Falter, fawl′tėr, v.i. to stumble: to fail or stammer in speech: to tremble or totter: to be feeble or irresolute.—n. any unsteadiness.—n. Fal′tering, feebleness, deficiency.—adv. Fal′teringly, in a faltering or hesitating manner. [Prob. a freq. of falden, fold. The conn. with fault, in which the l is late, is untenable.]
Falx, falks, n. a sickle-shaped part or process, as of the dura mater of the skull: a chelicera: a poison-fang of a snake: a rotula of a sea-urchin:—pl. Falces (fal′sēz). [L., a sickle.]
Famble, fam′bl, n. (slang) the hand—also Fam.—v.t. to feel or handle. [Der. obscure; perh. from the obs. verb famble, in its probable original sense, 'to grope, fumble.']
Fame, fām, n. public report or rumour: renown or celebrity, chiefly in good sense.—v.t. to report: to make famous.—n. Fā′ma, report, rumour, fame.—adjs. Famed, renowned; Fame′less, without renown.—Fama clamosa (Scot.), any notorious rumour ascribing immoral conduct to a minister or office-bearer in a church.—House of ill fame, a brothel. [Fr.,—L. fama, from fāri, to speak; cog. with Gr. phēmē, from phanai, to say.]
Familiar, fa-mil′yar, adj. well acquainted or intimate: showing the manner of an intimate: free: unceremonious: having a thorough knowledge of: well known or understood: private, domestic: common, plain.—n. one well or long acquainted: a spirit or demon supposed to attend an individual at call: a member of a pope's or bishop's household: the officer of the Inquisition who arrested the suspected.—v.t. Famil′iarise, to make thoroughly acquainted: to accustom: to make easy by practice or study.—n. Familiar′ity, intimate acquaintanceship: freedom from constraint: any unusual or unwarrantable freedom in act or speech toward another, acts of license—usually in pl.—adv. Famil′iarly. [O. Fr. familier—L. familiaris, from familia, a family.]
Family, fam′i-li, n. the household, or all those who live in one house under one head, including parents, children, servants: the children of a person: the descendants of one common progenitor: race: honourable or noble descent: a group of animals, plants, languages, &c. more comprehensive than a genus.—ns. Fam′ilism, the family feeling; Fam′ilist, one of the 16th-cent. mystical sect known as the Family of Love, which based religion upon love independently of faith.—Family Bible, a large Bible for family worship, with a page for recording family events; Family coach, a large carriage able to carry a whole family; Family man, a man with a family: a domesticated man.—Be in the family way, to be pregnant; In a family way, in a domestic manner. [L. familia—famulus, a servant.]
Famine, fam′in, n. general scarcity of food: extreme scarcity of anything, as in 'famine prices,' &c.: hunger: starvation. [Fr., through an unrecorded Low L. famina, from L. fames, hunger.]
Famish, fam′ish, v.t. to starve.—v.i. to die or suffer extreme hunger or thirst.—n. Fam′ishment, starvation. [Obs. fame, to starve—L. fames, hunger.]
Famous, fā′mus, adj. renowned: noted.—v.t. to make famous.—adv. Fā′mously.—n. Fā′mousness. [O. Fr.,—L. famosus—fama.]
Famulus, fam′ū-lus, n. a private secretary or factotum: an attendant, esp. on a magician or scholar.—n. Fam′ulist, a collegian of inferior position (Dr Murray doubts the word). [L. famulus, a servant.]