Part 16

Though that seat of earthly bliss be failed.

Milton.

Fail, n. [OF. faille, from failir. See Fail, v. i.] 1. Miscarriage; failure; deficiency; fault; -- mostly superseded by failure or failing, except in the phrase without fail. "His highness' fail of issue." Shak.

2. Death; decease. [Obs.] Shak.

Fail"ance (?), n. [Of. faillance, fr. faillir.] Fault; failure; omission. [Obs.] Bp. Fell.

Fail"ing, n. 1. A failing short; a becoming deficient; failure; deficiency; imperfection; weakness; lapse; fault; infirmity; as, a mental failing.

And ever in her mind she cast about For that unnoticed failing in herself.

Tennyson.

2. The act of becoming insolvent of bankrupt.

Syn. -- See Fault.

||Faille (?), n. [F.] A soft silk, heavier than a foulard and not ||glossy.

Fail"ure (?), n. [From Fail.] 1. Cessation of supply, or total defect; a failing; deficiency; as, failure of rain; failure of crops.

2. Omission; nonperformance; as, the failure to keep a promise.

3. Want of success; the state of having failed.

4. Decay, or defect from decay; deterioration; as, the failure of memory or of sight.

5. A becoming insolvent; bankruptcy; suspension of payment; as, failure in business.

6. A failing; a slight fault. [Obs.] Johnson.

Fain (?), a. [OE. fain, fagen, AS. fÊgen; akin to OS. fagan, Icel. faginn glad; AS. fÊgnian to rejoice, OS. fagann, Icel. fagna, Goth. faginn, cf. Goth. fahds joy; and fr. the same root as E. fair. Srr Fair, a., and cf. Fawn to court favor.] 1. Well-pleased; glad; apt; wont; fond; inclined.

Men and birds are fain of climbing high.

Shak.

To a busy man, temptation is fainto climb up together with his business.

Jer. Taylor.

2. Satisfied; contented; also, constrained. Shak.

The learned Castalio was fain to make trechers at Basle to keep himself from starving.

Locke.

Fain, adv. With joy; gladly; -- with wold.

He would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat.

Luke xv. 16.