Right Human Leg, 
seen obliquely from 
the front. 
F, fibula ; T, tibia ; 
f, patella; Ft, fe- 
fibrovascular 
flbrovascular (li-bro-vas'ku-lar), a. [< ii.fibra, 
fiber, + K. vascular.] In bot., consisting of 
woody fibers and ducts. Hbrovascular bundle. 
Seebundle, :s. Fibrovascular system, the aggregation 
of tibrovascular tissue in a plant, forming its framework. 
Also Bulled t}\u fascicular system. 
fibster (fib'ster), n. [< JW 1 + -ster.] One who 
tells fibs ; a fibber. [Rare.] 
You silly little fibster. Thackeray, Vanity Fair, II. 352. 
fibula (fib'u-la), .; pi.. #&/ (-le). [<L. fibula, 
a clasp, buckle, pin, latchet, brace, a surgeons' 
instrument for drawing together the edges of a 
wound, a stitching-needle, contr. of 'figibula, 
< figure, fasten, fix : see./u-.] 1. In archaiol., a 
clasp or brooch, usually more or less ornament- 
ed. Objects of this kind are found atnong the 
earliest metallic remains of antiquity. 
Kings and fibulce, which are frequently adorned with 
symbolical devices, meant to serve as amulets or charms. 
Knight, Ancient Art and Myth., p. 65. 
2. In snrg., a needle for sewing up wounds. 
3. In anat., the outer one of two bones which 
in most vertebrates (above 
fishes) extend from the knee to 
the ankle : so called because in 
man the bone is very slen- 
der, like a clasp or splint ap- 
plied alongside the tibia, when 
a fibula is complete, as it usually is, it 
extends the whole length of the tibia, 
its foot entering into the composition 
of the ankle-joint. When reduced, it is 
usually shortened from below, so that 
it does not reach the ankle, lying along 
a part of the tibia, and very frequently 
ankylosed with it ; or it may be of full 
length and ankylosed above and below 
with the tibia, as in many rodents. The 
human fibula is a slender straight bone, 
as long as and separate from the tibia, 
and clubbed at both ends ; the upper 
end is articulated with the tuberosity 
of the tibia, and excluded from the 
knee-joint ; the lower end is connected 
with the tibia, and also articulated 
with the astragalus, thus entering into 
the ankle-joint, and forming the outer 
malleolus, or bony protuberance on the 
outer side of the ankle. Nine muscles 
are attached to this bone in man. See 
also cuts under Dromceus, Ichthyosauri, and tibiotarsus. 
4. In masonry, an iron crank used to fasten 
stones together. 5. [crip.] [NL.] In zool. : 
(a) A genus of echinoderms. (b) A genus of 
mollusks. 
flbular (fib'u-liir), a. [< fibula + -ar^.'] Of or 
pertaining to the fibula ; peroneal: as, stfibular 
artery; a fibular nerve. 
fibulare (fib-u-la're), . ; pi. fibufaria (-ri-a). 
[NL., < fibula, q. v.] The outermost bone of 
the proximal row of tarsal bones, articulating 
or in morphological relation with the fibula: 
generally called the os calcis, calcaneum, or heel- 
bone. In man and mammals generally the flbulare is the 
largest tarsal bone, but its size and shape are very variable. 
See cut under foot. 
fibulocalcaneal (fib"u-16-kal-ka'ne-al), a. Per- 
taining to the fibula and to the calcaneum : as, 
"a fibulocalcaneal articulation or ligament," 
Coues. 
-fic. [L. -ficus, in compound adjectives, < fa- 
cere, make : see fact and -fy.'} A terminal ele- 
ment in adjectives of Latin origin, meaning 
'making': as, petrific, making into stone; ter- 
rific, making affrighted ; horrific, making to 
shudder, etc. Such adjectives are usually accompa- 
nied by derived verbs in -fy, and often by nouns thence 
derived in -fication. See -fy. 
