<B>frenulum, </B>noun, pl. <B>-la.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a small frenum. <DD><B> 2. </B>a slender, stiff process extending from the hind wing of most moths and interlocking with a process on the front wing, keeping the two wings of a side together in flight. </DL>
<A NAME="frenum">
<B>frenum, </B>noun, pl. <B>-na.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a ligament or fold of membrane which checks or restrains the motion of the organ to which it is attached, such as that which holds down the under side of the tongue; bridle. Also, <B>fraenum.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="frenzied">
<B>frenzied, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>very much excited; frantic; wild. <BR> <I>Ex. the frenzied look of the mother of a lost child.</I> (SYN) distracted. <DD><B> 2. </B>crazy; mad. adv. <B>frenziedly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="frenzy">
<B>frenzy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-zies,</B> verb, <B>-zied,</B> <B>-zying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>near madness; frantic condition; mental derangement. <BR> <I>Ex. She was in a frenzy of grief when she heard that her child was missing. Demoniac frenzy, moping melancholy, And moon-struck madness (Milton).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>very great excitement. <BR> <I>Ex. a frenzy of haste. The crowd was in a frenzy after the home team scored the winning goal. The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven (Shakespeare).</I> (SYN) furor, delirium. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to drive (a person) to frenzy; infuriate. </DL>
<A NAME="freon">
<B>Freon, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) any one of a group of nearly odorless, colorless, gaseous carbon compounds, each of which has one or more atoms of fluorine, used as a refrigerant, aerosol propellant, solvent, and fire-extinguishing agent. </DL>
<B>frequency, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the rate of occurrence. <BR> <I>Ex. The flashes of light came with a frequency of three per minute.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the fact of occurring often or being repeated at short intervals. <BR> <I>Ex. The frequency of his visits began to annoy us.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Physics.) <DD><B> a. </B>the number of times that any regularly repeated event, such as a vibration, occurs in a given unit of time. <BR> <I>Ex. If the natural frequency of a particular blade corresponds to the frequency of the critical operating speed of the engine, the blade will vibrate (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the number of complete cycles per second of an alternating current or other electric wave. Sixty cycles per second is a commonly used frequency of current in a house. Different radio and television stations broadcast at different frequencies so that their signals can be received distinctly. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Statistics.) the number of cases of the data under consideration falling within a particular class interval. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Mathematics.) the ratio of the number of times an event actually occurs to the number of times it might occur in a given period. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Obsolete.) <DD><B> a. </B>the state or condition of being crowded. <DD><B> b. </B>a crowd. </DL>
<A NAME="frequencyband">
<B>frequency band,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a particular range of wave lengths in radio, television, or other electromagnetic transmission. </DL>
<A NAME="frequencydistribution">
<B>frequency distribution,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Statistics.) <DD><B> 1. </B>an arrangement of data according to size, rather than time, location, or degree; an arrangement of data to show the number of times an event occurs in a particular way. <BR> <I>Ex. The basis of Yule's and Wake's method is the study of the frequency distribution of quite ordinary characters in a random sample (Science News).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a table or graph depicting such an arrangement. <BR> <I>Ex. The values themselves, arranged in a table, form a frequency distribution (A. E. Waugh).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="frequencymodulation">
<B>frequency modulation,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a deliberate changing of the frequency of transmitting waves in order to agree with the changes in the sounds or images being transmitted. Frequency modulation reduces static. (Abbr:) FM, F.M. <DD><B> 2. </B>a broadcasting system using this method of modulation. </DL>
<A NAME="frequencyresponse">
<B>frequency response,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Electronics.) the effectiveness of a circuit or device in transmitting the various frequencies applied to it; the range of frequencies transmitted by a circuit or device. </DL>
<A NAME="frequencyshifting">
<B>frequency shifting,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Electronics.) the shifting of the frequencies of signals so that several different signals may be sent without confusion along one line of transmission. </DL>
<A NAME="frequent">
<B>frequent, </B>adjective, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>happening often, near together, or every little while. <BR> <I>Ex. In my part of the country, storms are frequent in March. The coast has frequent lighthouses.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>that does a thing often; constant; habitual; regular. <BR> <I>Ex. He is a frequent caller at our house.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) (of a place) filled; full; crowded. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to be often in; go to often. <BR> <I>Ex. Frogs frequent ponds, streams, and marshes.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to visit or associate with. <BR> <I>Ex. He frequents Lord Pembroke, a man of quality as well as of pleasure (New York Times Book Review).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> (Obsolete.) to associate (with). noun <B>frequentness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="frequentation">
