Words

Favorite Words —  The Letter F

fabliau (fab’lee.o) — medieval verse tale char. by comic ribald treatment of themes drawn from life

fabricate

facet

facetious

facile

facilitate

faction

factitious

facto’tum — an employee or assistant who serves in a wide range of capacities

faculties — an inherent power or ability

Fado — A Portuguese folk song, usually featuring a single vocalist, Portuguese guitar and sometimes classical guitar

faena (fa.aa’na) — series of final passes performed by a matador preparatory to killing a bull

faience (fii.ans’) — earthenware decorated with colorful glazes

fain — happily, gladly

fainéant (fay.nay.an’) — given to doing nothing, idle

fait accompli (faa.ta.kon.ple) — an accomplished, irreversible deed or fact

faitour (fa’ter) — imposter

fal’cate — curved and tapering to a point

fal’ible

falla’cious

fallal (fal.lal’) — a showy article of dress

fallow — inactivity (plowed but left unseeded)

falset’to — male singing voice marked by artificially produced tones in an upper register beyond the normal range, esp. of a tenor

fam’ished

fam’ulus — private secretary or other close attendant

familial (fa.mil’yel)

famish

famulus (fam’ye.les) — private secretary or other close attendant (esp. of sorcerer or scholar)

fandang’o — animated Spanish dance in triple time; music for this dance

fanfaronade (fan.fer.UH.naide) — bragging or blustering manner or behavior; fanfare

fanion (fan’yen) —  small flag for marking a position, used by surveyors or soldiers

fanzine — amateur-produced fan magazine

faraday effect —  rotation of the plane of polarization of plane–polarized light passed through an isotropic medium in direction of an applied magnetic field

farceur’ —  one who acts in or writes a farce, comic

far’del —  a pack, bundle

fare’-thee-well

far’o — card game in which the players lay wagers on the top card of the dealer’s pack (alt. of Pharaoh); The last faro “bank” was closed in 1975 in Ely, Nevada, although there was a short revival at Reno in 1980-85. The betting layout consists of a suit of cards, from Ace up to King. Players bet on the card rank of their choice. The dealer exposes cards in pairs, a winner and a loser, and pays out or collects accordingly

farouche’ — fierce, wild; sullen and withdrawn; unsociable, shy

farra’go — assortment, medley

far’rier — one that shoes horses

far’row — a litter of pigs

far’si — modern Iranian lang.; Persian

far’thing — worth one-fourth of a penny; of very little value

farthingale — support, such as a hoop, worn beneath a skirt to extend it horizontally

fascism (fash’iz.em) — a sys. of gov. marked by a totalitarian dictator, socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition, and usu. a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.  Oppressive dictatorial control.

fastid’ious — meticulous devotion to detail

fat’alism — doctrine that all events are predetermined and unalterable

Fat’ima — daughter of Islamic prophet Muhammad; considered by Muslims to be one of the four perfect women

fat’uous — vacuously, smugly and unconsciously foolish

fath’om — marine depth of 6 feet

fatu’ity — smug stupidity; utter foolishness

fatuous

faun — Rom. myth, group of rural deities represented by having the body of a man and the horns, ears, tail and legs of a goat (gk.: Pan)

fau’na — animals of a region (with flora)

Fau’vism — early 20^th c. movement in painting begun by french and marked by the use of bold, distorted forms and vivid colors

Faust (fowlst) — sold soul to devil for power and knowledge

faute de mieux (foat’.de.mur’) — for lack of anything better

faux pas — social blunder

fauxnaif’ — pretending innocent simplicity

favo’nean — relating to west wind; benign

fawn — to seek favor or attention by flattery; young deer

fay — fairy or elf

fe’mur — thigh

fealty (fee’al.tee) — fidelity owed by a vassal to his feudal lord, faithfulness

featherweight — boxer weights more than 118 and not more than 126 (between 119 lbs. – 126 lbs.)

