FRA 



FRA 



to do. As to the locks, choose such as are 

 well filed, with true work, whose springs 

 must be neither too strong nor too weak. 

 The hammer ought to be well hardened, 

 and pliable, to go down to the pan with a 

 quick motion. 



In shooting, observe to do it, if possi- 

 ble, with the wind, not against it ; and ra- 

 ther sideways, or behind the fowl, than 

 full in their faces. Observe also to choose 

 the most convenient shelter you can find, 

 as a hedge, bank, tree, or the like. Take 

 care to have your dogs under good com- 

 mand, that they may not dare to stir till 

 you give the word, after discharging your 

 piece ; for some ill taught dogs will, upon 



ily the snap of the cock, presently rush 



rward, and spoil your sport. If you have 

 shelter enough, you must creep upon 

 r hands and knees. 



FOX, in zoology, an animal of the dog- 

 kind. 



pie< 



I 



in botany. See DIGIT AITS. 



FRACTION, in arithmetic and algebra, 

 is a part or parts of something considered 

 as an unit or integer. Fractions are dis- 

 tinguished into vulgar or common, and 

 sexagesimal and decimal. See SEXAGESI- 

 MALS and DECIMAL. 



Vulgar fractions, called also simply frac- 

 tions, consist of two parts or quantities, 

 one wrote over the other, with aline be- 

 tween them. The quantity placed above 

 the line is called the numerator of the 

 fraction ; and the quantity placed under 

 the line the denominator. 



Thus, | expresses the quotient of 2, di- 

 vided by 3, and 2 is the numerator, and 3 

 the denominator. If the numerator of a 

 fraction is equal to its denominator, then 

 the fraction is equal to unity : thus, * ; 



_ 4 



1, and -of- are likewise equal to unity. 



If the numerator is greater than the deno- 

 minator, then the fraction is greater than 

 unit. In both these cases 5 the fraction is 

 called improper; but if the numerator is 



is than the denominator, then thefrac- 

 n is less than unit, and is called proper: 

 is .| is an improper fraction, but ^. or j* 

 5 proper fractions. A mixed quantity is 

 xt whereof one part is an integer, and 

 2 other a fraction ; as 3i, 5|, and -f--- 

 b 

 e ALGEBRA. 

 FRACTURE, in surgery, a rupture of 

 a bone, or a solution of continuity in a 

 bone, when it is crushed or broken by 

 some external cause. See SURGERY. 

 FRJENUM, in anatomy, a term applied 



to some membraneous ligaments of the 

 body. 



Fn^^uM, lingua, the ligament under the 

 tongue, which sometimes ties it down too 

 close to the bottom of the mouth ; and 

 then requires to be incised or divided, in 

 order to give this organ its proper and 

 free motion. 



FRAGARIA, in botany, English straw- 

 berry, a genus of the IcosandriaPolygynia 

 class and order. Natural order of Senti- 

 cosse. Rosaceae, Jussieu. Essential cha- 

 racter : calyx ten-cleft ; petals five ; re- 

 ceptacle of the seeds ovate, and like a 

 berry. There are three species, and ma- 

 ny varieties. 



FRAIL, a basket made of rushes, or 

 the like, in which are packed up figs, rai- 

 sins, &c. It signifies also a certain quan- 

 tity of raisins, about 75 pounds. 



FRAISE, in fortification, a kind of de- 

 fence, consisting of pointed stakes, six OP 

 seven feet long, driven parallel to the ho- 

 rizon into the retrenchments of a camp, 

 a half-moon, or the like, to prevent any 

 approach or scalade. 



Praises differ from pallisades chiefly in 

 this, that the latter stand perpendicular to 

 the horizon, and the former jet out paral- 

 lel to the horizon, or nearly so, being 

 usually made a little sloping, or with the 

 points hanging down. Fraises are chiefly- 

 used in retrenchments and other works 

 thrown up of earth; sometimes they are 

 found under the parapet of a rampart, 

 serving instead of the cordon of stone 

 used in stone -works. 



FRANK, or FRANC, meaning literally 

 free from charges and impositions, or ex- 

 empt from public taxes, has various signi- 

 fications in our ancient customs. 



FRANK, or FRAXC, an ancient coin, ei- 

 ther of gold or silver, struck and current 

 in France. The value of the gold frank 

 was somewhat more than that of the gold 

 crown ; the silver frank was a third of the 

 gold one ; this coin is long out of use, 

 though the term is still retained as the 

 name of a money of account ; in which 

 sense it is equivalent to the livre, or twen- 

 ty sols. 



FRANKENIA, in botany, so named in 

 honour of John Frankenius, professor of 

 botany at Upsala, a genus of the Hexan- 

 dria Monogynia class and order. Natural 

 order of Calycanthemae. Caryophyllae, 

 Jussieu. Essential character : calyx five- 

 cleft, funnel-form ; petals five ; stigma 

 six parted; capsule one-celled, three - 

 valved. There are three species. 



FRANKFORT black, is the chief in- 

 gredient in the copper-plate printer's 



