| F |
1. F is the sixth letter of the English alphabet, and a nonvocal consonant. Its form and sound are from the Latin. The Latin borrowed the form from the Greek digamma /, which probably had the value of English w consonant. The form and value of Greek letter came from the Phoenician, the ultimate source being probably Egyptian. Etymologically f is most closely related to p, k, v, and b; as in E. five, Gr. pe`nte; E. wolf, L. lupus, Gr. ly`kos; E. fox, vixen ; fragile, break; fruit, brook, v. t.; E. bear, L. ferre. See Guide to Pronunciation, // 178, 179, 188, 198, 230. |
| 2. (v. t.) The name of the fourth tone of the model scale, or scale of C. F sharp (F /) is a tone intermediate between F and G. |
| 3. (n.) the 6th letter of the Roman alphabet |
| 4. (n.) the capacitance of a capacitor that has an equal and opposite charge of 1 coulomb on each plate and a voltage difference of 1 volt between the plates |
| 5. (n.) a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature |
| 6. (n.) a nonmetallic univalent element belonging to the halogens; usually a yellow irritating toxic flammable gas; a powerful oxidizing agent; recovered from fluorite or cryolite or fluorapatite |
| F clef |
1. (n.) a clef that puts the F below middle C on the fourth line of a staff |
| F layer |
1. (n.) the highest region of the ionosphere (from 90 to 600 miles up) which contains the highest concentration of free electrons and is most useful for long-range radio transmission |
| f number |
1. (n.) the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of a (camera) lens system |
| F region |
1. (n.) the highest region of the ionosphere (from 90 to 600 miles up) which contains the highest concentration of free electrons and is most useful for long-range radio transmission |
| F. D. Roosevelt |
1. (n.) 32nd President of the United States; elected four times; instituted New Deal to counter the Great Depression and led country during World War II (1882-1945) |
| F. G. Banting |
1. (n.) Canadian physiologist who discovered insulin with C. H. Best and who used it to treat diabetes(1891-1941) |
| F. Scott Fitzgerald |
1. (n.) United States author whose novels characterized the Jazz Age in the United States (1896-1940) |
| F.I.S.C. |
1. (n.) a secret federal court created in 1978 by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; responsible for authorizing wiretaps and other forms of electronic surveillance and for authorizing searches of suspected spies and terrorists by the Department of Justice or United States intelligence agencies |
| fa |
1. (n.) A syllable applied to the fourth tone of the diatonic scale in solmization. |
| 2. (n.) The tone F. |
| 3. (n.) the syllable naming the fourth (subdominant) note of the diatonic scale in solmization |
| fa la |
1. (n.) meaningless syllables in the refrain of a partsong |
| FAA |
1. (n.) an agency in the Department of Transportation that is responsible for the safety of civilian aviation |
| faair-spoken |
1. (adj.) Using fair speech, or uttered with fairness; bland; civil; courteous; plausible. |
| fab |
1. (adj.) extremely pleasing |
| Fabaceae |
1. (n.) a large family of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs bearing bean pods; divided for convenience into the subfamilies Caesalpiniaceae; Mimosaceae; Papilionaceae |
| fabaceous |
1. (adj.) Having the nature of a bean; like a bean. |
| fabella |
1. (n.) One of the small sesamoid bones situated behind the condyles of the femur, in some mammals. |
| fabellae |
1. (n. pl.) of Fabella |
| Faberge |
1. (n.) Russian goldsmith noted for creating a series of jeweled and enameled Easter eggs for European royalty (1846-1920) |
| fabian |
1. (adj.) Of, pertaining to, or in the manner of, the Roman general, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus; cautious; dilatory; avoiding a decisive contest. |
| 2. (adj.) using cautious slow strategy to wear down opposition; avoiding direct confrontation |
| 3. (adj.) of or relating to Fabianism |
| 4. (n.) a member of the Fabian Society in Britain |
| Fabian Society |
1. (n.) an association of British socialists who advocate gradual reforms within the law leading to democratic socialism |
| Fabiana |
1. (n.) genus of South and Central American heathlike evergreen shrubs |
| Fabiana imbricata |
1. (n.) Peruvian shrub with small pink to lavender tubular flowers; leaves yield a tonic and diuretic |
| Fabianism |
1. (n.) socialism to be established by gradual reforms within the law |
| fable |
1. (n.) A Feigned story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue. See the Note under Apologue. |
| 2. (n.) The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem. |
| 3. (n.) Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk. |
| 4. (n.) Fiction; untruth; falsehood. |
| 5. (v. i.) To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction ; to write or utter what is not true. |
| 6. (v. t.) To feign; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely. |
| 7. (n.) a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events |
| 8. (n.) a short moral story (often with animal characters) |
| 9. (n.) a deliberately false or improbable account |
| fabled |
1. (imp. v. part.) of Fable |
| 2. (adj.) celebrated in fable or legend |
| fabler |
1. (n.) A writer of fables; a fabulist; a dealer in untruths or falsehoods. |
| fabliau |
1. (n.) One of the metrical tales of the Trouveres, or early poets of the north of France. |
| fabliaux |
1. (n. pl.) of Fabliau |
| fabling |
1. (pres. v. part.) of Fable |