The European redstart; -- called also fireflirt. [prov. Eng.]

Fire"ward`en (?), n. An officer who has authority to direct in the extinguishing of fires, or to order what precautions shall be taken against fires; -- called also fireward.

Fire"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) (a) An American plant (Erechthites hiercifolia), very troublesome in spots where brushwood has been burned. (b) The great willow-herb (Epilobium spicatum).

Fire"wood` (?), n. Wood for fuel.

Fire"work` (?), n. 1. A device for producing a striking display of light, or a figure or figures in plain or colored fire, by the combustion of materials that burn in some peculiar manner, as gunpowder, sulphur, metallic filings, and various salts. The most common feature of fireworks is a paper or pasteboard tube filled with the combustible material. A number of these tubes or cases are often combined so as to make, when kindled, a great variety of figures in fire, often variously colored. The skyrocket is a common form of firework. The name is also given to various combustible preparations used in war. [1913 Webster]

2. pl. A pyrotechnic exhibition. [Obs. in the sing.]

Night before last, the Duke of Richmond gave a firework.

Walpole.

Fire"worm` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The larva of a small tortricid moth which eats the leaves of the cranberry, so that the vines look as if burned; -- called also cranberry worm.

Fir"ing, n. 1. The act of discharging firearms.

2. The mode of introducing fuel into the furnace and working it. Knight.

3. The application of fire, or of a cautery. Dunglison.

4. The process of partly vitrifying pottery by exposing it to intense heat in a kiln.

5. Fuel; firewood or coal. [Obs.] Mortimer.

Firing iron, an instrument used in cauterizing.

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Firk (?), v. t. [Cf. OE. ferken to proceed, hasten, AS. fercian to bring, assist; perh. akin to faran to go, E. fare.] To beat; to strike; to chastise. [Obs.]

I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him.

Shak.

Firk, v. i. To fly out; to turn out; to go off. [Obs.]

A wench is a rare bait, with which a man

No sooner's taken but he straight firks mad.B.Jonson.

Firk, n. A freak; trick; quirk. [Obs.] Ford.

Fir"kin (?), n. [From AS. feÛwer four (or an allied word, perh. Dutch or Danish) + -kin. See Four.] 1. A varying measure of capacity, usually being the fourth part of a barrel; specifically, a measure equal to nine imperial gallons. [Eng.]

2. A small wooden vessel or cask of indeterminate size, -- used for butter, lard, etc. [U.S.]

Fir"lot (?), n. [Scot., the fourth part of a boll of grain, from a word equiv. to E. four + lot part, portion. See Firkin.] A dry measure formerly used in Scotland; the fourth part of a boll of grain or meal. The Linlithgow wheat firlot was to the imperial bushel as 998 to 1000; the barley firlot as 1456 to 1000. Brande & C.

Firm (?), a. [Compar. Firmer (?); superl. Firmest.] [OE. ferme, F. ferme, fr.L. firmus; cf. Skr. dharman support, law, order, dh&?; to hold fast, carry. Cf. Farm, Throne.] 1. Fixed; hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid; -- applied to the matter of bodies; as, firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood.

2. Not easily excited or disturbed; unchanging in purpose; fixed; steady; constant; stable; unshaken; not easily changed in feelings or will; strong; as, a firm believer; a firm friend; a firm adherent.

Under spread ensigns, moving nigh, in slow But firm battalion.

Milton.

By one man's firm obediency fully tried.

Milton.

3. Solid; -- opposed to fluid; as, firm land.

4. Indicating firmness; as, a firm tread; a firm countenance.

Syn. -- Compact; dense; hard; solid; stanch; robust; strong; sturdly; fixed; steady; resolute; constant.

Firm, n. [It. firma the (firm, sure, or confirming) signature or subscription, or Pg. firma signature, firm, cf. Sp. firma signature; all fr. L. firmus, adj., firm. See Firm, a.] The name, title, or style, under which a company transacts business; a partnership of two or more persons; a commercial house; as, the firm of Hope & Co.

Firm, v. t. [OE. fermen to make firm, F. fermer, fr. L. firmare to make firm. See Firm, a.] 1. To fix; to settle; to confirm; to establish. [Obs.]

And Jove has firmed it with an awful nod.

Dryden.

2. To fix or direct with firmness. [Obs.]

He on his card and compass firms his eye.

Spenser.

