Chapter CLXXVI: Epilogue: Ep"i*logue, n. Etym: F. épilogue, L. epilogus, fr. Gr. Legend (23)

3. To froth; to ferment gently, as new beer. That beer did flower a little. Bacon.

4. To come off as flowers by sublimation. [Obs.] Observations which have flowered off. Milton.

FLOWER Flow"er, v. t.

Defn: To embellish with flowers; to adorn with imitated flowers; as, flowered silk.

FLOWERAGE Flow"er*age (; 48), n.

Defn: State of flowers; flowers, collectively or in general. Tennyson.

FLOWER-DE-LUCE Flow"er-de-luce", n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. fleur-de-lis.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of perennial herbs (Iris) with swordlike leaves and large three-petaled flowers often of very gay colors, but probably white in the plant first chosen for the royal French emblem.

Note: There are nearly one hundred species, natives of the north temperate zone. Some of the best known are Iris Germanica, I. Florentina, I. Persica, I. sambucina, and the American I. versicolor, I. prismatica, etc.

FLOWERER Flow"erer, n.

Defn: A plant which flowers or blossoms. Many hybrids are profuse and persistent flowerers. Darwin.

FLOWERET Flow"er*et, n.

Defn: A small flower; a floret. Shak.

FLOWER-FENCE Flow"er-fence`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A tropical leguminous bush (Poinciana, or Cæsalpinia, pulcherrima) with prickly branches, and showy yellow or red flowers; -- so named from its having been sometimes used for hedges in the West Indies. Baird.

FLOWERFUL Flow"er*ful, a.

Defn: Abounding with flowers. Craig.

FLOWER-GENTLE Flow"er-gen`tle, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of amaranth (Amarantus melancholicus).

FLOWERINESS Flow"er*i*ness, n.

Defn: The state of being flowery.

FLOWERING Flow"er*ing, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Having conspicuous flowers; -- used as an epithet with many names of plants; as, flowering ash; flowering dogwood; flowering almond, etc. Flowering fern, a genus of showy ferns (Osmunda), with conspicuous bivalvular sporangia. They usually grow in wet places. -- Flowering plants, plants which have stamens and pistils, and produce true seeds; phenogamous plants; -- distinguished from flowerless plants. -- Flowering rush, a European rushlike plant (Butomus umbellatus), with an umbel of rosy blossoms.

FLOWERING Flow"er*ing, n.

1. The act of blossoming, or the season when plants blossom; florification.

2. The act of adorning with flowers.

FLOWERLESS Flow"er*less, a.

Defn: Having no flowers. Flowerless plants, plants which have no true flowers, and produce no seeds; cryptigamous plants.

FLOWERLESSNESS Flow"er*less*ness, n.

Defn: State of being without flowers.

FLOWERPOT Flow"er*pot`, n.

Defn: A vessel, commonly or earthenware, for earth in which plants are grown.

FLOWER STATE Flow"er State.

Defn: Florida; -- a nickname, alluding to sense of L. floridus, from florida flowery. See Florid.

FLOWERY Flow"er*y, a.

1. Full of flowers; abounding with blossoms.

2. Highly embellished with figurative language; florid; as, a flowery style. Milton. The flowery kingdom, China.

FLOWERY-KIRTLED Flow"er*y-kir`tled, a.

Defn: Dressed with garlands of flowers. [Poetic & Rare] Milton.

FLOWING Flow"ing, a.

Defn: That flows or for flowing (in various sense of the verb); gliding along smoothly; copious. Flowing battery (Elec.), a battery which is kept constant by the flowing of the exciting liquid through the cell or cells. Knight. -- Flowing furnace, a furnace from which molten metal, can be drawn, as through a tap hole; a foundry cupola. -- Flowing sheet (Naut.), a sheet when eased off, or loosened to the wind, as when the wind is abaft the beam. Totten.

FLOWING Flow"ing,

Defn: a. & n. from Flow, v. i. & t.

FLOWINGLY Flow"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a flowing manner.

FLOWINGNESS Flow"ing*ness, n.

Defn: Flowing tendency or quality; fluency. [R.] W. Nichols.

FLOWK Flowk ( or ), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See 1st Fluke.

FLOWN Flown,

Defn: p. p. of Fly; -- often used with the auxiliary verb to be; as, the birds are flown.

FLOWN Flown, a.

Defn: Flushed, inflated.

Note: [Supposed by some to be a mistake for blown or swoln.] Pope. Then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine. Milton.

FLOXED SILK Floxed" silk`.

Defn: See Floss silk, under Floss.

FLOYTE Floyte, n. & v.

Defn: A variant of Flute. [Obs.]

FLUATE Flu"ate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluate. See Fluor.] (Chem.)

Defn: A fluoride. [Obs.]

FLUAVIL Flu"a*vil, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.] (Chem.)

Defn: A hydrocarbon extracted from gutta-percha, as a yellow, resinous substance; -- called also fluanil.

FLUCAN Flu"can, n. (Mining)

Defn: Soft clayey matter in the vein, or surrounding it. [Written also flookan, flukan, and fluccan.]

FLUCTIFEROUS Fluc*tif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. fluctus wave + -ferous.]

Defn: Tending to produce waves. Blount.

FLUCTISONOUS Fluc*tis"o*nous, a. Etym: [L. fluctisonus; fluctus wave + sonus sound.]

Defn: Sounding like waves.

FLUCTUABILITY Fluc`tu*a*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: The capacity or ability to fluctuate. [R.] H. Walpole.

FLUCTUANT Fluc"tu*ant, a. Etym: [L. fluctuans, p.pr. of fluctuare. See Fluctuate.]

1. Moving like a wave; wavering; (Med.)

Defn: showing undulation or fluctuation; as, a fluctuant tumor.

2. Floating on the waves. [Obs.] Bacon.

FLUCTUATE Fluc"tu*ate, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fluctuated; p. pr. & vb. n. Fluctuating.] Etym: [L. fluctuatus, p.p. of fluctuare, to wave, fr. fluctus wave, fr. fluere, fluctum, to flow. See Fluent, and cf. Flotilla.]

1. To move as a wave; to roll hither and thither; to wave; to float backward and forward, as on waves; as, a fluctuating field of air. Blackmore.

2. To move now in one direction and now in another; to be wavering or unsteady; to be irresolute or undetermined; to vacillate.

Syn. -- To waver; vacillate; hesitate; scruple. -- To Fluctuate, Vacillate, Waver. -- Fluctuate is applied both to things and persons and denotes that they move as they are acted upon. The stocks fluctuate; a man fluctuates. between conflicting influences. Vacillate and waver are applied to persons to represent them as acting themselves. A man vacillates when he goes backward and forward in his opinions and purposes, without any fixity of mind or principles. A man wavers when he shrinks back or hesitates at the approach of difficulty or danger. One who is fluctuating in his feelings is usually vacillating in resolve, and wavering in execution.

FLUCTUATE Fluc"tu*ate, v. t.

Defn: To cause to move as a wave; to put in motion. [R.] And fluctuate all the still perfume. Tennyson.

