Part 34

Fal"ter*ing, a. Hesitating; trembling. "With faltering speech." Milton. -- n. Falter; halting; hesitation. -- Fal"ter*ing*ly, adv.

||Fa`luns" (?), n. [F.] (Geol.) A series of strata, of the Middle ||Tertiary period, of France, abounding in shells, and used by Lyell as ||the type of his Miocene subdivision.

Fal"we (?), a. & n. Fallow. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Falx (?), n. [L., a sickle.] (Anat.) A curved fold or process of the ||dura mater or the peritoneum; esp., one of the partitionlike folds of ||the dura mater which extend into the great fissures of the brain.

Fam"ble (?), v. i. [OE. falmelen; cf. SW. famla to grope, Dan. famle to grope, falter, hesitate, Icel. flma to grope. Cf. Famble.] To stammer. [Obs.] Nares.

Fam"ble, n. [Cf. Famble, v.] A hand. [Slang & Obs.] "We clap our fambles." Beau. & Fl.

Fame (?), n. [OF. fame, L. fama, fr. fari to speak, akin to Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; a saying, report, &?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to speak. See Ban, and cf. Fable, Fate, Euphony, Blame.] 1. Public report or rumor.

The fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house.

Gen. xlv. 16.

2. Report or opinion generally diffused; renown; public estimation; celebrity, either favorable or unfavorable; as, the fame of Washington.

I find thou art no less than fame hath bruited.

Shak.

Syn. -- Notoriety; celebrity; renown; reputation.

Fame, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Famed (?),; p. pr. & vb. n. Faming.] 1. To report widely or honorably.

The field where thou art famed To have wrought such wonders.

Milton.

2. To make famous or renowned.

Those Hesperian gardens famed of old.

Milton.

Fame"less, a. Without fame or renown. -- Fame"less*ly, adv.

Fa*mil`iar (?), a. [OE. familer, familier, F. familier, fr. L. familiaris, fr. familia family. See Family.] 1. Of or pertaining to a family; domestic. "Familiar feuds." Byron.

2. Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion; well versed in, as any subject of study; as, familiar with the Scriptures.

3. Characterized by, or exhibiting, the manner of an intimate friend; not formal; unconstrained; easy; accessible. "In loose, familiar strains." Addison.

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.

Shak.

4. Well known; well understood; common; frequent; as, a familiar illustration.

That war, or peace, or both at once, may be As things acquainted and familiar to us.

Shak.