Part 4662

<blockquote>His reasoning . . . was singularly <b>futile</b>. <i>Macaulay.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Futilely</h1> <Xpage=606>

<hw>Fu"tile*ly</hw>, <tt>adv.</tt> <def>In a futile manner.</def>

<h1>Futility</h1> <Xpage=606>

<hw>Fu"til`i*ty</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>futilitas</ets>: cf. F. <ets>futilit\'82</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The quality of being talkative; talkativeness; loquaciousness; loquacity.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The quality of producing no valuable effect, or of coming to nothing; uselessness.</def>

<blockquote>The <b>futility</b> of this mode of philosophizing. <i>Whewell.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Futilous</h1> <Xpage=606>

<hw>Fu"til*ous</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Futile; trifling.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<h1>Futtock</h1> <Xpage=606>

<hw>Fu"ttock</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Prob. corrupted fr. <ets>foothook</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Naut.)</fld> <def>One of the crooked timbers which are scarfed together to form the lower part of the compound rib of a vessel; one of the crooked transverse timbers passing across and over the keel.</def>

<cs><col>Futtock plates</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>plates of iron to which the dead-eyes of the topmast rigging are secured.</cd> -- <col>Futtock shrouds</col>, <cd>short iron shrouds leading from the upper part of the lower mast or of the main shrouds to the edge of the top, or through it, and connecting the topmast rigging with the lower mast.</cd></cs>

<i>Totten.</i>

<h1>Futurable</h1> <Xpage=606>

<hw>Fu"tur*a*ble</hw> <tt>(?; 135)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Capable of being future; possible to occur.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark>

<blockquote>Not only to things future, but <b>futurable</b>. <i>Fuller.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Future</h1> <Xpage=606>

<hw>Fu"ture</hw> <tt>(?; 135)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>futur</ets>, L. <ets>futurus</ets>, used as fut. p. of <ets>esse</ets> to be, but from the same root as E. <ets>be</ets>. See <er>Be</er>, <tt>v. i.</tt>]</ety> <def>That is to be or come hereafter; that will exist at any time after the present; <as>as, the next moment is <ex>future</ex>, to the present</as>.</def>

<cs><col>Future tense</col> <fld>(Gram.)</fld>, <cd>the tense or modification of a verb which expresses a future act or event.</cd></cs>

<h1>Future</h1> <Xpage=606>

<hw>Fu"ture</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>futur</ets>. See <er>Future</er>, <tt>a.</tt>]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>Time to come; time subsequent to the present (as, the <i>future</i> shall be as the present); collectively, events that are to happen in time to come.</def> "Lay the <i>future</i> open."

<i>Shak.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The possibilities of the future; -- used especially of prospective success or advancement; <as>as, he had great <ex>future</ex> before him</as>.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Gram.)</fld> <def>A future tense.</def>

<cs><col>To deal in futures</col>, <cd>to speculate on the future values of merchandise or stocks. <mark>[Brokers' cant]</mark></cd></cs>

<h1>Futureless</h1> <Xpage=606>

<hw>Fu"ture*less</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Without prospect of betterment in the future.</def>