FLUCTUATION Fluc`tu*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. fluctuatio; cf. F. fluctuation.]

1. A motion like that of waves; a moving in this and that direction; as, the fluctuations of the sea.

2. A wavering; unsteadiness; as, fluctuations of opinion; fluctuations of prices.

3. (Med.)

Defn: The motion or undulation of a fluid collected in a natural or artifical cavity, which is felt when it is subjected to pressure or percussion. Dunglison.

FLUE Flue, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. flue a flowing, fr. fluer to flow, fr. L. fluere (cf. Fluent); a perh. a corruption of E. flute.]

Defn: An inclosed passage way for establishing and directing a current of air, gases, etc.; an air passage; esp.: (a) A compartment or division of a chimney for conveying flame and smoke to the outer air. (b) A passage way for conducting a current of fresh, foul, or heated air from one place to another. (c) (Steam Boiler) A pipe or passage for conveying flame and hot gases through surrounding water in a boiler; -- distinguished from a tube which holds water and is surrounded by fire. Small flues are called fire tubes or simply tubes. Flue boiler. See under Boiler. -- Flue bridge, the separating low wall between the flues and the laboratory of a reverberatory furnace. -- Flue plate (Steam Boiler), a plate to which the ends of the flues are fastened; -- called also flue sheet, tube sheet, and tube plate. -- Flue surface (Steam Boiler), the aggregate surface of flues exposed to flame or the hot gases.

FLUE Flue, n. Etym: [Cf. F. flou light, tender, G. flau weak, W. llwch dust. sq. root84.]

Defn: Light down, such as rises from cotton, fur, etc.; very fine lint or hair. Dickens.

FLUENCE Flu"ence, n.

Defn: Fluency. [Obs.] Milton.

FLUENCY Flu"en*cy, n. Etym: [L. fluentia: cf. F. fluence. See Fluent.]

Defn: The quality of being fluent; smoothness; readiness of utterance; volubility. The art of expressing with fluency and perspicuity. Macaulay.

FLUENT Flu"ent, a. Etym: [L. fluens, -entis, p.pr. of fluere to flow; cf. Gr. Fluctuate, Flux.]

1. Flowing or capable of flowing; liquid; glodding; easily moving.

2. Ready in the use of words; voluble; copious; having words at command; and uttering them with facility and smoothness; as, a fluent speaker; hence, flowing; voluble; smooth; -- said of language; as, fluent speech. With most fluent utterance. Denham. Fluent as the flight of a swallow is the sultan's letter. De Quincey.

FLUENT Flu"ent, n.

1. A current of water; a stream. [Obs.]

2. Etym: [Cf. F. fluente.] (Math.)

Defn: A variable quantity, considered as increasing or diminishing; - - called, in the modern calculus, the function or integral.

FLUENTLY Flu"ent*ly, adv.

Defn: In a fluent manner.

FLUENTNESS Flu"ent*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being fluent.

FLUE PIPE Flue pipe. (Music)

Defn: A pipe, esp. an organ pipe, whose tone is produced by the impinging of a current of air upon an edge, or lip, causing a wave motion in the air within; a mouth pipe; -- distinguished from reed pipe. Flue pipes are either open or closed (stopped at the distant end). The flute and flageolet are open pipes; a bottle acts as a closed pipe when one blows across the neck. The organ has both open and closed flue pipes, those of metal being usually round in section, and those of wood triangular or square.

FLUEWORK Flue"work`, n. (Mus.)

Defn: A general name for organ stops in which the sound is caused by wind passing through a flue or fissure and striking an edge above; -- in distinction from reedwork.

FLUEY Flue"y, a. Etym: [2d Flue.]

Defn: Downy; fluffy. [R.]

FLUFF Fluff, n. Etym: [Cf. 2d Flue.

Defn: Nap or down; flue; soft, downy feathers.

FLUFFY Fluff"y, a. [Compar. Fluffier; superl. Fluffiest.]

Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, fluff or nap; soft and downy. "The carpets were fluffy." Thackeray. The present Barnacle . . . had a youthful aspect, and the fluffiest little whisker, perhaps, that ever was seen. Dickens. -- Fluff"i*ness, n.

FLUGEL; FLUEGEL Flü"gel, n. Etym: [G., a wing.] (Mus.)

Defn: A grand piano or a harpsichord, both being wing-shaped.

FLUGELMAN Flu"gel*man, n. Etym: [G. flügelman.] (Mil.)

Defn: Same as Fugleman.

FLUID Flu"id, a. Etym: [L. fluidus, fr. fluere to flow: cf. F. fluide. See Fluent.]

Defn: Having particles which easily move and change their relative position without a separation of the mass, and which easily yield to pressure; capable of flowing; liquid or gaseous.

FLUID Flu"id, n.

Defn: A fluid substance; a body whose particles move easily among themselves.

Note: Fluid is a generic term, including liquids and gases as species. Water, air, and steam are fluids. By analogy, the term is sometimes applied to electricity and magnetism, as in phrases electric fluid, magnetic fluid, though not strictly appropriate. Fluid dram, or Fluid drachm, a measure of capacity equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce. -- Fluid ounce. (a) In the United States, a measure of capacity, in apothecaries' or wine measure, equal to one sixteenth of a pint or 29.57 cubic centimeters. This, for water, is about 1.04158 ounces avoirdupois, or 455.6 grains. (b) In England, a measure of capacity equal to the twentieth part of an imperial pint. For water, this is the weight of the avoirdupois ounce, or 437.5 grains. -- Fluids of the body. (Physiol.) The circulating blood and lymph, the chyle, the gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal juices, the saliva, bile, urine, aqueous humor, and muscle serum are the more important fluids of the body. The tissues themselves contain a large amount of combined water, so much, that an entire human body dried in vacuo with a very moderate degree of heat gives about 66 per cent of water. -- Burning fluid, Elastic fluid, Electric fluid, Magnetic fluid, etc. See under Burning, Elastic, etc.

FLUIDAL Flu"id*al, a.

Defn: Pertaining to a fluid, or to its flowing motion. Fluidal structure (Geol.), the structure characteristic of certain volcanic rocks in which the arrangement of the minute crystals shows the lines of flow of thew molten material before solidification; -- also called fluxion structure.

FLUIDITY Flu*id"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluidité.]

Defn: The quality of being fluid or capable of flowing; a liquid, aëriform. or gaseous state; -- opposed to solidity. It was this want of organization, this looseness and fluidity of the new movement, that made it penetrate through every class of society. J. R. Green.

FLUIDIZE Flu"id*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fluidized; p. pr. & vb. n. Fluidizing.]

Defn: To render fluid.

FLUIDNESS Flu"id*ness, n.

Defn: The state of being flluid; fluidity.

FLUIDOUNCE Flu"id*ounce`, n.

Defn: See Fluid ounce, under Fluid.

FLUIDRACHM Flu"i*drachm`, n.

Defn: See Fluid dram, under Fluid. Pharm. of the U. S.

FLUKAN Flu"kan, n. (Mining)

Defn: Flucan.

