Etymology dictionary
ferine (adj.) — fibril (n.)
ferine (adj.)
"wild, in a state of nature," 1630s, from Latin ferinus "pertaining to wild animals," from fera "a wild beast, wild animal" (from PIE root *ghwer- "wild beast").
Feringhee (n.)
name used in India for "European; Englishman; Portuguese," 1630s, from Persian Farangi, from Arabic Faranji (10c.), from Old French Franc "Frank" (see Frank) + Arabic ethnic suffix -i. The fr- sound is impossible in Arabic.
fermata (n.)
1876, musical term indicating a pause or hold, Italian, literally "a stop, a pause," from fermare "to fasten, to stop," from fermo "strong, fastened," from Latin firmus "strong; stable" (from suffixed form of PIE root *dher- "to hold firmly, support").
ferment (v.)
late 14c. (intransitive), from Old French fermenter (13c.) and directly from Latin fermentare "to leaven, cause to rise or ferment," from fermentum "substance causing fermentation, leaven, drink made of fermented barley," perhaps contracted from *fervimentum, from root of fervere "to boil, seethe" (from PIE root *bhreu- "to boil, bubble, effervesce, burn"). Transitive use from 1670s. Figurative use from 1650s. Related: Fermented; fermenting.
ferment (n.)
early 15c., from Old French ferment (14c.), from Latin fermentum "leaven, yeast; drink made of fermented barley;" figuratively "anger, passion" (see ferment (v.)). Figurative sense of "anger, passion, commotion" in English is from 1670s.
fermentation (n.)
late 14c., in alchemy, with a broad sense; modern scientific sense is from c. 1600; from Late Latin fermentationem (nominative fermentatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin fermentare "to ferment" (see ferment (v.)). Figurative use attested from 1650s.
fermium (n.)
radioactive element, discovered in the debris of a 1952 U.S. nuclear test in the Pacific, named 1955 for Italian-born U.S. physicist Enrico Fermi (1901-1954). With metallic element ending -ium.
fern (n.)
Old English fearn "fern," from Proto-Germanic *farno- (source also of Old Saxon farn, Middle Dutch vaern, Dutch varen, Old High German farn, German Farn). Watkins and other sources propose an etymology on the notion of "having feathery fronds" from a possible PIE *por-no- "feather, wing" (source also of Sanskrit parnam "feather, leaf;" Lithuanian papartis "fern;" Russian paporot'; Greek pteris "fern"), a proposed suffixed form of the root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over," on the notion of "that which carries a bird in flight."
The plant's ability to appear as if from nothing accounts for the ancient belief that fern seeds conferred invisibility (1590s). Filicology "science or study of ferns" (1848) is from Latin filix "fern."
fern-tickles (n.)
"freckles, spots or blemishes on the body" (late 14c.), of unknown origin. Related: Fern-tickled "having spots or blemishes on the skin."
ferocity (n.)
c. 1600, from French férocité, from Latin ferocitatem (nominative ferocitas) "fierceness," from ferocis, oblique case of ferox "bold, courageous, warlike; fierce, savage, headstrong, cruel," literally "wild-looking," a derivative of ferus "wild" (from PIE root *ghwer- "wild beast") + -ox (genitive -ocis), a suffix meaning "looking or appearing" (cognate with Greek ōps "eye, sight;" from PIE root *okw- "to see").
ferocious (adj.)
1640s, from Latin ferocis, oblique case of ferox "fierce, wild-looking," from ferus "wild" (from PIE root *ghwer- "wild beast") + -ox (genitive -ocis), a suffix meaning "looking or appearing" (cognate with Greek ōps "eye, sight;" from PIE root *okw- "to see"). Alternative ferocient (1650s) is seldom seen. Related: Ferociously; ferociousness.
ferret (v.)
early 15c., "hunt with a ferret," from ferret (n.) or from Old French verb fureter, in reference to the use of half-tame ferrets to kill rats and flush rabbits from burrows. The extended sense of "search out, discover," especially by perseverance and cunning, usually with out (adv.), is from 1570s. Related: Ferreted; ferreting.
ferret (n.)
late 14c., from Old French furet "ferret," diminutive of fuiron "weasel, ferret," literally "thief" (in allusion to the animal's slyness and craftiness), probably from Late Latin furionem (related to furonem "cat," which also meant "robber"), from Latin fur (genitive furis) "thief," probably from PIE *bhor- (which likely also is the source of furtive), from root *bher- (1) "to bear, carry." Also from the French word are Dutch fret, German Frett. Ferret-faced is from 1837 (to have ferret-eyes is from 1580s).
ferry (v.)
