FOR 



338 



FO U 



a beautiful blue flower, the emblem of 

 fidelity in matters of love. It holds a 

 conspicuous place in bouquets. 



FORLORN'-HOTE. In military affairs, a 

 detachment of men (volunteers) ap- 

 pointed to lead in an assault, or to per- 

 form any service attended with imminent 

 peril, thus named from the small hope 

 they have of surviving. 



FORM. 1. In physiology, the essential 

 and distinguishing modification of the 

 matter of which a body is composed. This 



is essential form. 2. In general physics, 



the exterior appearance or surface of a 

 body, or the disposition of its parts as to 



length, breadth, and thickness. 3. In 



printing, pages or columns of type pro- 

 perly arranged, enclosed and locked in an 

 iron frame called a chase, ready to be put 

 to press ; there are two forms for each 



sheet. 4. In ethics, the manner of being 



or doing a thing according to certain rules, 



thus we have a form of government. 



6. In law, the rules requisite to be ob- 

 served in legal proceedings are called 

 forms. 



FOR'MA PAC'PERIS. In law , when a per- 

 son has just cause of a suit, and swears 

 that he is not worth five pounds sterling, 

 he is allowed tc plead in formd pauperis, 

 i.e., without paying any fee, counsel and 

 attorneys being assigned to him. 



FORMA'TIONS. In geology, regular alter- 

 nations of strata over each other. The 

 term is designed to convey the idea, that 

 the strata, composing the earth's crust, 

 hare been formed at different and dis- 

 tant periods; hence those strata, supposed 

 to have been formed during one geologi- 

 cal period, constitute a formation. Thus 

 the strata of shale, sand-stone, and iron- 

 stone, which accompany coal-beds, are 

 called the coal formation. 



FOR'MEDON. In law, a writ of right 

 which lies for him who has right to lands 

 or tenements by virtue of an entail. 



FoRM'icA,the ant. An extensive genus 

 of hymenopterous insects of the hetero- 

 gynous family. 



FOR'MIC ACID, a peculiar acid, thus 

 named from its having been first found 

 in the red ant (formica riifa]. It is now 

 formed artificially by distilling a mix- 

 ture of 10 tartaric acid, 14 black oxide of 

 manganese, and 15 concentrate sulphuric- 

 acid, with 20 or 30 of water : the colour- 

 less liquid which comes over is formic 

 acid. It consists of 2 vols. carb. oxide, 

 and 1 vol. vapour of water. 



FOR'MCLA, Lat. dim. of forma. A. pre- 

 scribed form. 1. In theology, a profes- 

 sion of faith. 2. In pharmacy, a pre- 

 scription for the preparation of medicines. 

 3. In algebra, a theorem or general 



rule. 4. Chemical formula are symbols 



representing the different substances, 

 aUuple and compound. 



FOK'MX (Latin), an arch or vault. The 

 fornix of the brain is the part bcm-ath the 

 corpus callosum. It is so called, from iu 

 somewhat resembling the arches of an- 

 cient vaults. The fornix of a shell is the 

 excavated part under the umbo. 



FOR'TE. In music, an Italian term, 

 being a direction to sing with strength of 

 voice. 



FORTE PIANO. In music, an Italian com- 

 pound, signifying the art of enforcing or 

 enfeebling sounds in imitative melody, as 

 is done in speech, which it imitati-.-. ' 



FORTIFICA'TION, from/or<. That species 

 of architecture called military, used for 

 defence against the attack of an enemy, 

 showing how to fortify a place with ram- 

 parts, parapets, moats, and other bul- 

 warks. 



FORTIS'SIMO, the Italian superlative of 

 forte (q. v.), implying " very loud." 



FOR'TRET or FOK'TIN, a sconce or small 

 fort. 



FO'RUM. In Roman antiquity, any pmb- 

 lic place, as a market, court of law, or 

 place where causes were judicially tried, 

 and orations delivered to the people. 



Foss, )Lat./o*s. A ditch, applied in 



FOSSE, ) fortification to the moat lying 

 between the scarp and counterscarp, and 

 in anatomy to any little furrow or sinus. 



FOS'SA (Lat.). In geology, depressions on 

 the external surface. Fossa ovalis, a de- 

 pression in the right auricle of the heart. 



FOS'SIL, Lat. fossilis, from fodio, to dig ; 

 dug out of the earth. The term is now 

 commonly used substantively to express 

 the remains of animal or vegetable sub- 

 stances found buried in the strata of the 

 earth's crust. 



FOS'SIL-CO'PAL, Highgate resin ; a resi- 

 nous substance found in perforating the 

 bed of blue clay at Highgate, near London. 

 It appears to be a true vegetable resin. 



FOSSO'RES (diggers). A family of hymen- 

 opterous insects armed with a sting, and 

 in which the individuals of both sexes 

 are furnished with wings and live soli- 

 tarily ; and in which the legs are adapted 

 for walking, and in some for digging 

 They compose the genus Sphei, Lin. 



FOSSO'RIAL, Lat. fodio, to dig. In zoo- 

 logy, animals which dig their retreats and 

 seek their food in the earth. 



FOTH'ER. 1. A weight of lead, &c., con- 

 taining 8 pigs (see FODDER.) 2. Among 



seamen, , to father is to endeavour to stop 

 a leak in the bottom of a vessel while 

 afloat, by letting down a sail by the cor- 

 ners, and putting chopped yarn, oakucj, 

 wool, &c., between it and the ship's sides. 

 in order that these substances may be 

 sucked into the cracks, and the leak 

 Stopped. This is fathering. 



FOC'QADE, a French term for a little 

 mine under some work or fortification, 

 to destroy it by explosion. 