FLUKE Fluke, n. Etym: [Cf. LG. flunk, flunka wing, the palm of an anchor; perh. akin to E. fly.]

1. The part of an anchor which fastens in the ground; a flook. See Anchor.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the lobes of a whale's tail, so called from the resemblance to the fluke of an anchor.

3. An instrument for cleaning out a hole drilled in stone for blasting.

4. An accidental and favorable stroke at billiards (called a scratch in the United States); hence, any accidental or unexpected advantage; as, he won by a fluke. [Cant, Eng.] A. Trollope.

FLUKEWORM Fluke"worm`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as 1st Fluke, 2.

FLUKY Fluk"y, a.

Defn: Formed like, or having, a fluke.

FLUME Flume, n. Etym: [Cf. OE. flum river, OF, flum, fr. L. flumen, fr. fluere to flow. *84. See Fluent.]

Defn: A stream; especially, a passage channel, or conduit for the water that drives a mill wheel; or an artifical channel of water for hydraulic or placer mining; also, a chute for conveying logs or lumber down a declivity.

FLUMINOUS Flu"mi*nous, a. Etym: [L. flumen, fluminis, river.]

Defn: Pertaining to rivers; abounding in streama.

FLUMMERY Flum"mer*y, n. Etym: [W. llumru, or llumruwd, a kind of food made of oatmeal steeped in water until it has turned sour, fr. llumrig harsh, raw, crude, fr. llum sharp, severe.]

1. A light kind of food, formerly made of flour or meal; a sort of pap. Milk and flummery are very fit for children. Locke.

2. Something insipid, or not worth having; empty compliment; trash; unsubstantial talk of writing. The flummery of modern criticism. J. Morley.

FLUNG Flung,

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Fling.

FLUNK Flunk, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flunked; p. pr. & vb. n. Flunking.] Etym: [Cf. Funk.]

Defn: To fail, as on a lesson; to back out, as from an undertaking, through fear.

FLUNK Flunk, v. t.

Defn: To fail in; to shirk, as a task or duty. [Colloq. U.S.]

FLUNK Flunk, n.

Defn: A failure or backing out; specifically (College cant),

Defn: a total failure in a recitation. [U.S.]

FLUNKY Flun"ky, n.; pl. Flunkies. Etym: [Prob. fr. or akin to flank.] [Written also flunkey.]

1. A contemptuous name for a liveried servant or a footman.

2. One who is obsequious or cringing; a snob.

3. One easily deceived in buying stocks; an inexperienced and unwary jobber. [Cant, U.S.]

FLUNKYDOM Flun"ky*dom, n.

Defn: The place or region of flunkies. C. Kingsley.

FLUNLYISM Flun"ly*ism, n.

Defn: The quality or characteristics of a flunky; readiness to cringe to those who are superior in wealth or position; toadyism. Thackeray.

FLUO- Flu"o- (. (Chem.)

Defn: A combining form indicating fluorine as an ingredient; as in fluosilicate, fluobenzene.

FLUOBORATE Flu`o*bo"rate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluoborate.] (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of fluoboric acid; a fluoboride.

FLUOBORIC Flu`o*bo"ric, a. Etym: [Fluo- boric: cf. F. fluoborique.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or consisting of, fluorine and boron. Fluoridic acid (Chem.), a double fluoride, consisting essentially of a solution of boron fluoride, in hydrofluoric acid. It has strong acid properties, and is the type of the borofluorides. Called also borofluoric acid.

FLUOBORIDE Flu`o*bo"ride, n. (Chem.)

Defn: See Borofluoride.

FLUOCERINE; FLUOCERITE Flu`o*ce"rine, Flu`o*ce"rite, n. Etym: [Fluo- + cerium.] (Min.)

Defn: A fluoride of cerium, occuring near Fahlun in Sweden. Tynosite, from Colorado, is probably the same mineral.

FLUOHYDRIC Flu`o*hy"dric, a. Etym: [Fluo- + hydrogen.] (Chem.)

Defn: See Hydrofluoric.

FLUOPHOSPHATE Flu`o*phos"phate, n. Etym: [Fluo- + phosphate.] (Chem.)

Defn: A double salt of fluoric and phosphoric acids.

FLUOR Flu"or, n. Etym: [L., a flowing, fr. fluere to flow. See Fluent.]

1. A fluid state. [Obs.] Sir I. Newton.

2. Menstrual flux; catamenia; menses. [Obs.]

3. (Min.)

Defn: See Fluorite.

FLUOR ALBUS Flu"or albus. Etym: [L., white flow.] (Med.)

Defn: The whites; leucorrhæa.

FLUORANTHENE Flu`or*an"thene, n. Etym: [Fluorene + anthra (Chem.)

Defn: A white crystalline hydrocarbon C

FLUORATED Flu"or*a`ted, a. (Chem.)

Defn: Combined with fluorine; subjected to the action of fluoride. [R.]

FLUORENE Flu`or*ene, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A colorless, crystalline hydrocarbon, C13H10 having a beautiful violet fluorescence; whence its name. It occurs in the higher boiling products of coal tar, and is obtained artificially.

FLUORESCEIN Flu`o*res"ce*in, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A yellowish red, crystalline substance, C20H12O5, produced by heating together phthalic anhydride and resorcin; -- so called, from the very brilliant yellowish green fluorescence of its alkaline solutions. It has acid properties, and its salts of the alkalies are known to the trade under the name of uranin.

FLUORESCENCE Flu`o*res"cence, n. Etym: [From Fluor.] (Opt.)

Defn: That property which some transparent bodies have of producing at their surface, or within their substance, light different in color from the mass of the material, as when green crystals of fluor spar afford blue reflections. It is due not to the difference in the color of a distinct surface layer, but to the power which the substance has of modifying the light incident upon it. The light emitted by fluorescent substances is in general of lower refrangibility than the incident light. Stockes.

FLUORESCENT Flu`o*res"cent, a.

Defn: Having the property of fluorescence.

FLUORESCIN Flu`o*res"cin, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A colorless, amorphous substance which is produced by the reduction of fluoresceïn, and from which the latter may be formed by oxidation.

FLUORIC Flu*or"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. fluorique.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, obtained from, or containing, fluorine.

FLUORIDE Flu"or*ide ( or ; 104), n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluoride.] (Chem.)

Defn: A binary compound of fluorine with another element or radical. Calcium fluoride (Min.), fluorite, CaF2. See Fluorite.

FLUORINE Flu"or*ine ( or ; 104), n. Etym: [NL. fluorina: cf. G. fluorin, F. fluorine. So called from its occurrence in the mineral fluorite.] (Chem.)

Defn: A non-metallic, gaseous element, strongly acid or negative, or associated with chlorine, bromine, and iodine, in the halogen group of which it is the first member. It always occurs combined, is very active chemically, and possesses such an avidity for most elements, and silicon especially, that it can neither be prepared nor kept in glass vessels. If set free it immediately attacks the containing material, so that it was not isolated until 1886. It is a pungent, corrosive, colorless gas. Symbol F. Atomic weight 19.