Fir"ma*ment (?), n. [L. firmamentum, fr. firmare to make firm: cf. F. firmament. See Firm, v. & a.] 1. Fixed foundation; established basis. [Obs.]

Custom is the . . . firmament of the law.

Jer. Taylor.

2. The region of the air; the sky or heavens.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Gen. i. 6.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament.

Gen. i. 14.

In Scripture, the word denotes an expanse, a wide extent; the great arch or expanse over out heads, in which are placed the atmosphere and the clouds, and in which the stars appear to be placed, and are really seen.

3. (Old Astron.) The orb of the fixed stars; the most rmote of the celestial spheres.

Fir`ma*men"tal (?), a. Pertaining to the firmament; celestial; being of the upper regions. Dryden.

Fir"man (? or ?), n.; pl. Firmans (#) or (#). [Pers. fermn.] In Turkey and some other Oriental countries, a decree or mandate issued by the sovereign; a royal order or grant; -- generally given for special objects, as to a traveler to insure him protection and assistance. [Written also firmaun.]

Firm"er-chis"el (?), n. A chisel, thin in proportion to its width. It has a tang to enter the handle instead of a socket for receiving it. Knight.

Firm"i*tude (?), n. [L. firmitudo. See Firm.] Strength; stability. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

Firm"i*ty (?), n. [L. firmitas.] Strength; firmness; stability. [Obs.] Chillingworth.

Firm"less, a. 1. Detached from substance. [Obs.]

Does passion still the firmless mind control?

Pope.

2. Infirm; unstable. "Firmless sands." Sylvester.

Firm"ly, adv. In a firm manner.

Firm"ness, n. The state or quality of being firm.

Syn. -- Firmness, Constancy. Firmness belongs to the will, and constancy to the affections and principles; the former prevents us from yielding, and the latter from fluctuating. Without firmness a man has no character; "without constancy," says Addison, "there is neither love, friendship, nor virtue in the world."

Firms (?), n. pl. [From Firm, a.] (Arch.) The principal rafters of a roof, especially a pair of rafters taken together. [Obs.]

Fir"ring (?), n. (Arch.) See Furring.

Fir"ry (?), a. Made of fir; abounding in firs.

In firry woodlands making moan.

Tennyson.

First (?), a. [OE. first, furst, AS. fyrst; akin to Icel. fyrstr, Sw. & Dan. fˆrste, OHG. furist, G. f¸rst prince; a superlatiye form of E. for, fore. See For, Fore, and cf. Formeer, Foremost.] 1. Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest; as, the first day of a month; the first year of a reign.

2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of, all others.

3. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest; as, Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece.

At first blush. See under Blush. -- At first hand, from the first or original source; without the intervention of any agent.

It is the intention of the person to reveal it at first hand, by
way of mouth, to yourself.

Dickens.

-- First coat (Plastering), the solid foundation of coarse stuff, on which the rest is placed; it is thick, and crossed with lines, so as to give a bond for the next coat. -- First day, Sunday; -- so called by the Friends. -- First floor. (a) The ground floor. [U.S.] (b) The floor next above the ground floor. [Eng.] -- First fruit or fruits. (a) The fruits of the season earliest gathered. (b) (Feudal Law) One year's profits of lands belonging to the king on the death of a tenant who held directly from him. (c) (Eng. Eccl. Law) The first year's whole profits of a benefice or spiritual living. (d) The earliest effects or results.

See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung From thy
implanted grace in man!

Milton.

-- First mate, an officer in a merchant vessel next in rank to the captain. -- First name, same as Christian name. See under Name, n. -- First officer (Naut.), in the merchant service, same as First mate (above). -- First sergeant (Mil.), the ranking non-commissioned officer in a company; the orderly sergeant. Farrow. -- First watch (Naut.), the watch from eight to twelve at midnight; also, the men on duty during that time. -- First water, the highest quality or purest luster; -- said of gems, especially of diamond and pearls.

Syn. -- Primary; primordial; primitive; primeval; pristine; highest; chief; principal; foremost.

First (?), adv. Before any other person or thing in time, space, rank, etc.; -- much used in composition with adjectives and participles.

Adam was first formed, then Eve.

1 Tim. ii. 13.

At first, At the first, at the beginning or origin. -- First or last, at one time or another; at the beginning or end.

And all are fools and lovers first or last.

Dryden.

