<B>FCC</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> Federal Communications Commission (a commission of the U.S. government with authority to regulate radio, television, telephone, and other means of electronic communication). </DL>
<A NAME="fcc">
<B>F.C.C.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> first class certificate. </DL>
<A NAME="fclef">
<B>F clef,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the bass clef in music. </DL>
<A NAME="fcp">
<B>fcp.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> foolscap. </DL>
<A NAME="fd">
<B>fd</B> (no period),<DL COMPACT><DD> ferredoxin. </DL>
<A NAME="fd">
<B>F.D.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> Defender of the Faith (Latin, <I>Fidei Defensor</I>). </DL>
<A NAME="fda">
<B>FDA</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> Food and Drug Administration. </DL>
<A NAME="fdic">
<B>FDIC</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (an agency of the U.S. government with the authority to insure depositors of member banks up to $100,000). </DL>
<A NAME="fdr">
<B>FDR</B> (no periods) or <B>F.D.R.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> Franklin Delano Roosevelt. </DL>
<A NAME="fe">
<B>Fe</B> (no period),<DL COMPACT><DD> iron (chemical element). </DL>
<B>fealty, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>the loyalty and duty owed by a vassal to his feudal lord. <BR> <I>Ex. The nobles swore fealty to the king.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the recognition of this obligation. <DD><B> 2. </B>loyalty; faithfulness; allegiance. (SYN) fidelity. </DL>
<A NAME="fear">
<B>fear, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the emotion or condition of being afraid; feeling that danger or evil is near; dread. <BR> <I>Ex. She screamed in fear and jumped away from the snake.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>cause for being afraid; danger; chance. <BR> <I>Ex. There is no fear of our losing. He will never leave her--no fear!</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>an uneasy feeling; anxious thought; concern. <BR> <I>Ex. He went in fear of his life.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>awe; reverence. <BR> <I>Ex. In thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple (Psalms 5:7).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to be afraid of; regard with fear. <BR> <I>Ex. Our cat fears big dogs. A small baby fears loud noises. Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark (Francis Bacon).</I> (SYN) dread, apprehend. <DD><B> 2. </B>to feel concern for or about. <BR> <I>Ex. She fears that the child will be sick. Many may, I fear, maintain that I have been merely arguing in a circle (Listener).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to have awe or reverence for. <BR> <I>Ex. Fear God. Honour the king (I Peter 2:17).</I> (SYN) revere, venerate. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Archaic.) to frighten. <BR> <I>Ex. a scarecrow ... to fear the birds of prey (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to feel fear. <DD><B> 2. </B>to have an uneasy feeling or idea; feel concern. <BR> <I>Ex. The captain feared for his men's safety. I'll find the occasion, never fear! (Edward George Bulwer-Lytton).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>for fear of,</B> </I>in order to prevent something from occurring. <BR> <I>Ex. Must we not wish, for fear of wishing ill? (John Dryden).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>I fear me,</B> </I>(Archaic.) I am afraid. <BR> <I>Ex. I fear me he is slain (Christopher Marlowe).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>without fear or favor,</B> </I>impartially; justly. <BR> <I>Ex. In this company, promotions are given without fear or favor.</I> noun <B>fearer.</B> </DL>
<B>fearful, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>causing fear; terrible; dreadful. <BR> <I>Ex. a fearful explosion, a fearful dragon. At midnight's fearful hour (Samuel Rogers).</I> (SYN) awful, frightful, horrible. <DD><B> 2a. </B>feeling fear; frightened. <BR> <I>Ex. fearful of the dark.</I> (SYN) afraid, alarmed, apprehensive, cowardly, craven, pusillanimous. <DD><B> b. </B>full of awe or reverence. <BR> <I>Ex. The savages thought the explorers were gods and, fearful, knelt before them.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>showing fear; caused by fear. <BR> <I>Ex. fearful cries. Adeline ... threw a fearful glance around (Ann Radcliffe).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Informal.) very bad, difficult, or unpleasant. <BR> <I>Ex. I have a fearful cold. If he does not run for Governor, he confronts a fearful task in maintaining party primacy (New York Times Magazine).</I> adv. <B>fearfully.</B> noun <B>fearfulness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="fearless">
<B>fearless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> without fear; afraid of nothing; brave; daring. <BR> <I>Ex. Joyous we too launch out on trackless seas, Fearless for unknown shores (Walt Whitman).</I> (SYN) intrepid, courageous, dauntless. adv. <B>fearlessly.</B> noun <B>fearlessness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="fearmonger">
<B>fearmonger, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who voices and spreads fear. </DL>
<A NAME="fearsome">
<B>fearsome, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>causing fear; frightful; dreadful. <BR> <I>Ex. a fearsome sight.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>afraid; timid; apprehensive. <BR> <I>Ex. She was fearsome of danger.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to be dreaded; formidable. <BR> <I>Ex. [His] mien and manner lend credence to his fearsome reputation (Saturday Evening Post). His [Babe Ruth's] presence turned the New Yorkers into the most fearsome team in baseball (Time).</I> adv. <B>fearsomely.</B> noun <B>fearsomeness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="feasance">