Note: Fluorine unites with hydrogen to form hydrofluoric acid, which is the agent employed in etching glass. It occurs naturally, principally combined as calcium fluoride in fluorite, and as a double fluoride of aluminium and sodium in cryolite.

FLUORITE Flu"or*ite, n. (Min.)

Defn: Calcium fluoride, a mineral of many different colors, white, yellow, purple, green, red, etc., often very beautiful, crystallizing commonly in cubes with perfect octahedral cleavage; also massive. It is used as a flux. Some varieties are used for ornamental vessels. Also called fluor spar, or simply fluor.

FLUOROID Flu"or*oid, n. Etym: [Fluor + -oid.] (Crystallog.)

Defn: A tetrahexahedron; -- so called because it is a common form of fluorite.

FLUOROSCOPE Flu*or"o*scope, n. Etym: [Fluorescence + -scope.] (Phys.)

Defn: An instrument for observing or exhibiting fluorescence.

FLUOROSCOPY Flu`or*os"co*py, n.

Defn: Examination of an object, as the human body, by exposing it to the X rays and observing the shadow cast upon a fluorescent screen; cryptoscopy.

FLUOROUS Flu"or*ous, a.

Defn: Pertaining to fluor.

FLUOR SPAR Flu"or spar`. (Min.)

Defn: See Fluorite.

FLUOSILICATE Flu`o*sil"i*cate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluosilicate.] (Chem.)

Defn: A double fluoride of silicon and some other (usually basic) element or radical, regarded as a salt of fluosilicic acid; -- called also silicofluoride.

FLUOSILICIC Flu`o*si*lic"ic, a. Etym: [Fluo- + silicic: cf. F. fluosilicique.] (Chem.)

Defn: Composed of, or derived from, silicon and fluorine. Fluosilicic acid, a double fluoride of hydrogen and silicon, H2F6Si, obtained in solution in water as a sour fuming liquid, and regarded as the type of the fluosilicates; -- called also silicofluoric acid, and hydrofluosilicic acid.

FLURRIED Flur"ried, a.

Defn: Agitated; excited. -- Flur"ried*ly adv.

FLURRY Flur"ry, n.; pl. Flurries. Etym: [Prov. E. flur to ruffle.]

1. A sudden and brief blast or gust; a light, temporary breeze; as, a flurry of wind.

2. A light shower or snowfall accompanied with wind. Like a flurry of snow on the whistling wind. Longfellow.

3. Violent agitation; commotion; bustle; hurry. The racket and flurry of London. Blakw. Mag.

4. The violent spasms of a dying whale.

FLURRY Flur"ry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flurried; p. pr. & vb. n. Flurrying.]

Defn: To put in a state of agitation; to excite or alarm. H. Swinburne.

FLURT Flurt, n.

Defn: A flirt. [Obs.] Quarles.

FLUSH Flush, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Flushed; p. pr. & vb. n. Flushing.] Etym: [Cf. OE. fluschen to fly up, penetrate, F. fluz a flowing, E. flux, dial. Sw. flossa to blaze, and E. flash; perh. influenced by blush. *84.]

1. To flow and spread suddenly; to rush; as, blood flushes into the face. The flushing noise of many waters. Boyle. It flushes violently out of the cock. Mortimer.

2. To become suddenly suffused, as the cheeks; to turn red; to blush.

3. To snow red; to shine suddenly; to glow. In her cheek, distemper flushing glowed. Milton.

4. To star Flushing from one spray unto another. W. Browne.

FLUSH Flush, v. t.

1. To cause to be full; to flood; to overflow; to overwhelm with water; as, to flush the meadows; to flood for the purpose of cleaning; as, to flush a sewer.

2. To cause the blood to rush into (the face); to put to the blush, or to cause to glow with excitement. Nor flush with shame the passing virgin's cheek. Gay. Sudden a thought came like a full-blown rose, Flushing his brow. Keats.

3. To make suddenly or temporarily red or rosy, as if suffused with blood. How faintly flushed. how phantom fair, Was Monte Rosa, hanging there! Tennyson.

4. To excite; to animate; to stir. Such things as can only feed his pride and flush his ambition. South.

5. To cause to start, as a hunter a bird. Nares. To flush a joints (Masonry), to fill them in; to point the level; to make them flush.

FLUSH Flush, n.

1. A sudden flowing; a rush which fills or overflows, as of water for cleansing purposes. In manner of a wave or flush. Ray.

2. A suffusion of the face with blood, as from fear, shame, modesty, or intensity of feeling of any kind; a blush; a glow. The flush of angered shame. Tennyson.

3. Any tinge of red color like that produced on the cheeks by a sudden rush of blood; as, the flush on the side of a peach; the flush on the clouds at sunset.

4. A sudden flood or rush of feeling; a thrill of excitement. animation, etc.; as, a flush of joy.

5. A flock of birds suddenly started up or flushed.

6. Etym: [From F. or Sp. flux. Cf. Flux.]

Defn: A hand of cards of the same suit.

FLUSH Flush, a.

1. Full of vigor; fresh; glowing; bright. With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May. Shak.

2. Affluent; abounding; well furnished or suppled; hence, liberal; prodigal. Lord Strut was not very flush in ready. Arbuthnot.

3. (Arch. & Mech.)

Defn: Unbroken or even in surface; on a level with the adjacent surface; forming a continuous surface; as, a flush panel; a flush joint.

4. (Card Playing)

Defn: Consisting of cards of one suit. Flush bolt. (a) A screw bolt whose head is countersunk, so as to be flush with a surface. (b) A sliding bolt let into the face or edge of a door, so as to be flush therewith. -- Flush deck. (Naut.) See under Deck, n., 1. -- Flush tank, a water tank which can be emptied rapidly for flushing drainpipes, etc.

FLUSH Flush, adv.

Defn: So as to be level or even.

FLUSHBOARD Flush"board`, n.

Defn: Same as Flashboard.

FLUSHER Flush"er, n.

1. A workman employed in cleaning sewers by flushing them with water.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The red-backed shrike. See Flasher.

FLUSHING Flush"ing, n.

1. A heavy, coarse cloth manufactured from shoddy; -- commonly in the [Eng.]

2. (Weaving)

Defn: A surface formed of floating threads.

FLUSHINGLY Flush"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a flushing manner.

FLUSHNESS Flush"ness, n.

Defn: The state of being flush; abundance.

FLUSTER Flus"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Flustered; p. pr. & vb. n. Flustering.] Etym: [Cf. Icel. flaustra to be flustered, flaustr a fluster.]

Defn: To make hot and rosy, as with drinking; to heat; hence, to throw into agitation and confusion; to confuse; to muddle. His habit or flustering himself daily with claret. Macaulay.

FLUSTER Flus"ter, v. i.

Defn: To be in a heat or bustle; to be agitated and confused. The flstering, vainglorious Greeks. South.

FLUSTER Flus"ter, n.

Defn: Heat or glow, as from drinking; agitation mingled with confusion; disorder.

FLUSTERATION Flus`ter*a"tion, n.