Old English ferian "to carry, convey, bring, transport" (in late Old English, especially over water), from Proto-Germanic *farjan "to ferry" (source also of Old Frisian feria "carry, transport," Old Norse ferja "to pass over, to ferry," Gothic farjan "travel by boat"), from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over." Related to fare (v.). Related: Ferried; ferries; ferrying.
ferry (n.)
early 15c., "a passage over a river," from the verb or from Old Norse ferju-, in compounds, "passage across water," ultimately from the same Germanic root as ferry (v.). Meaning "place where boats pass over a body of water" is from mid-15c. The sense "boat or raft to convey passengers and goods short distances across a body of water" (1580s) is a shortening of ferry boat (mid-15c.).
ferric (adj.)
1799, "pertaining to or extracted from iron," from Latin ferrum "iron" (see ferro-) + -ic. Especially of iron with a valence of three.
ferrier (n.)
"ferryman," mid-15c., from ferry + -er (1).
Ferris wheel (n.)
1893, American English, from U.S. engineer George W.G. Ferris (1859-1896), who designed it for the World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893. It was 250 feet tall and meant to rival the Eiffel Tower, from the 1889 Paris Exposition. The surname is said to be a 16c. form of Ferrers, borne in England by two families, from two places named Ferrières in Normandy.
ferrite (n.)
"compound of ferric oxide and another metallic oxide," 1851, from Latin ferrum "iron" (see ferro-) + -ite (2).
ferro-
before vowels ferr-, word-forming element indicating the presence of or derivation from iron, from Latin ferro-, combining form of ferrum "iron," which is of unknown origin. Possibly of Semitic origin, via Etruscan [Klein]; Watkins suggests "possibly borrowed (via Etruscan) from the same obscure source as OE bræs "brass." Also sometimes especially indicative of the presence of iron in the ferrous state; ferri- indicating iron in the ferric state.
ferromagnetic (adj.)
"behaving like iron in a magnetic field," 1840, from ferro- "iron" + magnetic.
ferrous (adj.)
"pertaining to or containing iron," 1865, from Latin ferreus "made of iron," from ferrum "iron" (see ferro-). In chemistry, "containing iron," especially with a valence of two. Contrasted with ferric.
ferrule (n.)
"metal cap on a rod," 1610s, ferule, earlier verrel (early 15c.), from Old French virelle "ferrule, collar" (12c. Modern French virole), from Medieval Latin viriola "bracelet," diminutive of Latin viriae "bracelets," from a Gaulish word akin to Old Irish fiar "bent, crooked," from PIE *wi-ria-, from root *wei- "to turn, twist, bend." Spelling influenced by Latin ferrum "iron."
fertilize (v.)
1640s, "make fertile;" see fertile + -ize. Its biological sense of "unite with an egg cell" is first recorded 1859. Related: Fertilized; fertilizing.
fertility (n.)
mid-15c., fertilite, from Old French fertilité, from Latin fertilitatem (nominative fertilitas) "fruitfulness, fertility," from fertilis "fruitful, productive" (see fertile).
fertilizer (n.)
1660s, "something that fertilizes (land)," agent noun from fertilize. As a euphemism for "manure," from 1846.
fertile (adj.)
mid-15c., fertil, "bearing or producing abundantly," from Old French fertil (15c.) and directly from Latin fertilis "bearing in abundance, fruitful, productive," from ferre "to bear" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children"). Fertile Crescent (1914) was coined by U.S. archaeologist James H. Breasted (1865-1935) of University of Chicago in "Outlines of European History," Part I.
fertilization (n.)
1857, noun of action from fertilize, or else from French fertilisation.
fertilisation (n.)
chiefly British English spelling of fertilization. For spelling, see -ize.
ferule (n.)
