| fig | Figure; dress; array. "Were they all in full fig, the females with feathers on their heads, the males with chapeaux bras?" (Prof. Wilson) 1. <botany> A small fruit tree (Ficus Carica) with large leaves, known from the remotest antiquity. It was probably native from Syria westward to the Canary Islands. 2. The fruit of a fig tree, which is of round or oblong shape, and of various colours. The fruit of a fig tree is really the hollow end of a stem, and bears numerous achenia inside the cavity. Many species have little, hard, inedible figs, and in only a few does the fruit become soft and pulpy. The fruit of the cultivated varieties is much prized in its fresh state, and also when dried or preserved. See Caprification. 3. A small piece of tobacco. 4. The value of a fig, practically nothing; a fico; used in scorn or contempt. "A fig for Peter." Cochineal fig. See Conchineal fig. Fig dust, a preparation of fine oatmeal for feeding caged birds. Fig faun, one of a class of rural deities or monsters supposed to live on figs. "Therefore shall dragons dwell there with the fig fauns. <zoology>" Fig gnat, a small fly said to be injurious to figs. Fig leaf, the leaf tree; hence, in allusion to the first clothing of Adam and Eve (Genesis III.7), a covering for a thing that ought to be concealed; especially, an inadequate covering; a symbol for affected modesty. <botany> Fig marigold, any tree of the genus Ficus, but especially F. Carica which produces the fig of commerce. Origin: F. Figue the fruit of the tree, Pr. Figa, fr. L. Ficus fig tree, fig. Cf. Fico. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| fig wart | An obsolete term for condyloma acuminatum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fig-shell | <zoology> A marine univalve shell of the genus Pyrula, or Ficula, resembling a fig in form. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| figeater | <zoology> A large beetle (Allorhina nitida) which in the Southern United States destroys figs. The elytra are velvety green with pale borders. A bird. See Figpecker. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| fight or flight reaction | The theory advanced by Walter Cannon, that in the autonomic nervous system and the effectors connected with it, the organism in situations of danger requiring either fight or flight is provided with a check-and-drive mechanism that puts it in readiness to meet emergencies with undivided energy output. Also known as the emergency theory. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fighting | 1. Qualified for war; fit for battle. "An host of fighting men." (2 Chron. Xxvi. 11) 2. Occupied in war; being the scene of a battle; as, a fighting field. A fighting chance, one dependent upon the issue of a struggle. <zoology> Fighting crab, a remarkably pugnacious East Indian fish (Betta pugnax), reared by the Siamese for spectacular fish fights. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| figlu test | A test of vitamin b12 deficiency, folic acid deficiency, liver disease, or genetic deficiency of glutamate formiminotransferase, based on urinary excretion of formiminoglutamic acid (figlu), an intermediate metabolite in histidine catabolism in the conversion of histidine to glutamic acid, with the formimino group being transferred to tetrahydrofolic acid. (12 Dec 1998) |
| figpecker | <zoology> The European garden warbler (Sylvia, or Currica, hortensis). Synonym: beccafico and greater pettychaps. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Figueira's syndrome | <syndrome> Weakness of the neck muscles with slight spasticity of the muscles of the lower extremities and increased tendon reflexes; supposed to be an attenuated sporadic form of acute poliomyelitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Figueira, Fernandes | <person> Brazilian paediatrician, +1928. See: Figueira's syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| figural aftereffect | A perceptual phenomenon used by gestalt psychologists to demonstrate that events in one part of the perceptual field may affect perception in another part. (12 Dec 1998) |
