Part 4281

<blockquote>The human persons are as <b>fictitious</b> as the airy ones. <i>Pope.</i></blockquote>

-- <wordforms><wf>Fic*ti"tious*ly</wf>, <tt>adv.</tt> -- <wf>Fic*ti"tious*ness</wf>, <tt>n.</tt></wordforms>

<h1>Fictive</h1> <Xpage=556>

<hw>Fic"tive</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>fictif</ets>.]</ety> <def>Feigned; counterfeit.</def> "The fount of <i>fictive</i> tears."

<i>Tennyson.</i>

<h1>Fictor</h1> <Xpage=556>

<hw>Fic"tor</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L.]</ety> <def>An artist who models or forms statues and reliefs in any plastic material.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark>

<i>Elmes.</i>

<h1>Ficus</h1> <Xpage=556>

<hw>Fi"cus</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L., a fig.]</ety> <def>A genus of trees or shrubs, one species of which (<spn>F. Carica</spn>) produces the figs of commerce; the fig tree.</def>

<note>&hand; <spn>Ficus Indica</spn> is the banyan tree; <spn>F. religiosa</spn>, the peepul tree; <spn>F. elastica</spn>, the India-rubber tree.</note>

<h1>Fid</h1> <Xpage=556>

<hw>Fid</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Prov. E. <ets>fid</ets> a small, thick lump.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Naut.)</fld> <def>A square bar of wood or iron, used to support the topmast, being passed through a hole or mortise at its heel, and resting on the trestle trees.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A wooden or metal bar or pin, used to support or steady anything.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A pin of hard wood, tapering to a point, used to open the strands of a rope in splicing.</def>

<note>&hand; There are <i>hand fids</i> and <i>standing fids</i> (which are larger than the others, and stand upon a flat base). An iron implement for this purpose is called a <i>marline spike</i>.</note>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Mil.)</fld> <def>A block of wood used in mounting and dismounting heavy guns.</def>

<h1>Fidalgo</h1> <Xpage=556>

<hw>Fi*dal"go</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Pg. See <er>Hidalgo</er>.]</ety> <def>The lowest title of nobility in Portugal, corresponding to that of <i>Hidalgo</i> in Spain.</def>

<h1>Fiddle</h1> <Xpage=556>

<hw>Fid"dle</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>fidele</ets>, <ets>fithele</ets>, AS. <ets>fi<?/ele</ets>; akin to D. <ets>vedel</ets>, OHG. <ets>fidula</ets>, G. <ets>fiedel</ets>, Icel. <ets>fi<?/la</ets>, and perh. to E. <ets>viol</ets>. Cf. <er>Viol</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Mus.)</fld> <def>A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a violin; a kit.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>A kind of dock (<spn>Rumex pulcher</spn>) with fiddle-shaped leaves; -- called also <altname>fiddle dock</altname>.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Naut.)</fld> <def>A rack or frame of bars connected by strings, to keep table furniture in place on the cabin table in bad weather.</def>

<i>Ham. Nav. Encyc.</i>

<cs><col>Fiddle beetle</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>a Japanese carabid beetle (<spn>Damaster blaptoides</spn>); -- so called from the form of the body.</cd> -- <col>Fiddle block</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>a long tackle block having two sheaves of different diameters in the same plane, instead of side by side as in a common double block.</cd> <i>Knight.</i> -- <col>Fiddle bow</col>, <cd>fiddlestick.</cd> -- <col>Fiddle fish</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>the angel fish.</cd> -- <col>Fiddle head</col>, <cd>an ornament on a ship's bow, curved like the volute or scroll at the head of a violin.</cd> -- <col>Fiddle pattern</col>, <cd>a form of the handles of spoons, forks, etc., somewhat like a violin.</cd> -- <col>Scotch fiddle</col>, the itch. (<mark>Low</mark>) -- <mcol><col>To play</col> <col>first, &or; second</col>, <col>fiddle</col></mcol>, <cd>to take a leading or a subordinate part. <mark>[Colloq.]</mark></cd></cs>

<h1>Fiddle</h1> <Xpage=556>

<hw>Fid"dle</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Fiddled</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Fiddling</er> <tt>(?)</tt>.]</wordforms> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To play on a fiddle.</def>

<blockquote>Themistocles . . . said he could not <b>fiddle</b>, but he could make a small town a great city. <i>Bacon.</i></blockquote>