flendfully 
fiendfullyt (fend'i'ul-i), nth\ In a fiendful man- 
ner. 
fiendish (ten'dish), . [< fiend + -ishl.] Hav- 
ing the qualities of a fiend ; characteristic of 
a fiend; demoniacal; extremely wicked, cruel, 
or malicious ; devilish : as, a fiendish persecu- 
tor; fiendish laughter. 
Vnrnuy was taken cm the' spot ; anil, instead of express- 
ing compunction fur "hut lie hud done, seemed to take a 
u<',,,/;<i, lucasim- in poiniinu'out to them the remains of 
the murdered countess. Scott, Kenilworth, xli. 
The Turkish shells marked us at once, and amidst a 
fiendish hurtling of projectiles we all tumbled off our 
horses, and running forward, took cover in the hrnsh- 
w 1 lieyond. 
Arch. t'<ifb<'*, Souvenirs of some Continents, p. 95. 
fiendishly (fen'dish-li), adv. In a fiendish 
manner. 
fiendishness (feu'dish-nes), H. The state or 
quality of being fiendish : as, the fiendishness 
of a person or of an act. 
Dames, under a cloake of modesty and devotion, hide 
nothing but pride ami fiendislmesse. 
Bp. Hall, Holy Panegyric. 
A calm and dignified silence is the best answer to the 
fieiulishness of thirteen. If. Black, Macleod of Dare, viii. 
fiendkint, [ME. feondeJcen; < fiend + -kin.] 
A little fiend ; an imp. 
Feondes and feondekenr.s by-tor me shnllen stande. 
Piers Plowman (C), xxi. 418. 
fiend-like (fend'lik), . Resembling a fiend: 
maliciously wicked; diabolical. 
The cruel ministers 
Of this dead butcher, and his fiend-like queen. 
Shale., Macbeth, v. 7. 
Man-like is it to fall into sin, 
Fiend-like is it to dwell therein. 
Longfellow, tr. of F. von Logau's Poetic Aphorisms. 
fiendlyt (fend'li), a. [< ME. feendly, fetidly, 
fendely, hostile, devilish, < AS. feondlic, hos- 
tile (= D. vijandelijk = OHG. fiantlih, MHG. 
vientlich, G. felndlicli = Icel. fjandligr = Dan . 
fjendtlig = Sw. fiendtliy), < feond, enemy, + 
-lie, E. -ly 1 .] 1. Hostile; inimical. 
He semed frendly to hem that knewe him nought, 
But he was feendly, bothe in werk and thought. 
Chaucer, Canon's Yeoman's Tale, 1. 292. 
2. Fiend-like; devilish; fiendish. 
So horrible afeendly creature. 
Chaucer, Man of Law's Tale, 1. 653. 
fient (fent), H. [Sc., the same as fiend, the 
devil, and used, like devil, as a profane nega- 
tive; Dan. fanden, the fiend, is used in the 
same way: see fiend.] The fiend that is, the 
devil : used as a negative, as in fient a bit (devil 
a \nt),fieut a haet, fient halt (devil a whit), etc. 
But tho 1 he was o' high degree, 
The fient a pride nae pride had he. 
Burns, The Twa Dogs, 
fier, u. Same as /ear 3 . 
fieramente (fya-ra-men'te), adv. [It., < fiero, 
fierce, bold, < L. fonts: see fierce.] In music, 
with boldness, vigor, or fierceness. 
Fierasfer (fi-e-ras'fer), n. [NL.] The typical 
genus of fishes of the family Fierasferidw. it 
contains several species, of tropical and subtropical seas, 
which intrude in the bodies of holothurians, as F. ditbinx 
of the Pacific coast of Mexico. 
fierasferid (fi-e-ras'fe-rid), . A fish of the 
family Fierasferidie. 
Fierasferidse' (fi'e-ras-fer'i-de), n. pi. [NL., 
< Fierasfer + -idee.] A family of teleocepha- 
lous fishes, typified by the genus Fierasfer, re- 
lated to the Ophidiidw, but haying no ventral fins 
and with the anus thoracic or j ugular in position . 
The family includes ophidioid fishes of eel-like shape, some 
of which at least are parasitic, entering the visceral cav- 
ity of holothurians through the anus, and there sojourn- 
ing. 
Fierasferinae (fi-e-ras-fe-ri'ne), n. pi. [NL., < 
Fierasfer + -iiuv.] In Gunther's ichthyological 
system, the third group of Ophidiidie, without 
ventral fins and with jugular anus : same as the 
family Fterasferidce. 
fierasferoid (fi-e-ras'fe-roid), a. and n. I. a. 
Pertaining to or having the characters of the 
Fierasfer ida:. 
H, n. A fierasferid. 
fierce (fers), . [Early mod. E. also feerce, 
feerse; < ME. feirce, f tiers, fers, ferse, fierse, 
fierce, also fersch, by confusion with fcrscli, 
fresch, bold, savage; < OF. fers, oldest nom. 
form of OP./ec, fier, fierce, bold, F. fier, proud, 
= Pr. fer, fier = It. fiero, fierce, cruel, stern. 
proud, < li.ferus, wild, untamed, savage, cruel, 
fierce, ferns, commonly fern, fera, a wild beast. 