"rod or flat piece of wood for punishing children," 1590s, earlier "giant fennel" (early 15c.), from Middle English ferula "fennel plant" (late 14c.), from Latin ferula "reed, whip, rod, staff; fennel plant or stalk" (fennel stalks were used for administering flogging punishment in ancient Roman times) probably related to festuca "stalk, straw, rod."
fervent (adj.)
mid-14c., from Old French fervent "fervent, ardent" (12c.), from Latin ferventem (nominative fervens) "boiling, hot, glowing," figuratively "violent, impetuous, furious," present participle of fervere "to boil, glow," from PIE root *bhreu- "to boil, bubble, effervesce, burn." The figurative sense of "impassioned" is first attested c. 1400. Related: Fervency; fervently.
fervid (adj.)
1590s, "burning, glowing, hot," from Latin fervidus "glowing, burning; vehement, fervid," from fervere "to boil, glow" (from PIE root *bhreu- "to boil, bubble, effervesce, burn"). Figurative sense of "impassioned" is from 1650s. Related: Fervidly; fervidness.
fervor (n.)
mid-14c., "warmth or glow of feeling," from Old French fervor "heat; enthusiasm, ardor, passion" (12c., Modern French ferveur), from Latin fervor "a boiling, violent heat; passion, ardor, fury," from fervere "to boil; be hot" (from PIE root *bhreu- "to boil, bubble, effervesce, burn").
fervour (n.)
chiefly British English spelling of fervor (q.v.); for spelling, see -or.
Fescennine (adj.)
"vulgar, obscene, scurrilous," from Latin Fescenninus (versus), a rude form of dramatic or satiric verse, from Fescennia, city in Etruria, noted for such productions.
fescue (n.)
1510s, "teacher's pointer," alteration of festu "piece of straw, twig" (late 14c.), from Old French festu "straw; object of little value" (12c., Modern French fétu), from Vulgar Latin *festucum, from Latin festuca "straw, stalk, rod," probably related to ferula "reed, whip, rod" (see ferule). The sense of "pasture, lawn grass" is attested from 1762. Wycliffe (1382) has festu in Matthew vii.3 for the "mote" in the eye. In Old French rompre le festu was to symbolically break a straw to signify the breaking of a bond.
fess (v.)
shortened form of confess, attested by 1840, American English. With up (adv.) from 1930. Related: Fessed; fesses; fessing.
fess (n.)
wide horizontal band across an escutcheon, late 15c., from Old French faisce, from Latin fascia "a band" (see fasces).
fest (n.)
see -fest.
-fest
word-forming element in colloquial compounds (hen-fest, gabfest, etc.), from 1889, American English, borrowed from German Fest "festival," abstracted from Volksfest, etc., from Middle High German vëst, from Latin festum "festival or holiday," neuter of festus "of a feast" (see feast (n.)).
festal (adj.)
late 15c., from Old French festal, from Late Latin festalis, from Latin festum "feast" (see feast (n.)).
fester (v.)
late 14c., of wounds, "to become ulcerous, suppurate," from festre (n.) "a fistula" (c. 1300), or from Old French verb festrir "ulcerate, fester," from festre (n.) "small sore discharging pus." The nouns in Old French and Middle English both are from Latin fistula "pipe, ulcer" (see fistula). Related: Festered; festering; festerment.
festival (n.)
1580s, "a festal day, appointed day of festive celebration," short for festival day (late 14c.), from Old French festival (adj.) "suitable for a feast; solemn, magnificent, joyful, happy," and directly from Medieval Latin festivalis "of a church holiday," from festum "festival, holiday," neuter of festus "of a feast" (see feast (n.)). The English word returned to French 19c. in certain specialized senses.
festivity (n.)
"festive celebration, feast," late 14c., from Old French festiveté "celebration, festiveness, festival," from Latin festivitatem (nominative festivitas) "good fellowship, generosity," from festivus "festive," from festum "festival or holiday," neuter of festus "of a feast" (see feast (n.)). Related: Festivities.
festive (adj.)
1650s, "pertaining to a feast," from Latin festivus "festive, joyous, gay," from festum "festival, holiday," noun use of neuter of adjective festus "joyful, merry" (see feast (n.)). The word is unattested in English from 1651 to 1735 (it reappears in a poem by William Somervile, with the sense "fond of feasting, jovial"), and the modern use may be a back-formation from festivity. Meaning "mirthful, joyous" in English is attested by 1774. Related: Festively; festiveness.