First, n. (Mus.) The upper part of a duet, trio, etc., either vocal or instrumental; -- so called because it generally expresses the air, and has a preÎminence in the combined effect.

First"born` (?), a. First brought forth; first in the order of nativity; eldest; hence, most excellent; most distinguished or exalted.

First"-class` (?), a. Of the best class; of the highest rank; in the first division; of the best quality; first-rate; as, a first-class telescope.

First-class car or First-class railway carriage, any passenger car of the highest regular class, and intended for passengers who pay the highest regular rate; -- distinguished from a second-class car.

First"-hand` (?), a. Obtained directly from the first or original source; hence, without the intervention of an agent.

One sphere there is . . . where the apprehension of him is
first-hand and direct; and that is the sphere of our own mind.

J. Martineau.

First"ling (?), n. [First + - ling.] 1. The first produce or offspring; -- said of animals, especially domestic animals; as, the firstlings of his flock. Milton.

2. The thing first thought or done.

The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand.

Shak.

First"ling, a. Firstborn.

All the firstling males.

Deut. xv. 19.

First"ly, adv. In the first place; before anything else; -- sometimes improperly used for first.

First"-rate` (?), a. Of the highest excellence; preÎminent in quality, size, or estimation.

Our only first-rate body of contemporary poetry is the German.

M. Arnold.

Hermocrates . . . a man of first-rate ability.

Jowett (Thucyd).

First"-rate`, n. (Naut.) A war vessel of the highest grade or the most powerful class.

Firth (?), n. [Scot. See Frith.] (geog.) An arm of the sea; a frith.

Fir" tree` (?). See Fir.

Fisc (?), n. [F. fisc, fr. L. fiscus basket, money basket, treasury; prob. akin to fascis bundle. See Fasces.] A public or state treasury. Burke.

Fis"cal (?), a. [F. fiscal, L. fiscalis, fr. fiscus. See Fisc.] Pertaining to the public treasury or revenue.

The fiscal arreangements of government.

A>Hamilton.

Fis"cal, n. 1. The income of a prince or a state; revenue; exhequer. [Obs.] Bacon.

2. A treasurer. H. Swinburne.

3. A public officer in Scotland who prosecutes in petty criminal cases; -- called also procurator fiscal.

4. The solicitor in Spain and Portugal; the attorney-general.

Fi*set"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to fustet or fisetin.

Fis"e*tin (?), n. [G. fisettholz a species of fustic.] (Chem.) A yellow crystalline substance extracted from fustet, and regarded as its essential coloring principle; -- called also fisetic acid.

Fish (?), n. [F. fiche peg, mark, fr. fisher to fix.] A counter, used in various games.

Fish, n.; pl. Fishes (#), or collectively, Fish. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. Piscatorial. In some cases, such as fish joint, fish plate, this word has prob. been confused with fish, fr. F. fichea peg.] 1. A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water.

2. (Zoˆl.) An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces.

The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes), Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct classes, below the fishes.

3. pl. The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces.

4. The flesh of fish, used as food.

5. (Naut.) (a) A purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard.

Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear, fish-bellied.

Age of Fishes. See under Age, n., 8. -- Fish ball, fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [U.S.] -- Fish bar. Same as Fish plate (below). -- Fish beam (Mech.), a beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the belly of a fish. Francis. -- Fish crow (Zoˆl.), a species of crow (Corvus ossifragus), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It feeds largely on fish. -- Fish culture, the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. -- Fish davit. See Davit. -- Fish day, a day on which fish is eaten; a fast day. -- Fish duck (Zoˆl.), any species of merganser. -- Fish fall, the tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor to the gunwale of a ship. -- Fish garth, a dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. - - Fish glue. See Isinglass. -- Fish joint, a joint formed by a plate or pair of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads. -- Fish kettle, a long kettle for boiling fish whole. -- Fish ladder, a dam with a series of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a river. -- Fish line, or Fishing line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in angling. -- Fish louse (Zoˆl.), any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus, Argulus, and other related genera. See Branchiura. -- Fish maw (Zoˆl.), the stomach of a fish; also, the air bladder, or sound. -- Fish meal, fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. -- Fish oil, oil obtained from the bodies of fish and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers, etc. -- Fish owl (Zoˆl.), a fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and Ketupa, esp. a large East Indian species (K. Ceylonensis). -- Fish plate, one of the plates of a fish joint. -- Fish pot, a wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs, lobsters, etc. -- Fish pound, a net attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir. [Local, U.S.] Bartlett. -- Fish slice, a broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. -- Fish slide, an inclined box set in a stream at a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current. Knight. -- Fish sound, the air bladder of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. -- Fish story, a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or incredible narration. [Colloq. U.S.] Bartlett. -- Fish strainer. (a) A metal colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler. (b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. -- Fish trowel, a fish slice. -- Fish weir or wear, a weir set in a stream, for catching fish. -- Neither fish nor flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.

