Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FELO-DE-SE, n. [Felo de se.]

In law, one who commits felony by suicide, or deliberately destroys his own life.

FEL'ON, a.

1. Malignant; fierce; malicious; proceeding from a depraved heart. Vain shows of love to vail his felon hate. Pope.
2. Traitorous; disloyal.

FEL'ON, n. [Fr. felon; Low L. felo; Arm. fellon; It. fello or fellone, a thief. I accord with Spelman in deducing this word from the root of fail, the original signification being, a vassal who failed in his fidelity or allegiance to his lord, and committed an offense by which he forfeited his feud. Hence in French, felon is traitorous, rebellious. So the word is explained and deduced in Gregoire's Armoric Dictionary. The derivation from fee and lon in Spelman, copied by Blackstone, is unnatural.]

1. In law, a person who has committed felony. [See Felon.]
2. A whitlow; a painful swelling formed in the periosteum at the end of the finger. Wiseman.

FE-LO'NI-OUS, a.

1. Malignant; malicious; indicating or proceeding from a depraved heart or evil purpose; villainous; traitorous; perfidious; as, a felonious deed.
2. In law, proceeding from an evil heart or purpose; done with the deliberate purpose to commit a crime; as, felonious homicide.

FE-LO'NI-OUS-LY, adv.

In a felonious manner; with the deliberate intention to commit a crime. Indictments for capital offenses must state the fact to be done feloniously.

FEL'ON-WORT, n.

A plant of the genus Solanum. Fam. of Plants.

FEL'ON-Y, n. [See Felon.]

In common law, any crime which incurs the forfeiture of lands or goods. Treason was formerly comprised under the name of felony, but is now distinguished from crimes thus denominated, although it is really a felony. All offenses punishable with death are felonies; and so are some crimes not thus punished, as suicide, homicide by chance-medley, or in self-defense, and petty larceny. Capital punishment therefore does not necessarily enter into the true idea or definition of felony; the true criterion or felony being forfeiture of lands or goods. But the idea of felony has been so generally connected with that of capital punishment, that law and usage now confirm that connection. Thus if a statute makes any new offense a felony, it is understood to mean a crime punishable with death. Blackstone.

FEL'SITE, n. [See Feldspar.]

A species of compact feldspar, of an azure blue or green color, found amorphous, associated with quartz and mica. Kirwan.

FELT, pret.

of Feel.

FELT, n. [Sax. felt; G. filz; D. vilt; Fr. feutre, for feultre; Arm. feltr, or feultr; It. feltro. This may be derived naturally from the root of fill or full, to stuff and make thick, or from the root of L. pellis, Eng. fell, a skin, from plucking or stripping, L. vello, vellus, Eng. wool. In Ir. folt, W. gwallt, is hair.]

1. A cloth or stuff made of wool, or wool and hair, fulled or wrought into a compact substance by rolling and pressure with lees or size. Encyc.
2. A hat made of wool.
3. Skin. To know whether sheep are sound or not, see that the felt be loose. Mortimer.

FELT, v.t.

To make cloth or stuff of wool, or wool and hair, by fulling. Hale.

FELT'ED, pp.

Worked into felt.

FELT'ER, v.t.

To clot or meet together like felt. Fairfax.

FELT'ING, ppr.

Working into felt.

FELT'MAK-ER, n.

One whose occupation is to make felt.

FE-LUC'CA, n. [It. feluca; Fr. felouque; Sp. faluca.]

A boat or vessel, with oars and lateen sails, used in the Mediterranean. It has this peculiarity, that the helm may be applied to the head or stern, as occasion requires. Mar. Dict. Encyc.

FEL'WORT, n.

A plant, a species of Gentian.

FE'MALE, a.

1. Noting the sex which produces young; not male; as, a female bee.
2. Pertaining to females; as, a female hand or heart; female tenderness. To the generous decision of female mind, we owe the discovery of America. Belknap.
3. Feminine; soft; delicate; weak. Female rhymes, double rhymes, so called from the French, in which language they end in e feminine.

FE'MALE, n. [Fr. femelle; L. femella; Arm. femell; Fr. femme, woman; San. vama, vamani, a woman. See Feminine.]

1. Among animals, one of that sex which conceives and brings forth young.
2. Among plants, that which produces fruit; that which bears the pistil and receives the pollen of the male flowers.

FE'MALE-FLOW-ER, n.

In botany, a flower which is furnished with the pistil, pointal, or female organs.

FE'MALE-PLANT, n.

A plant which produces female flowers.

FE'MALE-SCREW, n.

A screw with grooves or channels.

FEME-CO-VERT, or FEMME-CO-VERT, n. [Fr.]

A married woman, who is under covert of her baron or husband.

FEME-SOLE, or FEMME-SOLE, n.

An unmarried woman. Femme-sole merchant, a woman who uses a trade alone, or without her husband.

FEM-I-NAL'I-TY, n.

The female nature. Brown.