| figurante | A female figurant; especially, a ballet girl. Origin: F. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| figurate | 1. Of a definite form or figure. "Plants are all figurate and determinate, which inanimate bodies are not." (Bacon) 2. Figurative; metaphorical. 3. Florid; figurative; involving passing discords by the freer melodic movement of one or more parts or voices in the harmony; as, figurate counterpoint or descant. Figurate counterpoint or descant, that which is not simple, or in which the parts do not move together tone for tone, but in which freer movement of one or more parts mingles passing discords with the harmony; called also figural, figurative, and figured counterpoint or descant (although the term figured is more commonly applied to a bass with numerals written above or below to indicate the other notes of the harmony). <mathematics> Figurate numbers, numbers, or series of numbers, formed from any arithmetical progression in which the first term is a unit, and the difference a whole number, by taking the first term, and the sums of the first two, first three, first four, etc, as the successive terms of a new series, from which another may be formed in the same manner, and so on, the numbers in the resulting series being such that points representing them are capable of symmetrical arrangement in different geometrical figures, as triangles, squares, pentagons, etc. In the following example, the two lower lines are composed of figurate numbers, those in the second line being triangular, and represented thus: . 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. 1, 3, 6, 10, etc. 1, 4, 10, 20, etc. Origin: L. Figuratus, p.p. Of figurare. See Figure. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| figuratus | Figured; a term descriptive of certain skin lesions. Origin: L. Figuro, pp. -atus, to form, fashion (05 Mar 2000) |
| figure | 1. The form of anything; shape; outline; appearance. "Flowers have all exquisite figures." (Bacon) 2. The representation of any form, as by drawing, painting, modeling, carving, embroidering, etc.; especially, a representation of the human body; as, a figure in bronze; a figure cut in marble. "A coin that bears the figure of an angel." (Shak) 3. A pattern in cloth, paper, or other manufactured article; a design wrought out in a fabric; as, the muslin was of a pretty figure. 4. <geometry> A diagram or drawing; made to represent a magnitude or the relation of two or more magnitudes; a surface or space inclosed on all sides; called superficial when inclosed by lines, and solid when inclosed by surface; any arrangement made up of points, lines, angles, surfaces, etc. 5. The appearance or impression made by the conduct or carrer of a person; as, a sorry figure. "I made some figure there." (Dryden) "Gentlemen of the best figure in the county." (Blackstone) 6. Distinguished appearance; magnificence; conspicuous representation; splendor; show. "That he may live in figure and indulgence." (Law) 7. A character or symbol representing a number; a numeral; a digit; as, 1, 2,3, etc. 8. Value, as expressed in numbers; price; as, the goods are estimated or sold at a low figure. "With nineteen thousand a year at the very lowest figure." (Thackeray) 9. A person, thing, or action, conceived of as analogous to another person, thing, or action, of which it thus becomes a type or representative. "Who is the figure of Him that was to come." (Rom. V. 14) 10. A mode of expressing abstract or immaterial ideas by words which suggest pictures or images from the physical world; pictorial language; a trope; hence, any deviation from the plainest form of statement. "To represent the imagination under the figure of a wing." (Macaulay) 11. <logic> The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term. 12. Any one of the several regular steps or movements made by a dancer. 13. <astronomy> A horoscope; the diagram of the aspects of the astrological houses. 14. Any short succession of notes, either as melody or as a group of chords, which produce a single complete and distinct impression. A form of melody or accompaniment kept up through a strain or passage; a musical or motive; a florid embellishment. Figures are often written upon the staff in music to denote the kind of measure. They are usually in the form of a fraction, the upper figure showing how many notes of the kind indicated by the lower are contained in one measure or bar. Thus, 2/4 signifies that the measure contains two quarter notes. The following are the principal figures used for this purpose: 2/2 2/4 2/8 4/2 2/4 4/8 3/2 3/4 3/8 6/4 6/4 6/8 Academy figure, Canceled figures, Lay figure, etc. See Academy, Cancel, Lay, etc. Figure caster, or Figure flinger, an astrologer. This figure caster." Figure flinging, the practice of astrology. Figure painting, a picture of the human figure, or the act or art of depicting the human figure. <chemical> Figure stone, agalmatolite. Figure weaving, the art or process of weaving figured fabrics. To cut a figure, to make a display. Origin: F, figure, L. Figura; akin to fingere to form, shape, feign. See Feign. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |