Falcate, -d, fal′kāt, -ed, adj. (astron., bot.) bent like a sickle, as the crescent moon, and certain leaves.—ns. Falcā′tion; Fal′cula, a falcate or falciform claw.—adj. Fal′culate. [L. falx, a sickle.]
Falchion, fawl′shun, n. a short, broad sword, bent somewhat like a sickle.—adj. Fal′ciform, sickle-shaped. [O. Fr. fauchon, through Low L., from L. falx, a sickle.]
Falcon, fol′kon, or faw′kn, n. a bird of prey formerly trained to the pursuit of game: a kind of cannon.—ns. Fal′coner, one who sports with, or who breeds and trains, falcons or hawks for taking wild-fowl; Fal′conet, a small field-gun in use till the 16th century.—adj. Fal′con-eyed, keen-eyed.—ns. Fal′con-gen′til, -gen′tle, the female and young of the goshawk.—adj. Fal′conine.—n. Fal′conry, the art of training or hunting with falcons. [O. Fr. faucon—Low L. falcōn-em—L. falx, a hook or sickle.]
Faldage, fal′dāj, n. the right, often reserved by the lord of a manor, of folding his tenant's sheep in his own fields for the sake of the manure: a fee paid for exemption from the foregoing.
Falderal, fäl′der-al, n. a meaningless refrain in songs: any kind of flimsy trifle—also Fol′derol and Fal de rol.—Falderal it, to sing unmeaning sounds.
Faldetta, fal-det′a, n. a Maltese woman's combined hood and cape. [It.]
Faldstool, fawld′stōōl, n. a folding or camp stool: a kind of stool for the king at his coronation: a bishop's armless seat: a small desk in churches in England, at which the litany should be sung or said.—n. Fald′istory, a bishop's seat within the chancel. [Low L. faldistolium—Old High Ger. faldan (Ger. falten), to fold, stuol (Ger. stuhl), stool.]
Falernian, fa-ler′ni-an, adj. pertaining to a district (Falernus ager) in Campania, famous of old for its wine.—n. Faler′ne, a modern sweet white wine, produced near Naples.
Fall, fawl, v.i. to drop down: to descend by the force of gravity: to become prostrate: (of a river) to discharge itself: to slope down: to sink as if dead: to vanish: to die away: to lose strength, subside: to decline in power, wealth, value, or reputation: to be overthrown: to be compelled to yield: to become downcast: to sink into sin, to yield to temptation: to depart from the faith: to become dejected: to pass gently into any state, as 'to fall in love,' 'to fall asleep:' to befall: to issue, occur: to enter upon with haste or vehemence: to rush: to be dropped in birth: to be required or necessary: to fall away:—pr.p. fall′ing; pa.t. fell; pa.p. fallen (faw′ln).—n. the act of falling, in any of its senses: descent by gravity, a dropping down: that which falls—a trap-door, &c.: as much as comes down at one time, as 'a fall of snow,' &c.: overthrow: death: descent from a better to a worse position: slope or declivity: descent of water: a cascade: length of a fall: outlet of a river: decrease in value: a sinking of the voice: the time when the leaves fall, autumn: a bout at wrestling: the yielding of a city or stronghold to the enemy: that which falls: a lapse into sin, esp. that of Adam and Eve, called 'the Fall:' a kind of collar worn in the 17th century.—adj. Fall′en, in a degraded state, ruined.—ns. Fall′ing, that which falls; Fall′ing-band (see Band); Fall′ing-sick′ness, epilepsy; Fall′ing-star, a meteor; Fall′ing-stone, a portion of an exploded meteor; Fall′trank, a medicine compounded of certain aromatic and astringent Swiss plants, of repute for accidents; Fall′-trap, a trap which operates by falling.—Fall-a, to begin; Fall across, to meet by chance; Fall among, to come into the midst of; Fall away, to decline gradually, to languish: to grow lean: to revolt or apostatise; Fall back, to retreat, give way; Fall back, fall edge, no matter what may happen; Fall back upon, to have recourse to some expedient or resource in reserve; Fall behind, to slacken, to be outstripped; Fall flat, to fail completely, as a shopman in attracting attention or purchasers, a new book, &c.; Fall foul, to come in collision: to quarrel (with of); Fall in (with), to concur or agree: to comply: to place themselves in order, as soldiers; Fall off, to separate or be broken: to die away, to perish: to revolt or apostatise; Fall on, to begin eagerly: to make an attack: to meet; Fall on one's feet, to come well out of a difficulty, to gain any unexpected good fortune; Fall out, to quarrel: to happen or befall; Fall over (Shak.), to go over to the enemy; Fall short, to be deficient (with of); Fall through, to fail, come to nothing; Fall to, to begin hastily and eagerly: to apply one's self to; Fall upon, to attack: to attempt: to rush against.—Try a fall, to take a bout at wrestling. [A.S. feallan; Ger. fallen; prob. conn. with L. fallĕre, to deceive.]
Fall, fawl, n. the cry given when a whale is sighted, or harpooned: the chase of a whale.—Loose fall, the losing of a whale. [Prob. from the north-eastern Scotch pronunciation of whale.]