feretory 
or bier contain- 
ing the relics of 
saints, adapted 
to be borne in 
religious proces- 
sions. 2. The 
place in a church 
where such a 
shrine is set. 
feretrum (fer'e- 
trum), n. ; pl./e- 
(-tra). [L. 
Feretory. 
English medieval silverwork. 
-e<ro(-tra). [L. 
ML.: see' feretcr, feretory.'] Same as feretory. 
ferfortht. adv. Same as far-far th. Chaucer. 
fergusomte (fer'gu-son-it), n. [After Robert 
Ferguson, of Raith, Scotland.] A brownish- 
black mineral consisting mainly of niobic acid 
and yttria, and crystallizing in the tetragonal 
system. It occurs in quartz near Cape Farewell, Green- 
land ; also in Sweden, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. 
feria (t'e'ri-a), w. [ML. : see fence, ferie.] In 
the Eoman Catholic ecclesiastical calendar, any 
day of the week from Monday to Friday, inclu- 
sive that is, any day but the Jewish and the 
Christian sabbath : as, feria secunda, tertia, etc. 
[This use constitutes a reversal of the original meaning of 
the word of which there appears to be no adequate ex- 
planation. See/eria.] 
The regular rotation of fast and feast, vigil and feria, 
in the calendar. Encyc. Brit., XVI. 510. 
feriae (fe'ri-e), n.pl. [L. : see ferie and/atr2.] 
In Bom. antiq., holidays during which free 
Romans suspended their political transactions 
and lawsuits, and slaves enjoyed a cessation 
of labor. The feria; were thus dies nefasti. They were 
divided Into two classes, fence publica; and/eri# privatce. 
The latter were observed by single families or individuals 
in commemoration of some particular event of conse- 
quence to themselves or their ancestors. Feria publiax 
included all days on which public religious festivals were 
held, whether stated (ferue stativce or statx) or occurring 
every year, but not on fixed days, the precise dates being 
appointed each time by the magistrates (ferwe conceptivcv), 
or ordered by the consuls, pretors, or dictator, with special 
reference to some particular emergency (ferite impera- 
tival). The manner in which the public feriae were kept 
bears great analogy to the modern observance of Sunday, 
the people visiting the temples of the gods and offering 
prayers and sacrifices. 
ferial (fe'ri-al), a. [< ME. feryalle, < OF. feri- 
al, F. ferial = Pr. Sp. Pg. ferial = It. feriale, 
< ML. ferialis, < feria, a holiday : see ferice and 
fair 2 .] 1. Pertaining to holidays (ferise), or to 
public days: specifically, in Scotland, formerly 
applied to those days on which it was not law- 
ful for courts to be held or any judicial step to 
be taken. 
It hath be vsid, the Maire and Shiref of Bristowe to 
kepe theire due residence at the Counter euery feryall 
day, aswele byfore none as aftemone. 
English Gildi (E. E. T. S.), p. 426. 
In feriall tyme serve chese shraped with sugur and 
sauge-levis. Babees Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 372. 
It was the settled policy of the empire for the emperor 
thus to determine concerning/ena/ days. 
Pop. Sci. Mo., XXX. 11. 
2. Eccles., pertaining to any day of the week 
which is not appointed for a s'pecific fast or 
festival. Whether a day is ferial or not depends upon 
whether any specific service is appointed for it. See note 
under feria. Ferial use, church music used on ordinary 
occasions, and having no special festal or penitential char- 
acter : opposed to festal use, the music used on festal days, 
feriationt (fe-ri-a'shon), n. [< L. as if "feria- 
tio(n-), < feriari (> li'.feriare = Sp. Pg./enar 
= OP. ferier), keep holiday, < ferice, holidays.] 
The act of keeping holiday; cessation from 
work. 
Why should the Christian church have lesse power than 
the Jewish synagogue ? here was not a meere feriation, 
but a (easting. Bp. Hall, The Pool of Bethesda. 