-flcation. See -fy. 
ficchet, v. t. See fitch 3 . Chaucer. 
fice (fis), . See extract, and fise't. 
Fice (fyce or phyce) is the name used everywhere in 
the South, and in some parts of the West, for a small 
worthless cur. Trans. Amer. Philol. Ass., XVII. 39. 
fice-dog (fis'dog), n. See fise-dog. 
Ficedula (fi-sed'u-la), n. [L. ficedula (also 
ficetula, ficecula), a small bird, the fig-eater, 
appar. orig. < ficus, a fig, + edere = E. eat : see 
fig? and edible, and cf. beccafico, fig-eater.'] An 
old book-name of sundry small birds, as a war- 
bler, sylvia, beccafico, or fig-eater: so called 
from the supposition that they eat figs. It was 
made by Brisson in 1760 a generic name, comprehending a 
great number of such birds. 
flcellier (fi-sel'i-er), n. [F., < ficelle, pack- 
thread, prob. < L. *filicella, pi. of "filicellitm, an 
assumed dim. of filtim, thread : see file^.] A 
reel or winder for thread of any sort. 
flchet, v. *. SeefitchS. 
fich.6 (fe-sha'), a. In her., same &8fitche. 
flched (fisht), a. Same&afitche'. 
fichett, fichewt, Seefitcliet, fitchew. 
2199 
fichtelite (fich'tel-it), . [< Fichtcl (seedef.) 
+ -ite 2 .] A mineral resin occurring in white 
shining crystals or crystalline scales, embedded 
in the wood of a kind of pine found in peat- 
beds in the Fichtelgebirge, Bavaria. 
fichu (te-shii'), 11. [F., < ficher, drive in, pin up, 
fiche, a hook, pin, peg : see fitched.] A small 
triangular piece of stuff ; hence, any covering 
for the neck and shoulders forming part of a 
woman's dress, sometimes a small light cover- 
ing, as of lace or muslin. 
Touching ttie fichu, which seems to have been a favour- 
ite article of attire with Marie Antoinette. ... Its form 
was that of a combination of a pointed cape between the 
shoulders and a scarf crossing the bosom, the long ends 
of which were tied in a bow at the back of the waist. 
Fortnightly Rev., N. 8., XLII. 286. 
fick (fik), v. i. [E.dial., var. offike? sq.v.] To 
kick; struggle. HalUwell. [Prov. Eng. (York- 
shire).] 
fickle (fik'l), a. [< ME. fikel, fikil, fykel, < 
AS. ficol, deceitfuL crafty (cf. gefic, deceit), < 
'fician, befician, ME. fiken, deceive: see fikel.] 
If. Disposed or acting so as to deceive; deceit- 
ful ; treacherous ; false in intent. 
In this t&\s fikel world. 
Old Eng. Miscellany (ed. Morris), p. 93. 
This eortheli ioie, this worldli bus, 
Is but a fykel fantasy. 
Early Eng. Poenis (ed. Furnivall), p. 134. 
This worlde is fikel and desayvable. 
Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 1. 1088. 
Fikele and swikele reades [counsels]. 
Ancren Biwle, p. 268. 
2. Inconstant; unstable; likely to change from 
caprice, irresolution, or instability : rarely ap- 
plied to things except in poetry or by personi- 
fication. 
O see how fickle is their state 
That doe on fates depend ! 
Legend of King Arthur (Child's Ballads, I. 54). 
I fear thou art grown too fickle ; for I hear 
A lady mourns for thee; men say, to death. 
Beau, and Fl., Maid's Tragedy, 1. 1. 
A fickle world, not worth the least desire, 
Where ev'ry chance proclaims a change of state. 
Quarles, Emblems, i. 9. 
Who o'er the herd would wish to reign, 
Fantastic, fickle, fierce, and vain? 
Vain as the leaf upon the stream, 
And fickle as a changeful dream. 
