Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FIB'RO-LITE, n. [from L. fibra, and Gr. λιθος.]

A mineral of a white or gray color, composed of minute fibers. It is probably identical with kyanite.

FI'BROUS, a.

1. Composed or consisting of fibers; as, a fibrous body or substance.
2. Containing fibers. In mineralogy, a fibrous fracture, is that which presents fine threads or slender lines, either straight or curved, parallel, diverging, or stellated, like the rays of a star. Kirwan.

FIB'U-LA, n. [L.]

1. The outer and lesser bone of the leg, much smaller than the tibia. Quincy.
2. A clasp or buckle.

FICK'LE, a. [Sax. ficol; but it seems to be connected with wicelian, Sw. vackla, to waver, from the root of wag; L. vacillo; Gr. ποικιλος; Heb. Ch. Syr. פוג, to fail, or rather Heb. פוק to stagger. Class Bg, No. 44, 60.]

1. Wavering; inconstant; unstable; of a changeable mind; irresolute; not firm in opinion or purpose; capricious. They know how fickle common lovers are. Dryden.
2. Not fixed or firm; liable to change or vicissitude; as, a fickle state. Milton.

FICK'LE-NESS, n.

1. A wavering; wavering disposition; inconstancy; instability; unsteadiness in opinion or purpose; as, the fickleness of lovers.
2. Instability; changeableness; as, the fickleness of fortune.

FICK'LY, adv.

Without firmness or steadiness. Southern.

FI'CO, n. [It. a fig.]

An act of contempt done with the fingers, expressing a fig for you. Carew.

FIC'TILE, a. [L. fictilis, from fictus, fingo, to feign.]

Molded into form by art; manufactured by the potter. Fictile earth is more fragile than crude earth. Bacon.

FIC'TION, n. [L. fictio, from fingo, to feign.]

1. The act of feigning, inventing or imagining; as, by the mere fiction of the mind. Stillingfleet.
2. That which is feigned, invented or imagined. The story is a fiction. So also was the fiction of those golden apples kept by a dragon, taken from the serpent which tempted Eve. Ralegh.

FIC'TION-IST, n.

A writer of fiction. West. Rev.

FIC'TIOUS, a. [for Fictitious, not used.]

FIC-TI'TIOUS, a. [L. fictitius, from fingo, to feign.]

1. Feigned; imaginary; not real. The human persons are as fictitious as the airy ones. Pope.
2. Counterfeit; false; not genuine; as, fictitious fame. Dryden.

FIC-TI'TIOUS-LY, adv.

By fiction; falsely; counterfeitly.

FIC-TI'TIOUS-NESS, n.

Feigned representation. Brown.

FIC'TIVE, a.

Feigned. [Not used.]

FIC'TOR, n. [L.]

An artist who models or forms statues and reliefs in clay. Elmes.

FID, n.

1. A square bar of wood or iron, with a shoulder at one end, used to support the top-mast, when erected at the head of the lower mast. Mar. Dict.
2. A pin of hard wood or iron, tapering to a point, used to open the strands of a rope in splising. Mar. Dict.

FID'DLE, n. [G. fiedel; D. vedel; L. fides, fidicula.]

A stringed instrument of music; a violin.

FID'DLE, v.i.

1. To play on a fiddle or violin. Themistocles said he could not fiddle, but he could make a small town a great city. Bacon. It is said that Nero fiddled when Rome was In flames. History.
2. To trifle; to shift the hands often and do nothing, like a fellow that plays on a fiddle. Good cooks can not abide what they call fiddling work. Swift.

FID'DLE, v.t.

To play a tune on a fiddle.

FID'DLE-FAD-DLE, a.

Trifling; making a bustle about nothing. [Vulgar.]

FID'DLE-FAD-DLE, n.

Trifles. [A low cant word.] Spectator.

FID'DLER, n.

One who plays on a fiddle or violin.

FID'DLE-STICK, n.

The bow and string with which a fiddler plays on a violin.

FID'DLE-STRING, n.

The string of a fiddle, fastened at the ends and elevated in the middle by a bridge.