Part 127

||Frau (?), n.; pl. Frauen (#). [G. Cf. 1st Frow.] In Germany, a woman; a married woman; a wife; -- as a title, equivalent to Mrs., Madam.

||Fräu"lein (?), n.sing. & pl. [G., dim. of frau woman. See Frau.] In Germany, a young lady; an unmarried woman; -- as a title, equivalent to Miss.

Free coinage. In the fullest sense, the conversion of bullion (of any specified metal) into legal-tender coins for any person who chooses to bring it to the mint; in a modified sense, such coinage when done at a fixed charge proportionate to the cost of the operation.

Free silver. The free coinage of silver; often, specif., the free coinage of silver at a fixed ratio with gold, as at the ratio of 16 to 1, which ratio for some time represented nearly or exactly the ratio of the market values of gold and silver respectively.

Free"wheel` (?), n. (Mach.) A clutch fitted in the rear hub of a cycle, which engages the rear sprocket with the rear wheel when the pedals are rotated forwards, but permits the rear wheel to run on free from the rear sprocket when the pedals are stopped or rotated backwards. Freewheelcycles are usually fitted with hub brakes or rim brakes, operated by back pedaling.

Free"wheel`, v. i. 1. (a) Of a freewheel cycle, to run on while the pedals are held still. (b) Of a person, to ride a cycle of this manner. To ride a freewheel cycle.

2. (Mach.) To operate like a freewheel, so that one part moves freely over another which normally moves with it; -- said of a clutch.

Freeze, v. t. -- To freeze out, to drive out or exclude by cold or by cold treatment; to force to withdraw; as, to be frozen out of one's room in winter; to freeze out a competitor. [Colloq.]

A railroad which had a London connection must not be allowed to freeze out one that had no such connection.

A. T. Hadley.

It is sometimes a long time before a player who is frozen out can get into a game again.

R. F. Foster.

||Frei"herr` (?), n.; pl. Freiherrn (#). [G., lit., free lord.] In Germany and Austria, a baron.

Fre*mes"cent (?), a. [L. fremere to roar, murmur + -escent.] Becoming murmurous, roaring. "Fremescent clangor." Carlyle. -- Fre*mes"cence (#), n.

||Frem"i*tus (?), n., sing. & pl. [L., a murmuring, roaring.] (Med.) Palpable vibration or thrill; as, the rhonchial fremitus.

Friend"ly, n. A friendly person; -- usually applied to natives friendly to foreign settlers or invaders.

These were speedily routed by the friendlies, who attacked the small force before them in fine style.

E. N. Bennett.

{ Fri"jol, Fri"jole (?), n.; pl. Frijoles (&?;). Also Fre"jol }. [Sp. fríjol, fréjol.] 1. In Mexico, the southwestern United States, and the West Indies, any cultivated bean of the genus Phaseolus, esp. the black seed of a variety of P. vulgaris.

2. The beanlike seed of any of several related plants, as the cowpea. Frijoles are an important article of diet among Spanish-American peoples, being used as an ingredient of many dishes.

Fringe tree. A small oleaceous tree (Chionanthus virginica), of the southern United States, having clusters of white flowers with slender petals. It is often cultivated.

{ Fri*sette", Fri*zette" } (?), n. [F. frisette curl.] a fringe of hair or curls worn about the forehead by women.

Frit"fly` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small dipterous fly of the genus Oscinis, esp. O. vastator, injurious to grain in Europe, and O. Trifole, injurious to clover in America.

Friv"ol (?), v. i. To act frivolously; to trifle. Kipling. -- Friv"ol*er (#), Friv"ol*ler, n. [All Colloq.]

Frizz, v. t. & i. [Partly imitative, but cf. Fry.] To fry, cook, or sear with a sizzling noise; to sizzle.

Friz"zle (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Frizzled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frizzling (?).] [Freq. of an imitative word frizz, in dial. use.] 1. To fry, toast, or broil with a sputtering sound to cook with a sizzling noise. Also fig. Hawthorne.

2. To cook, in certain way, so as to curl or crinkle up.

Drain and heat it [shaved smoked beef] in one tablespoonful of hot butter, to curl or frizzle it.