Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FIX'ING, ppr.

Settling; establishing.

FIX'I-TY, n.

Fixedness; coherence of parts; that property of bodies by which they resist dissipation by heat. Newton.

FIX'TURE, n.

1. Position. Shak.
2. Fixedness; firm pressure; as, the fixture of the foot. Shak.
3. Firmness; stable state.
4. That which is fixed to a building; any appendage or part of the furniture of a house which is fixed to it, as by nails, screws, &c., and which the tenant cannot legally take away, when he removes to another house.

FIX'URE, n.

Position; stable pressure; firmness. [Little used.] Shak.

FIZ'GIG, n.

1. A fishgig – which see.
2. A gadding, flirting girl.
3. A fire-work, make of powder rolled up in a paper.

FIZZ, or FIZ'ZLE, v.i.

To make a hissing sound.

FLAB'BI-LY, adv.

In a flabby manner.

FLAB'BI-NESS, n. [See Flabby.]

A soft, flexible state of a substance, which renders it easily movable and yielding to pressure.

FLAB'BY, a. [W. llib, a soft, lank, limber state; llibin, flaccid, lank; llipa, flaccid, lank, flapping; llipâu, to become flabby, to droop; llipanu, to make glib or smooth. Flabby, flap, and glib, appear to be from the same root.]

Soft; yielding to the touch and easily moved or shaken; easily bent; hanging loose by its own weight; as, flabby flesh. Swift.

FLA'BEL, a. [L. flabellum.]

A fan.

FLA-BEL'LI-FORM, a. [L. flabellum, a little fan, and form.]

Having the form of a fan. Hitchcock.

FLAC'CID, a. [L. flaccidus, from flacceo, to hang down, to flag; Sp. floxo; Port. froxo; Ir. floch; W. llac, and llag, slack, sluggish, lax; llaciaw, to slacken, to relax, to droop; llaca, slop, mud; lleigiaw, to flag, to lag, to skulk; lleigus, flagging, drooping, sluggish, slow. We see that flaccid, flag, slack, sluggish, slow, and lag, are all of this family. See Class Lg, No. 40, 41, 42, 43.]

Soft and weak; limber; lax; drooping; hanging down by its own weight; yielding to pressure for want of firmness and stiffness; as, a flaccid muscle; flaccid flesh.

FLAC'CID-LY, adv.

In a flaccid manner.

FLAC'CID-NESS, or FLAC-CID'I-TY, n.

Laxity; limberness; want of firmness or stiffness. Wiseman.

FLACK'ER, v.i.

To flutter, as a bird. [Local.] Gross.

FLAG, n.¹ [W. llec; Ir. liag, a broad flat stone; allied perhaps to lay.]

A flat stone, or a pavement of flat stones.

FLAG, n.² [W. llaç, a blade.]

An aquatic plant, with a bladed leaf, probably so called from its bending or yielding to the wind.

FLAG, n.³ [G. flagge; D. vlag, vlagge; Dan. flag; Sw. flagg; allied probably to the preceding word, in the sense of bending or spreading.]

An ensign or colors; a cloth on which are usually painted or wrought certain figures, and borne on a staff. In the army, a banner by which one regiment is distinguished from another. In the marine, a banner or standard by which the ships of one nation are distinguished from those of another, or by which an admiral is distinguished from other ships of his squadron. In the British navy, an admiral's flag is displayed at the main-top-gallant-mast-head, a vice-admiral's at the fore-top-gallant-mast-head, and a rear-admiral's at the mizzen-top-gallant-mast-head. To strike or lower the flag, is to pull it down upon the cap in token of respect or submission. To strike the flag in an engagement, is the sign of surrendering. To hang out the white flag, is to ask quarter; or in some cases, to manifest a friendly design. The red flag, is a sign of defiance or battle. To hang the flag half mast high, is a token or signal of mourning. Flag-officer, an admiral; the commander of a squadron. Flag-ship, the ship which bears the admiral, and in which his flag is displayed. Flag-staff, staff that elevates the flag. Encyc. Mar. Dict.

FLAG, v.i. [W. llacâu, or llaciaw, to relax, to droop; llegu, to flag; L. flacceo; Sp. flaquear; Port fraquear, to flag; Ir. lag, weak. See Flaccid. The sense is primarily to bend, or rather to recede, to lag.]

1. To hang loose without stiffness; to bend down as flexible bodies; to be loose and yielding; as, the flagging sails. Dryden.
2. To grow spiritless or dejected; to droop; to grow languid; as, the spirits flag.
3. To grow weak; to lose vigor; as, the strength flags.
4. To become dull or languid. The pleasures of the town begin to flag. Swift.

FLAG, v.t.¹

To let fall into feebleness; to suffer to drop; as, to flag the wings. Prior.

FLAG, v.t.²

To lay with flat stones. The sides and floor were all flagged with excellent marble. Sandys.

FLAG'BROOM, n.

A broom for sweeping flags. Johnson.

FLAG'E-LET, a. [Fr. flageolet, from L. flatus, by corruption, or Gr. κλαγιαλος, πλαγιος, oblique, and αυλος, a flute. Lunier.]

A little flute; a small wind instrument of music. More.

FLAG'EL-LANT, n. [L. flagellans, from flagello, to flog.]

One who whips himself in religious discipline. The Flagellants were a fanatical sect which arose in Italy A. D. 1260, who maintained that flagellation was of equal virtue with baptism and the sacrament. They walked in procession with shoulders hare, and whipped themselves till the blood ran down their bodies, to obtain the mercy of God, and appease his wrath against the vices of the age. Encyc.

FLAG'EL-LATE, v.t.

To whip; to scourge.