feb’rile — feverish

fec’ulent — full of foul or impure matter; fecal

fec’und — fruitful; productive of offspring; intellectually productive

fecal — (fee’cal) relating to feces

feces — (fee’sees) — waste matter

feckless — feeble or ineffective; careless and irresponsible

fedor’a — soft felt hat with fairy low crown creased lengthwise and a brim that can be turned up or down (Bogart)

feeble

feign (faan) — give false appearance of; to fabricate

feisty (fii’stee)

feld’spar — abundant rock forming minerals

felic’itous — happy or fortunate; apt

felic’ity — bliss

fella’tio

femme fatale’ — seductive woman who leads men into dangerous situations; alluring mysterious woman

fence sitter — neutral or indecisive in controversy

fenestra’tion — design and placement of windows in architecture

feoff’ment (fef-ment) — grant of lands as a fee

fer’al — of the wild

fer’rule — metal ring or cap laced around pole or shaft for reinforcement; bushing used to secure a pipe joint

fer’tile

fer’vent — ardent

fer’vid — great passion

fer’vor — great warmth and intensity of emotion

fes’cennine (nine) — licentious, obscene

fes’tinate — hasty

fest’schrift — volume of learned articles or essays by colleagues or admirers, serving as a tribute or memorial, esp. to a scholar.

festoon’ — string or garland, as of flowers, suspended in a loop or curve between two points

fet’id — having an offensive odor

fet’lock — projection on lower part of leg of horse, above and behind the hoof (tuft of hair)

fet’ter — chain or shackle

fetching — charming

fete (fate) — festival or feast

feuilleton (foe.ye.ton’) — part of European NP given to light fiction, reviews, and articles of general entertainment; light popular fiction

fey (fay) — appearing touched or crazy

fi’at — sanction, arbitrary order

fiacre (fe.a’ker) — small hackney carriage

fianchetto — (fee.un.ket’.o) dev. in chess of a bishop, in opening move, by advancing one or two pawns so as to permit movement along bishops diagonal

fiat (fee’at) — arbitrary order or decree; authorization or sanction

fibrous (fii’brous) — full of sinews, tough, consisting of fibers

ficti’tious

fictive

fidel’ity  — faithfulness; degree to which electronic sys. accurately reproduces the sound or image of its input signal

fiduciary — holding something in trust for another; relating to trustee

fief’dom — something one person or group controls

fielder’s choice — baseball, play made on a ground ball in which the fielder chooses to put out an advancing base runner, thus allowing the batter to reach first base safely

fiend

Fifth Amendment — due process of law; can’t testify against oneself; forbids double jeopardy

Fifth Estate — class or group in society besides nobility, clergy, middle class and press

figurative — metaphorical

fil’ibuster — use of obstructionist tactics, esp. prolonged speech-making in order to delay legislative action

filch — to take something of little value in a furtive manner

filigree — delicate and intricate ornamental work made of gold, silver or other fine twisted wire

filth

fin’ca — large farm or ranch in S. Am.

fina’gle

fin-de-siecle (fan.duh.see.ek’la) — last part of the 19^th C., esp. its artistic, effete sophistication

finesse’ — skillful, subtle handling of a situation

finial (fin’ee.al) — ornamental terminating part, such as screw on top of a lampshade

fir’nament — vault or expanse of the heavens, sky

firth — long narrow inlet of the sea

fis’sure

fisticuffs

fix’ate

fla’grant — conspicuously bad or reprehensible

fla’men — priest, esp. of ancient Roman deity

flabbergasted

flaccid — lacking firmness, vigor, energy

flag’ellate — whip

flag’on — large vessel for holding wine or liquors

flagante delicto (fla.gran.tee di.lik’toe) — in the very act; red-handed

flagship — chief one of related group

flam’beau — large ornamental candlestick

flamboy’ant — highly elaborate; ornate; showy

flaneur (fla.nur’) — stroller, lounger

flank’en — cut of meat taken from the short ribs of beef

flapdoodle — foolish talk; nonsense

flash point — lowest temperature at which the vapor of a combustible liquid can be made to ignite momentarily.  The point at which eruption into significant action, creation or violence occurs

