Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

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FROGFISH — FRUSTRATE

FROGFISH, n.

1. An animal of surinam, which is said to change from a fish to a frog and then to a fish again. It is cartilaginous, and exquisite food.

2. The Lophius, or fishing frog.

FROGGRASS, n. A plant.

FROGGY, a. Having frogs.

FROISE, n. A kind of food made by frying bacon inclosed in a pancake.

FROLICK, a.

Gay; merry; full of levity; dancing, playing or frisking about; full of pranks.

The frolick wind that breathes the spring.

The gay, the frolick, and the loud.

[This adjective is seldom used except in poetry. As a noun and a verb, its use is common.]

FROLICK, n.

1. A wild prank; a flight of levity, or gaiety and mirth.

He would be at his frolick once again.

2. A scene of gaiety and mirth, as in dancing or play. [This is a popular use of the word in America.]

FROLICK, v.i. To play wild pranks; to play tricks of levity, mirth and gaiety.

The buzzing insects frolick in the air.

FROLICKLY, adv. With mirth and gaiety. Obs.

FROLICKSOME, a. Full of gaiety and mirth; given to pranks.

FROLICKSOMENESS, n. Gaiety; wild pranks.

FROM, prep.

The sense of from may be expressed by the noun distance, or by the adjective distant, or by the participles, departing, removing to a distance. Thus it is one hundred miles from Boston to Hartford. He took his sword from his side. Light proceeds from the sun. Water issues from the earth in springs. Separate the coarse wool from the fine. Men have all sprung from Adam. Men often go from good to bad, and from bad to worse. The merit of an action depends on the principle from which it proceeds. Men judge of facts from personal knowledge, or from testimony. We should aim to judge from undeniable premises.

The sense of from is literal or figurative, but it is uniformly the same.

In certain phrases, generally or always elliptical, from is followed by certain adverbs, denoting place, region or position, indefinitely, no precise point being expressed; as,

From above, from the upper regions.

From afar, from a distance.

From beneath, from a place or region below.

From below, from a lower place.

From behind, from a place or position in the rear.

From far, from a distant place.

From high, from on high, from a high place, from an upper region, or from heaven.

From hence, from this place; but from is superfluous before hence. The phrase however is common.

From thence, from that place; from being superfluous.

From whence, from which place; from being superfluous.

From where, from which place.

From within, from the interior or inside.

From without, from the outside, from abroad.

From precedes another preposition, followed by its proper object or case.

From amidst, as from amidst the waves.

From among, as from among the trees.

From beneath, as from beneath my head.

From beyond, as from beyond the river.

From forth, as from forth his bridal bower. But this is an inverted order of the words; forth from his bower.

From off, as from off the mercy seat, that is, from the top or surface.

From out, as from out a window, that is, through an opening or from the inside.

From out of, is an ill combination of words and not to be used.

From under, as from under the bed, from under the ashes, that is, from beneath or the lower side.

From within, as from within the house, that is, from the inner part or interior.

FROMWARD, adv. Away from; the contrary of toward.

FROND, n. [L. frons, frondis. the sense is a shoot or shooting forward, as in frons, frontis.]

In botany, a term which Linne applies to the peculiar leafing of palms and ferns. He defines it, a kind of stem which has the branch united with the leaf and frequently with the fructification. The term seems to import the union of a leaf and a branch.

FRONDATION, n. A lopping of trees.

FRONDESCENCE, n. [L. frondesco, from frons.]

In botany, the precise time of the year and month in which each species of plants unfolds its leaves.

FRONDIFEROUS, a. [L. frons, and fero, to bear.] Producing fronds.

FRONDOUS, a. A frondous flower is one which is leafy, one which produces branches charged with both leaves and flowers. Instances of this luxuriance sometimes occur in the rose and anemone.

FRONT, n. [L. frons, frontis; Gr. the nose.]

1. Properly, the forehead, or part of the face above the eyes; hence, the whole face.

His front yet threatens, and his frowns command.

2. The forehead or face, as expressive of the temper or disposition; as a fold front, equivalent to boldness or impudence. So a hardened front is shamelessness.

3. The forepart of any thing; as the front of a house, the principal face or side.

4. The forepart or van of an army or a body of troops.

5. The part or place before the face, or opposed to it, or to the forepart of a thing. He stood in front of his troops. The road passes in front of his house.

6. The most conspicuous part or particular.

7. Impudence; as men of front.

FRONT, v.t.

1. To oppose face to face; to oppose directly.

I shall front thee, like some staring ghost, with all my wrongs about me.

2. To stand opposed or opposite, or over against any thing; as, his house fronts the church.

FRONT, v.i.

1. To stand foremost.

2. To have the face or front towards any point of compass.

FRONTAL, n. [L. frontale., frons.]

