English dictionary — definitions & meanings

fa

noun

In solfège (do-re-mi singing), the syllable representing the fourth note of a major scale.

faa

noun

The letter ف in the Arabic script.

fab

adjective

Wonderful; excellent; fantastic.

Faber

name

A German and English surname, an occupational name for a smith or craftsman.

Fabian

adj

Favoring gradual, cautious reform over sudden or drastic change, especially in politics.

Fabio

name

A masculine given name of Italian and Latin origin, related to the Roman family name Fabius.

fable

noun

A short story, often with animal characters, written to teach a moral lesson.

fabled

adj

Existing only in stories or legend; not proven to be real.

fabric

noun

Cloth made by weaving or knitting fibres together.

fabricate

verb

To manufacture or build something, especially by assembling parts.

fabricated

adj

Made up or invented, especially in order to deceive.

fabrication

noun

The process of manufacturing or constructing something.

fabricator

noun

A person who fabricates or manufactures something; a manufacturer

Fabrizio

name

A masculine given name, the Italian form of Fabricius, from a Roman family name.

fabulist

noun

A person who writes, tells, or extensively studies fables.

fabulous

adj

Wonderful, impressive, or excellent.

fabulously

adv

To an extraordinary or impressively great degree.

facade

noun

The front exterior wall of a building.

face

noun

The front of the head, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.

face to face

adjective

Taking place in person, with the people involved physically present rather than connecting by phone, video or message.

facebook

noun

A major social-networking website and app where users connect with friends, share updates, and send messages.

faced

adj

Having a particular kind or number of faces or surfaces.

faceless

adj

Lacking any personal identity or individual character; anonymous.

facelift

noun

Cosmetic surgery that tightens the skin of the face to reduce wrinkles and signs of ageing.

facepalm

noun

A gesture of bringing one or both palms to the face, with various interpretations including exasperation, chagrin, frustration, embarrassment (one's own or vicarious), etc.

facesitting

noun

The sexual practice of sitting on a partner’s face, sometimes to receive cunnilingus or anilingus.

facet

noun

One of the flat, polished surfaces cut into a gemstone.

FaceTime

noun

A video-calling app made by Apple for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

facetious

adj

Joking about something in a flippant way, especially when the topic deserves to be taken seriously.

facetiously

adv

In a facetious or flippant manner; in a manner that treats serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor.

facetiousness

noun

The state of being facetious

facial

adj

Relating to or affecting the face.

facies

noun

General appearance.

facile

adjective

Too simple to be convincing; arrived at without proper thought and ignoring the real difficulties.

facilitate

verb

To make a process easier or help it happen more smoothly.

facilitated

adj

Made easier or helped along.

facilitation

noun

The act of facilitating or making easy.

facilitator

noun

A person who guides a group discussion or meeting, helping participants reach agreement without pushing their own opinion.

facilities

noun

Buildings, equipment, or services provided for a particular purpose.

facility

noun

A building, room or piece of equipment set up and used for a particular activity or service.

facing

adj

Positioned so as to point or look toward something.

facsimile

noun

An exact copy or reproduction of something, especially a document or work of art.

facsimilize

verb

To make a facsimile of; to duplicate.

fact

noun

Something known to be true, based on evidence rather than opinion or invention.

faction

noun

A smaller group within a larger organisation that holds a distinct set of views or interests, often at odds with the rest.

factional

adj

Of, pertaining to, or composed of factions.

factionalism

noun

The splitting of a group into factions.

factitious

adj

Created by humans; artificial.

factor

noun

One of several things that contributes to or influences a result.

factorial

noun

The result of multiplying a given number of consecutive integers from 1 to the given number. In equations, it is symbolized by an exclamation mark (!). For example, 5! = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5 = 120.

factorise

verb

In mathematics: rewrite a number or expression as a product of its factors.

factory

noun

A building where goods are manufactured, usually on a large scale using machinery.

factotum

noun

A person employed to perform all sorts of duties.

facts

intj

Used to express agreement with what someone just said.

factual

adj

Based on facts rather than opinion or invention.

facultative

adj

Of or relating to faculty, especially to mental faculty.

faculty

noun

The teaching staff of a school, college or university.

fad

noun

Something that becomes suddenly popular but only for a short while.

faddle

verb

To fiddle (play aimlessly).

fade

verb

To gradually lose colour, brightness, strength, or intensity.

faded

adj

Having lost its original brightness or colour.

fading

noun

The gradual process of losing colour, strength, or clarity.

fado

noun

A style of melancholic Portuguese folk song, typically sung solo with guitar accompaniment.

fae

pron

A gender-neutral pronoun used instead of "he" or "she," similar to singular "they."

faerie

noun

Archaic spelling of fairy.

faff

noun

An overcomplicated task, especially one perceived as a waste of time.

fag

noun

British informal: a cigarette.

Fagan

name

An Irish surname, an anglicized form of a Gaelic name.

faggot

noun

A bundle of sticks or twigs tied together, traditionally used as fuel.

faggy

adj

Slang, offensive: perceived as effeminate.

Fagin

noun

A person who recruits and trains children to commit crimes, profiting from what they steal.

fagot

verb

To tie or bundle things together, as with sticks.

fah

adv

Pronunciation spelling of far.