Defn: The act of flustering, or the state of being flustered; fluster. [Colloq.]

FLUSTRATE Flus"trate, v. t. Etym: [See Fluster, v. t.]

Defn: To fluster. [Colloq.] Spectator.

FLUSTRATION Flus*tra"tion, n.

Defn: The act of flustrating; confusion; flurry. [Colloq.] Richardson.

FLUTE Flute, n. Etym: [OE. floute, floite, fr. OF. flaüte, flahute, flahuste, F. fl; cf. LL. flauta, D. fluit. See Flute, v. i.]

1. A musical wind instrument, consisting of a hollow cylinder or pipe, with holes along its length, stopped by the fingers or by keys which are opened by the fingers. The modern flute is closed at the upper end, and blown with the mouth at a lateral hole. The breathing flute's soft notes are heard around. Pope.

2. (Arch.)

Defn: A channel of curved section; -- usually applied to one of a vertical series of such channels used to decorate columns and pilasters in classical architecture. See Illust. under Base, n.

3. A similar channel or groove made in wood or other material, esp. in plaited cloth, as in a lady's ruffle.

4. A long French breakfast roll. Simonds.

5. A stop in an organ, having a flutelike sound. Flute bit, a boring tool for piercing ebony, rosewood, and other hard woods. -- Flute pipe, an organ pipe having a sharp lip or wind-cutter which imparts vibrations to Knight.

FLUTE Flute, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fl a transport, D. fluit.]

Defn: A kindof flyboat; a storeship. Armed en flûte ( (Nav.), partially armed.

FLUTE Flute, v. i. Etym: [OE. flouten, floiten, OF. flaüter, fleüter, flouster, F. flûter, cf. D. fluiten; ascribed to an assumed LL. flautare, flatuare, fr. L. flatus a blowing, fr. flare to blow. Cf. Flout, Flageolet, Flatulent.]

Defn: To play on, or as on, a flute; to make a flutelike sound.

FLUTE Flute, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fluted; p. pr. & vb. n. Fluting.]

1. To play, whistle, or sing with a clear, soft note, like that of a flute. Knaves are men, That lute and flute fantastic tenderness. Tennyson. The redwing flutes his o-ka-lee. Emerson.

2. To form flutes or channels in, as in a column, a ruffle, etc.

FLUTE A BEC Flûte` à bec". Etym: [F.] (Mus.)

Defn: A beak flute, an older form of the flute, played with a mouthpiece resembling a beak, and held like a flageolet.

FLUTED Flut"ed, a.

1. Thin; fine; clear and mellow; flutelike; as, fluted notes. Busby.

2. Decorated with flutes; channeled; grooved; as, a fluted column; a fluted ruffle; a fluted spectrum.

FLUTEMOUTH Flute"mouth`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A fish of the genus Aulostoma, having a much elongated tubular snout.

FLUTER Flut"er, n.

1. One who plays on the flute; a flutist or flautist.

2. One who makes grooves or flutings.

FLUTING Flut"ing, n.

Defn: Decoration by means of flutes or channels; a flute, or flutes collectively; as, the fluting of a column or pilaster; the fluting of a lady's ruffle. Fluting iron, a laundry iron for fluting ruffles; -- called also Italian iron, or gaufering iron. Knight. -- Fluting lathe, a machine for forming spiral flutes, as on balusters, table legs, etc.

FLUTIST Flut"ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. flûtiste.]

Defn: A performer on the flute; a flautist. Busby.

2. To move with quick vibrations or undulations; as, a sail flutters in the wind; a fluttering fan.

3. To move about briskly, irregularly, or with great bustle and show, without much result. No rag, no scrap, of all the beau, or wit, That once so fluttered, and that once so writ. Pope.

4. To be in agitation; to move irregularly; to flucttuate; to be uncertainty. Long we fluttered on the wings of doubtful success. Howell. His thoughts are very fluttering and wandering. I. Watts.

FLUTTER Flut"ter, v. t.

1. To vibrate or move quickly; as, a bird flutters its wings.

2. To drive in disorder; to throw into confusion. Like an eagle in a dovecote, I Fluttered your Volscians in Corioli. Shak.

FLUTTER Flut"ter, n.

1. The act of fluttering; quick and irregular motion; vibration; as, the flutter of a fan. The chirp and flutter of some single bird Milnes. .

2. Hurry; tumult; agitation of the mind; confusion; disorder. Pope. Flutter wheel, a water wheel placed below a fall or in a chute where rapidly moving water strikes the tips of the floats; -- so called from the spattering, and the fluttering noise it makes.

FLUTTERER Flut"ter*er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, flutters.

FLUTTERINGLY Flut"ter*ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a fluttering manner.

FLUTY Flut"y, a.

Defn: Soft and clear in tone, like a flute.

FLUVIAL Flu"vi*al, a. Etym: [L. fluvialis, from fluvius river, fr. fluere to flow: cf.F. fluvial. See Fluent.]

Defn: Belonging to rivers; growing or living in streams or ponds; as, a fluvial plant.

FLUVIALIST Flu"vi*al*ist, n.

Defn: One who exlpains geological phenomena by the action of streams. [R.]

FLUVIATIC Flu`vi*at"ic, a. Etym: [L. fluviaticus. See Fluvial.]

Defn: Belonging to rivers or streams; fluviatile. Johnson.

FLUVIATILE Flu"vi*a*tile, a. Etym: [L. fluviatilis, fr. fluvius river: cf. F. fluviatile.]

Defn: Belonging to rivers or streams; existing in or about rivers; produced by river action; fluvial; as, fluviatile starta, plants. Lyell.

FLUVIOGRAPH Flu"vi*o*graph, n. [L. fluvius river + -graph.]

Defn: An instrument for measuring and recording automatically the rise and fall of a river.

FLUVIO-MARINE Flu`vi*o-ma*rine", a. Etym: [L. fluvius river + E. marine.] (Geol.)

Defn: Formed by the joint action of a river and the sea, as deposits at the mouths of rivers.

FLUVIOMETER Flu`vi*om"e*ter, n. [L. fluvius river + -meter.]

Defn: An instrument for measuring the height of water in a river; a river gauge.

FLUX Flux, n. Etym: [L. fluxus, fr. fluere, fluxum,to flow: cf.F. flux. See Fluent, and cf. 1st & 2d Floss, Flush, n., 6.]

1. The act of flowing; a continuous moving on or passing by, as of a flowing stream; constant succession; change. By the perpetual flux of the liquids, a great part of them is thrown out of the body. Arbuthnot. Her image has escaped the flux of things, And that same infant beauty that she wore Is fixed upon her now forevermore. Trench. Languages, like our bodies, are in a continual flux. Felton.

2. The setting in of the tide toward the shore, -- the (reflux.

3. The state of beinng liquid through heat; fusion.

4. (Chem.& Metal.)

Defn: Any substance or mixture used to promote the fusion of metals or minerals, as alkalies, borax, lime, fluorite.