1. In medicine, a medicament or preparation to be applied to the forehead.

2. In architecture, a little pediment or frontpiece, over a small door or window.

3. In Jewish ceremonies, a frontlet or browband, consisting of four pieces of vellum, laid on leather, and tied round the forehead in the synagogue; each piece containing some text of scripture.

FRONTBOX, n. The box in a playhouse before the rest.

FRONTED, a. Formed with a front.

FRONTIER, n.

The marches; the border, confine, or extreme part of a country, bordering on another country; that is, the part furthest advanced, or the part that fronts an enemy, or which an invading enemy meets in front, or which fronts another country.

FRONTIER, a. Lying on the exterior part; bordering; conterminous; as a frontier town.

FRONTIERED, a. Guarded on the frontiers.

FRONTINAC, FRONTINIAC, n. A species of French wine, named from the place in Languedoc where it is produced.

FRONTISPIECE, n. [L. frontispicium; frons and specio, to view.]

1. In architecture, the principal face of a building; the face that directly presents itself to the eye.

2. An ornamental figure or engraving fronting the first page of a book, or at the beginning.

FRONTLESS, a. Wanting shame or modesty; not diffident; as frontless vice; frontless flattery.

FRONTLET, n. [from front.] A frontal or browband; a fillet or band worn on the forehead. Deuteronomy 6:8.

FRONTROOM, n. a room or apartment in the forepart of a house.

FROPPISH, a. Peevish; froward. [Not in use.]

FRORE, a. Frozen

FRORNE, a. Frozen

FRORY, a.

1. Frozen.

2. Covered with a froth resembling hoarfrost. [Not in use.]

FROST, n.

1. A fluid congealed by cold into ice or crystals; as hoar-frost, which is dew or vapor congealed.

He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. Psalm 147:16.

2. The act of freezing; congelation of fluids.

The third day comes a frost, a killing frost.

3. In physiology, that state or temperature of the air which occasions freezing or the coagelation of water.

4. The appearance of plants sparkling with icy crystals.

FROST, v.t.

1. In cookery, to cover or sprinkle with a composition of sugar, resembling hoar-frost; as, to frost cake.

2. To cover with any thing resembling hoarfrost.

FROSTBITTEN, a. Nipped, withered or affected by frost.

FROSTED, pp.

1. Covered with a composition like white frost.

2. a. Having hair changed to a gray or white color, as if covered with hoar-frost; as a head frosted by age.

FROSTILY, adv.

1. With frost or excessive cold.

2. Without warmth of affection; coldly.

FROSTINESS, n. The state or quality of being frosty; freezing cold.

FROSTING, ppr. covering with something resembling hoar-frost.

FROSTING, n. the composition resembling hoar-frost, used to cover cake, etc.

FROSTLESS, a. Free from frost; as a frostless winter.

FROSTNAIL, n. a nail driven into a horse-shoe, to prevent the horse from slipping on ice. In some of the United States, the ends of the shoe are pointed for this purpose, and these points are called calks.

FROSTWORK, n. Work resembling hoar-frost on shrubs.

FROSTY, a.

1. Producing frost; having power to congeal water; as a frosty night; frosty weather.

2. Containing frost; as, the grass is frosty.

3. Chill in affection; without warmth of affection or courage.

4. Resembling hoar-frost; white gray-haired; as a frosty head.

FROTH, n. frauth. [Gr.]

1. Spume; foam; the bubbles causes in liquors by fermentation or agitation.

2. Any empty, senseless show of wit or eloquence.

3. Light, unsubstantial matter.

FROTH, v.t. To cause to foam.
FROTH, v.i. To foam; to throw up spume; to throw out foam or bubbles. Beer froths in fermentation. The sea froths when violently agitated. A horse froths at the mouth when heated.

FROTHILY, adv.

1. With foam or spume.

2. In an empty trifling manner.

FROTHINESS, n. The state of being frothy; emptiness; senseless matter.

FROTHY, a.

1. Full of foam or froth, or consisting of froth or light bubbles.

2. Soft; not firm or solid.

3. Vain; light; empty; unsubstantial; as a vain frothy speaker; a frothy harangue.

FROUNCE, n. A distemper of hawks, in which white spittle gathers about the bill. [See the Verb.]

FROUNCE, v.t.

To curl or frizzle the hair about the face.

Not tricked and frounced as she was wont.

FROUNCE, n. A wrinkle, plait or curl; an ornament of dress.

FROUNCED, pp. Curled; frizzled.

FROUNCELESS, a. Having no plait or wrinkle.

FROUNCING, ppr. Curling; crisping.

FROUZY, a. Fetid; musty; rank; dim; cloudy.

FROW, n. A woman. [Not used.]

FROWARD, a. [L. versus: turned or looking from.]