Fahrenheit

adj

Relating to the temperature scale where water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees.

fail

verb

To be unsuccessful in achieving something.

failed

adj

Not successful; having ended in failure.

failing

noun

A weakness or flaw in someone's character or ability.

failure

noun

The state of not achieving a desired or intended result.

fain

adj

Archaic or literary: glad or willing, especially to do something for lack of a better choice.

faineance

noun

The state or quality of being faineant.

faineant

noun

An irresponsible or lazy person.

fains

intj

Synonym of fainites (“cry for truce in children's games”).

faint

adj

Barely perceptible; weak in intensity.

fainting

noun

The act of briefly losing consciousness.

faintly

adv

In a barely noticeable or weak manner.

fair

adj

Treating people equally and reasonably; just.

fair trade

noun

A movement and system of trading in which producers in poorer countries are paid a guaranteed minimum price and better terms for their goods, with standards checked by a certifying body.

fairbank

name

A habitational surname.

Fairbanks

name

An English surname and place name, also a city in Alaska, USA.

Fairchild

name

An English surname, originally a nickname for a handsome or fair-haired child.

Fairfax

name

An English surname and place name, also a county in Virginia, USA.

Fairfield

name

An English place name meaning "beautiful field," used as the name of several towns in the United States.

fairground

noun

An outdoor area used for fairs, with rides, stalls, and other attractions.

fairing

noun

A gift or other souvenir bought at a fair.

fairly

adv

To a moderate or reasonable extent; quite.

Fairmont

name

A place name meaning "beautiful mountain," used for towns and a well-known hotel chain.

fairness

noun

The quality of being just, equitable, and free from bias.

Fairplay

name

A place name, notably a small town in Colorado, USA.

fairs

intj

Used to accept a point or agree that something is reasonable; short for "fair enough" or "fair's fair."

Fairview

name

A common American place name, meaning "view of the beautiful landscape," used for many towns and neighborhoods.

fairway

noun

In golf, the mown strip of grass between the tee and the green.

fairy

noun

A small, magical being of human shape, often shown with wings in folklore and fiction.

fairyland

noun

The imagined home of fairies; also, any place that seems magical or unreal.

Faisal

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "decisive" or "resolute."

Fait

name

A surname of French origin, and part of the phrase "fait accompli," meaning an accomplished fact.

faith

noun

Confidence or trust in someone or something, based on past experience or evidence.

faithful

adjective

Loyal and devoted to a person, cause, or duty.

faithfully

adverb

In a loyal, devoted, or dependable manner.

faithfulness

noun

Loyalty and steady commitment to a person, promise, or duty.

faithless

adjective

Disloyal; breaking a promise, vow, or trust.

fake

adjective

Not genuine; made to look real in order to deceive.

fakeness

noun

The condition of being fake.

faker

noun

A person who pretends to be something they are not, or who fakes something.

faking

noun

The act of pretending something is real or true when it is not.

fakir

noun

A Muslim or Hindu religious ascetic who lives by begging and owns little or no property.

falafel

noun

A Middle Eastern dish of deep-fried balls or patties made from ground chickpeas or fava beans.

falchion

noun

A somewhat curved, single-edged medieval sword of European origin, with the cutting edge on its convex side, whose design is reminiscent of the Persian scimitar and the Chinese dao.

Falco

name

A stage name and surname of Latin origin meaning "falcon," notably used by an Austrian pop singer.

falcon

noun

A fast-flying bird of prey with long pointed wings, often trained for hunting.

Falcone

noun

An Italian surname, sometimes used in fiction for characters (as with the Marvel superhero Falcon).

falconer

noun

A person who trains and flies falcons or other birds of prey, especially for hunting.

Falk

noun

Another name for the razorbill, a black-and-white seabird related to the puffin.

falkner

name

A surname originating as an occupation.

fall

verb

To move downward, especially suddenly and without control.

fallacious

adjective

Based on faulty reasoning or a mistaken belief, and therefore wrong.

fallacy

noun

A mistaken belief, especially one based on flawed reasoning.

fallal

noun

A piece of ribbon worn as a streamer.

fallback

noun

A backup plan or option to use if the main one fails.

fallen

adjective

Having dropped down, especially due to gravity.

faller

noun

One who falls.

fallible

adj

Capable of making mistakes or being wrong.

Fallin

name

An American surname, notably borne by a former governor of Oklahoma.

falloff

noun

A reduction or decline.

Fallon

noun

An Irish surname and given name, also the name of towns in the United States.

Fallopian

adjective

Relating to the fallopian tubes, the pair of tubes in the female reproductive system that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus.

fallout

noun

Radioactive dust and debris that settles after a nuclear explosion.

fallow

adjective

Left unplanted for a season or more to let the soil recover.

falls

noun

A waterfall, or a place where water drops steeply over rocks.

Fallujah

name

A city in central Iraq, known for major battles during the Iraq War.

Falmouth

name

A port town in Cornwall, England, and the name of towns in the United States.

false

adjective

Not true; incorrect or contrary to fact.

falsedom

noun

The sphere or realm of falseness.

falseheart

noun

Wood that gives an erroneous impression of being heartwood.

falsehood

noun

A false statement; a lie.

falsely

adverb

In a manner that is not true or accurate.

falseness

noun

The characteristic of being false.

falsetto

noun

A high-pitched singing voice produced above a person's normal vocal range, especially in men.

falsification

noun

The act of falsifying, or making false; a counterfeiting; the giving to a thing an appearance of something which it is not.

falsified

adjective

Altered or presented dishonestly to make it appear false or misleading.

falsify

verb

To alter information dishonestly, usually to deceive someone.