Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FAST'-HAND-ED, a.

Closehanded; covetous; closefisted; avaricious. Bacon.

FAS-TID-I-OS'I-TY, n.

Fastidiousness. [Not used.] Swift.

FAS-TID'I-OUS, a. [L. fastidiosus, from fastidio, to disdain, from fastus, haughtiness. See Heb. בוז. Class Bz, No. 2, 3, 10, 30.]

1. Disdainful; squeamish; delicate to a fault; over nice; difficult to please; as, a fastidious mind or taste.
2. Squeamish; rejecting what is common or not very nice; suited with difficulty; as, a fastidious appetite.

FAS-TID'I-OUS-LY, adv.

Disdainfully; squeamishly; contemptuously. They look fastidiously and speak disdainfully.

FAS-TID'I-OUS-NESS, n.

Disdainfulness; contemptuousness; squeamishness of mind, taste or appetite.

FAS-TIG'I-ATE, or FAS-TIG'I-A-TED, a. [L. fastigiatus, pointed, from fastigio, to point, fastigium, a top or peak.]

1. In botany, a fastigiate stem is one whose branches are of an equal highth. Peduncles are fastigiate, when they elevate the fructifications in a bunch, so as to be equally high, or when they form an even surface at the top. Martyn.
2. Roofed; narrowed to the top.

FAS-TIG'I-UM, n. [L.]

The summit, apex, or ridge of a house or pediment. Elmes.

FAST'ING, n.

The act of abstaining from food.

FAST'ING, ppr.

Abstaining from food.

FAST'ING-DAY, n.

A day of fasting; a fast-day; a day of religious mortification and humiliation.

FAST'LY, adv.

Firmly; surely.

FAST'NESS, a. [Sax. fæstenesse; from fast.]

1. The state of being fast and firm; firm adherence.
2. Strength; security. The places of fastness are laid open. Davies.
3. A strong hold; a fortress or fort; a place fortified; a castle. The enemy retired to their fastnesses.
4. Closeness; conciseness of style. [Not used.] Ascham.

FAST-RE-CE'DING, a.

Receding rapidly. Wordsworth.

FAST-SINK-ING, a.

Rapidly sinking.

FAS'TU-OUS, a. [L. fastuosus, from fastus, haughtiness.]

Proud; haughty; disdainful. Barrow.

FAT, a. [Sax. fæt, fett; G. fett; D. vet; Sw. fet; Dan. feed; Basque, betea.]

1. Fleshy; plump; corpulent; abounding with an oily concrete substance, as an animal body; the contrary to lean; as, a fat man; a fat ox.
2. Coarse; gross. Nay, added fat pollutions of our own. Dryden.
3. Dull; heavy; stupid; unteachable. Make the heart of this people fat. Is. vi.
4. Rich; wealthy; affluent. These are terrible alarms to persons grown fat and wealthy. South.
5. Rich; producing a large income; as, a fat benefice.
6. Rich; fertile; as, a fat soil: or rich; nourishing; as, fat pasture.
7. Abounding in spiritual grace and comfort. They (the righteous) shall be fat and flourishing. Ps. xcii.

FAT, n.¹

1. An oily concrete substance, deposited in the cells of the adipose or cellular membrane of animal bodies. In most parts of the body, the fat lies immediately under the skin. Fat is of various degrees of consistence, as in tallow, lard and oil. It has been recently ascertained to consist of two substances, stearine and elaine, the former of which is solid, the latter liquid, at common temperatures, and on the different proportions of which its degree of consistence depends. Encyc. Brande.
2. The best or richest part of a thing. Abel brought of the fat of his flock. Gen. iv.

FAT, or VAT, n.² [Sax. fæt, fat, fet; D. vat; G. fass; Sw. fat; Dan. fad. It seems to be connected with D. vatten, G. fassen, Sw. fatta, Dan. fatter, to hold. Qu. Gr. πιθος.]

A large tub cistern or vessel used for various purposes, as by brewers to run their wort in, by tanners for holding their bark and hides, &c. It is also a wooden vessel containing a quarter or eight bushels of grain, and a pan for containing water in salt-works, as a vessel for wine, &c. The fats shall overflow with wine and oil. Joel ii.

FAT, n.³

A measure of capacity, but indefinite.

FAT, v.i.

To grow fat, plump and fleshy. An old ox fats as well, and is as good, as a young one. Mortimer.

FAT, v.t.

To make fat; to fatten; to make plump and fleshy with abundant food; as, to fat fowls or sheep. Locke. Shak.

FA'TAL, a. [L. fatalis. See Fate.]

1. Proceeding from fate or destiny; necessary; inevitable. These things are fatal and necessary. Tillotson.
2. Appointed by fate or destiny. It was fatal to the king to fight for his money. Bacon. [In the foregoing sense the word is now little used.]
3. Causing death or destruction; deadly; mortal; as, a fatal wound; a fatal disease.
4. Destructive; calamitous; as, a fatal day; a fatal event.

FA'TAL-ISM, n.

The doctrine that all things are subject to fate, or that they take place by inevitable necessity. Rush.

FA'TAL-IST, n.

One who maintains that all things happen by inevitable necesssity. Watts.

FA-TAL'I-TY, n. [Fr. fatalité, from fate.]

1. A fixed unalterable course of things, independent of God or any controlling cause; an invincible necessity existing in things themselves; a doctrine of the Stoics. South.
2. Decree of fate. King Charles.
3. Tendency to danger, or to some great hazardous event. Brown.
4. Mortality. Med. Repos.