fourscore 
fourscore (for'skor), . [< ME. fourscore; <four 
+ score.] Four times twenty ; eighty. 
The days of our years are threescore years and ten ; and 
if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is 
their strength labour and sorrow. Ps. xc. 10. 
foursomet (Kr'sum), a. [Also foursum; also 
used as a noun, four in compauy; < four + 
some] By fours; with four: said of anything 
in which four act together: as, a. foursome reel. 
Compare fivesome, secensome, twosome. 
foursquare (for'skwar), a. [< ME. fotcresquare ; 
<four + square.] Having four sides and four 
angles equal; quadrangular: as, a foursquare 
altar. 
So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and 
an hundred cubits broad, foursquare. Ezek. xl. 47. 
fall'n at length that tower of strength 
Which stood four-square to all the winds that blew ! 
Tennyson, Death of Wellington. 
fourteen (for'ten'), a. and . [< ME. fourtene, 
feowertene, < AS. feowertyne (= OS. fiertein = 
OFrie&.fiuwertine = D. veertien = MLG. vertein, 
verteigen, verten, vertin, LG. vertein =OHG. fior- 
zehan, MHG. vierzehen, G. vierzehn = Icel. fjor- 
tan = Sw. fjorton = Dan. fjorten = Goth, fid- 
wortaihun = L. quattuordecim (> It. quattuor- 
dici = Pg. quatorze = Sp. catorce = Pr. P. qua- 
torze) = Gr. Tcaaap((-Kai-)6cKa = Skt. chatur- 
daca), fourteen, < feower, E. four, etc., + tedn, 
pi. -tyne, E. ten, etc.] I. a. Four more than ten, 
or one more than thirteen : a cardinal numeral. 
H. n. 1. The sum of ten and four, or thir- 
teen and one. 2. A symbol representing four- 
teen units, as 14, XIV, or xiv. 
fourteenth (for'tenth'), a. and n. [< ME. four- 
tenethe,fourtend,fourtethe,fourteothe, etc.,< AS. 
fedwerteotha (= OFries. fiuwertinda = D. cier- 
tiende = G. vierzehnte = Icel. fjortandi = Sw. 
fjortonde = Dan. fjortende), fourteenth, < feow- 
ertyne, etc., fourteen, + -tha, -th, the ordinal 
suffix.] I. a. Next after the thirteenth: an 
ordinal numeral Fourteenth night*, a fortnight. 
The queen was highly offended . . . that hee had agreed 
upon such a cessation as might every fourteenth night be 
broken. Holland, tr. of Camden's Britain, ii. 131. 
II. n. 1. The quotient of unity divided by 
fourteen ; one of fourteen equal parts of any- 
thing : as, nine fourteenths (-ft-) of an acre. 2. 
In music, the octave or replicate of the seventh, 
an interval one diatonic degree less than two 
octaves. 
fourth (forth), a. and n. [< ME. fourthe, forthe, 
furthe, fertile, feorthe, < AS. feortha, feowrtha 
(= OS. fiortho = OFries. "fiuwerda, "fiurda = 
D. vierde = MLG. verde = OHG. fordo, MHG. 
vierde, G. vierte = Icel. fjordhi = Sw. Dan. fjerde 
= Goth. *fldworta not recorded), fourth, < 
feower, E./owr, etc., + -tha, -th, ordinal suffix.] 
I. a. Next after the third : an ordinal numeral. 
The thridde was from Babraham forte Moyses com, 
Theferthe fro Moyses to Dauid kyndom. 
Rob. of Gloucester, p. 9. 
Fourth-day, Wednesday : so called by members of the 
Society of Friends. 
1 have an invitation to visit the Duchess of Gloucester 
next Fourth-day. Elizabeth Fry, in Ryder, viii. 
Fourth estate, nerve, position, shift, etc. See the 
nouns. Fourth figure of syllogism, that type of syl- 
logism in which each of the three terms occurs once as 
subject and once as predicate. See^wre, 9. 
II. n. 1. The quotient of unity divided by 
four; one of four equal parts of anything; a 
quarter: as, three fourths (f) of an acre. 2. 
In early Eng. law, a fourth part of the rents of 
the year, or of movables, or both, granted or 
levied by way of tax. 3. In music : (a) A tone 
four diatonic degrees above or below any given 
tone. (6) The interval between any tone and a 
tone four degrees distant from it. (c) The har- 
monic combination of two such tones, (d) In 
a scale, the fourth tone from the bottom ; the 
subdominaut: solmizated fa, as F in the scale 
of C, or D in that of A. The typical interval of the 
fourth is that between the first and fourth tones of a 
scale, acoustically represented by the ratio 3 : 4 that is, 
iu number of vibrations and equal to two diatonic steps 
and a half. Such a fourth is called perfect or major; a 
fourth one half step shorter is called diminished or minor; 
a fourth one half step longer is called augmented, extreme, 
sharp, or superfluous. The perfect fourth is the second 
most perfect consonance after the octave, and the next to 
the fifth. 
When two musical tones form a fourth, the higher 
makes four vibrations while the lower makes three. 
Helmholtz, Sensations of Tone (trans.), p. 22. 
The Fourth, in the United States, the Fourth of July, the 
anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which 
was promulgated July 4th, 1776. 
fourth-class (forth'klas), a. Belonging to the 
class next after the third Fourth-class matter, 
in the postal system of the United States (1889), mail-mat- 
2354 
ter consisting of merchandise that is, not consisting of 
written or printed matter. 
fourthly (forth'li), adv. [< fourth + -ly%.] In 
the fourth place. 
fourth-rate (forth'rat), a. Of the fourth rate 
or class : specifically, formerly, the rating of a 
vessel carrying from 50 to 70 guns. At present 
the ratings of ships, both iu the British service and in 
that of the United States, are changeable and indefinite. 
Formerly the rating was determined by the number of 
guns ; now, in the United States service, the classification 
is by displacement. 
four-way (for'wa), . Of or pertaining to four 
ways or pas- 
sages Four- 
way cock, a cock 
having two pas- 
sages in the plug 
and four passage- 
ways for delivery, 
or one which unites 
four pipes o as to 
deliver from either 
one at will, accord- 
ing to the position of the valve. Such a faucet is used ii 
the continuous air-brake. 
four-wheeled (for'hweld), 
ning on four wheels. 
four-wheeler (for'hwe'ler), n. A carriage with 
four wheels; especially, a four-wheeled cab. 
[Colloq.] 
He, having sent on all their luggage by a respectable old 
fimr-ichetler, got into the hansom beside her. 
W. Black, Princess of Thule, x. 
four-wings (for'wingz), n. [Said to be trans- 
lated from the Arabic name.] A name of the 
goatsuckers or night-jars of the genera Macro- 
dipteryx and Cosmetornis, in which some of the 
flight-feathers are so much elongated that the 
birds seem to have four wings. The streamer-bear- 
ing night- jar or four- wings IsCosinetornu vexUlariui. Also 
called, for the same reason, etandard-bearen. See cut 
under Macrodipteryx. 
Four-way Cock. 
Having or run- 
. 
fouset, a. [ME. fous, earlier fits, < AS. fus, 
ready, prompt, quick, eager (=O8.fus = OHG. 
funs, ready, willing, = Icel. fuss = Norw. Sw. 
dial, fug, willing, eager) (cf. Sw. fram-fus, 
fram-fusig, Dan. fremfusende, pert, saucy); 
orig. "funs, perhaps allied to AS. fundian, ME. 
founden, strive after, go, hasten: see foundft. 
Hence ult. feeze' 1 , feaze 1 , v., and prob. fuss, 
q. v.] Ready; willing; eager; prompt; quick. 
He wass /i to lernenn. Ormulum, 1. 16997. 
Of hir and Martha was SIM 
Abote the nedes of thare 1ms. 
Cursor Mmldi, 1. 191. 
To dele ech man rappes 
Ever he was/oiw. Lybeaus Diseonus, 1. 287. 
foussa (fo'sa), n. The galet, Cryptoproctaferox. 
See Cryptoprocta. 
fouter 1 (fo'ter), v. i. To bungle. [Old Eng. and 
Scotch.] 
fouter 1 (fS'ter), n. [< fouler*-, r.] A bungler ; 
a "handless" or shiftless person. [Old Eng. 
and Scotch.] 
fouter 2 t (fd'ter), n. [Also foutre, foutra; < P. 
foutre, v., < L. futuere, have sexual commerce 
with.] A gross term of contempt: used inter- 
jectionally. 
If I 'scape Monsieur's 'pothecary shops, 
Foutre for Guise's shambles ! 
Chapman, Bussy d'Ambois, v. 1. 
A foutra for the world, and worldlings base ! 
Shak., 2 Hen. IV., v. 3. 
fouth (foth), n. and a. [So., also written fowth ; 
< ME. fulthe, fullness: seefulth.] I. n. Abun- 
dance; plenty. 
So suld ge cheis sour Pastoris gude 
That lies the/oA of heninly fude 
To satisfie the houngre scheip 
Quhilk in thare cure thay haue to keip. 
Louder, Dewtie of Kyngis (E. E. T. 8.), 1. 820. 
He has & fouth o' anld nick-nackets, 
Rusty aim caps and jinglin' jackets. 
Burns, Captain Grose's Peregrinations. 