Scott, L. of the I., v. 30. 
3. Perilous; ticklish. [Prov. Eng.] 
But it's & fickle corner in the dark, ... a wrong step, a 
bit swing out on the open, and there would be no help. 
Mrs. Oliphant, Ladies Lindores, p. 39. 
= Syn. 2. Variable, mutable, changeable, unsteady, un- 
settled, vacillating, fitful, volatile. 
fickle (fik'l), v. t. ; pret. and pp. fickled, ppr. 
fielding. [< ME. fikelen (= LG. fikkelen = G. 
ficklen, ficheln), deceive, flatter; from the adj.] 
It. To deceive ; flatter. 
Heo nolde fikelen, as hire sustren hadde ydo. 
Robert of Gloucester, p. 31. 
2. To puzzle; perplex; nonplus. [Scotch.] 
Howsomever, she's a weel-educate woman, and an' she 
win to her English, . . . she may come to fickle us a'. 
Scott, Antiquary, xxxix. 
fickleness (fik'1-nes), n. The character of be- 
ing fickle; inconstancy; unsteadiness in opin- 
ion or purpose ; instability; changeableness. 
I am a soldier ; and unapt to weep, 
Or to exclaim on fortune's fickleness. 
Shak., 1 Hen. VI., v. 3. 
Oh, the lovely fickleness of an April day. 
W. H. Gibson, Spring. 
fickly (fik'l-i), adv. [< ME. fikely, < fikel, fickle, 
+ -fy2.] If. Deceitfully. 
With thar tunges fikely thai dide. 
Ps. v. 11 (ME. version). 
2. In a fickle manner; without firmness or 
steadiness. [Bare.] 
Away goes Alee, our cook-maid, ... of her own ac- 
cord, after having given her mistress warning fickly. 
Pepys, Diary, II. 366. 
fico (fe'ko), n. [It., a fig, < L. ficus : see fig 2 ."] 
Same as fig%, 7 : a motion of contempt made by 
placing the thumb between two of the fingers. 
Formerly also figo. 
Behold, next I see Contempt marching forth, giving mee 
the fico with his thorn be in his mouth. 
Wits Miserie, 1B96. (Halliwell.) 
Convey, the wise it call : Steal ! foh ; a fico for the 
phrase. Shak., M. W. of W., i. 3. 
The lie, to a man of my coat, is as ominous a fruit as 
the fico. B. Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, ii. 2. 
For wealth he is of my addiction, and bid's nfico for 't. 
Marston, The Fawue, i. 2. 
ficoid (fi'koid), a. [< L. ficus, a fig, + Gr. cliof, 
form.] Resembling a fig ; ficoidal. 
fiction 
ficoidal (fi-koi'dal), a. [< ficoid + -ill.'] 1 . Re- 
sembling the fig ; ficoid. 2. Pertaining to or 
of the nature of the Ficnidcii'. 
Ficpideae (fi-koi'de-e), n. pi. [NL., < L. fiat*, 
a fig-tree, + Gr. ti'uof, form (see -oid), + -;.] A 
natural order of polypetalous exogeus, nearly 
related to the Cactacew. It includes 22 genera and 
about 450 species, mostly of tropical or subtropical n 
gions, and especially abundant in South Africa. They ure 
mostly low herbs, with fleshy entire leaves and often showy 
flowers. The principal genus is Atesembrianthemutit. 
fictt (nkt), a. [< I,, fictus, pp.otfngere, feign: 
see fiction, feign.'] Feigned; fictitious. 
Prophets of things to come the truth predict : 
But poets of things past write false &tnifict. 
T. Harvey, tr. of Owen's Epigrams. 
ficta musica (fik'ta mu'zi-ka). See musica 
ficta. 
fictile (fik'til), a. [< li.fictilis, made of clay, 
earthen, < fictus, pp. of fingere, form, mold, 
fashion (as in clay, wax, stone, etc.): see fic- 
tion, feign.] 1. Molded into form by art. 