Note: White flux is the residuum of the combustion of a mixture of equal parts of niter and tartar. It consists chiefly of the carbonate of potassium, and is white.- Black flux is the ressiduum of the combustion of one part of niter and two of tartar, and consists essentially of a mixture of potassium carbonate and charcoal.

5. (Med.) (a) A fluid discharge from the bowels or other part; especially, an excessive and morbid discharge; as, the bloody flux or dysentery. See Bloody flux. (b) The matter thus discharged.

6. (Physics)

Defn: The quantity of a fluid that crosses a unit area of a given surface in a unit of time.

FLUX Flux, a. Etym: [L. fluxus, p. p. of fluere. See Flux, n.]

Defn: Flowing; unstable; inconstant; variable. The flux nature of all things here. Barrow.

FLUX Flux, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fluxed; p. pr. & vb. n. Fluxing.]

1. To affect, or bring to a certain state, by flux. He might fashionably and genteelly . . . have been dueled or fluxed into another world. South.

2. To cause to become fluid; to fuse. Kirwan.

3. (Med.)

Defn: To cause a discharge from; to purge.

FLUXATION Flux*a"tion, n.

Defn: The act of fluxing.

FLUXIBILITY Flux`i*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. LL. fluxibilitas fluidity.]

Defn: The quality of being fluxible. Hammond.

FLUXIBLE Flux"i*ble, a. Etym: [Cf.LL. fluxibilis fluid, OF. fluxible.]

Defn: Capable of being melted or fused, as a mineral. Holland. -- Flux"i*ble*ness, n.

FLUXILE Flux"ile, a. Etym: [L. fluxilis, a., fluid.]

Defn: Fluxible. [R.]

FLUXILITY Flux*il"i*ty, n.

Defn: State of being fluxible.[Obs.]

FLUXION Flux"ion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. fluxion.]

Defn: The act of flowing. Cotgrave.

2. The matter that flows. Wiseman.

3. Fusion; the running of metals into a fluid state.

4. (Med.)

Defn: An unnatural or excessive flow of blood or fluid toward any organ; a determination.

5. A constantly varying indication. Less to be counted than the fluxions of sun dials. De Quincey.

6. (Math.) (a) The infinitely small increase or decrease of a variable or flowing quantity in a certain infinitely small and constant period of time; the rate of variation of a fluent; an incerement; a differential. (b) pl.

Defn: A method of analysis developed by Newton, and based on the conception of all magnitudes as generated by motion, and involving in their changes the notion of velocity or rate of change. Its results are the same as those of the differential and integral calculus, from which it differs little except in notation and logical method.

FLUXIONAL Flux"ion*al, a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or having the nature of, fluxion or fluxions; variable; inconstant. The merely human,the temporary and fluxional. Coleridge. Fluxional structure (Geol.), fluidal structure.

FLUXIONARY Flux"ion*a*ry, a.

1. Fluxional. Berkeley.

2. (Med.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or caused by, an increased flow of blood to a part; congestive; as, a fluxionary hemorrhage.

FLUXIONIST Flux"ion*ist, n.

Defn: One skilled in fluxions. Berkeley.

FLUXIONS Flux"ions, n. pl. (Math.)

Defn: See Fluxion, 6(b).

FLUXIVE Flux"ive, a.

Defn: Flowing; also, wanting solidity. B. Jonson.

FLUXURE Flux"ure (; 138), n. Etym: [L. fluxura a flowing.]

1. The quality of being fluid. [Obs.] Fielding.

2. Fluid matter. [Obs.] Drayton.

FLY Fly, v. i. [imp. Flew; p. p. Flown; p. pr. & vb. n. Flying.] Etym: [OE. fleen, fleen, fleyen, flegen, AS. fleógan; akin to D. vliegen, ONG. fliogan, G. fliegen, Icel. flj, Sw. flyga, Dan. flyve, Goth. us- flaugjan to cause to fly away, blow about, and perh. to L. pluma feather, E. plume. Fledge, Flight, Flock of animals.]

1. To move in or pass thorugh the air with wings, as a bird.

2. To move through the air or before the wind; esp., to pass or be driven rapidly through the air by any impulse.

3. To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag. Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job v. 7.

4. To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away; to circulate rapidly; as, a ship flies on the deep; a top flies around; rumor flies. Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race. Milton. The dark waves murmured as the ships flew on. Bryant.

5. To run from danger; to attempt to escape; to flee; as, an enemy or a coward flies. See Note under Flee. Fly, ere evil intercept thy flight. Milton. Whither shall I fly to escape their hands Shak.

6. To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly; -- usually with a qualifying word; as, a door flies open; a bomb flies apart. To fly about (Naut.), to change frequently in a short time; -- said of the wind. -- To fly around, to move about in haste. [Colloq.] -- To fly at, to spring toward; to rush on; to attack suddenly. -- To fly in the face of, to insult; to assail; to set at defiance; to oppose with violence; to act in direct opposition to; to resist. -- To fly off, to separate, or become detached suddenly; to revolt. -- To fly on, to attack. -- To fly open, to open suddenly, or with violence. -- To fly out. (a) To rush out. (b) To burst into a passion; to break out into license. -- To let fly. (a) To throw or drive with violence; to discharge. "A man lets fly his arrow without taking any aim." Addison. (b) (Naut.) To let go suddenly and entirely; as, to let fly the sheets.

FLY Fly, v. t.

1. To cause to fly or to float in the air, as a bird, a kite, a flag, etc. The brave black flag I fly. W. S. Gilbert.

2. To fly or flee from; to shun; to avoid. Sleep flies the wretch. Dryden. To fly the favors of so good a king. Shak.

3. To hunt with a hawk. [Obs.] Bacon. To fly a kite (Com.), to raise money on commercial notes. [Cant or Slang]

FLY Fly, n.; pl. Flies. Etym: [OE. flie, flege, AS. flge, fleóge, fr. fleógan to fly; akin to D. vlieg, OHG. flioga, G. fliege, Icel. & Sw. fluga, Dan. flue. Fly, v. i.]

1. (Zoöl.) (a) Any winged insect; esp., one with transparent wings; as, the Spanish fly; firefly; gall fly; dragon fly. (b) Any dipterous insect; as, the house fly; flesh fly; black fly. See Diptera, and Illust. in Append.

2. A hook dressed in imitation of a fly, -- used for fishing. "The fur-wrought fly." Gay.

3. A familiar spirit; a witch's attendant. [Obs.] A trifling fly, none of your great familiars. B. Jonson.

4. A parasite. [Obs.] Massinger.

5. A kind of light carriage for rapid transit, plying for hire and usually drawn by one horse. [Eng.]

6. The length of an extended flag from its staff; sometimes, the length from the "union" to the extreme end.

7. The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.

8. (Naut.)

Defn: That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card. Totten.

9. (Mech.) (a) Two or more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the air, as in the striking part of a clock. (b) A heavy wheel, or cross arms with weights at the ends on a revolving axis, to regulate or equalize the motion of machinery by means of its inertia, where the power communicated, or the resistance to be overcome, is variable, as in the steam engine or the coining press. See Fly wheel (below).

