Part 302

The latter and former rain.

Hosea vi. 3.

3. Near the beginning; preceeding; as, the former part of a discourse or argument.

3. Earlier, as between two things mentioned together; first mentioned.

A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critic; a man may be the former merely through the misfortune of an ill judgment; but he can not be latter without both that and an ill temper.

Pope.

Syn. -- Prior; previous; anterior; antecedent; preceding; foregoing.

||For`me*ret" (?), n. [F.] (Arch.) One of the half ribs against the ||walls in a ceiling vaulted with ribs.

For"mer*ly (?), adv. In time past, either in time immediately preceding or at any indefinite distance; of old; heretofore.

Form"ful (?), a. Creative; imaginative. [R.] "The formful brain." Thomson.

For"mic (?), a. [L. formica an ant: cf. F. formique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, ants; as, formic acid; in an extended sense, pertaining to, or derived from, formic acid; as, formic ether.

Amido formic acid, carbamic acid. -- Formic acid, a colorless, mobile liquid, HCO.OH, of a sharp, acid taste, occurring naturally in ants, nettles, pine needles, etc., and produced artifically in many ways, as by the oxidation of methyl alcohol, by the reduction of carbonic acid or the destructive distillation of oxalic acid. It is the first member of the fatty acids in the paraffin series, and is homologous with acetic acid.

||For*mi"ca (?), n. [L., an ant.] (Zoˆl.) A LinnÊan genus of ||hymenopterous insects, including the common ants. See Ant.

For`mi*ca"roid (?), a. [NL. Formicarius, the typical genus + -oid.] (Zoˆl.) Like or pertaining to the family FormicaridÊ or ant thrushes.

For"mi*ca*ry (?), n. [LL. formicarium, fr. L. formica an ant.] (Zoˆl.) The nest or dwelling of a swarm of ants; an ant-hill.

For"mi*cate (?), a. [L. formica an ant.] (Zoˆl.) Resembling, or pertaining to, an ant or ants.

For`mi*ca"tion (?), n. [L. formicatio, fr. formicare to creep like an ant, to feel as if ants were crawling on one's self, fr. formica ant: cf. F. formication.] (Med.) A sensation resembling that made by the creeping of ants on the skin. Dunglison.

For"mi*cid (?), a. (Zoˆl.) Pertaining to the ants. -- n. One of the family FormicidÊ, or ants.

For`mi*da*bil"i*ty (?), n. Formidableness. Walpole.

For"mi*da*ble (?), a. [L. formidabilis, fr. formidare to fear, dread: cf. F. formidable.] Exciting fear or apprehension; impressing dread; adapted to excite fear and deter from approach, encounter, or undertaking; alarming.

They seemed to fear the formodable sight.

Dryden.

I swell my preface into a volume, and make it formidable, when you see so many pages behind.

Drydn.

Syn. -- Dreadful; fearful; terrible; frightful; shocking; horrible; terrific; tremendous.

For"mi*da*ble*ness, n. The quality of being formidable, or adapted to excite dread. Boyle.

For"mi*da*bly, adv. In a formidable manner.

For*mid"o*lose (?), a. [L. formidolosus, fr. formido fear.] Very much afraid. [Obs.] Bailey.