Earlier adjectives in English based on the Latin word were festival "pertaining to a church feast" (late 14c.); festful "joyous" (early 15c.), festial "pertaining to a church feast" (early 15c.), festli "fond of festivity" (late 14c.).
festoon (n.)
"string or chain of flowers, ribbon, or other material suspended between two points," 1620s, from French feston (16c.), from Italian festone, literally "a festive ornament," apparently from festa "celebration, feast," from Vulgar Latin *festa (see feast (n.)). The verb is attested from 1789. Related: Festooned.
festschrift (n.)
"volume of writings by various scholars presented as a tribute or memorial to a veteran scholar," 1898, from German Festschrift, literally "festival writing" (see -fest + script (n.)).
Festus
masc. proper name, from Latin, literally "solemn, joyous, festive" (see feast (n.)).
festucine (adj.)
"straw-colored," 1640s, from Latin festuca "straw" (see fescue).
feta (n.)
type of white Greek cheese made from goat's or ewe's milk, 1956, from Modern Greek (tyri) pheta, from tyri "cheese" + pheta, from Italian fetta "a slice," from Latin offa "a morsel, piece."
fetal (adj.)
1811, from stem of fetus + -al (1).
fetch (v.)
Middle English fecchen, from Old English feccan "to bring, bring to; seek, gain, take," apparently a variant of fetian, fatian "bring near, bring back, obtain; induce; marry," which is probably from Proto-Germanic *fetan (source also of Old Frisian fatia "to grasp, seize, contain," Old Norse feta "to find one's way," Middle Dutch vatten, Old High German sih faggon "to mount, climb," German fassen "to grasp, contain"). This would connect it to the PIE verb for "to walk" derived from root *ped- "foot."
With widespread sense development: to "reach," "deliver," "effect," "make (butter), churn" (19c.), "restore to consciousness" (1620s), also various nautical senses from 16c.-17c.; meaning "to bring in as equivalent or price" is from c. 1600. In 17c. writers on language didn't derive a word's etymology; they fetched it. As what a dog does, c. 1600, originally fetch-and-carry. Variant form fet, a derivation of the original Old English version of the word, survived as a competitor until 17c. Related: Fetched; fetching.
fetch (n.1)
"apparition of a living person, specter, a double," 1787, an English dialect word of unknown origin (see OED for discussion).
fetch (n.2)
"act of fetching," 1540s, from fetch (v.).
fetching (adj.)
1580s, "crafty, scheming," present-participle adjective from fetch (v.), in one of its extended senses, here "bring or draw into a desired relation or condition." The sense of "alluring, fascinating" is by 1880, from the verb in the sense "allure, attract, fascinate" (c. 1600). Related: Fetchingly.
fete (n.)
1754, from French fête "festival, feast," from Old French feste "feast, celebration" (see feast (n.)). If the date is right, first used in English by Horace Walpole (1717-1797).
fete (v.)
1819, from fete (n.). Related: Feted; fetes; feting.
fetial (adj.)
1530s, "pertaining to the Fetiales," the Roman diplomatic corps, a college of 20 priests whose duty was to act as heralds and maintain the laws of war, from Latin fetiales "speaking, negotiating, diplomatic," which is of unknown origin.
feticide (n.)
also foeticide, 1842; see fetus + -cide. Related: Feticidal.
fetid (adj.)
early 15c., from Latin fetidus (commonly foetidus) "stinking," from fetere "have a bad smell, stink." This is perhaps connected with fimus "dung," or with fumus "smoke."
fetish (n.)
"material object regarded with awe as having mysterious powers or being the representative of a deity that may be worshipped through it," 1610s, fatisso, from Portuguese feitiço "charm, sorcery, allurement," noun use of an adjective meaning "artificial."
The Portuguese adjective is from Latin facticius "made by art, artificial," from facere "to make, do, produce" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put;" compare French factice "artificial," restored from Old French faitise, from Latin facticius). Via the French word, Middle English had fetis, fetice (adj.) "cleverly made, neat, elegant" (of things), "handsome, pretty, neat" (of persons). But in the Middle Ages the Romanic derivatives of the word took on magical senses; compare Portuguese feiticeria "sorcery, witchcraft," feiticeiro "sorcerer, wizard." Latin facticius in Spanish has become hechizo "artificial, imitated," also "bewitchment, fascination."