Fish (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fishing.] 1. To attempt to catch fish; to be employed in taking fish, by any means, as by angling or drawing a net.

2. To seek to obtain by artifice, or indirectly to seek to draw forth; as, to fish for compliments.

Any other fishing question.

Sir W. Scott.

Fish, v. t. [OE. fischen, fisken, fissen, AS. fiscian; akin to G. fischen, OHG. fisc&?;n, Goth. fisk&?;n. See Fish the animal.] 1. To catch; to draw out or up; as, to fish up an anchor.

2. To search by raking or sweeping. Swift.

3. To try with a fishing rod; to catch fish in; as, to fish a stream. Thackeray.

4. To strengthen (a beam, mast, etc.), or unite end to end (two timbers, railroad rails, etc.) by bolting a plank, timber, or plate to the beam, mast, or timbers, lengthwise on one or both sides. See Fish joint, under Fish, n.

To fish the anchor. (Naut.) See under Anchor.

Fish"-bel`lied (?), a. Bellying or swelling out on the under side; as, a fish-bellied rail. Knight.

Fish"-block` (?), n. See Fish- tackle.

Fish"er (?), n. [AS. fiscere.] 1. One who fishes.

2. (Zoˆl.) A carnivorous animal of the Weasel family (Mustela Canadensis); the pekan; the "black cat."

Fish"er*man (?), n.; pl. Fishermen (&?;). 1. One whose occupation is to catch fish.

2. (Naut.) A ship or vessel employed in the business of taking fish, as in the cod fishery.

Fish"er*y (?), n.; pl. Fisheries (&?;). 1. The business or practice of catching fish; fishing. Addison.

2. A place for catching fish.

3. (Law) The right to take fish at a certain place, or in particular waters. Abbott.

Fish"ful (?), a. Abounding with fish. [R.] "My fishful pond." R. Carew.

Fish"gig` (?), n. A spear with barbed prongs used for harpooning fish. Knight.

Fish"hawk` (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The osprey (Pandion haliaÎtus), found both in Europe and America; -- so called because it plunges into the water and seizes fishes in its talons. Called also fishing eagle, and bald buzzard.

Fish"hook` (?), n. 1. A hook for catching fish.

2. (Naut.) A hook with a pendant, to the end of which the fish-tackle is hooked. Dana.

Fish"i*fy (?), v. t. To change to fish. [R.] Shak.

Fish"i*ness, n. The state or quality of being fishy or fishlike. Pennant.

Fish"ing, n. 1. The act, practice, or art of one who fishes.

2. A fishery. Spenser.

Fish"ing, a. [From Fishing, n.] Pertaining to fishing; used in fishery; engaged in fishing; as, fishing boat; fishing tackle; fishing village.

Fishing fly, an artificial fly for fishing. -- Fishing line, a line used in catching fish. -- Fishing net, a net of various kinds for catching fish; including the bag net, casting net, drag net, landing net, seine, shrimping net, trawl, etc. -- Fishing rod, a long slender rod, to which is attached the line for angling. -- Fishing smack, a sloop or other small vessel used in sea fishing. -- Fishing tackle, apparatus used in fishing, as hook, line, rod, etc. -- Fishing tube (Micros.), a glass tube for selecting a microscopic object in a fluid.

<! p. 564 !>

Fish"like (?), a. Like fish; suggestive of fish; having some of the qualities of fish.

A very ancient and fishlike smell.

Shak.

Fish"mon`ger (?), n. A dealer in fish.

Fish"skin` (?), n. 1. The skin of a fish (dog fish, shark, etc.)

2. (Med.) See Ichthyosis.

Fish"-tac`kle (?), n. A tackle or purchase used to raise the flukes of the anchor up to the gunwale. The block used is called the fish-block.

Fish"-tail` (?), a. Like the of a fish; acting, or producing something, like the tail of a fish.