Not related to Gr. 8f/p, a wild beast, or to E. 
deer. Hence also (from L. fens) fene, feroits, 
fi-rity. ferocious.] 1. Wild, as a beast; savage: 
ferocious ; having a cruel or rapacious dispo- 
2205 
sitiou or intention: as, a Jiem lion; a firrrr 
pursuer. 
Than thei were more aferde than be-fore, for it [a dragon ] 
was moche ureter and semed more .feirce. 
.Media (E. E. T. S.), i. 3*. 
Who knows not 
The all-devouring sword of fierce MountserratY 
Beau, and Ft., Knight of .Malta, ii. ... 
2. Ferocious in quality or manifestation ; in- 
dicating or marked by savage cruelty or rage. 
Sho was aftrayet full foule with a fiterse dreme. 
Deal-ruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 8429. 
Cursed be their auger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, 
for it was cruel. Gen. xllx. 7. 
A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard 
the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young. 
Deut. xxviii. 50. 
0, save me, Hubert, save me ! my eyes are out, 
Even with the fierce looks of these bloody men. 
Shak., K. John, iv. ]. 
3. Violent ; vehement ; impetuous ; passionate ; 
ardent. 
And so we rode out ye ferse storme for that night. 
Sir R. Guytforde, Pylgrymage, p. US. 
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, 
and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about 
with a very small helm. Jas. iii. 4. 
With a laugh of fierce derision, once again the phantoms 
fled. Whittier, Garrison at Cape Ann. 
4. Wild; disordered; dreadful. 
Think no more of this night's accidents, 
But as the tierce vexation of a dream. 
Shak., M. N. D., iv. 1. 
In the most high and palmy state of Rome, 
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, 
The graves stood tenantless : . . . 
And even the like precurse of fierce events . . . 
Have heaven and earth together demonstrated 
Unto our climatnres. Shak., Hamlet, i. 1. 
5f. Strong; powerful. 
ffestnet with/uerw Ropis the flete in the hauyn ; 
And buskit vnto banke, the boldist ay first. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), I. 4704. 
6f. Great; large (of number). 
Friamus . . . the peopeell . . . 
Gert [made] sue to the City sothely to dwell, 
And flld It with folke; faerse was the nowmber. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 1817. 
7. Brisk; lively. [Prov. Eng.] 8. Sudden; 
precipitate. [Prov. Eng.] =Syn. 1-3. Infuriate, fell, 
Hery, passionate, barbarous, rapacious, ravenous. 
fiercely (fers'li), adv. [< ME. feersly, fersly, 
etc. ; < fierce + -ly 2 .] In a fierce manner; vio- 
lently ; furiously ; with rage. 
Philip his faire folke ferselich araies, 
Too Greece he gra[i]thes hym now with a grete will. 
Alisaunder of Macedoine (E. E. T. S.), 1. 253. 
We at St. Albans met, 
Our battles joiu'd, and both sides fiercely fought. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., ii. 1. 
The burning rays of the noontide sun beat fiercely on 
their heads. Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 12. 
Two low-caste Bengalees disputed about a loan. At first 
they were calm, but soon grew furious and . . . looked 
fiercely at each other from under their lowered and strong- 
ly wrinkled brows. Darunn, Express, of Emotions, p. 248. 
fierceness (f ers'ues), n. [< ME. feersnesse, fers- 
nesse; < fierce + -ness.] The quality of being 
fierce or furious ; fury ; ferocity ; vehemence ; 
impetuosity. 
His pride and brutal fierceness I abhor. 
Drtjden, Aurengzebe. 
Thro' a stormy glare, a heat 
As from a seventimes-heated furnace, I, 
Blasted and burnt, and blinded as I was, 
With such a fierceness that I swoon'd away 
O, yet methought I saw the Holy Grail. 
Tennyson, Holy Grail. 
fierding-COUrtt, . [< ME. *ferding (Sc. ferti- 
lity: see fardingl, farthing), a fourth part, + 
court.] One of an early class of English courts, 
so called because four were established within 
every superior district or hundred. 
fieri facias (fi'e-ri fa'shi-as). [L., lit. cause 
it to be done : fieri (see fiat) ; facias, 2d pers. 
sing. pres. subj. (used imperatively) of facerc, 
do, make, cause: see fact.] In line, an execu- 
tion against property ; a writ issued, after the 
rendering of a judgment for a sum of money, 
commanding the sheriff to levy upon the goods, 
or the goods and lands, of the judgment debtor 
for the collection of the amount due. Abbre- 
viated to fi.. fa. 
fierily (fir'i-li), adr. In a hot or fiery manner; 
passionately. 
She simply grew more and more proudly, passionately, 
a Spaniard and a Moreno ; more and more stanchly and 
i/rrilit a Catholic and a lover of the Franciscans. 