flat’ulent

flaunt

flauta — tortilla rolled around filling such as beef or cheese into a flute-like shape and usu. deep fried

flaves’cent — turning yellow; yellowish

flèche (flesh) – slender spire, esp. one on a church above the intersection of the nave and transepts

fledgling — young bird that has recently been born; young or inexperienced person

fleece — to defraud of money, swindle; coat of wool of a sheep

Fleet Street — headquarters of many British Newspapers

fleishig (flaa’shik) — relating to meat products (Yiddish)

flense — to strip the blubber or skin from a whale (Danish)

fleur-de-lis (flur.de.lee’) — iris, esp. white flowered form; device consisting of stylized three-petaled iris (used as armorial emblem of the Kings of France)

flibbertigibbet (flibber.tee.jibbet) — frivolous, flighty, or excessively talkative person

flicker — flutter, burn unsteadily

flim flam — nonsense, humbug

flimsy — light, insubstantial, lacking strength

flippant — marked by disrespectful levity or casualness

flor’id — flushed with rosy color; flowery, ornate

flor’in — Guilder, british coin worth two shillings

floruit (flor’yoo.it) — period during which a person, school or movement was most active or flourishing

flour’ish —thrive; grow luxuriantly

flout — show contempt for, scorn

fluc’tuate

fluke

flum’mox — to confuse; perplex

flying start — quick or auspicious beginning

flyleaf — blank leaf in the front or back of a book

f-number  ratio —of the focal length of a lens to the diameter of aperture

fob — to put off or evade by deceitful means

focal length – distance from the surface of a lens or mirror to its focal point

Foggy Bottom — U.S. Dept. of State; its location in a low-lying area of Washington

foi’ble — minor weakness or failing of character

foist

fol’derol — foolishness

fol’licle — small body cavity or sac

foliage

folie à deux (fo.lee a doe’) — condition in which symptoms of a mental disorder, occur simultaneously in two people who share a close association (madness between two)

foliose (fo’.lee.os) — bearing numerous leaves

foment’ — incite; promote the growth of

foofaraw (foo’fe.raw) — excessive or flashy ornamentation; fuss or trifling matter

foolhardy — unwisely bold

for’age — act of looking or searching for food

for’ay — to make inroads

for’mulary — book or other collection of fixed forms (such as prayers or pharmaceutical substances)

force majeure (ma.zhur’) — superior or overpowering force; unexpected or uncontrollable event

fore and aft — bow to stern

forebear’ance — tolerance and restraint in face of provocation; patience

forebo’ding — sense of impending evil; a portent

forefront — position of most importance, prominence or responsibility; vanguard

foregoing — previous; written or encountered before

foreknowledge — awareness before existence or occurrence

foremost — first in time or place; paramount

forensic — used in debate or argument; rhetorical

forensics — art or study of formal debate

foreordain’ — determine or appoint beforehand

foresee

foreshorten — reduce length; curtail

foresight — perception of the significance and nature of events before they’ve occurred

forestall’ — delay, hinder, or prevent by taking precautionary measures

foretell

forethought

forevermore

forfeiture

forge

forgo — abstain from

forlorn

formidable

forsake — to give up something held dear; renounce

forswear — renounce seriously

forsyth’ia — shrubs with early-blooming yellow flowers

fort’ify — strengthen

fort’itude — strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage

forthright — direct and without evasion

forthwith — at once

fortis’simo — in a very loud manner; note, chord or passage played fortissimo

fortnight — two weeks

fortu’itous — happening by accident or chance

fos’sick — search for gold, in abandoned workings; to rummage, esp. for profit

fou.droy’ant — dazzling or stunning in effect

fount — fountain; one that initiates or dispenses

fourchette’ (four.shet) — narrow forked strip of material joining the front and back sections of the fingers of gloves

fourpenny nail — nail 1 ½ inches (3.8 cent.)