Fish-tail burner, a gas burner that gives a spreading flame shaped somewhat like the tail of a fish. -- Fish-tail propeller (Steamship), a propeller with a single blade that oscillates like the tail of a fish when swimming.

Fish"wife` (?), n. A fishwoman.

Fish"wom`an (?), n.; pl. Fishwomen (&?;). A woman who retails fish.

Fish"y (?), a. 1. Consisting of fish; fishlike; having the qualities or taste of fish; abounding in fish. Pope.

2. Extravagant, like some stories about catching fish; improbable; also, rank or foul. [Colloq.]

Fisk (?), v. i. [Cf. Sw. fjeska to bustle about.] To run about; to frisk; to whisk. [Obs.]

He fisks abroad, and stirreth up erroneous opinions.

Latimer.

Fis`si*gem*ma"tion (?), n. [L. fissus (p. p. of findere to split) + E. gemmation.] (Biol.) A process of reproduction intermediate between fission and gemmation.

Fis"sile (?), a. [L. fissilis, fr. fissus, p. p. of findere to split. See Fissure.] Capable of being split, cleft, or divided in the direction of the grain, like wood, or along natural planes of cleavage, like crystals.

This crystal is a pellucid, fissile stone.

Sir I. Newton.

Fis`si*lin"gual (?), a. [L. fissus (p. p. of findere to split) + E. lingual.] (Zoˆl.) Having the tongue forked.

||Fis`si*lin"gui*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. fissus (p. p. o f findere ||to split) + lingua tongue.] (Zoˆl.) A group of Lacertilia having the ||tongue forked, including the common lizards. [Written also ||Fissilingues.]

Fis*sil"i*ty (?), n. Quality of being fissile.

Fis"sion (?), n. [L. fissio. See Fissure.] 1. A cleaving, splitting, or breaking up into parts.

2. (Biol.) A method of asexual reproduction among the lowest (unicellular) organisms by means of a process of self-division, consisting of gradual division or cleavage of the into two parts, each of which then becomes a separate and independent organisms; as when a cell in an animal or plant, or its germ, undergoes a spontaneous division, and the parts again subdivide. See Segmentation, and Cell division, under Division.

3. (Zoˆl.) A process by which certain coral polyps, echinoderms, annelids, etc., spontaneously subdivide, each individual thus forming two or more new ones. See Strobilation.

Fis`si*pal"mate (?), a. [L. fissus (p. p. of findere to split) + palma palm.] (Zoˆl.) Semipalmate and loboped, as a grebe's foot. See Illust. under Aves.

||Fis*sip"a*ra (?), n. pl. [NL. See Fissiparous.] (Zoˆl.) Animals which ||reproduce by fission.

Fis*sip"a*rism (?), n. [See Fissiparous.] (Biol.) Reproduction by spontaneous fission.

Fis`si*par"i*ty (?), n. (Biol.) Quality of being fissiparous; fissiparism.

Fis*sip"a*rous (?), a. [L. fissus (p. p. of findere to split) + parere to bring forth: cf. F. fissipare.] (Biol.) Reproducing by spontaneous fission. See Fission. -- Fis*sip"a*rous*ly, adv.

Fis`si*pa"tion (?), n. (Biol.) Reproduction by fission; fissiparism.

{ Fis"si*ped (?), Fis*sip"e*dal (?) }, a. [Cf. F. fissipËde.] (Zoˆl.) Having the toes separated to the base. [See Aves.]

Fis"si*ped, n. (Zoˆl.) One of the Fissipedia.

||Fis`si*pe"di*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. fissus (p. p. of findere to ||cleave) + pes, pedis, a foot.] (Zoˆl.) A division of the Carnivora, ||including the dogs, cats, and bears, in which the feet are not ||webbed; -- opposed to Pinnipedia.

Fis`si*ros"tral (?), a. [Cf. F. fissirostre.] (Zoˆl.) Having the bill cleft beyond the horny part, as in the case of swallows and goatsuckers.

||Fis`si*ros"tres (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. fissus (p. p. of findere to ||cleave) + rostrum beak.] (Zoˆl.) A group of birds having the bill ||deeply cleft.

Fis"sur*al (?), a. Pertaining to a fissure or fissures; as, the fissural pattern of a brain.

Fis`su*ra"tion (?), n. (Anat.) The act of dividing or opening; the state of being fissured.