Perverse, that is, turning from, with aversion or reluctance; not willing to yield or comply with what is required; unyielding; ungovernable; refractory; disobedient; peevish; as a froward child.

They are a very froward generation, children in whom is no fair. Deuteronomy 32:20.

FROWARDLY, adv. Perversely; in a peevish manner.

FROWARDNESS, n. Perverseness; reluctance to yield or comply; disobedience; peevishness.

FROWER, n. A sharp edged tool to cleave laths.

FROWN, v.i.

1. To express displeasure by contracting the brow, and looking grim or surly; to look stern; followed by on or at; as, to frown on a profligate man, or to frown at his vices.

Heroes in animated marble frown.

2. To manifest, displeasure in any manner. When providence frowns on our labors, let us be humble and submissive.

3. To lower; to look threatening.

FROWN, v.t. To repel by expressing displeasure; to rebuke. Frown the impudent fellow into silence.
FROWN, n.

1. A wrinkled look, particularly expressing dislike; a sour, severe or stern look, expressive of displeasure.

His front yet threatens and his frowns command.

2. Any expression of displeasure; as the frowns of providence; the frown of fortune.

FROWNING, ppr. Knitting the brow in anger or displeasure; expressing displeasure by a surly, stern or angry look; lowering; threatening.

FROWNINGLY, adv. Sternly; with a look of displeasure.

FROWY, a. [The same as frouzy; perhaps a contracted word.] Musty; rancid; rank; as frowy butter.

FROZEN, pp. of freeze.

1. Congealed by cold.

2. Cold; frosty; chill; as the frozen climates of the north.

3. Chill or cold in affection.

4. Void of natural heat or vigor.

F.R.S. Fellow of the Royal Society.

FRUBISH, for furbish, is not used.

FRUCTED, a. [L. fructus, fruit.] In heraldry, bearing fruit.

FRUCTESCENCE, n. [from L. fructus, fruit. See Fruit.]

In botany, the precise time when the fruit of a plant arrives at maturity, and its seeds are dispersed; the fruiting season.

FRUCTIFEROUS, a. [L. fructus, fruit, and fero, to bear.] Bearing or producing fruit.

FRUCTIFICATION, n. [See Fructify.]

1. The act of fructifying, or rendering productive of fruit; fecundation.

2. In botany, the temporary part of a plant appropriated to generation, terminating the old vegetable and beginning the new. It consists of seven parts, the calyx, impalement or flower-cup, the corol or petals, the stamens, and the pistil, which belong to the flower, the pericarp and seed, which pertain to the fruit, and the receptacle or base, on which the other parts are seated. The receptacle belongs both to the flower and fruit.

FRUCTIFY, v.t. [Low L. fructifico.]

To make fruitful; to render productive; to fertilize; as, to fructify the earth.

FRUCTIFY, v.i. To bear fruit. [Unusual.]

FRUCTUATION, n. Produce; fruit. [Not used.]

FRUCTUOUS, a. Fruitful; fertile; also, impregnating with fertility.

FRUCTURE, n. Use; fruition; enjoyment. [Not used.]

FRUGAL, a. [L. frugalis. See Fruit.]

Economical in the use or appropriation of money, goods or provisions of any kind; saving unnecessary expense, either of money or of any thing else which is to be used or consumed; sparing; not profuse, prodigal or lavish. We ought to be frugal not only in the expenditure of money and of goods, but in the employment of time. It is followed by of, before the thing saved; as frugal of time. It is not synonymous with parsimonious, nor with thrifty, as now used.

FRUGALITY, n.

1. Prudent economy; good husbandry or housewifery; a sparing use or appropriation of money or commodities; a judicious use of any thing to be expended or employed; that careful management of money or goods which expends nothing unnecessarily, and applies what is used to a profitable purpose; that use in which nothing is wasted. It is not equivalent to parsimony, the latter being an excess of frugality, and a fault. Frugality is always a virtue. Nor is it synonymous with thrift, in its proper sense; for thrift is the effect of frugality.

Without frugality none can become rich, and with it few would be poor.

2. A prudent and sparing use or appropriation of any thing; as frugality of praise.

FRUGALLY, adv. With economy; with good management; in a saving manner. He seldom lives frugally, that lives by chance.

FRUGIFEROUS, a. [L. frugifer; fruges, corn and fero, to bear.] Producing fruit or corn.

FRUGIVOROUS, a. [L. fruges, corn and voro, to eat.]

Feeding on fruits, seeds or corn, as birds and other animals.

FRUIT, n. [L. fructus. The Latin word is the participle of fruor, contracted from frugor, or frucor, to use, to take the profit of.]

1. In a general sense, whatever the earth produces for the nourishment of animals, or for clothing or profit. Among the fruits of the earth are included not only corn of all kinds, but grass, cotton, flax, grapes and all cultivated plants. In this comprehensive sense, the word is generally used in the plural.

