English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

foursquare

adj

Having four equal sides, like a square.

fourteen

num

The number 14, one more than thirteen.

fourteenth

adj

Coming after the thirteenth in a sequence; the ordinal form of fourteen.

fourth

adj

Coming after the third in a sequence; the ordinal form of four.

Foust

name

A surname.

fouthy

adj

Generous and ready to give plenty to others. (dialect)

fowl

noun

A bird, especially one raised or hunted for food, such as chickens, ducks, or geese.

fowler

noun

A person who hunts wild birds.

fox

noun

A small, wild, dog-like mammal known for its pointed snout, bushy tail, and cunning reputation.

foxglove

noun

Any member of the genus Digitalis of about twenty species of herbaceous biennials native to the Old World, certain of which are prized for their showy flowers. The drug digitalis or digoxin was first isolated from the plant.

foxhole

noun

A small pit dug in the ground for a soldier to shelter in during combat.

foxiness

noun

The quality of being foxy, especially of being sly or crafty.

foxship

noun

Cleverness and cunning, of the kind associated with a fox.

foxtrot

noun

A ballroom dance performed to slow or medium-tempo music, combining slow and quick steps.

Foxx

name

A surname, notably used by entertainers such as Jamie Foxx and Redd Foxx.

foxy

adj

Cunning or sly, like a fox.

foy

noun

A farewell feast given by someone about to leave a place (archaic).

foyer

noun

The entrance hall or lobby of a building such as a hotel or theater.

Foyle

name

A river in Ireland that flows through Derry (Londonderry) and forms part of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

FP

noun

A false positive: a test, filter or detector result that wrongly indicates something is present when it is not.

fr

interjection

Short for 'for real', used to insist that what you have just said is true or to agree emphatically with someone.

fra

noun

A title placed before the name of a Roman Catholic friar or monk, similar to "Brother."

frabjous

adj

Wonderful and delightful.

fracas

noun

A loud, chaotic argument, fight, or disturbance.

Frack

verb

To extract oil or gas from rock by injecting high-pressure fluid to crack it open (hydraulic fracturing).

fracking

noun

A drilling method that cracks open underground rock with pressurized fluid to release trapped oil or gas.

fractal

noun

A complex geometric shape whose pattern repeats at every scale, so zooming in reveals the same kind of structure again and again.

fraction

noun

A part of a whole, especially a small one.

fractional

adj

Relating to a fraction, or written as a fraction.

fractious

adj

Tending to cause trouble or disruption.

fracture

noun

A break, crack, or split — especially in a bone, but also in rock or other hard material.

fractured

adjective

Broken or cracked, especially describing a bone.

fracturing

noun

The process of breaking or splitting something apart.

frag

noun

A fragmentation grenade.

fragile

adjective

Easily broken or damaged; delicate.

fragility

noun

The quality of being easily broken, damaged, or destabilized.

fragment

noun

A small broken-off piece of something larger.

fragmentary

adj

Made up of separate, broken pieces; not connected or complete.

fragmentation

noun

The process of breaking into smaller pieces, or something that has broken apart.

fragmented

adjective

Broken into separate, disconnected pieces.

fragmentize

verb

To break something into small pieces.

fragrance

noun

A pleasant smell.

fragrant

adjective

Having a pleasant, often strong, smell.

frail

adjective

Physically weak or delicate, especially due to age or illness.

frailness

noun

The state of being weak or delicate.

frailsome

adj

Showing signs of weakness or frailty.

frailty

noun

The state of being physically or mentally weak, especially with age.

frain

name

A surname of Old French origin.

fraise

verb

To put someone or something in danger or fear.

Fraiser

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Frazer or Fraser.

frak

verb

A fictional swear word used as a stand-in for a much stronger curse, expressing anger, frustration, or shock.

frame

noun

A rigid structure that supports or surrounds something, such as a picture, window, or building.

framed

adjective

Enclosed in or fitted with a frame.

framework

noun

A basic supporting structure that gives shape to a building or object.

framing

noun

The act of putting something in a frame.

framis

noun

Talk that mixes ordinary words with made-up ones.

frammis

noun

Another word for a gizmo.

Frampton

name

An English surname and place name.

Fran

name

A short, informal form of the names Frances or Francine (for women) or Francis (for men).

franc

noun

A unit of currency formerly used in France, Switzerland, and several other countries, and still used in parts of Africa.

Franca

name

A feminine given name of Italian origin, related to Frances.

france

name

The name of a country situated mainly in Western Europe, whose official name is the French Republic and whose capital and largest city is Paris.

Frances

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, meaning "from France" or "free one."

Francesca

name

A feminine given name of Italian origin, meaning "free one" or "from France."

Francesco

name

A masculine given name of Italian origin, meaning "free one" or "from France."

franchise

noun

A business that is authorized to sell a company's goods or services in a particular area, operating under its brand.

franchising

noun

The act of setting up, giving out or running a franchise.

Francie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Frances.

Francine

name

A feminine given name, a French form of Frances.

Francis

name

A male given name, from Latin Franciscus ("Frenchman").

Francisca

name

A female given name deriving from Portuguese or Spanish, itself from Latin.

Franciscan

noun

A member of a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi, known for vows of poverty and simplicity.

Francisco

name

A masculine given name of Spanish and Portuguese origin, meaning "free one" or "from France."

franciscus

name

A male first name of Latin origin.

francium

noun

A highly radioactive alkali metal, symbol Fr, with atomic number 87, that is not found in nature.

Franck

name

A surname and given name, a variant spelling of Frank.

franco

name

A male given name, and a surname, from Italian or Spanish, related to Frank and Francis.

frangibility

noun

How easily something breaks; being frangible.

frangible

adj

Easily broken or shattered.

frangibleness

noun

How easily something breaks; being frangible.

frank

adj

Honest and direct, even if the truth is blunt or uncomfortable.

Frankel

name

A Jewish surname of German origin, denoting someone from Franconia.

Frankenstein

noun

A creation that ends up monstrous, uncontrollable, or dangerously different from what its creator intended.

frankfort

name

One of five places found across the United States, among them a Clinton County, Indiana city, Kentucky's capital and Franklin County's seat, and a Waldo County, Maine town.

Frankfurt

name

A major city in Germany, and the country's main banking and financial center.

frankfurter

noun

A sausage that is moist, with a smooth, uniform texture and taste, frequently produced using meat that has been mechanically recovered or turned into a slurry.

Frankie

name

A casual, friendly short form of the given names Frank, Francis, Frances, or Francesca.

frankincense

noun

A fragrant resin from Boswellia trees, dried and burned as incense.

Franklin

noun

Historically, a free landowner in medieval England who ranked just below the nobility.

frankly

adv

Speaking honestly and directly, without holding back.

Franklyn

name

A masculine given name and surname, a variant spelling of Franklin.

frankness

noun

The quality of being open and honest, even when the truth is blunt.

Franks

name

An English surname, a patronymic form of Frank.

Franky

noun

Another word for Frankenstein.

Frannie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Frances.

Franny

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Frances, also known from J. D. Salinger's "Franny and Zooey."

Frans

name

A masculine given name, the Dutch and Scandinavian form of Francis.

Franta

name

A masculine given name, a Czech diminutive of František (Francis).

frantic

adj

Wild with panic, worry, or urgency.

frantically

adv

In a panicked, rushed, or frenzied way.

Frantz

name

A surname and given name, a German and French form of Francis.

Franz

name

A masculine given name, the German form of Francis.

frappe

noun

A liqueur or mixed drink served over crushed ice.

Fraser

name

A Scottish surname of Norman French origin.

Frasier

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Frazer, also known as the title character of the sitcom "Frasier."

frat

noun

A college fraternity, especially in casual US usage.

fraterculine

adj

Relating to puffins.

fraternal

adj

Relating to brothers, or having a warm, brotherly closeness.

fraternity

noun

A feeling of brotherhood and mutual support among a group of people.

fratricide

noun

The killing of one's own brother or sister.

Frau

noun

A title used before the surname of a German-speaking woman, equivalent to "Mrs." or "Ms."

fraud

noun

The crime of deceiving someone to gain money or an unfair advantage.

fraudster

noun

Someone who commits fraud; a con artist.

fraudulence

noun

Behaviour that is dishonest and meant to deceive.

fraudulent

adj

Involving deliberate deception, especially for financial gain.

fraught

adj

Filled with something unpleasant, especially tension, danger, or difficulty.

fraulein

noun

A title for a young, unmarried German-speaking woman, equivalent to "Miss."

fray

verb

To wear away at the edges through rubbing, so that threads separate.

frayed

adj

Worn away or unravelled at the edge, especially of fabric or rope.

Frazer

name

A Scottish surname, a variant spelling of Fraser.

Frazier

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Frazer, notably that of boxer Joe Frazier.

frazzled

adj

Exhausted and stressed, especially from too much to deal with at once.

freak

noun

A person, animal, or thing that is highly unusual or abnormal.

freakazoid

noun

A very strange or eccentric person (informal, playful).

freaking

adj

Used as a mild substitute for a stronger swear word to add emphasis.

freakish

adj

Strange, abnormal, or bizarre in an unsettling way.

freakishly

adv

In a strikingly strange or abnormal way.

freakishness

noun

The quality of being strange or unusual.

freaky

adj

Strange, bizarre, or unsettling.

freckle

noun

A small patch of brownish pigment on the skin, often from sun exposure.

Fred

name

A short form of Frederick, Alfred, or Wilfred, also used as a standalone male name.

Freda

name

A female first name of Germanic origin.

Freddie

name

A diminutive form of the male name Frederick.

Freddy

name

A diminutive form of the male name Frederick.

Frederic

name

A male first name of Germanic origin, a French-style spelling variant of Frederick.

Frederick

name

A male first name of Germanic origin meaning roughly "peaceful ruler."

Fredo

name

A male first name of Italian origin.

Fredrick

name

A male first name, a less common spelling of Frederick.

free

adj

Not under the control of someone else; not imprisoned or restricted.

freebie

noun

Something given away for free, especially as a promotion or bonus.

freeboard

noun

On a ship or boat, the height between the water and the top edge or main deck.

freebooter

noun

Someone who raids and steals, often working alone or for pay, rather like a mercenary.

freedman

noun

A man who has been released from slavery.

freedom

noun

The state of being free from control, restriction, or oppression.

freedwoman

noun

A woman who was once a slave but has been set free.

freefall

noun

The state of falling under gravity alone, with no other force acting to slow it.

freehold

noun

Outright ownership of a property and the land it stands on, for an unlimited period and with no ground rent payable to a landlord.

freeholder

noun

(law) Someone who owns land or property outright, by freehold.

freeing

noun

The act of setting someone or something free.

freelance

noun

A person who works independently for different clients rather than being employed long-term by one company.