Part 4153

<hw>Fal"la*cy</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Fallacies</plw> <tt>(#)</tt></plu>. <ety>[OE. <ets>fallace</ets>, <ets>fallas</ets>, deception, F. <ets>fallace</ets>, fr. L. <ets>fallacia</ets>, fr. <ets>fallax</ets> deceitful, deceptive, fr. <ets>fallere</ets> to deceive. See <er>Fail</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Deceptive or false appearance; deceitfulness; that which misleads the eye or the mind; deception.</def>

<blockquote>Winning by conquest what the first man lost, By <b>fallacy</b> surprised. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Logic)</fld> <def>An argument, or apparent argument, which professes to be decisive of the matter at issue, while in reality it is not; a sophism.</def>

<syn>Syn. -- Deception; deceit; mistake.</syn> <usage> -- <er>Fallacy</er>, <er>Sophistry</er>. A <i>fallacy</i> is an argument which professes to be decisive, but in reality is not; <i>sophistry</i> is also false reasoning, but of so specious and subtle a kind as to render it difficult to expose its <i>fallacy</i>. Many <i>fallacies</i> are obvious, but the evil of <i>sophistry</i> lies in its consummate art. "Men are apt to suffer their minds to be misled by <i>fallacies</i> which gratify their passions. Many persons have obscured and confounded the nature of things by their wretched <i>sophistry</i>; though an act be never so sinful, they will strip it of its guilt." <i>South</i>.</usage>

<h1>Fallals</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fal"*lals`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.pl.</tt> <def>Gay ornaments; frippery; gewgaws.</def> <mark>[Colloq.]</mark>

<i>Thackeray.</i>

<h1>Fallax</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fal"lax</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>fallax</ets> deceptive. See <er>Fallacy</er>.]</ety> <def>Cavillation; a caviling.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Cranmer.</i>

<h1>Fallen</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fall"en</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Dropped; prostrate; degraded; ruined; decreased; dead.</def>

<blockquote>Some ruined temple or <b>fallen</b> monument. <i>Rogers.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Fallency</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fal"len*cy</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[LL. <ets>fallentia</ets>, L. <ets>fallens</ets> p.pr of <ets>fallere</ets>.]</ety> <def>An exception.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Jer. Taylor.</i>

<h1>Faller</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fall"er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>One who, or that which, falls.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Mach.)</fld> <def>A part which acts by falling, as a stamp in a fulling mill, or the device in a spinning machine to arrest motion when a thread breaks.</def>

<h1>Fallfish</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fall"fish`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>A fresh-water fish of the United States (<spn>Semotilus bullaris</spn>); -- called also <altname>silver chub</altname>, and <altname>Shiner</altname>. The name is also applied to other allied species.</def>

<h1>Fallibility</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fal`li*bil"i*ty</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The state of being fallible; liability to deceive or to be deceived; <as>as, the <ex>fallibity</ex> of an argument or of an adviser</as>.</def>

<h1>Fallible</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fal"li*ble</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[LL. <ets>fallibilis</ets>, fr. L. <ets>fallere</ets> to deceive: cf. F. <ets>faillible</ets>. See <er>Fail</er>.]</ety> <def>Liable to fail, mistake, or err; liable to deceive or to be deceived; <as>as, all men are <ex>fallible</ex>; our opinions and hopes are <ex>fallible</ex>.</as></def>

<h1>Fallibly</h1> <Xpage=540>

<hw>Fal"li*bly</hw>, <tt>adv.</tt> <def>In a fallible manner.</def>

<h1>Falling</h1> <Xpage=540>