fourragère — ornamental braided cord, usu. looped around the left shoulder of a uniform

Fourth Estate — Journalists considered as a group; the press

frac’as — brawl, quarrel

frac’tious — inclined to make trouble, unruly

fragrant — having a pleasant odor

frame of reference — set of ideas in terms of which other ideas are interpreted or assigned meaning

fran’gible — capable of being broken

frank’incense — gum resin from African and Asian trees used as incense or perfume

fraternize

fraud’ulent — deceitful

fraught — marked by distress

fre’snel lens — thin optical lens consisting of concentric rings of segmental lenses, used in spotlights, beacons, and headlights

frenet’ic — wildly excited or active

frenzied

fres’co — art of painting on fresh, moist plaster with pigments dissolved in water

fresh’et — sudden overflow of a stream resulting from heavy rain or thaw

fret — ornamental design consisting of repeated and symmetrical figures, often in relief, contained within a band or border

fretful — vexed or troubled

fretwork — ornamental work consisting of three-dimensional frets; geometric openwork

fri’able — readily crumbled; brittle

fric’andeau — cut of veal that has been larded and braised

fric’assee — poultry or meat cut in pieces and stewed in gravy

fric’ative — consonant, such as f or s, produced by forcing breath through constrictive passage

frieze (freeze) — plain or decorated horizontal along upper portion of wall, part of an entablature between the architrave and cornice

frigorif’ic — causing coldness; chilling

frijol’ — bean cultivated and used for food

frip’pery — pretentious showy finery

friseur (free.zur’) — hairdresser; coiffure

frisson (free.son’) — moment of intense excitement; shudder

frivol’ity

Froe’bel, Frederick Wilheim August — estab. first kindergarten 1837

frolicsome

frond — leaf of a fern

frondes’cent — having a profusion of leaves

front’ispiece — illustration that faces or immediately precedes the title page of a book or mag.; small ornamental pediment, as on top of a door or window

frottage’ — act of rubbing against another person, as in a crowd, to attain sexual gratification; art: the technique or process of taking a rubbing from an uneven surface to form the basis of a work of art

frou frou — fussy or showy dress

frowzy — unkempt, slovenly

frugiv’orous — (fru.jiv’er.ous) — fruit eating

frui’tion — realization of something desired

frump — girl regarded as dull, plain or unfashionable

f-stop — camera lens aperture setting that corresponds to an f-number

fu’tile

fuga’cious — passing away quickly; evanescent

fugue — musical themes stated successively by no. of voices in imitation are dev. contrapuntally

ful’gent — shining brilliantly; radiant

ful’grum — point or support on which a lever pivots

ful’minate — issue a verbal attack; denunciation

full-court press — defensive strategy in which one or two players harass the ball handler over the entire court; strong, diversified effort

full-fledged — mature; full status or rank

fulsome — excessively flattering or insincere; copious or abundant

fun’gibles — goods in which any unit can be replaced by another; interchangeable; returnable or negotiable in kind or by substitution

funam’bulist — performs on tightrope

funer’eal — suggestive of a funeral

funic’ular — operated or moved by a cable

fur’below — ruffle or flounce on a garment

fur’cate — divide into branches

fur’or — public disorder or uproar

fur’tive — stealth

furious

furlong — 1/8th of a mile

furlough — leave of absence; temporary

furtherance

furthermore

fus’illage — central body of aircraft

fus’tigate — criticize harshly; beat with club; cudgel

fusain (fyoo.zan’) — sketch or drawing made with charcoal

fuscous (fuss’cus) — dark, brownish gray

fusion (foo’zhen) — melting by application of heat

fusty — smelling of mildew or decay

futz — waste time or effort on frivolities