Fictile, fik′til, adj. used or fashioned by the potter, plastic. [L. fictilis—fingĕre, to form or fashion.]
Fiction, fik′shun, n. a feigned or false story: a falsehood: romance: the novel, story-telling as a branch of literature: a supposition of law that a thing is true, which is either certainly not true, or at least is as probably false as true.—adj. Fic′tional.—n. Fic′tionist, a writer of fiction.—adj. Ficti′tious, imaginary: not real: forged.—adv. Ficti′tiously.—adj. Fic′tive, fictitious, imaginative.—n. Fic′tor, one who makes images of clay, &c. [Fr.,—L. fiction-em—fictus, pa.p. of fingĕre.]
Fid, fid, n. a conical pin of hard wood, used by sailors to open the strands of a rope in splicing: a square bar of wood or iron, with a shoulder at one end, used to support the weight of the topmast or top-gallant-mast when swayed up into place.
Fiddle, fid′l, n. a stringed instrument of music, called also a Violin.—v.t. or v.i. to play on a fiddle: to be busy over trifles, to trifle:—pr.p. fidd′ling; pa.p. fidd′led.—ns. Fidd′le-block, a long block having two sheaves of different diameters in the same plane; Fidd′le-bow, a bow strung with horse-hair, with which the strings of the fiddle are set vibrating.—interjs. Fidd′le-de-dee, Fidd′lestick (often pl.), nonsense!—v.i. Fidd′le-fadd′le, to trifle, to dally.—n. trifling talk.—adj. fussy, trifling.—interj. nonsense!—n. Fidd′le-fadd′ler.—adj. Fidd′le-fadd′ling.—ns. Fidd′le-head, an ornament at a ship's bow, over the cut-water, consisting of a scroll turning aft or inward; Fidd′ler, one who fiddles: a small crab of genus Gelasimus; Fidd′le-string, a string for a fiddle; Fidd′le-wood, a tropical American tree yielding valuable hard wood.—adj. Fidd′ling, trifling, busy about trifles.—Fiddler's green, a sailor's name for a place of frolic on shore.—Play first, or second, fiddle, to take the part of the first, or second, violin-player in an orchestra: to take a leading, or a subordinate, part in anything; Scotch fiddle, the itch. [A.S. fiðele; Ger. fiedel. See Violin.]
Fidelity, fi-del′i-ti, n. faithful performance of duty: faithfulness to a husband or wife: honesty: firm adherence. [L. fidelitat-em—fidelis, faithful—fidĕre, to trust.]
Fidget, fij′et, v.i. to be unable to rest: to move uneasily:—pr.p. fidg′eting; pa.p. fidg′eted.—n. irregular motion: restlessness: (pl.) general nervous restlessness, with a desire of changing the position.—v.i. Fidge, to move about restlessly: to be eager.—n. Fidg′etiness.—adj. Fidg′ety, restless: uneasy. [Perh. related to fike (q.v.).]
Fiducial, fi-dū′shi-al, adj. showing confidence or reliance: of the nature of a trust.—adv. Fidū′cially.—adj. Fidū′ciary, confident: unwavering: held in trust.—n. one who holds anything in trust: (theol.) one who depends for salvation on faith without works, an Antinomian. [L. fiducia, confidence, from fidĕre, to trust.]
Fie, fī, interj. denoting disapprobation or disgust. [Scand., Ice. fý, fei, fie! cf. Ger. pfui.]
Fief, fēf, n. land held of a superior in fee or on condition of military service: a feud. [Fr.,—Low L. feudum.]
Field, fēld, n. country or open country in general: a piece of ground enclosed for tillage or pasture: the range of any series of actions or energies: the locality of a battle: the battle itself: room for action of any kind: a wide expanse: (her.) the surface of a shield: the background on which figures are drawn: the part of a coin left unoccupied by the main device: those taking part in a hunt: all the entries collectively against which a single contestant has to compete: all the parties not individually excepted, as 'to bet on the field' in a horse-race.—v.t. at cricket and base-ball, to catch or stop and return to the fixed place.—v.i. to stand in positions so as to catch the ball easily in cricket.—ns. Field′-allow′ance, a small extra payment to officers on active service; Field′-artill′ery, light ordnance suited for active operations in the field; Field′-bed, a camp or trestle bedstead; Field′-book, a book used in surveying fields.—n.pl. Field′-col′ours, small flags used for marking the position for companies and regiments, also any regimental headquarters' flags.—n. Field′-day, a day when troops are drawn out for instruction in field exercises: any day of unusual bustle.—adj. Field′ed (Shak.), encamped.—ns. Field′er, one who fields; Field′fare, a species of thrush, having a reddish-yellow throat and breast spotted with black; Field′-glass, a binocular telescope slung over the shoulder in a case; Field′-gun, a light cannon mounted on a carriage; Field′-hand, an outdoor farm labourer; Field′-hos′pital, a temporary hospital near the scene of battle; Field′-ice, ice formed in the polar seas in large surfaces, distinguished from icebergs; Field′ing, the acting in the field at cricket as distinguished from batting; Field′-mar′shal, an officer of the highest rank in the army; Field′-meet′ing, a conventicle; Field′-mouse, a species of mouse that lives in the fields; Field′-night, a night marked by some important gathering, discussion, &c.; Field′-off′icer, a military officer above the rank of captain, and below that of general; Field′piece, a cannon or piece of artillery used in the field of battle; Field′-preach′er, one who preaches in the open air; Field′-preach′ing; Fields′man, a fielder.—n.pl. Field′-sports, sports of the field, as hunting, racing, &c.—n. Field′-train, a department of the Royal Artillery responsible for the safety and supply of ammunition during war.—advs. Field′ward, -wards, toward the fields.—n.pl. Field′works, temporary works thrown up by troops in the field, either for protection or to cover an attack upon a stronghold.—Field of vision, the compass of visual power.—Keep the field, to keep the campaign open: to maintain one's ground. [A.S. feld; cf. Dut. veld, the open country, Ger. feld.]