The specific Portuguese use of the word that brought it to English probably began among Portuguese sailors and traders who used the word as a name for charms and talismans worshipped by the inhabitants of the Guinea coast of Africa. It was picked up and popularized in anthropology by Charles de Brosses' "Du culte des dieux fétiches" (1760), which influenced the word's spelling in English (French fétiche also is borrowed 18c. from the Portuguese word).
Figurative sense of "something irrationally revered, object of blind devotion" appears to be an extension made by the New England Transcendentalists (1837). For sexual sense (1897), see fetishism.
fetishism (n.)
1801, "worship of fetishes," from fetish + -ism. Expanded in use by Comte taking it to denote a general type of primitive religion (animism). In the purely psycho-sexual sense, first recorded 1897 in writings of Henry Havelock Ellis (1859-1939).
Related: Fetishist (1845; psycho-sexual sense from 1897); fetishistic.
fetlock (n.)
"tuft of hair behind the pastern-joint of a horse," early 14c., fetlak, from a Germanic source (cognates: Dutch vetlock, Middle High German fizlach, German Fiszloch), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *fetel- (source of German fessel "pastern"), from PIE *ped-el-, from root *ped- "foot." The Middle English diminutive suffix -ok (from Old English -oc) was misread and the word taken in folk etymology as a compound of feet and lock (of hair).
fetor (n.)
"offensive smell," mid-15c., from Latin fetor, foetor "stink, stench, bad smell," from fetere "have a bad smell" (see fetid).
fetter (n.)
Old English fetor "chain or shackle by which a person or animal is bound by the feet," figuratively "check, restraint," from Proto-Germanic *fetero (source also of Old Saxon feteros (plural), Middle Dutch veter "fetter," in modern Dutch "lace, string," Old High German fezzera, Old Norse fiöturr, Swedish fjätter "fetter"), from PIE root *ped- "foot." The generalized sense of "anything that shackles" had evolved in Old English. Related Fetters.
fetter (v.)
c. 1300, from Old English gefetrian, from the noun (see fetter (n.)). Related: Fettered; fettering.
fettle (n.)
"condition, state, trim," c. 1750, in a glossary of Lancashire dialect, from northern Middle English fettle (v.) "to make ready, fix, prepare, arrange" (late 14c.), which is of uncertain origin, perhaps akin to Old English fetian "to fetch" (see fetch (v.)); perhaps from Old English fetel "a girdle, belt," from Proto-Germanic *fatilaz (source also of German fessel "fetter, chain," Old Norse fetill "strap, brace"), from PIE *ped- (2) "container" (see vat). Related: Fettler; fettling.
fettuccine (n.)
"pasta in the shape of long ribbons," 1922, from Italian fettuccine, plural of fettuccina, literally "little ribbon," diminutive of fetta "a slice, a ribbon" (see feta).
fettuccini (n.)
see fettuccine.
fetus (n.)
late 14c., "the young while in the womb or egg" (tending to mean vaguely the embryo in the later stage of development), from Latin fetus (often, incorrectly, foetus) "the bearing or hatching of young, a bringing forth, pregnancy, childbearing, offspring," from suffixed form of PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck."
In Latin, fetus sometimes was transferred figuratively to the newborn creature itself, or used in a sense of "offspring, brood" (as in Horace's Germania quos horrida parturit Fetus), but this was not the usual meaning. It also was used of plants, in the sense of "fruit, produce, shoot," and figuratively as "growth, production." The spelling foetus is sometimes attempted as a learned Latinism, but it is unetymological (see oe).
feud (n.)
c. 1300, fede "enmity, hatred, hostility," northern English and Scottish, ultimately (via an unrecorded Old English word or Old French fede, faide "war, raid, hostility, hatred, enmity, feud, (legal) vengeance," which is from Germanic) from Proto-Germanic *faihitho (compare Old High German fehida "contention, quarrel, feud"), noun of state from adjective *faiho- (source also of Old English fæhð "enmity," fah "hostile;" German Fehde "feud;" Old Frisian feithe "enmity"). Perhaps from the same PIE source as foe. Sense of "vendetta" is early 15c. Alteration of spelling in 16c. is unexplained. Meaning "state of hostility between families or clans" is from 1580s.
feud (v.)