2. In a more limited sense, the produce of a tree or other plant; the last production for the propagation or multiplication of its kind; the seed of plants, or the part that contains the seeds; as wheat, rye, oats, apples, quinces, pears, cherries, acorns, melons, etc.

3. In botany, the seed of a plant, or the seed with the pericarp.

4. Production; that which is produced.

The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth. Ephesians 5:9.

5. The produce of animals; offspring; young; as the fruit of the womb, of the loins, of the body.

6. Effect or consequence.

They shall eat the fruit of their doings. Isaiah 3:10.

7. Advantage; profit; good derived.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? Romans 6:21.

8. Production, effect or consequence; in an ill sense; as the fruits of sin; the fruits of intemperance.

FRUIT, v.i. To produce fruit. [Not well authorized.]

FRUITAGE, n. Fruit collectively; various fruits.

FRUITBEARER, n. That which produces fruit.

FRUITBEARING, a. Producing fruit; having the quality of bearing fruit.

FRUITERER, n. One who deals in fruit; a seller of fruits.

FRUITERY, n.

1. Fruit collectively taken.

2. A fruitloft; a repository for fruit.

FRUITFUL, a.

1. Very productive; producing fruit in abundance; as fruitful soil; a fruitful tree; a fruitful season.

2. Prolific; bearing children; not barren.

Be fruitful, and multiply - Genesis 1:22, 28.

3. Plenteous; abounding in any thing.

4. Productive of any thing; fertile; as fruitful in expedients.

5. Producing in abundance; generating; as fruitful in crimes.

FRUITFULLY, adv.

1. In such a manner as to be prolific.

2. Plenteously; abundantly.

FRUITFULNESS, n.

1. The quality of producing fruit in abundance; productiveness; fertility; as the fruitfulness of land.

2. Fecundity; the quality of being prolific, or producing many young; applied to animals.

3. Productiveness of the intellect; as the fruitfulness of the brain.

4. Exuberant abundance.

FRUIT-GROVE, n. A grove or close plantation of fruit trees.

FRUITION, n. [from L. fruor, to use or enjoy.]

Use accompanied with pleasure, corporeal or intellectual; enjoyment; the pleasure derived from use or possession.

If the affliction is on his body, his appetites are weakened, and capacity of fruition destroyed.

FRUITIVE, a. Enjoying.

FRUITLESS, a.

1. Not bearing fruit; barren; destitute of fruit; as a fruitless plant.

2. Productive of no advantage or good effect; vain; idle; useless; unprofitable; as a fruitless attempt; a fruitless controversy.

3. Having no offspring.

FRUITLESSLY, a. [from fruitless.] Without any valuable effect; idly; vainly; unprofitably.

FRUITLESSNESS, n. The quality of being vain or unprofitable.

FRUIT-LOFT, n. A place for the preservation of fruit.

FRUIT-TIME, n. The time for gathering fruit.

FRUIT-TREE, n. A tree cultivated for its fruit, or a tree whose principal value consists in the fruit it produces, as the cherry tree, apple tree, pear tree. The oak and beech produce valuable fruit, but the fruit is not their principal value.

FRUMENTACEOUS, a. [L. frumentaceus.]

1. Made of wheat, or like grain.

2. Resembling wheat, in respect to leaves, ears, fruit, and the like.

FRUMENTARIOUS, a. [L. frumentarius, from frumentum, corn.] Pertaining to wheat or grain.

FRUMENTATION, n. [L. frumentatio.] Among the Romans, a largess of grain bestowed on the people to quiet them when uneasy or turbulent.

FRUMENTY, n. [L. frumentum, wheat or grain.] Food made of wheat boiled in milk.

FRUMP, n. A joke, jeer or flout. [Not used.]

FRUMP, v.t. To insult. [Not in use.]

FRUSH, v.t. To bruise; to crush. Obs.

FRUSH, n. In farriery, a sort of tender horn that grows in the middle of the sole of a horse, at some distance from the toe, dividing into two branches, and running toward the heel in the form of a fork.

FRUSTRABLE, a. [See Frustrate.] That may be frustrated or defeated.

FRUSTRANEOUS, a. [See Frustrate.] Vain; useless; unprofitable. [Little used.]

FRUSTRATE, v.t. [L. frustro.]

1. Literally, to break or interrupt; hence, to defeat; to disappoint; to balk; to bring to nothing; as, to frustrate a plan, design or attempt; to frustrate the will or purpose.

2. To disappoint; applied to persons.

3. To make null; to nullify; to render of no effect; as, to frustrate a conveyance or deed.

FRUSTRATE, part. a. Vain; ineffectual; useless; unprofitable; null; void; of no effect.