afar 
\a,ter fer, far. Cf. anear.] 1. From far; from 
a distano'e : now usually preceded by from. 
He sawe a place'a/ef [var. afeer]. Wiiclif, Gen. xxii. 
And/ro?ft a fer came walking in the mede. 
Chaucer, Prul. to Good Wftmen, 1. -'!_'. 
Held /ran ajar, aloft, the immurtal prize. 
Pope, Essay on Criticism, 1. 90. 
2. Far ; far away j at or to a distance ; re- 
motely in place-: now usually followed by off. 
A fer fro hem, alle be hem selue. 
Cliuiirer, House of fame, 1. 1215. 
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 
Gen. xxii. 4. 
The steep where Fame's (iroucl temple shines afar. 
Seattle, Minstrel, i. 1. 
The coronach stole 
Sometimes afar and sometimes anear. 
Tennyson, Dying Swan. 
[Shakspere uses afar off also in the sense of remotely in de- 
gree ; indirectly.' 
He that shall speak for her is afar off guilty, 
But that he speaks. Shak., W. T., il. 1. 
A kind of tender made ajar of by Sir Hugh here. 
Shak., II. W. of W., i. 1.] 
afeart (a-fer'), r. t. [Now only E. dial., ften 
shortened to 'fear; < ME. aferen, < AS. dfofran, 
terrify, < a-+ fieran C>ME.feren), terrify, (fair, 
danger, terror, fear: see fear 1 .] To cause to 
fear; frighten; terrify; make afraid. 
Clerkes may here wepen ... to afere theues. 
Dims & Pauper (W. de Worde), V. xix. 222. (N. E. D.) 
As ghastly bug does greatly them affeare. 
Spenser, F. Q., II. ill. 20. 
afeard, afeared (a-ferd'), p. a. [< ME. afered, 
aferd, p. a. : see afear and -ecZ 2 . No connection 
with afraid.'] Affected with fear; frightened; 
afraid. [Now colloquial or vulgar.] 
Be not afeard ; the isle is full of noises. 
Shak., Tempest, iii. 2. 
afebrile (a-feb'ril), a. [< Gr. a- priv. (a-18) + 
febrile.] Without fever; feverless. 
The course of subcutaneous fractures without extravasa- 
tion of blood is usually afebrile. 
Belfield, Rel. of Micro-Org. to Disease, p. 38. 
Afer (a'fer), n. [L., African, used by Milton 
for Africus (sc. ventus, wind), the southwest 
wind, bio wing from Africa ; It. Affrico or Gher- 
bino, Garbino.] The southwest wind. Milton. 
aff (tit), prep, andarfi'. Off. [Scotch.] Aff-han', 
otfhand ; without reserve ; frankly. Burns. Aff hands, 
hands off. Aff-loof, right off from memory, or with- 
out premeditation. Burns. To feeze aff. See/eezeB. 
affa (af'a), n. [The native name.] A weight, 
equal to an ounce, used on the Guinea coast. 
Also spelled offa. 
affability (af-a-bil'i-ti), n. [< late ME. affa- 
bylite, < OF. affabili'ie, F. affabilite, < L. affabili- 
ta(t-)s, < affabilis, affable : see affable.] The 
quality of being affable ; readiness to converse 
or be addressed; civility in intercourse ; ready 
condescension ; benignity. 
Hearing of her beauty, and her wit, 
Her affability, and bashful modesty. 
Shak.,1. of theS.,ii. 1. 
He had a majestic presence, with much dignity, and at 
the same time affabOity of manner. 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 18. 
= Syn. Sociability, approachableness, accessibility, urban- 
ity, complaisance, suavity, comity, amenity, friendliness, 
openness. 
affable (af 'a-bl), a. [= F. affable, < L. affabilis, 
adfabilis, easy to be spoken to, < affari, adfari, 
speak to, address, < ad, to, + fari, speak : see 
fable.] 1. Easy of conversation or approach ; 
admitting others to intercourse without reserve ; 
courteous ; complaisant ; of easy manners ; kind 
or benevolent in manner : now usually applied 
to those high-placed or in authority : as, an af- 
fable prince. 
An a/able and courteous gentleman. 
Shak., T. of the S., i. 2. 
He is so insufferably a/able that every man near him 
would like to give him a beating. 
Thackeray, Newcomes, I. xiii. 
2. Expressing or betokening affability ; mild ; 
benign: as, an affable countenance. 
His manner was very unpretending too simple to be 
termed a/able : ... he did not condescend to their so- 
cietyhe seemed glad of it. 
Charlotte Bronte, Shirley, xxvii. 
= Syn. Courteous, civil, complaisant, accessible, mild, 
benign, condescending, communicative, familiar, easy, 
gracious, conversable. 
affableness (af'a-bl-nes), n. Affability. 
affably (af'a-bli), adv. In an affable manner ; 
courteously. 
affabroust (af'a-brus), a. [< L. affaber, adfa- 
bct; skilfully made, < ad, to, + faber, skilful. 
workmanlike, < faber, workman: see fabric.] 
Skilfully made. Bailey. 
affabulationt (a-fab-u-ia'shon), w. [=F. afftt- 
bulation, < L. as if *affabula'tio(n-), < ad, to, + 
7 
s right apt 
Shak., T. N., i. 4. 
97 
fnbiilatio(n-), story, (fabulari, narrate, <.fabula, 
tale, fable : see Jablc.] The moral of a fable. 
Bailey. 
affablllatoryt (a-fab'u-la-to-ri), a. Having a 
moral: as, an affabitla tory allegory. [Rare.] 
affadyllt, " A variant of affodill. See daffodil. 
attaint (a-fan'), c. t. [< af- + fain, an old spell- 
ing of feiijn ; with ref. to L. affingere, adfingere, 
add falsely, < ad, to, + Jingere, make, invent, 
feign: see feign.] To lay to one's charge falsely 
or feignedly. [Rare.] 
Those errors which are maliciously affalned to him. 
, Bp. Hall, Christ. Moderation, p. 35. 
affair (a-far'), . [< ME. afere, affere, < OF. 
afaire, afeire (F. affaire = Pr. afar, afaire = 
It. affare), orig. a prep, phrase, a faire (F. a, 
faire = It. a fare), to do: a, < L. ad, to: faire 
= It. fare, < L. facere, do : see fact. E. ado 
is of parallel formation.] 1. Anything done 
or to be done ; that which requires action or 
effort ; a moving interest ; business ; concern : 
as, this is an affair of great moment ; a man of 
affairs ; affairs of state. 
Thy constellation is right apt 
For this affair, 
The nature of our popular institutions requires a nu- 
merous magistracy, for whom competent provision must be 
made, or we may be certain our a/airs will always be 
committed to improper hands, and experience will teach 
us that no government costs so much as a bad one. 
A. Hamilton, Continentalist, No. 6. 
Services to those around in the small a/airs of life 
may be, and often are, of a kind which there is equal 
pleasure in giving and receiving. 
H. Spencer, Data of Ethics, 102. 
2. pi. Matters of interest or concern ; partic- 
ular doings or interests ; specifically, pecuniary 
interests or relations: as, to meddle with a 
neighbor's affairs ; his affairs are in an embar- 
rassed state. 
Not I, but my a/airs, have made you wait. 
Shak., M. of V., ii. 6. 
3. An event or a performance ; a particular ac- 
tion, operation, or proceeding; milit., a partial 
or minor engagement or contest ; a skirmish : 
as, when did this affair happen t an affair of 
honor, or of outposts. 
In this little affair of the advanced posts, I am concerned 
to add that Lieut. B. was killed. Wellington' g Despatches. 
4. A private or personal concern; a special 
function, business, or duty. 
Oh generous youth ! my counsel take, 
And warlike acts forbear ; 
Put on white gloves and lead folks out, 
For that is your affair. Lady M. W. Montagu. 
To marry a rich foreign nobleman of more than thrice 
her age was precisely her affair. 
J. Hawthorne, Dust, p. 102. 
5. Thing; matter; concern: applied to any- 
thing made or existing, with a descriptive or 
qualifying term : as, this machine is a compli- 
cated affair ; his anger is an affair of no con- 
sequence. 
"They are offended," said Kristian Koppig, leaving the 
house, and wandering up to the little Protestant affair 
known as Christ Church. 
G. W. Cable, Old Creole Days, p. 231. 
6f. Endeavor ; attempt. 
And with his best affair obeyed the pleasure of the sun. 
Chapman, Iliad, v. 503. 
Affair of honor, a duel. 
affamisht (a-fam'ish), v. t. or i. [< F. affamer, 
OF. afamer, afemer = Pr. afainar = lt. affamare, 
starve, < L. ad, to, + famis, hunger : see famish. ] 
To starve. 
affamishmentt (a-fam'ish-ment), n. The act 
of starving, or the state of being starved. 
Carried into the wilderness for the affamishwent of his 
body. Up. Hall, Contemplations, iv. 
affatuatet (a-fat'u-at), v. t. [< L. as if "affa- 
tuatus, pp. of *affatuari, (. ad, to, + fatuari, be 
foolish. Cf. infatuate.] To infatuate. Milton. 
affatuate, affatnated (a-fat'u-at, -a-ted), a. 
[< L. "affatuatits, pp., after infatuate, a., q. v.] 
Infatuated. [Obsolete or poetical.] 
They . . . are so much affatuated, not with his person 
only, but with his palpable faults, and dote upon his de- 
formities. Milton, Pref. to Eikonoklastes. 
You'll see a hundred thousand spell-bound hearts 
By art of witchcraft so affatuate, 
That for his love they'd dress themselves in dowlas 
And flght with men of steel. 