1670s, from feud (n.). Related: Feuded; feuding.
feudal (adj.)
1610s, "pertaining to feuds," estates of land granted by a superior on condition of services to be rendered to the grantor, from Medieval Latin feudalis, from feudum "feudal estate, land granted to be held as a benefice," of Germanic origin (cognates: Gothic faihu "property," Old High German fihu "cattle;" see fee). Related to Middle English feodary "one who holds lands of an overlord in exchange for service" (late 14c.). Not related to feud.
feudalism (n.)
a coinage of historians, attested from 1773; see feudal + -ism. Feudal system attested from 1736.
feu de joie (n.)
public bonfire, French, literally "fire of joy."
feuillemorte (adj.)
"of the color of a dead leaf," 1640s, fieulamort, from French feuille morte, literally "dead leaf" (see folio + mortal (adj.)). A word of loose spelling, variants include phyllamort, filemot, philomot.
feuilleton (n.)
part of a French newspaper devoted to light literature and criticism (usually at the bottom of a page and separated by a rule), 1845, from French feuilleton (18c.), literally "a leaflet (added to a newspaper)," diminutive of feuille "leaf," from Latin folium (from PIE root *bhel- (3) "to thrive, bloom").
In reference to writing style, suggestive of showiness and superficiality.
fever (n.)
earlier also feaver, late Old English fefor, fefer "fever, temperature of the body higher than normal," from Latin febris "fever," related to fovere "to warm, heat," which is probably from PIE root *dhegh- "burn" (source also of Gothic dags, Old English dæg "day," originally "the heat;" Greek tephra "ashes;" Lithuanian dāgas "heat," Old Prussian dagis "summer;" Middle Irish daig "fire"); but some suggest a reduplication of a root represented by Sanskrit *bhur- "to be restless."
The Latin word was adopted into most of the Germanic languages (German Fieber, Swedish feber, Danish feber), but not Dutch. English spelling was influenced by Old French fievre.
An alternative word for "fever" was Old English hrið, hriðing (which is cognate with Old High German hritto, Irish crith, Welsh cryd, Lithuanian skriečiù, skriesti); Latin febris also was glossed by bryneadl. The extended sense of "intense nervous excitement" is from 1580s. Also as a verb in Old English, feferian.
feverous (adj.)
late 14c., "having a fever; characteristic of fever," from fever + -ous or from Old French fievrous. Meaning "apt to cause fever" is from 1620s. Related: Feverously.
feverfew (n.)
Old English feferfuge, from Late Latin febrifugia, from Latin febris "fever" + fugare "put to flight" (see febrifuge). So called for its medical usage. The modern English word probably is reborrowed from an Anglo-French source.
feverish (adj.)
late 14c., "causing fever;" 1630s, "excited, unduly ardent;" 1640s, "having symptoms of fever, having a slight fever," from fever + -ish. Earlier in same sense was feverous (late 14c.). Old English had feferig, feferseoc. Related: Feverishly; feverishness.
fewness (n.)
Old English; see few (adj.) + -ness.
few (adj.)
Old English feawe (plural; contracted to fea) "not many, a small number; seldom, even a little," from Proto-Germanic *fawaz (source also of Old Saxon fa, Old Frisian fe, Old High German fao, Old Norse far, Danish faa), from PIE root *pau- (1) "few, little."
Always plural in Old English, according to OED "on the analogy of the adverbial fela," meaning "many." Phrase few and far between attested from 1660s. Unusual ironic use in quite a few "many" (1854), earlier a good few (1803).
few (n.)
"a small number of persons" (distinguished from the many), c. 1300, fewe, from few (adj.).
fewmet (n.)
also fumet, "excrement, dung of a game animal" (especially a hart), early 15c., fumes, from Old French fumees; the modern ending apparently is a formation in Anglo-French, from fumer, from Latin fumare "to smoke, steam," from fumus "smoke, steam, fume" (from PIE root *dheu- (1) "dust, vapor, smoke"). Related: Fewmets.
feyness (n.)
fez (n.)
1802, from French fez, from Turkish fes, probably ultimately from Fez, the city in Morocco, where this type of tasseled cap was principally made. Made part of the Turkish official dress by sultan Mahmud II.
F.F.V. (n.)
abbreviation of First Family of Virginia, attested by 1847 (simple F.F., for first family but meaning Virginia, is from 1813).
f-hole (n.)