10. (Knitting Machine)

Defn: The piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch. Knight.

11. The pair of arms revolving around the bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the yarn.

12. (Weaving)

Defn: A shuttle driven through the shed by a blow or jerk. Knight.

13. (a) Formerly, the person who took the printed sheets from the press. (b) A vibrating frame with fingers, attached to a power to a power printing press for doing the same work.

14. The outer canvas of a tent with double top, usually drawn over the ridgepole, but so extended as to touch the roof of the tent at no other place.

15. One of the upper screens of a stage in a theater.

16. The fore flap of a bootee; also, a lap on trousers, overcoats, etc., to conceal a row of buttons.

17. (Baseball)

Defn: A batted ball that flies to a considerable distance, usually high in the air; also, the flight of a ball so struck; as, it was caught on the fly. Black fly, Cheese fly, Dragon fly, etc. See under Black, Cheese, etc. -- Fly agaric (Bot.), a mushroom (Agaricus muscarius), having a narcotic juice which, in sufficient quantities, is poisonous. -- Fly block (Naut.), a pulley whose position shifts to suit the working of the tackle with which it is connected; -- used in the hoisting tackle of yards. -- Fly board (Printing Press), the board on which printed sheets are deposited by the fly. -- Fly book, a case in the form of a book for anglers' flies. Kingsley. -- Fly cap, a cap with wings, formerly worn by women. -- Fly drill, a drill having a reciprocating motion controlled by a fly wheel, the driving power being applied by the hand through a cord winding in reverse directions upon the spindle as it rotates backward and forward. Knight. -- Fly fishing, the act or art of angling with a bait of natural or artificial flies. Walton. -- Fly flap, an implement for killing flies. -- Fly governor, a governor for regulating the speed of an engine, etc., by the resistance of vanes revolving in the air. -- Fly honeysuckle (Bot.), a plant of the honeysuckle genus (Lonicera), having a bushy stem and the flowers in pairs, as L. ciliata and L. Xylosteum. -- Fly hook, a fishhook supplied with an artificial fly. -- Fly leaf, an unprinted leaf at the beginning or end of a book, circular, programme, etc. -- Fly maggot, a maggot bred from the egg of a fly. Ray. -- Fly net, a screen to exclude insects. -- Fly nut (Mach.), a nut with wings; a thumb nut; a finger nut. -- Fly orchis (Bot.), a plant (Ophrys muscifera), whose flowers resemble flies. -- Fly paper, poisoned or sticky paper for killing flies that feed upon or are entangled by it. -- Fly powder, an arsenical powder used to poison flies. -- Fly press, a screw press for punching, embossing, etc., operated by hand and having a heavy fly. -- Fly rail, a bracket which turns out to support the hinged leaf of a table. -- Fly rod, a light fishing rod used in angling with a fly. -- Fly sheet, a small loose advertising sheet; a handbill. -- Fly snapper (Zoöl.), an American bird (Phainopepla nitens), allied to the chatterers and shrikes. The male is glossy blue-black; the female brownish gray. -- Fly wheel (Mach.), a heavy wheel attached to machinery to equalize the movement (opposing any sudden acceleration by its inertia and any retardation by its momentum), and to accumulate or give out energy for a variable or intermitting resistance. See Fly, n., 9. -- On the fly (Baseball), still in the air; -- said of a batted ball caught before touching the ground..

FLY Fly, a.

Defn: Knowing; wide awake; fully understanding another's meaning. [Slang] Dickens.

FLY AMANITA; FLY FUNGUS Fly amanita, Fly fungus. (Bot.)

Defn: A poisonous mushroom (Amanita muscaria, syn. Agaricus muscarius), having usually a bright red or yellowish cap covered with irregular white spots. It has a distinct volva at the base, generally an upper ring on the stalk, and white spores. Called also fly agaric, deadly amanita.

FLYAWAY Fly"a*way`, a.

Defn: Disposed to fly away; flighty; unrestrained; light and free; -- used of both persons and things. -- n.

Defn: A flyaway person or thing. "Truth is such a flyaway." Emerson.

FLYAWAY flyaway adj.

1. frivolous; -- of people. serious Syn. -- flighty. [WordNet 1.5]

2. Tending to move away from a center, rather than remain in a compact group; -- used of hair or clothing or of small particles of matter. Light objects or particles readily taking a static electric charge may be moved apart by acquisition of a charge, or by approach of a charged object. Such a property is called flyaway. Syn. -- fluttering. [WordNet 1.5]

FLYAWAY GRASS Flyaway grass. (Bot.)

Defn: The hair grass (Agrostis scabra). So called from its light panicle, which is blown to great distances by the wind.

FLYBANE Fly"bane`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of catchfly of the genus Silene; also, a poisonous mushroom (Agaricus muscarius); fly agaric.

FLY-BITTEN Fly"-bit`ten, a.

Defn: Marked by, or as if by, the bite of flies. Shak.

FLYBLOW Fly"blow`, v. t.

Defn: To deposit eggs upon, as a flesh fly does on meat; to cause to be maggoty; hence, to taint or contaminate, as if with flyblows. Bp. Srillingfleet.

FLYBLOW Fly"blow`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the eggs or young larvæ deposited by a flesh fly, or blowfly.

FLYBLOWN Fly"blown`, a.

Defn: Tainted or contaminated with flyblows; damaged; foul. Wherever flyblown reputations were assembled. Thackeray.

FLYBOAT Fly"boat`, n. Etym: [Fly + boat: cf. D. vlieboot.]

1. (Naut.)

Defn: A large Dutch coasting vessel. Captain George Weymouth made a voyage of discovery to the northwest with two flyboats. Purchas.

2. A kind of passenger boat formerly used on canals.

FLY-CASE Fly"-case`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The covering of an insect, esp. the elytra of beetles.

FLYCATCHER Fly"catch`er, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of numerous species of birds that feed upon insects, which they take on the wing.

Note: The true flycatchers of the Old World are Oscines, and belong to the family Muscicapidæ, as the spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola). The American flycatchers, or tyrant flycatchers, are Clamatores, and belong to the family Tyrannidæ, as the kingbird, pewee, crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus), and the vermilion flycatcher or churinche (Pyrocephalus rubineus). Certain American flycatching warblers of the family Sylvicolidæ are also called flycatchers, as the Canadian flycatcher (Sylvania Canadensis), and the hooded flycatcher (S. mitrata). See Tyrant flycatcher.

FLY-CATCHING Fly"-catch`ing, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having the habit of catching insects on the wing.

FLYER Fly"er, n. Etym: [See Flier.]

1. One that uses wings.

2. The fly of a flag: See Fly, n., 6.

3. Anything that is scattered abroad in great numbers as a theatrical programme, an advertising leaf, etc.

4. (Arch.)

Defn: One in a flight of steps which are parallel to each other(as in ordinary stairs), as distinguished from a winder.

5. The pair of arms attached to the spindle of a spinning frame, over which the thread passes to the bobbin; -- so called from their swift revolution. See Fly, n., 11.

