Frescade, fres-kād′, n. a cool walk. [Fr.,—It. frescata.]

Fresco, fres′kō, n. a painting executed with colours, consisting chiefly of natural earths, upon walls covered with damp freshly-laid plaster.—v.t. to paint in fresco:—pr.p. fres′cōing; pa.p. fres′cōed.—adj. Fres′coed.—ns. Fres′coer; Fres′coing; Fres′coist. [It. fresco, fresh.]

Fresh, fresh, adj. in a state of activity and health: new and strong, not stale or faded: recently produced or obtained: untried: having renewed vigour: healthy, refreshing, invigorating: brisk: (slang) tipsy: not salt.—n. (Shak.) a small stream of fresh water: (Scot.) a thaw, open weather.—adj. Fresh′-blown, newly blown, as a flower.—v.t. Fresh′en, to make fresh: to take the saltness from.—v.i. to grow fresh: to grow brisk or strong.—ns. Fresh′ener; Fresh′et, a pool or stream of fresh water: the sudden overflow of a river from rain or melted snow.—adj. Fresh′ish.—adv. Fresh′ly.—ns. Fresh′man, one in the rudiments of knowledge, esp. a university student in his first year—also Fresh′er; Fresh′manship, Fresh′erdom.—adj. Fresh′-new (Shak.), unpractised, wholly unacquainted; Fresh′wa′ter, of or pertaining to water not salt: accustomed to sail only on fresh water—hence unskilled, raw. [A.S. fersc; cf. Dut. versch, Ger. frisch.]

Fret, fret, v.t. to wear away by rubbing, to rub, chafe, ripple, disturb: to eat into: to vex, to irritate.—v.i. to wear away: to vex one's self: to be peevish:—pr.p. fret′ting; pa.p. fret′ted, (B.) fret.—n. agitation of the surface of a liquid: irritation: the worn side of the banks of a river.—adj. Fret′ful, peevish.—adv. Fret′fully.—n. Fret′fulness.—p.adj. Fret′ting, vexing.—n. peevishness. [A.S. fretan, to gnaw—pfx. for-, inten., and etan, to eat; Ger. fressen.]

Fret, fret, v.t. to ornament with raised work: to variegate:—pr.p. fret′ting; pa.p. fret′ted. [O. Fr. freter.]

Fret, fret, n. a piece of interlaced ornamental work: (archit.) an ornament consisting of small fillets intersecting each other at right angles: (her.) bars crossed and interlaced.—ns. Fret′-saw, a saw with a narrow blade and fine teeth, used for fret-work, scroll-work, &c.; Frette, a hoop for strengthening a cannon shrunk on its breach.—adjs. Fret′ted, Fret′ty, ornamented with frets.—n. Fret′-work, ornamental work consisting of a combination of frets, perforated work. [O. Fr. frete, trellis-work.]

Fret, fret, n. a short wire on the finger-board of a guitar or other instrument.—v.t. to furnish with frets. [Prob. same as the above.]

Friable, frī′a-bl, adj. apt to crumble: easily reduced to powder.—ns. Frī′ableness, Friabil′ity. [Fr.,—L. friabilisfriāre, friātum, to crumble.]

Friar, frī′ar, n. a member of one of the mendicant monastic orders in the R.C. Church—the Franciscans (Friars Minor or Gray Friars), Dominicans (Friars Major, Friars Preachers, or Black Friars), Carmelites (White Friars), and Augustinians (Austin Friars).—adj. Frī′arly, like a friar.—n. Frī′ary, a monastery.—Friars' balsam (see Benzoin); Friar's cap, the wolf's-bane; Friar's cowl, the wake-robin; Friar's lantern, the ignis-fatuus or Will-o'-the-wisp. [O. Fr. frere—L. frater, a brother.]

Fribble, frib′l, v.i. to trifle.—n. a trifler.—ns. Fribb′ledom; Fribb′leism; Fribb′ler.—adj. Fribb′lish, trifling. [Onomatopœic; prob. influenced by frivol.]