2. Capable of being molded ; plastic: as, fictile 
clay. 
Fictile earth is more fragile than crude earth. 
Bacon, Nat. Hist., 841. 
3. Having to do with pottery ; composed of or 
consisting in pottery. 
The Myth was not only embodied in the sculpture of 
Pheidias on the Parthenon, or portrayed in the paintings of 
Polygnotos in the Stoa Poikile ; it was repeated in a more 
compendious and abbreviated form on the fictile vase of 
the Athenian household ; on the coin which circulated in 
the market-place ; on the mirror in which the Aspasia of 
the day beheld her charms. 
C. T. Newton, Art and Archseol., p. 23. 
Fictile mosaic, a variety of ancient Roman mosaic in 
which the tesserse are composed of an artificial compound 
of vitreous nature. 
fictileness (fik'til-nes), n. The quality of being 
fictile. 
fictilia (fik-til'i-a), n. pi. [L., neut. pi. of fic- 
tilis, made of clay: see fictile.] Objects made 
of fictile material, as pottery ; especially, deco- 
rative objects of this nature, in general. 
fictility (fik-til'i-ti), n. [< fictile + -%.] Fic- 
tileness. 
fiction (fik'shon), n. [= F. fiction = Pr. ficjrio, 
fiction = Sp. 'ficcion = Pg. ficgSo = It. fizione, 
finzione, < L. fictio(n-), a making, fashioning, 
a feigning, a rhetorical or legal fiction, < fin- 
gere, pp. fictus, form, mold, shape, devise, 
feign: see feign.'] 1. The act of making or 
fashioning. [Rare.] 
We have never dreamt that parliaments had any right 
whatever ... to force a currency of their own fiction in 
the place of that which is real. Burkt, Rev. in France. 
2. The act of feigning, inventing, or imagin- 
ing; a false deduction or conclusion: as, to be 
misled by a mere fiction of the brain. 
They see thoroughly into the fallacies and fictions of 
the delusions of this kind. 
Bacon, Moral Fables, vii., Expl. 
Sad and disconsolate persons use to create comforts to 
themselves by fiction of fancy. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 269. 
3. That which is feigned , invented, or imagined ; 
a feigned story ; an account which is a product 
of mere imagination ; a false statement. 
Renowned Abraham, Thy noble Acts 
Excell the Fictions of Heroik Facts. 
Sylvester, tr. of DuBartas's Weeks, ii., The Fathers. 
Is it not monstrous that this player here, 
But in & fiction, in a dream of passion, 
Could force his soul so to his own conceit? 
Shak., Hamlet, ii. 2. 
This is a very ancient cittie, if the tradition of Antenor's 
being the founder be not a fiction. 
Evelyn, Diary, June, 1645. 
Nor do I perceive that any one shrinks from telling fic- 
tions to children, on matters upon which it is thought 
well that they should not know the truth. 
//. Sidgwick, Methods of Ethics, p. 293. 
4. In literature: (a) A prose work (not dra- 
matic) of the imagination in narrative form ; a 
story; a novel. 
One important rule belongs to the composition of & fic- 
tion, which I suppose the writers of fiction seldom think 
of, viz., never to fabricate or introduce a character to 
whom greater talents or wisdom is attributed than the 
author himself possesses ; if he does, how shall this char- 
acter be sustained? J. Foster, in Everts, p. 241. 
(b) Collectively, literature consisting of imagi- 
native narration ; story-telling. 
No kind of literature is so attractive as fiction. 
Quarterly Rev. 
The only work of fiction, in all probability, with which he 
1 1 iiim :i n could compare his pilgrim, was his old favourite, 
the legend of Sir Bevls of Southampton. . . . He saw that, 
in employing fiction to make truth clear and goodness 
attractive, he was only following the example which every 
Christian ought to propose to himself. M:ieanloy, Bunyan. 