6. The fan wheel that rotates the cap of a windmill as the wind veers. Internat. Cyc.

7. (Stock Jobbing)

Defn: A small operation not involving considerable part of one's capital, or not in the line of one's ordinary business; a venture. [Cant] Bartlett.

FLYFISH Fly"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A California scorpænoid fish (Sebastichthys rhodochloris), having brilliant colors.

FLY-FISH Fly"-fish, v. i.

Defn: To angle, using flies for bait. Walton.

FLYING Fly"ing, a. Etym: [From Fly, v. i.]

Defn: Moving in the air with, or as with, wings; moving lightly or rapidly; intended for rapid movement.

Flying army (Mil.) a body of cavalry and infantry, kept in motion, to cover its own garrisons and to keep the enemy in continual alarm. Farrow. --Flying artillery (Mil.), artillery trained to rapid evolutions, -- the men being either mounted or trained to spring upon the guns and caissons when they change position. -- Flying bridge, Flying camp. See under Bridge, and Camp. -- Flying buttress (Arch.), a contrivance for taking up the thrust of a roof or vault which can not be supported by ordinary buttresses. It consists of a straight bar of masonry, usually sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid pier or buttress sufficient to receive the thrust. The word is generally applied only to the straight bar with supporting arch. -- Flying colors, flags unfurled and waving in the air; hence: To come off with flying colors, to be victorious; to succeed thoroughly in an undertaking. -- Flying doe (Zoöl.), a young female kangaroo. -- Flying dragon. (a) (Zoöl.) See Dragon, 6. (b) A meteor. See under Dragon. -- Flying Dutchman. (a) A fabled Dutch mariner condemned for his crimes to sail the seas till the day of judgment. (b) A spectral ship. -- Flying fish. (Zoöl.) See Flying fish, in the Vocabulary. -- Flying fox (Zoöl.), the colugo. -- Flying frog (Zoöl.), an East Indian tree frog of the genus Rhacophorus, having very large and broadly webbed feet, which serve as parachutes, and enable it to make very long leaps. -- Flying gurnard (Zoöl.), a species of gurnard of the genus Cephalacanthus or Dactylopterus, with very large pectoral fins, said to be able to fly like the flying fish, but not for so great a distance.

Note: Three species are known; that of the Atlantic is Cephalacanthus volitans. -- Flying jib (Naut.), a sail extended outside of the standing jib, on the flying-jib boom. -- Flying-jib boom (Naut.), an extension of the jib boom. -- Flying kites (Naut.), light sails carried only in fine weather. -- Flying lemur. (Zoöl.) See Colugo. -- Flying level (Civil Engin.), a reconnoissance level over the course of a projected road, canal, etc. -- Flying lizard. (Zoöl.) See Dragon, n, 6. -- Flying machine, an apparatus for navigating the air; a form of balloon. -- Flying mouse (Zoöl.), the opossum mouse (Acrobates pygmæus), of Australia.

Note: It has lateral folds of skin, like the flying squirrels. -- Flying party (Mil.), a body of soldiers detailed to hover about an enemy. -- Flying phalanger (Zoöl.), one of several species of small marsuupials of the genera Petaurus and Belideus, of Australia and New Guinea, having lateral folds like those of the flying squirrels. The sugar squirrel (B. sciureus), and the ariel (B. ariel), are the best known; -- called also squirrel petaurus and flying squirrel. See Sugar squirrel. -- Flying pinion, the fly of a clock. -- Flying sap (Mil.), the rapid construction of trenches (when the enemy's fire of case shot precludes the method of simple trenching), by means of gabions placed in juxtaposition and filled with earth. -- Flying shot, a shot fired at a moving object, as a bird on the wing. -- Flying spider. (Zoöl.) See Ballooning spider. -- Flying squid (Zoöl.), an oceanic squid (Ommastrephes, or Sthenoteuthis, Bartramii), abundant in the Gulf Stream, which is able to leap out of the water with such force that it often falls on the deck of a vessel. -- Flying squirrel (Zoöl.) See Flying squirrel, in the Vocabulary. -- Flying start, a start in a sailing race in which the signal is given while the vessels are under way. -- Flying torch (Mil.), a torch attached to a long staff and used for signaling at night.

FLYING BOAT Flying boat.

Defn: A compact form of hydro-aëroplane having one central body, or hull.

FLYING FISH Fly"ing fish`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A fish which is able to leap from the water, and fly a considerable distance by means of its large and long pectoral fins. These fishes belong to several species of the genus Exocoetus, and are found in the warmer parts of all the oceans.

FLYING SQUIRREL Fly"ing squir"rel ( or ). (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of a group of squirrels, of the genera Pteromus and Sciuropterus, having parachute-like folds of skin extending from the fore to the hind legs, which enable them to make very long leaps.

Note: The species of Pteromys are large, with bushy tails, and inhabit southern Asia and the East Indies; those of Sciuropterus are smaller, with flat tails, and inhabit the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America. The American species (Sciuropterus volucella) is also called Assapan. The Australian flying squrrels, or flying phalangers, are marsupials. See Flying phalanger (above).

FLYMAN Fly"man, n.; pl. Flymen (-mn).

Defn: The driver of a fly, or light public carriage.

FLYSCH Flysch (flsh), n. Etym: [A Swiss word, fr. G. fliessen to flow, melt.] (Geol.)

Defn: A name given to the series of sandstones and schists overlying the true nummulitic formation in the Alps, and included in the Eocene Tertiary.

FLYSPECK Fly"speck (fl'spk), n.

Defn: A speck or stain made by the excrement of a fly; hence, any insignificant dot.

FLYSPECK Fly"speck, v. t.

Defn: To soil with flyspecks.

FLYTRAP Fly"trap, n.

1

Defn: . A trap for catching flies.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant (Dionæa muscipula), called also Venus's flytrap, the leaves of which are fringed with stiff bristles, and fold together when certain hairs on their upper surface are touched, thus seizing insects that light on them. The insects so caught are afterwards digested by a secretion from the upper surface of the leaves.

FNESE Fnese, v. i. Etym: [AS. fnsan, gefnsan.]

Defn: To breathe heavily; to snort. [Obs.] Chaucer.

FO Fo, n.

Defn: The Chinese name of Buddha.

FOAL Foal, n. Etym: [OE. fole, AS. fola; akin to OHG. folo, G. fohlen, Goth. fula, Icel. foli, Sw Lfle, Gr., L. pullus a young animal. Cf. Filly, Poultry, Pullet.] (Zoö.)

Defn: The young of any animal of the Horse family (Equidæ); a colt; a filly. Foal teeth (Zoöl.), the first set of teeth of a horse. -- In foal, With foal, being with young; pregnant; -- said of a mare or she ass.

FOAL Foal, v.t. [imp.& p.p. Foaled; p. pr. & vb. n. Foaling.]

Defn: To bring forth (a colt); -- said of a mare or a she ass.

FOAL Foal, v.i.

Defn: To bring forth young, as an animal of the horse kind.

FOALFOOT Foal"foot`, n.

Defn: (Bot.) See Coltsfoot.