As though there were any feriation in nature, this sea- 
son is commonly termed the physician's vacation. 
Sir T. Browne. 
feriet, [ME. ferie, ferye, a holiday, < OF. 
ferie, foirie, F. ferie = Sp. Pg. It. feria (cf. D. G. 
ferien = Dan. Sw. ferier, pi., vacation), < L. 
ferice, ML. in sing, feria, a holiday; cf. /air 2 , 
which is the same word with vernacular (OF., 
etc.) development, while ferie, etc., is a mere 
reflex of the L. form.] A holiday; a stated 
feast-day. 
Vch day is haliday with hym or an heigh ferye ; 
And if he augte wole here it is an harlotes tnnge. 
Piers Plowman (B), xiii. 415. 
These ben the feries of the Lord, whiche ye gchulen 
clepe hooli. Wyclif, Lev. xxlii. 2 (Purv.). 
ferine (fe'rin or -rin), a. and n. [= OF. ferin 
= Sp. Pg. It. ferino, < L. feriiius, <fera, a wild 
animal: see ferce, feral 1 , and fierce.'] I. a. 1. 
Wild ; in a state of nature ; never having been 
domesticated. 
2183 
The only difficulty ... is touching those ferine, nox- 
ious, and nntameable beasts, as lions, tigers, wolves, bears. 
Sir M. Hale, Orig. of Mankind, p. 202. 
The beasts ... are not truly wild, yet they live in the 
manner of wild beasts, that are feral, not ferine. 
A. Neuiton, Zoologist, 3d ser. (1888), xii. 101. 
2. Malignant ; noxious : as, a ferine disease. 
Dunglison. 
II. n. A wild beast ; a beast of prey. 
ferinely (fe'rin-li), adv. In the manner of wild 
beasts. Criii;/. 
ferineness (fe'rin-nes), . Wildness; savage- 
ness. 
A conversation with those that were fallen into a more 
barbarous habit of life and manners would easily assimi- 
late, at least, the next generation to barbarism and ferine- 
ness. .Sir M. Hale, Orig. of Mankind, p. 197. 
Feringee, Feringhee (fe-ring'ge), . [Hind. 
Faranyi = Pers. Firangi = Ar. Franji, Afraiiji, 
a European; formed, with the relational suffix 
-i, < Hind. Farang = Pers. Firang, a European ; 
a corruption of Frank.] A Frank ; a European ; 
specifically, among the Hindus, an Englishman . 
The first instalment of these notorious cartridges . . . 
were without doubt abundantly offensive to the Farin- 
ijhees as well as to the Faithful. Capt. M. Thomson. 
ferio (fe'ri-6), n. The mnemonic name of that 
mood of the first figure of syllogism of which 
the major premise is negative and the minor 
particular. The following is an example : No birds are 
viviparous; but some marine animals are birds; hence, 
some marine animals are not viviparous. The word is 
one of the names invented in the thirteenth century and 
attributed to Petrus Hispanus. The three vowels, e, i, o, 
indicate the quantity and quality of the three proposi- 
tions. See barbara. 
ferison (fe-ri'son), . The mnemonic name of 
that mood of the third figure of syllogism which 
has one of the premises particular and the other 
negative. The following is an example : No placental 
mammal lays eggs ; some placental mammals are tinned ; 
therefore, some finned animals do not lay eggs. The word 
is one of the names of moods invented in the thirteenth 
century and attributed to Petrus Hispanus. The three 
vowels, , >', o, indicate the quantity and quality of the 
three propositions, namely, universal negative, particular 
affirmative, particular negative. The / shows that the 
mood is to be reduced to ferio, the that the minor prem- 
ise is simply converted in the reduction. 
ferity (fer'i-ti), n. [= OF. ferite, fierte, vio- 
lence, boldness, audacity, F. fierte', pride, = It. 
ferita, < L. ferita(t-)s, wildness, < ferns, wild, 
savage: see /era? 1 , fierce.'] Wildness; savage- 
ness; cruelty. 
