the sixth letter in the English and Latin alphabets—its sound called a labio-dental fricative, and formed by bringing the lower lip into contact with the upper teeth: (mus.) the fourth note of the natural diatonic scale of C: as a medieval Roman numeral=40; F=40,000.—The three F's, fair rent, fixity of tenure, and free sale.
Fa′, fä, v. and n. a Scotch form of fall.
Fa′ard, färd, adj. a Scotch form of favoured.
Fabaceous, fā-bā′shi-us, adj. bean-like. [L. faba, a bean.]
Fabian, fā′bi-an, adj. delaying, avoiding battle, cautious, practising the policy of delay.—n. a member of a small group of Socialists in England, called by this name. [From Q. Fabius Maximus, surnamed Cunctator ('delayer'), from the masterly tactics with which he wore out the strength of Hannibal, whom he dared not meet in battle.]
Fable, fā′bl, n. a narrative in which things irrational, and sometimes inanimate, are, for the purpose of moral instruction, feigned to act and speak with human interests and passions: any tale in literary form, not necessarily probable in its incidents, intended to instruct or amuse: the plot or series of events in an epic or dramatic poem: a fiction or myth: a ridiculous story, as in 'old wives' fables,' a falsehood: subject of common talk.—v.i. to tell fictitious tales: (obs.) to tell falsehoods.—v.t. to feign: to invent.—p.adj. Fā′bled, mythical.—n. Fā′bler, a writer or narrator of fictions.—adj. Fab′ular.—v.i. Fab′ulīse, to write fables, or to speak in fables.—ns. Fab′ulist, one who invents fables; Fabulos′ity, Fab′ulousness.—adj. Fab′ulous, feigned, false: related in fable: immense, amazing.—adv. Fab′ulously. [Fr. fable—L. fabula, fāri, to speak.]
Fabliau, fab-li-ō′, n. one of a group of over a hundred metrical tales, usually satirical in quality, produced in France from about the middle of the 12th to the end of the 13th century:—pl. Fab′liaux. [Fr.]
Fabric, fab′rik, or fā′brik, n. workmanship: texture: anything framed by art and labour: building, esp. the construction and maintenance of a church, &c.: manufactured cloth: any system of connected parts.—v.t. (Milt.) to construct.—n. Fab′ricant, a manufacturer. [Fr. fabrique—L. fabrica—faber, a worker in hard materials.]
Fabricate, fab′ri-kāt, v.t. to put together by art and labour: to manufacture: to produce: to devise falsely.—n. Fabricā′tion, construction: manufacture: that which is fabricated or invented: a story: a falsehood.—adj. Fab′ricative.—n. Fab′ricator. [L. fabricāri, -ātus—fabrica, fabric.]