//. H. Jackson, Ramona, p. 20. 
fieriness (fir'i-nes), . The state or quality of 
being fiery or burning, or vehement or iinpetu- 
fife-major 
ous, etc. : as, the fieriness of the sky; t he .&>//'- 
HCKX of a horse. 
The Italians, notwithstanding their natural fitriness of 
temper, affect always to appear sober and sedate. 
AMiion, Remarks on Italy (ed. Bohn), I. 373. 
fiery (fir'i), . [Early mod E. alsofiry; < ME. 
fi>'!/.fyry,J 'iiry,fttyric (AS. not found; = OFries. 
fiurech = D. vuriy = MHG. vittrie, G.ft'iiriy = 
Dan. fyrig, fiery) ; < fire + -y 1 .] 1 . Consisting 
of fire, or resembling fire ; burning or flaming : 
as, the fiery flood of Etna; a fiery meteor; a 
flower of a fiery color. 
Whoso f alleth not down and worshippeth shall the same 
hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 
Dan. iii. . 
He with his horrid crew 
Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf. 
Milton, P. L., i. 52. 
2. Like fire in character or quality; vehe- 
ment; impetuous; passionate; fierce: as, a 
fiery speech ; a fiery steed. 
Good Lord, what fiery clashings we have had lately for 
a Cap and a Surplice ! Howell, Letters, iv. 29. 
Xor the constant danger of Innovations will hinder men 
of fiery and restless spirits from raising combustions in a 
Nation. Stillingfleet, Sermons, I. vii. 
But the Queen and the citizens entertain themselves 
with the hope that Anreli&n'a fiery temper will never en- 
dure the slow . . . process of starving them into a sur- 
render. W. Ware, Zenobia, II. xiv. 
3. Like fire in effect; heated by or as if by 
fire; producing a burning sensation : as, a fiery 
wound or eruption ; fiery liquors or condiments. 
God . . . bids a plague 
Kindle a fiery boil upon the skin. 
Cowper, Task, ii. 183. 
Skirting with green the fiery waste of war. 
Whittier, Peace Convention at Brussels. 
Fiery cross. See cressi. Fiery trlpllcity, in astrol., 
three signs of the zodiac, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. 
= Syn. 2. Fervid, fervent, glowing, impassioned. 
fiery-flare (fir'i-flar), n. A local English name 
of the sting-ray, Trygon pastinaca. Also called 
flair, firefiare, fireflair. 
fiery-footed (fir'i-fut' / ed), a. Impetuously 
swift. 
Gallop apace, yon fiery-footed steeds, 
Towards Phoebus' lodging. 
Shak., R. and J., iii. -J. 
fiery-hot (fir'i-hot), a. Hot as fire; hence, fig- 
uratively, impetuously eager or enthusiastic. 
Fiery-hot to burst 
All barriers in her onward race 
For power. Tennyson, In Memoriam, cxiv. 
fiery -new (fir'i-nu), a. Acrid or fiery from 
newness. 
The vintage, yet unkept, 
Had relish fiery-new. 
Tennyson, Will Waterproof. 
fiery-short (fir'i-short),fl. Hot and curt; brief 
and passionate. 
Fiery-short was Cyril's counter-scoff. 
Tennyson, Princess, v. 
fiestt, n. and t. See fist 2 . 
fiesta (fyes'ta), H. [Sp., a feast: see feast.] 
In Spanish countries, a feast-day ; a holiday. 
On holidays or fiestas the native and Mestiza women 
ofte_n appear with their stockingless feet incased in a pair 
of light-blue high-heeled French shoes. 
U. S. Cons. Rep., No. lix. (1S85), p. 257. 
fi. fa. In law, the usual abbreviation of fieri 
facias. 
fife (fif), H, [< OF. fifre, F. fifre, a fife, also a 
fif er, = Sp. Pg. pifaro, pifano, a fif e, a fifer, = It. 
piffero, ulsopifara, a fife, < OHG. pfifa, MHG. 
pfife, G. pfeife, a pipe, = E. pipe: see pipe, 
which is a doublet of fife.] A musical instru- 
ment of the flute class, usually having a com- 
pass of about two octaves upward from the 
second D above the middle C ; a piccolo, or a 
flute of still higher pitch : much used in mili- 
tary music, particularly with drums. 
The shrill trump, 
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing life. 
Shak., Othello, iii. 3. 
Sound, sound the clarion, till the fife '. 
Scott, Old Mortality, xxxiv., Motto. 
fife (fif), . i. or 1. ; pret. and pp. fifed, ppr. flfiruj. 
[< fife, n.] To play the fife, or to execute on a 
fife : as, to fife in a band ; to fife a tune. 
His ministerial colleagues would not all dance as their 
master fifed, and the pressure of official "frictions" was 
sore upon him. Loire, Bismarck, II. 424. 
fife-major (fif 'ma'jor), w. A non-commissioned 
officer who superintends the fifers of a battal- 
ion. Compare drum-major. 