The ferity of such minds holds no rule in retaliations. 
Sir T. Browne, Christ. Mor., iii. 12. 
The evil of his heart is but like the ferity and wildness 
of lions' whelps. Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 804. 
Forgetting the ferity of their nature, become civilized 
to all his employments. Evelyn, Sylva. 
Even in rugged Scotland, nature is scarcely wilder than 
a mountain sheep, certainly a good way short of the ferity 
of the moose and caribou. The Century, XXVII. 111. 
ferkt, v. Seefirki. 
ferlicht, and adv. See ferly. 
ferlingt, . [Also written furling (of. far ft, far- 
deft, farthel) ; ult. < AS.feortliling, a fourth part, 
a farthing: see farthing.] 1. In old law, a 
f ourth ; a fourth part ; a quarter ; a farthing. 
Specifically 2. A quarter of a ward or bor- 
ough. 
In King Edward the Confessor's time . . . there were 
in this Borough foure Ferlings, that is. Quarters or Wards. 
Holland, tr. of Camden's Britain, p. 597. 
ferling-noblet (fer'ling-no"bl), n. The quarter- 
noble, an English gold coin. See quarter-noble. 
ferly, farly (fer'li, far'li), a. and n. [Also 
written ferlie, farlie ; < ME. ferly, ferli, ferlieli, 
ferlyke, fearful, terrible, unexpected, sudden, 
strange, wonderful (as a noun,_a wonder, a 
strange event or object), < AS. fcerlic, sudden, 
unexpected, quick (= D. gevaarlijk = MHG. 
vatrlich, G. gefahrlich, dangerous, = leel. fdrligr, 
disastrous, = Dan. Sw.farlig, dangerous), <fcer, 
danger, fear: see/ear 1 .] I. a. 1. Fearful; ter- 
rible. 
A ferly strife fel them betwene, 
As they went bi the way. 
Robin Hood and the Monk (Child's Ballads, V. 3). 
2. Unexpected; sudden. 3. Singular; won- 
derful; extraordinary. 
Tho seide Petyr, "a ferli thinge 
I was fer hens atte my prechinge." 
King Horn (E. E. T. S.), p. 84. 
Wha herkned ever swilk a ferly thing? 
Chaucer, Reeve's Tale, 1. 253. 
All the folk that with him ware 
War ful faine of this ferly fare. 
Italy Rood (E. E. T. S.), p. 129. 
[Obsolete or prov. Eng. and Scotch in all 
senses.] 
ferment 
II. M. 1. A wonder; a strange deed, event, 
or object. 
Anil ere I cam to the court . . . 
Manv ferlys me liy-fel in a fewe jeris. 
Piers Plowman (A), xii. 58. 
Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crawlin'/erK? 
Burns, To a Louse. 
Ferly is properly a wonder, but it is also used to ex- 
press any sight, incident, or event that is unusual or that 
attracts attention ; thus, two friends meeting will say 
"let us walk thro' the toun and see the ferlies." 
Dettruction of Troy, p. 468, notes. 
2. Wonder; astonishment. 
Bot I haf grete/erfi/, that I fynd no man 
That has writen in story how Hauelok thys lond wan. 
Robert of Brunne, p. 25. 
Florence of that fare thanne gret ferli hadde. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 4531. 
When Achilles the choise maidon with chere can behold, 
He hade/e/% of hir fairhede, & fell into thoght. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 9144. 
3. A fault. [Obsolete or prov. Eng. and Scotch 
in all senses.] 
ferlyt, farlyt, adv. [< ME. ferly, ferli, < AS. 
fcerlice, suddenly, (.fatrlic, sudden : see ferly, a.] 