"one of the two openings in the upper plate of the body of a violin," so called from resemblance to the italic letter f.
fiance (n.)
"man to whom one is betrothed," 1864 (by 1826 as a French word in English), from French fiancé, past participle of fiancer "to betroth" (see fiancee). Borrowed earlier in Middle English as "confidence, trust; word of honor."
fiancee (n.)
"woman to whom one is betrothed," 1844 (1837 as a French word in English), from French fiancée, fem. of fiancé, past participle of fiancer "to betroth," from fiance "a promise, trust," from fier "to trust," from Vulgar Latin *fidare "to trust," from Latin fidus "faithful" from the same root as fides "faith" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade"). It has all but expelled native betrothed. The English verb fiance, now obsolete, was used c. 1450-1600 for "to engage to be married."
fianchetto (n.)
chess move, 1847, Italian, diminutive of fianco "flank (attack)," from Old French flanc "hip, side" (see flank (n.)).
fiasco (n.)
1855, theater slang for "a failure in performance;" by 1862 it had acquired the general sense of "any ignominious failure or dismal flop," on or off the stage. It comes via the French phrase faire fiasco "turn out a failure" (19c.), from Italian far fiasco "suffer a complete breakdown in performance," literally "make a bottle," from fiasco (plural fiaschi) "bottle," from Late Latin flasco "bottle" (see flask).
The literal sense of the image (if it is one) is obscure today, but "the usual range of fanciful theories has been advanced" [Ayto]. Century Dictionary says "perhaps in allusion to the bursting of a bottle," Weekley pronounces it impenetrable and compares French ramasser un pelle "to come a cropper (in bicycling), literally to pick up a shovel." OED keeps its distance and lets nameless "Italian etymologists" make nebulous reference to "alleged incidents in Italian theatrical history." Klein suggests Venetian glass-crafters tossing aside imperfect pieces to be made later into common flasks.
But according to an Italian dictionary, fare il fiasco used to mean "to play a game so that the one that loses will pay the fiasco," in other words, he will buy the next bottle (of wine). If the dates are not objectionable, that plausibly connects the literal sense of the word with the notion of "a costly mistake."
fiat (n.)
1630s, "authoritative sanction," from Latin fiat "let it be done" (used in the opening of Medieval Latin proclamations and commands), third person singular present subjunctive of fieri "be done, become, come into existence" (from PIE root *bheue- "to be, exist, grow"), used as passive of facere "to make, do." Meaning "a decree, command, order" is from 1750. In English the word also sometimes is a reference to fiat lux "let there be light" in Genesis i.3.
fib (n.)
"a lie," especially a little one, "a white lie," 1610s, of uncertain origin, perhaps from fibble-fable "nonsense" (1580s), a reduplication of fable (n.).
fib (v.)
"tell trifling lies," 1680s, from fib (n.). Seldom, if ever, transitive. Related: Fibbed; fibbing; fibbery.
fibber (n.)
1723, agent noun from fib (v.).
fiber (n.)
late 14c., fibre "a lobe of the liver," also "entrails," from Medieval Latin fibre, from Latin fibra "a fiber, filament; entrails," which is of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Latin filum "a thread, string" (from PIE root *gwhi- "thread, tendon") or to Latin findere "to split" (from PIE root *bheid- "to split").
Meaning "thread-like structure in animal bodies" is from c. 1600 (in plants, 1660s); hence figurative use in reference to force or toughness (1630s). As "textile material," 1827. Fiberboard is from 1897; Fiberglas is attested from 1937, U.S. registered trademark name; in generic use, with lower-case f- and double -s, by 1941. Fiber optics is from 1956.
Fibonacci (adj.)
1891 in reference to a series of numbers in which each is equal to the sum of the preceding two, from name of Leonardo Fibonacci (fl. c. 1200) Tuscan mathematician.
fibre (n.)
chiefly British English spelling of fiber (q.v.); for spelling, see -re.
fibril (n.)
1680s, Englishing of Modern Latin fibrilla "a little fiber, a filament," especially in botany, diminutive of Latin fibra "a fiber, filament" (see fiber). Latin fibra and fibrilla were used in 17c. physiology in English alongside nativized fibre and fibril. From 1931 as "thread-like molecular formation."