<B>frequentation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act or habit of frequenting; visiting or resorting to frequently. </DL>
<A NAME="frequentative">
<B>frequentative, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Grammar.) <DD><I>adj. </I> serving to express the frequent repetition of an action. "Waggle" is a frequentative verb from "wag." <DD><I>noun </I> a frequentative verb or verbal form. </DL>
<A NAME="frequenter">
<B>frequenter, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who frequents or resorts to a place. </DL>
<A NAME="frequently">
<B>frequently, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> every little while; often; repeatedly. <BR> <I>Ex. He hardly ever saves and is frequently in debt (Atlantic).</I> </DL>
<B>fresco, </B>noun, pl. <B>-coes</B> or <B>-cos,</B> verb, <B>-coed,</B> <B>-coing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the act or art of painting with water colors on the damp, fresh plaster of a wall or ceiling. The colors sink in and become very durable. <BR> <I>Ex. Fresco was used much oftener in the past than today.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a picture or design so painted. <BR> <I>Ex. Beautiful frescoes covered the walls and ceiling of the cathedral.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) <DD><B> a. </B>cool, fresh air. <DD><B> b. </B>a fresh breeze. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to paint with water colors on damp, fresh plaster. noun <B>frescoer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="frescoing">
<B>frescoing, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the process of painting in fresco. <BR> <I>Ex. Frescoing must be done very rapidly.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>frescoed decoration. </DL>
<A NAME="fresh">
<B>fresh</B> (1), adjective, adverb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>newly made, arrived, or gathered; recent. <BR> <I>Ex. fresh vegetables. On it were the fresh footmarks of a little animal (John Tyndall).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>not known, seen, or used before; new; recent. <BR> <I>Ex. Is there any fresh news from home?</I> (SYN) novel. <DD><B> 3. </B>another; additional; further. <BR> <I>Ex. After her failure, she made a fresh start. The dispute ... took a fresh turn today when 81 deputies ... handed in their notice (London Times).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>not salty. <BR> <I>Ex. Rivers are usually fresh water.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>not spoiled; not stale. <BR> <I>Ex. Is the milk fresh?</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>not artificially preserved. <BR> <I>Ex. Fresh butter, fresh meat, fresh herring, and fresh vegetables usually have more flavor than when canned or frozen.</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>not tired out; vigorous; lively. <BR> <I>Ex. Put in fresh horses.</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>not faded or worn; bright. <BR> <I>Ex. The party was fresh in her memory. The spring time of her childish years Hath never lost its fresh perfume (James Russell Lowell).</I> (SYN) undimmed, untarnished. <DD><B> 9. </B>looking healthy or young. <BR> <I>Ex. Grandmother is as hale and fresh in appearance as she was ten years ago. He looked as fresh as a boy after his vacation.</I> (SYN) blooming. <DD><B> 10. </B>cool; refreshing; pure. <BR> <I>Ex. a fresh breeze. The desire of fresh air ... had carried her into the ... garden (Scott).</I> (SYN) invigorating. <DD><B> 11. </B>fairly strong; brisk. <BR> <I>Ex. A fresh wind is more than a breeze.</I> <DD><B> 12. </B>not experienced; unsophisticated. <BR> <I>Ex. How green you are and fresh in this old world (Shakespeare).</I> (SYN) untrained. <DD><B> 13. </B>(of a cow) having recently calved and yielding a renewed or increased supply of milk. <DD><B> 14. </B>(Informal.) tipsy; drunk. <DD><I>adv. </I> freshly; newly. <BR> <I>Ex. She has a charming fresh colour--Yes, when it is fresh put on (Richard Brinsley Sheridan).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the fresh or early part of a day, year, or other period of time or the beginning of something. <BR> <I>Ex. The robins ... keep on pretending it is the fresh of the year (James Russell Lowell).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a pool, spring, or stream of fresh water. <BR> <I>Ex. I ... have found several delightful wood-alleys ... and quiet freshes (Keats).</I> <DD><B> 3a. </B>a flood of fresh water flowing into the sea. <DD><B> b. </B>a freshet; flood. <DD><B> 4. </B>a stream of fresh water running into tidewater; the part of a tidal river above the salt water. <DD><B> 5. </B>(College Slang.) a freshman. noun <B>freshness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="fresh">
<B>fresh</B> (2), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) too bold; impudent; forward. <BR> <I>Ex. She rose and in a loud voice cried: "Say, you're too fresh! Where d'ye think ye are?" (Alan Dale).</I> (SYN) saucy, presumptuous, impertinent, obtrusive. </DL>
<A NAME="freshair">
<B>fresh-air, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the outdoors or with outdoor living. <BR> <I>Ex. fresh-air sports and games. The fresh-air cure has been ... very much boomed of late years ... One result of this has been the evolution of what I may term the fresh-air maniac (Daily Chronicle).</I> </DL>