1. Fearfully; singularly; wonderfully. 
He come to speke with oure ladi 
Ferli him thougt that sche was sory. 
King Horn (E. E. T. S.), p. 81. 
2. Suddenly; hastily; quickly. 
Feerly he aperide not. Wyclif, 3 Ki. ix. 40 (Oxf.). 
The rain . . . ferly flayed that folk. 
Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), ii. 960. 
Josue felle on hem feerlich. Wyclif, Josh. x. 9 (Oxf.). 
ferly (fer'li), v. i.; pret. and pp. ferlied, ppr. 
ferlying. [< ferly, a.] To wonder. [Scotch.] 
Tell what new taxation's comin', 
An'ferlie at the folk in Lon'on. 
Burns, The Twa Dogs. 
ferm 1 !, A Middle English form of firm. 
ferm 2 t, A Middle English form of farm 1 . 
fermacyt, [ME., < OF. farmacie : see phar- 
macy.] A medicine ; healing drink. 
Fennacyes of herbes. Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 1855. 
fermail (fer-maT), . [OF., also fermeil, fer- 
mal (ML. reflex firmalius, firmalus, etc.); < ML. 
firmaculum, a clasp, < firmare, make firm: see 
firm, v .] A clasp or catch for mail or costume : 
same as agraffe, 1. 
fermaryt, . Seefermery. 
fermata (fer-ma'ta), . [It., a pause, stop, 
rest, < fcrmare, stop, fix, prevent, confirm, < L. 
firmare, make firm, strengthen, < firmus, firm: 
see firm, .] In music: (a) A pause or break; 
especially, in a concerto, a pause in the accom- 
paniment to give room for an extended cadenza 
by the soloist. (6) A hold or pause upon a 
tone or chord, the length being discretionary 
with the performer or conductor, (c) The sign 
TV or \i/ placed over or under a note or even 
a bar to indicate such a hold or pause. See 
hold 1 . 
Fermatian (fer-ma'shian), a. Pertaining to 
the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat 
(1601-65) Fermatian reasoning, reasoning in the 
following form; "A certain character, P, if possessed by 
any one of a linear series of subjects, is necessarily pos- 
sessed by the next following subject : now, the character 
P is possessed by the first subject of the series : ergo, it is 
possessed by all the subjects." The discovery of this form 
of reasoning by Fermat opened the theory of numbers to 
the researches of mathematicians. It holds good even if 
the series is infinite, so long as it contains no member 
which cannot be reached by proceeding by successive 
steps from the first member, as is the case, for example, 
with the entire class of finite positive integer numbers. 
In this particular Fermatian reasoning is contrasted, for 
example, with the syllogism of transposed quantity, which 
holds only for finite classes. On the other hand, the Fer- 
matian inference fails in such a case as the following : If 
Achilles, pursuing a tortoise, is behind it at any instant, 
then he will still be behind it when he reaches the point 
where the tortoise now is; but he is behind it at first; 
therefore, he will always be behind it. The following is 
equally absurd : If any whole number is finite, the next 
greater whole number is finite ; but 1 is finite ; hence, all 
whole numbers are finite. 
fermet, An obsolete variant of farm 1 . 
ferment (fer'ment), . [= F. ferment = Sp. 
Pg. It. fermento, < L. fermentitm, leaven, yeast, 
a drink made of fermented barley, fig. anger, 
passion, contr. of 'fervimentum, <ferrere, boil, 
be agitated: see fervent, fervid.] If. A gentle 
boiling, or the internal motion of the constitu- 
ent parts of a fluid. [Rare.] 2. That which 
is capable of causing fermentation. Fermentsare 
of two kinds, organized and unorganized. Organized fer- 
ments belong to the lowest order of microscopic fungi. 
(See/nne(a(ion.) Unorganized or chemical ferments are 
substances capable of causing chemical changes in certain 
other substances without themselves being permanently 
changed in the process : as diastase, martin, and ptyaliu. 