Sir H. Taylor, Ph. van Art., II., v. 2. 
affearH, *' t. Same as afear. 
affear 2 t, . t. Obsolete form of affeer. 
affect 1 (a-fekf), a. [< ME. affecteti, < OF. af- 
fectcr, < L. affectare, adfectare, strive after a 
thing, aim to do, aspire to, pursue, imitate 
with dissimulation, feign; also, in pass., be 
attacked by disease; freq. of afficere, adficere, 
act upon, influence : see affect 2 , which is nearly 
affect 
allied to affect 1 ; the two verbs, with their de- 
rivatives, run into each other, and cannot be 
completely separated.] I. trans. 1. To aim 
at ; aspire to ; endeavor after. 
In this point charge him home, that ho ail'rrtx 
Tyrannical power. Shak., Cor., iii. 3. 
But this proud man affect* imperial sway. 
Dryden, Iliad. 
2. To use or adopt by preference; choose; 
prefer; tend toward habitually or naturally. 
Musing Meditation most affects 
The pensive secrecy of desart cell. 
Milton, Comus, 1. 386. 
The peculiar costume which he affected. 
Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 126. (N. E. D.) 
The drops of every fluid affect a round figure. 
Newton, Opticks. 
3. To be pleased with ; take pleasure in ; fancy ; 
like; love. 
No profit grows where is no pleasure ta'en ; 
In brief, sir, study what you most affect. 
Shak., T. of the S., i. 1. 
They [the Koreans] more particularly affect the flowering 
shrubs, to a comparative neglect of the annuals. 
Science, V. 252. 
Maria once told me, she did affect me. 
Shak., T. N., ii. 5. 
With two of them at once I am in love 
Deeply and equally ; the third of them 
My silly brother here as much affects. 
Chapman, The Blind Beggar. 
4. To make a show of; put on a pretense of; 
assume the appearance of; pretend; feign: as, 
to affect ignorance. 
I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, 
but I am not intoxicated. Emerson, Self-reliance. 
6. To use as a model ; imitate in any way. 
Spenser, in affecting the ancients, writ no language. 
B. Jonson, Discoveries. 
Nor can he, however laudatory of the masters he af- 
fected in youth, look upon other modern poets except with 
the complacency felt by one who listens to a stranger's 
rude handling of the native tongue. 
Stedman, Viet. Poets, p. 402. 
6f. To resemble ; smack of. 
He hath a trick of Cceur-de-Lion's face ; 
The accent of his tongue affecteth him. 
Shak., K. John, i. 1. 
II. t intrans. 1. To incline; be disposed. 
2. To make a show ; put on airs ; manifest 
affectation. 
affect 2 (a-fekf), (' t. [< L. affectus, pp. of affi- 
cere, adjicere, act upon, influence, affect, attack 
with disease, lit. do to, < ad, to, + facere, do, 
make. Cf. affect 1 .] 1. To act upon; produce 
an effect or a change upon ; influence ; move or 
touch : as, cold affects the body ; loss affects our 
interests. 
There was not a servant in the house whom she did not 
. . . infinitely affect with her counsell. Evelyn, Diary, 1635. 
On the whole, certain kinds of particles affect certain 
parts of the spectrum. Locfcyer, Spect. Anal., p. 142. 
The whole character and fortune of the individual are 
affected by the least inequalities in the culture of the un- 
derstanding. Emerson, Nature. 
2f. To urge; incite. Joye. 3+. To render lia- 
ble to a charge of; show to be chargeable with. 
By the civil law, if a dowry with a wife be promised and 
not paid, the husband is not obliged to allow her alimony. 
But if her parents shall become insolvent by some misfor- 
tune, she shall have alimony, unless you can affect them 
with fraud. Ayliffe, Parergon (1726), p. 59. 
4. To assign ; allot ; apply : now only in the 
passive. 
One of the domestics was affected to his especial service. 
Thackeray, Vanity Fair, III. 8. 
A considerable number of estates were affected to the 
use of the Imperial family under the name of appanages. 
D. M. Wallace, Russia, p. 473. 
= Syn. 1. To work upon ; to concern, relate to, interest, 
bear upon ; to melt, soften, subdue, change. Affect and 
effect are sometimes confused. To affect is to influence, 
concern ; to effect is to accomplish or bring about. 
affect 2 ! (a-fekt'), '. [< ME. affect, < L. affectus, 
adfectus, a state of mind or body produced by 
some (external) influence, esp. sympathy or 
love, < afficere, act upon, influence : see affect^, 
v. Affect, n., like affection, is formally a deriv. 
of affect^, v. , but in usage it rests also in part 
upon affect 1 .] 1. Affection; passion; sensa- 
tion; inclination; in ward disposition or feeling. 
My gray-headed senate in the laws 
Of strict opinion and severe dispute 
Would tie the limits of our free affects, 
Like superstitious Jews. 
Ford, Love's Sacrifice, L 1. 
Rachel, I hope I shall not need to urge 
The sacred purity of our affects. 
B. Jonson, Case is Altered, i. 
The affects and passions of the heart. 
Bacon, Nat. Hist., I 97. 
2. State or condition of body ; the way in 
which a thing is affected or disposed. Wiseman, 
Surgery. 