Fis"sure (?), n. [L. fissura, fr. findere, fissum, to cleave, split; akin to E. bite: cf. F. fissure.] A narrow opening, made by the parting of any substance; a cleft; as, the fissure of a rock.

Cerebral fissures (Anat.), the furrows or clefts by which the surface of the cerebrum is divided; esp., the furrows first formed by the infolding of the whole wall of the cerebrum. -- Fissure needle (Surg.), a spiral needle for catching together the gaping lips of wounds. Knight. -- Fissure of rolando (Anat.), the furrow separating the frontal from the parietal lobe in the cerebrum. -- Fissure of Sylvius (Anat.), a deep cerebral fissure separating the frontal from the temporal lobe. See Illust. under Brain. -- Fissure vein (Mining), a crack in the earth's surface filled with mineral matter. Raymond.

Fis"sure (?), v. t. To cleave; to divide; to crack or fracture.

||Fis`su*rel"la (?), n. [NL., dim. of L. fissura a fissure.] (Zoˆl.) A ||genus of marine gastropod mollusks, having a conical or limpetlike ||shell, with an opening at the apex; -- called also keyhole limpet.

Fist (fst), n. [OE. fist, fust, AS. fst; akin to D. vuist, OHG. fst, G. faust, and prob. to L. pugnus, Gr. pygmh` fist, py`x with the fist. Cf. Pugnacious, Pigmy.] 1. The hand with the fingers doubled into the palm; the closed hand, especially as clinched tightly for the purpose of striking a blow.

Who grasp the earth and heaven with my fist.

Herbert.

2. The talons of a bird of prey. [Obs.]

More light than culver in the falcon's fist.

Spenser.

3. (print.) the index mark [], used to direct special attention to the passage which follows.

Hand over fist (Naut.), rapidly; hand over hand.

Fist, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Fisting.] 1. To strike with the fist. Dryden.

2. To gripe with the fist. [Obs.] Shak.

Fist"ic (?), a. [From Fist.] Pertaining to boxing, or to encounters with the fists; puglistic; as, fistic exploits; fistic heroes. [Colloq.]

Fist"i*cuff (?), n. A cuff or blow with the fist or hand; (pl.) a fight with the fists; boxing. Swift.

Fis"ti*nut (?), n. [Cf. Fr. fistinq, fistuq. See Pistachio.] A pistachio nut. [Obs.] Johnson.

||Fis*tu"ca (?), n. [L.] An instrument used by the ancients in driving ||piles.

||Fis"tu*la (?; 135), n.; pl. FistulÊ (#). [L.] 1. A reed; a pipe.

2. A pipe for convejing water. [Obs.] Knight.

3. (Med.) A permanent abnormal opening into the soft parts with a constant discharge; a deep, narrow, chronic abscess; an abnormal opening between an internal cavity and another cavity or the surface; as, a salivary fistula; an anal fistula; a recto-vaginal fistula.

Incomplete fistula (Med.), a fistula open at one end only.

Fis"tu*lar (?), a. [L. fistularis: cf. F. fistulaire.] Hollow and cylindrical, like a pipe or reed. Johnson.

||Fis`tu*la"ri*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L. fistula pipe.] (Zoˆl.) A genus of ||fishes, having the head prolonged into a tube, with the mouth at the ||extremity.

Fis`tu*la"ri*oid (?), a. [Fistularia + -oid.] (Zoˆl.) Like or pertaining to the genus Fistularia.

Fis"tu*late (?; 135), v. t. & i. [Cf. L. fistulatus furnished with pipes.] To make hollow or become hollow like a fistula, or pipe. [Obs.] "A fistulated ulcer." Fuller.

Fis"tule (?; 135), n. A fistula.

Fis"tu*li*form (? or ?), a. [Fistula + -form.] Of a fistular form; tubular; pipe-shaped.

Stalactite often occurs fistuliform.

W. Philips.

Fis"tu*lose` (?; 135), a. [L. fistulosus.] Formed like a fistula; hollow; reedlike. Craig.

Fis"tu*lous (?), a. [Cf. F. fistuleux.] 1. Having the form or nature of a fistula; as, a fistulous ulcer.

2. Hollow, like a pipe or reed; fistulose. Lindley.

Fit (?), imp. & p. p. of Fight. [Obs. or Colloq.]

