FRI 



341 



PRI 



r.rude. as dittingoixtwd from vi&rin or 

 bondsman. Th-? name is now used to dc- 

 tigaate one who enjoys the freedom of a 

 city or borough town. 



FREEMA'SONRY. A well-known institu- 

 tion, the origin of which has given rise 

 to much needless speculation. 



FREE'THINKER. A term applied to those 

 M-ho reject the ordinary modes of think- 

 iuL,- in matters of religion. 



FREEZ'ING MIXTURE, a mixture which, 

 by absorption of heat in liquefying, pro- 

 duces great cold, as a mixture of snow 

 and salt, which in the proportion of two 

 snow, and one salt, sinks the thermometer 

 to 5. 



FRENCH CHALK, talc in a completely 

 indurated form. It is a magnesian mineral, 

 much employed to remove greasy stains. 



FRENCH-HORN, a musical wind instru- 

 ment, made of copper, and possessing a 

 range of three octaves. It is bent two or 

 thn'i' times round, and becomes gradually 

 wider towards the end, which in some 

 horns is ten inches over. 



FRES'CO (Italian), shade, coolness. 

 Painting in fresco is done by drawing with 

 ;olours diluted with water, on a wall 

 lewly plastered, with the plaster of 

 which they are so incorporated, as to 

 perish only with the stucco itself. It is 

 called in fresco, by the Italians, because it 

 is frequently done on walls, alcoves, &c. 

 in the open air, or because of the coolness 

 or duskiness of the colours. 



FRET. 1. In music, the stop of an instru- 

 ment, which regulates the vibration of 

 the strings, e. g. the short piece of wire 



fixed on the finger-board of a guitar. 



2. In heraldry, a bearing composed of bars 

 crossed and interlaced. 3. In architec- 

 ture, a kind of ornamental work, formed 

 by rectangular channelled work, used on 

 flat members. 



FRIC'TION, fromfrico, to rub. A general 

 name for the attrition of bodies. The 

 term is applied, in mechanics, to denote 

 the resistance offered by the rubbing of 

 the parts of a machine or engine against 

 each other, upon the application of the 

 force necessary to put the same into action. 

 By reason of friction, a great part of the 

 effective power of machinery is lost, and 

 the several parts worn, and rendered de- 

 fective. It arises from roughness, or im- 

 perfection of the opposing surfaces, the 

 interposition of dust, moisture, &c. be- 

 tween them ; from the conjoint action of 

 gravity and cohesion, &c. It is modified 

 by the amount of rubbing surfaces in 

 contact. 



FRIC'TION ROLLER, a description of 

 wheel much used in connection with in- 

 clined planes and fixed engines, to receive 

 the rope, and thereby to reduce the fric- 

 tion. See SHE WE. 



FSIIJJ'DLT SOCIITIM. "Voluntary SMC- 



kind* c 



elation* of mNvribwt, for the purpose of 

 forming a fund for the assistance of mem- 

 bers in sickness, or on other occasions of 

 distress. 



FRIEZE, Fr. from /riser, to curl. Pro- 



rly the nap on woollen cloth ; hence a 



,nd of coarse woollen cloth or stuff with 

 a nap on one side. The term frieze is 

 applied in architecture to denote a large 

 flat member of the entablature, comprised 

 between the architrave and the cornice, 

 supposed to have originated from the 

 projecting ends of the transverse beams, 

 resting on and fixed to the architrave. 



FRIEZE'-PAN'EL, the upper panel of a 

 door of six panels. 



FRIEZE RAIL, the rail next to the toprail 

 of a door of six panels. 



FRI'OA or FREYA. See ODIN. 



FRIO'ATE, FT. frtgate, Span, and Port. 

 fragata. A ship of war larger than a sloop 

 or brig, and less than a ship of the line, 

 usually having two decks, and carrying 

 from 30 to 44 guns. 



FRIG'ATE BIRDS. They constitute the 

 genus Tachypetes, Vieillot. They differ 

 from the cormorants in their forked tail 

 and short feet, the membranes of which 

 are deeply emarginated. The species is 

 well known, the Pelicanus aquilas, Lin. 

 Its winffs when expanded measure from 

 10 to 12 feet. 



FRIGATE-BUILT, having a quarterdeck 

 and forecastle raised above the main deck. 



FRIGATO'ON, a Venetian vessel with a 

 square stern, without a foremast, having 

 only a main and mizenmast. 



FRIGID ZONES. In geography, the two 

 zones comprehended between the poles 

 and the polar circles. They are the north 

 frigid zone at the north pole, and the 

 south frigid zone at the south pole. 



FRIGIDA'RITJM, Lat. frigidus, cold. In 

 ancient architecture, the apartment in 

 which the cold bath stood. 



FRINGE (of mosses), a simple or double 

 row of separate or connected teeth, which 

 border the orifice of the capsule in almost 

 all the genera of mosses, and are orig;n- 

 ally covered by the lid and veil. 



FRINGIL'LA, a finch. A genus of pas- 

 serine birds. Family Conirostres. This 

 genus according to Linnaeus comprises 

 the weavers (Ptocw),the sparrows (P</r- 

 gita), the finches (Fringilla), the gold- 

 finches (Carduelis], the linnets (Linaria), 

 the whidahs (Vidua), the grosbeaks (Coc- 

 cothraustes), the bullfinches (Pyrrhula), 

 and the Pitylus, according to the arrange- 

 ment of Cuvier. 



FIIIT, } The materials of glass after 



FRITT. j undergoing calcination, but 

 before fusion. 



FRITH or FIRTH, an arm of the sea, th 

 opening of a river into the sea, Lat. frt- 

 tum, a narrow passable channel. 