<B>feasance, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Law.) a doing or performance, as of a condition, obligation, or duty. </DL>
<A NAME="feasibility">
<B>feasibility, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality or condition of being feasible. <BR> <I>Ex. Data are being collected in Panama's jungle hills to determine the feasibility of excavating a new canal at sea level (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="feasibilitystudy">
<B>feasibility study,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a study to determine the desirability and practicability of adopting a plan or system. <BR> <I>Ex. The scientists won't decide on conducting the large-scale project until they know the outcome of the feasibility study (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="feasible">
<B>feasible, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>that can be done easily; possible without difficulty or damage; practicable. <BR> <I>Ex. Of the many plans submitted, the committee selected the plan that seemed most feasible. Today, most of these fine old houses are dilapidated almost beyond feasible repair (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>likely; probable. <BR> <I>Ex. The witness's explanation of the accident sounded feasible.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>suitable; convenient. <BR> <I>Ex. The road was too rough to be feasible for travel by automobile.</I> noun <B>feasibleness.</B> adv. <B>feasibly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="feast">
<B>feast, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a rich meal prepared for some special occasion, usually a joyous one, and for a number of guests; banquet. <BR> <I>Ex. We went to the wedding feast.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an unusually delicious or abundant meal. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) something that gives pleasure or joy. <BR> <I>Ex. a feast for the eyes, a feast of toys. Two ... voices, that were a perfect feast to ears that had heard nothing but French operas for a year (Thomas Gray).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>a religious festival or celebration. <BR> <I>Ex. Christmas and Easter are the most important Christian feasts.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to eat a rich meal; have a feast. <BR> <I>Ex. They feasted on goose.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to take delight; delight. <BR> <I>Ex. Let your eyes feast on this.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to provide a rich meal for. <BR> <I>Ex. The king feasted his friends.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to entertain sumptuously. <BR> <I>Ex. How shall I feast him? (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) to give pleasure or joy to; delight. <BR> <I>Ex. We feasted our eyes on the beautiful sunset.</I> noun <B>feaster.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="feastday">
<B>feast day,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a day set aside for a celebration or festivity. <DD><B> 2. </B>a religious festival. <BR> <I>Ex. Moslem feast days.</I> </DL>
<B>Feast of Dedication,</B> <B>=Hanukkah.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastoffirstfruits">
<B>Feast of First Fruits,</B> <B>=Shabuoth.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastoffools">
<B>Feast of Fools,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a festival celebrated in many countries of Europe, especially in France, during the Middle Ages, in late December or early January, close to January first, in which minor clergy were elevated to mock office as bishop, archbishop, and pope of fools, and ritual was often burlesqued. </DL>
<A NAME="feastofingathering">
<B>Feast of Ingathering,</B> <B>=Sukkoth.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastoflanterns">
<B>Feast of Lanterns,</B> <B>=Bon.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastoflights">
<B>Feast of Lights,</B> <B>=Hanukkah.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastoflots">
<B>Feast of Lots,</B> <B>=Purim.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastoforthodoxy">
<B>Feast of Orthodoxy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a festival celebrated in the Greek Orthodox Church on the first Sunday in Lent in commemoration of the final overthrow of the iconoclasts of the 700's and 800's. </DL>
<A NAME="feastoftabernacles">
<B>Feast of Tabernacles,</B> <B>=Sukkoth.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastofunleavenedbread">
<B>Feast of Unleavened Bread,</B> <B>=Passover.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastofweeks">
<B>Feast of Weeks,</B> <B>=Shabuoth.</B></DL>
<A NAME="feastorfamine">
<B>feast-or-famine, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> fluctuating between extremes of gain and loss, success and failure, etc.. <BR> <I>Ex. the [textile] industry's age-old feast-or-famine cycle (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="feat">
<B>feat</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a great deed; act showing great skill, strength, or daring; tour de force. <BR> <I>Ex. He could, perhaps, have passed the Hellespont, As once (a feat on which ourselves we prided) Leander, Mr. Ekenhead and I did (Byron).</I> (SYN) achievement, stunt. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Archaic.) an action; deed. </DL>
