Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FOR'TUNE, v.i.

To befall; to fall out; to happen; to come casually to pass. It fortuned the same night that a Christian serving a Turk in the camp, secretly gave the watchmen warning. Knolles.

FOR'TUNE, v.t.

1. To make fortunate. [Not used.] Chaucer.
2. To dispose fortunately or not; also, to presage. [Obs.] Dryden.

FOR'TUNE-BOOK, n.

A book to be consulted to discover future events. Crashaw.

FOR'TUN-ED, a.

Supplied by fortune. Shak.

FOR'TUNE-HUNT-ER, n.

A man who seeks to marry a woman with a large portion, with a view to enrich himself. Addison.

FOR'TUNE-HUNT-ING, n.

The seeking of a fortune by marriage.

FOR'TUNE-LESS, a.

Luckless; also, destitute of a fortune or portion.

FOR'TUNE-TELL, v.t.

To tell or pretend to tell the future events of one's life; to reveal futurity. Shak.

FOR'TUNE-TELL-ER, n.

One who tells or pretends to foretell the events of one's life; an impostor who deceives people by pretending to a knowledge of future events.

FOR'TUNE-TELL-ING, n.

The act or practice of foretelling the future fortune or events of one's life, which is a punishable crime.

FOR'TUNE-TELL-ING, ppr.

Telling the future events of one's life.

FOR'TUN-IZE, v.t.

To regulate the fortune of. [Not in use.] Spenser.

FORTY, a. [Sax. feowertig; feower, four, and tig, ten. See Four.]

1. Four times ten.
2. An indefinite number; a colloquial use. A, B and C, and forty more. Swift.

FO'RUM, n. [L. See Fair.]

1. In Rome, a public place, where causes were judicially tried, and orations delivered to the people, also, a market place. Hence,
2. A tribunal; a court; any assembly empowered to hear and decide causes; also, jurisdiction.

FOR-WAN'DER, v.i.

To wander away; to rove wildly. [Not used.] Spenser.

FOR'WARD, a.

1. Near or at the forepart; in advance of something else; as, the forward gun in a ship, or the forward ship in fleet; the forward horse in a team.
2. Ready; prompt; strongly inclined. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. Gal. ii.
3. Ardent; eager; earnest; violent. Or lead the forward youth to noble war. Prior.
4. Bold; confident; less reserved or modest than is proper; in an ill sense; as, the boy is too forward for his years.
5. Advanced beyond the usual degree; advanced for the season. The grass or the grain is forward, or forward the season; we have a forward spring.
6. Quick; hasty; too ready. Be not forward to speak in public. Prudence directs that we be not too forward to believe current reports.
7. Anterior; fore. Let us take the instant by the forward top. – Shak.
8. Advanced; not behindhand. – Shak.

FOR'WARD, adv. [Sax. forweard; for, fore, and weard, turned, L. versus; directed to the forepart.]

Toward a part or place before or in front, onward; progressively; opposed to backward. Go forward; move forward. He ran backward and forward. In a ship, forward denotes toward the forepart.

FOR'WARD, v.t.

1. To advance; to help onward; to promote; as, to forward a good design.
2. To accelerate; to quicken; to hasten; as, to forward the growth of a plant; to forward one in improvement.
3. To send forward; to send toward the place of destination; to transmit; as, to forward a letter or dispatches.

FOR'WARD-ED, pp.

Advanced; promoted; aided in progress; quickened; sent onward; transmitted.

FOR'WARD-ER, n.

He that promotes, or advanced in progress.

FOR'WARD-ING, ppr.

Advancing; promoting; aiding in progress; accelerating in growth; sending onward; transmitting.

FOR'WARD-LY, adv.

Eagerly; hastily; quickly. – Atterbury.

FOR'WARD-NESS, n.

1. Cheerful readiness; promptness. It expresses more than willingness. We admire the forwardness of Christians in propagating the Gospel.
2. Eagerness; ardor. It is sometimes difficult to restrain the forwardness of youth.
3. Boldness; confidence; assurance; want of due reserve or modesty. In France it is usual to bring children into company, and cherish in them, from their infancy, a kind of forwardness and assurance. – Addison.
4. A state of advance beyond the usual degree; as, the forwardness of spring or of corn.

FOR-WASTE', v.t.

To waste; to desolate. [Not in use.] – Spenser.

FOR-WEA'RY, v.t.

To dispirit. [Not in use.] – Spenser.