Faux, R. Any narrow passage, lobby, corridor, or entrance to a house, in especial the passage which formed the communication between two blocks of a house. In the plural, fauces, like carceres, denoted stalls or stables for horses. (See Carcer.)
Favissæ, R. Pits or cellars under a temple, in which all the furniture and sacred implements which had become unfit for use were kept.
Favour, O. E. A love-gift; a ribbon or glove, &c., worn on the crest of the favoured knight at a tournament, &c.
Favourite, O. E. A lock of hair: “a sort of modish lock, dangling on the temples.” (Ladies’ Dictionary, 1694.)
Favus, R. A flagstone or tablet of marble cut into a hexagon, like the cell of a honeycomb (favus), whence its name. [Pavements of this pattern were called Sectilia.]
Fax, R. A torch. This consisted either of pieces of wood joined together and steeped in resin, or a metal tube filled with inflammable materials, such as resin, pitch, tallow, tow impregnated with wax, &c. [The early evening was hence called prima fax, and as marriages were celebrated at that time of day, the torch was made an attribute of Hymen, and a symbol of marriage. The torch was also carried at funerals to fire the pile with.]
Fayence. Pottery.
Feather. In Christian art (German) an attribute of St. Barbara; it is generally a peacock’s feather. This refers to an old German version of her legend, which relates that when St. Barbara was scourged by her father, angels changed the rods into feathers.
Featherings, in Architecture, are lacelike ornaments along the edges of arcs in windows, canopies, &c.
