Part 57

Fast, n. That which fastens or holds; especially, (Naut.) a mooring rope, hawser, or chain; - - called, according to its position, a bow, head, quarter, breast, or stern fast; also, a post on a pier around which hawsers are passed in mooring.

Fas"ten (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fastened (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Fastening (?).] [AS. fÊstnian; akin to OHG. festinn. See Fast, a.] 1. To fix firmly; to make fast; to secure, as by a knot, lock, bolt, etc.; as, to fasten a chain to the feet; to fasten a door or window.

2. To cause to hold together or to something else; to attach or unite firmly; to cause to cleave to something , or to cleave together, by any means; as, to fasten boards together with nails or cords; to fasten anything in our thoughts.

The words Whig and Tory have been pressed to the service of many successions of parties, with very different ideas fastened to them.

Swift.

3. To cause to take close effect; to make to tell; to lay on; as, to fasten a blow. [Obs.] Dryden.

If I can fasten but one cup upon him.

Shak.

To fasten a charge, or a crime, upon, to make his guilt certain, or so probable as to be generally believed. -- To fasten one's eyes upon, to look upon steadily without cessation. Acts iii. 4.

Syn. -- To fix; cement; stick; link; affix; annex.

Fas"ten, v. i. To fix one's self; to take firm hold; to clinch; to cling.

A horse leech will hardly fasten on a fish.

Sir T. Browne.

Fas"ten*er (?), n. One who, or that which, makes fast or firm.

Fas"ten*ing (?), n. Anything that binds and makes fast, as a lock, catch, bolt, bar, buckle, etc.

Fast"er (?), n. One who abstains from food.

Fast"-hand`ed (?), a. Close- handed; close-fisted; covetous; avaricious. [Obs.] Bacon.

||Fas"ti (?), n. pl. [L.] 1. The Roman calendar, which gave the days ||for festivals, courts, etc., corresponding to a modern almanac.

2. Records or registers of important events.

Fas*tid`i*os"i*ty (?), n. Fastidiousness; squeamishness. [Obs.] Swift.

Fas*tid"i*ous (?), a. [L. fastidiosus disdainful, fr. fastidium loathing, aversion, perh. fr. fastus arrogance (of uncertain origin) + taedium loathing. Cf. Tedious, Fash.] Difficult to please; delicate to a fault; suited with difficulty; squeamish; as, a fastidious mind or ear; a fastidious appetite.

Proud youth ! fastidious of the lower world.

Young.

Syn. -- Squeamish; critical; overnice; difficult; punctilious. -- Fastidious, Squeamish. We call a person fastidious when his taste or feelings are offended by trifling defects or errors; we call him squeamish when he is excessively nice or critical on minor points, and also when he is overscrupulous as to questions of duty. "Whoever examines his own imperfections will cease to be fastidious; whoever restrains his caprice and scrupulosity will cease to be squeamish." Crabb.

-- Fas*tid"i*ous*ly, adv. -- Fas*tid"i*ous*ness, n.

{ Fas*tig"i*ate (?), Fas*tig"i*a`ted (?), } a. [L. fastigium gable end, top, height, summit.] 1. Narrowing towards the top.

2. (Bot.) Clustered, parallel, and upright, as the branches of the Lombardy poplar; pointed.

3. (Zoˆl.) United into a conical bundle, or into a bundle with an enlarged head, like a sheaf of wheat.