Fit, n. [AS. fitt a song.] In Old English, a song; a strain; a canto or portion of a ballad; a passus. [Written also fitte, fytte, etc.]

To play some pleasant fit.

Spenser.

Fit, a. [Compar. Fitter (?); superl. Fittest (?).] [OE. fit, fyt; cf. E. feat neat, elegant, well made, or icel. fitja to web, knit, OD. vitten to suit, square, Goth. ftjan to adorn. &radic;77.] 1. Adapted to an end, object, or design; suitable by nature or by art; suited by character, qualitties, circumstances, education, etc.; qualified; competent; worthy.

That which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in.

Shak.

Fit audience find, though few.

Milton.

2. Prepared; ready. [Obs.]

So fit to shoot, she singled forth among her foes who first her
quarry's strength should feel.

Fairfax.

3. Conformed to a standart of duty, properiety, or taste; convenient; meet; becoming; proper.

Is it fit to say a king, Thou art wicked?

Job xxxiv. 18.

Syn. -- Suitable; proper; appropriate; meet; becoming; expedient; congruous; correspondent; apposite; apt; adapted; prepared; qualified; competent; adequate.

Fit (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fitted (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fitting (?).] 1. To make fit or suitable; to adapt to the purpose intended; to qualify; to put into a condition of readiness or preparation.

The time is fitted for the duty.

Burke.

The very situation for which he was peculiarly fitted by nature.

Macaulay.

2. To bring to a required form and size; to shape aright; to adapt to a model; to adjust; -- said especially of the work of a carpenter, machinist, tailor, etc.

The carpenter . . . marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with
planes.

Is. xliv. 13.

3. To supply with something that is suitable or fit, or that is shaped and adjusted to the use required.

No milliner can so fit his customers with gloves.

Shak.

4. To be suitable to; to answer the requirements of; to be correctly shaped and adjusted to; as, if the coat fits you, put it on.

That's a bountiful answer that fits all questions.

Shak.

That time best fits the work.

Shak.

To fit out, to supply with necessaries or means; to furnish; to equip; as, to fit out a privateer. -- To fit up, to furnish with things suitable; to make proper for the reception or use of any person; to prepare; as, to fit up a room for a guest.

Fit (?), v. i. 1. To be proper or becoming.

Nor fits it to prolong the feast.

Pope.

2. To be adjusted to a particular shape or size; to suit; to be adapted; as, his coat fits very well.

Fit, n. 1. The quality of being fit; adjustment; adaptedness; as of dress to the person of the wearer.

2. (Mach.) (a) The coincidence of parts that come in contact. (b) The part of an object upon which anything fits tightly.

Fit rod (Shipbuilding), a gauge rod used to try the depth of a bolt hole in order to determine the length of the bolt required. Knight.

Fit, n. [AS. fit strife, fight; of uncertain origin. &radic; 77.] 1. A stroke or blow. [Obs. or R.]

Curse on that cross, quoth then the Sarazin, That keeps thy body
from the bitter fit.

Spenser.

2. A sudden and violent attack of a disorder; a stroke of disease, as of epilepsy or apoplexy, which produces convulsions or unconsciousness; a convulsion; a paroxysm; hence, a period of exacerbation of a disease; in general, an attack of disease; as, a fit of sickness.

And when the fit was on him, I did mark How he did shake.

Shak.

3. A mood of any kind which masters or possesses one for a time; a temporary, absorbing affection; a paroxysm; as, a fit of melancholy, of passion, or of laughter.

All fits of pleasure we balanced by an equal degree of pain.

Swift.

The English, however, were on this subject prone to fits of
jealously.

Macaulay.

4. A passing humor; a caprice; a sudden and unusual effort, activity, or motion, followed by relaxation or inaction; an impulsive and irregular action.

The fits of the season.

Shak.

5. A darting point; a sudden emission. [R.]

A tongue of light, a fit of flame.

Coleridge.

By fits, By fits and starts, by intervals of action and repose; impulsively and irregularly; intermittently.

Fitch (?; 224), n.; pl. Fitches (#). [See Vetch.] 1. (Bot.) A vetch. [Obs.]

2. pl. (Bot.) A word found in the Authorized Version of the Bible, representing different Hebrew originals. In Isaiah xxviii. 25, 27, it means the black aromatic seeds of Nigella sativa, still used as a flavoring in the East. In Ezekiel iv. 9, the Revised Version now reads spelt.