II. a. Abundant; copious; plenteous. 
When the wind is in the South, rain will be/owfA. 
Scotch proverb. 
f outr at, See fou ter%. 
fouty (fo'ti), a. and n. [Msofooty; < F.foutu, 
used in slang and vulgar speech in a great va- 
riety of senses, expressing contempt or empha- 
sis; pp. of foutre, < L. futuere: see fouter^.'} 
I. a. Mean; contemptible; despicable. 
He, Sampson like, 
Got to his feet, finding no other tool, 
Broke one rogue's back with a strong wooden stool, 
And, at a second blow, with little pains, 
Beat out another fouty rascal's brains. 
Hamilton, Wallace, p. 353. 
II. .; pi. fouties (-tiz). A base, contempti- 
ble fellow. 
[Scotch and North. Eng.] 
fowl 
foyea (fo've-a), .; pl.fovea- (-e). [L., a small 
pit.] 1. In ana*, ana zool., a depression or 
shallow pit in a surface, generally more or less 
rounded. 2. In bot., a depression or pit; espe- 
cially, a depression on the upper surface of the 
leaf -sheath in Isoetes, in which the sporangium 
is formed Fovea anterior or superior, a depression 
"ii either side of the floor of the fourth ventricle of the 
brain in front of the stria: acustica;. Fovea axlllaris, 
the armpit. Fovea cardiaca, the space occupied by the 
heart in the early embryo. Fovea centralis retinae, 
a little pit In the middle of the macula lutea or yellow 
spot of the retina. See retina. Fovea hemielliptica, 
an oval transverse depression on the roof of the vestibule 
of the inner ear, separated from the fovea hemispherica 
by the crista vestibuli. Fovea hemispherica, a small 
rounded depression on the inner wall of the vestibule of the 
inner ear, perforated by minute orifices for the passage of 
filaments of the auditory nerve. Fovea ovalls. Same as 
fossa 0mKf (which see, Quder/oMal). Fovea posterior 
or Inferior, a depression in the floor of the fourth ven- 
tricle on either side below the stria? actisticse. Fovea 
supraclavleularls, the depression above the clavicle be- 
tween the trapezius and sternocleidoniastoid muscles. 
Fovea trochlearis, a depression (sometimes replaced by 
a prominence, the spina trochlearis)on the inner anterior 
region of the orbital plate of the frontal bone in which the 
pulley of the superior oblique muscle is fastened. 
foveal (fo've-al), a. [< fovea + -a/.] Of or per- 
taining to or situated in a fovea: as, a, foveal 
image (an image formed upon the fovea cen- 
trahs of the retina). 
foveate (fo've-at), a. [< NL.foveatus, < L. fovea, 
a small pit, pitfall. ] 1 . In anat. and zool. , hav- 
ing foveee; fossulate; alveolate; pitted. 2. In 
bot., covered with small excavations or pits; 
pitted. 
foveated (fo've-a-ted), a. [< foveate + -ecP.'] 
Same as foveate. 
A small irregular foveated vesicle was present. 
Medical News, LII. 545. 
foveola (fo-ve'o-la), . ; f\.foveolce (-le). [NL., 
dim. of foyea, 'a small pit.] 1. In anat. and 
zool., a slight pit or depression found at the 
summits of the papillae of the kidney, at the 
bottom of which are the mouths of the urinif- 
erous tubules. 2. In bot., in the leaves of Iso- 
etes, above the fovea, a small depression out of 
which the ligule springs. 3. In entom., a small 
fovea, or rounded impressed space Lateral 
foveolaa, in orthopterous insects, two small depressions 
on the margins of the vertex, near the compound eyes. 
Median r central foveola, in orthopterons insects, a 
depressed part of the vertex, bounded by raised margins. 
foveolarious (f6"ve-o-la'ri-us), a. [< NL. fove- 
ola + -arious.] Foveolate. 
foveolate (fo've-o-lat), a. [< NL. foveolatus, 
(.foveola, q. v.] In anat., zool., and bot., having 
foveolse ; marked by little depressions or pits. 
foveole (fo've-61), n. [< NL. foveola,, dim. of L. 
fovea, a pit:'see fovea.] A foveola. 
foveolet (fo've-o-let), n. [< foveole + -et.~\ In 
entom., a small foveole ; a small, roundish, ra- 
ther deep depression of a surface, larger than 
a variole. 
fovilla (fo-vil'a), n. [NL., dim., irreg. < L. fo- 
vere, warm, cherish: see foment.'] In bot., the 
contents of a pollen-grain, consisting of coarse- 
ly granular protoplasm and other matters. 
fowaget, n. [<OF.fouage,feuage: seefeuage.] 
Hearth-money; feuage. 
Bethink ye, Sire, 
What were the f outage and the subsidies 
When bread was but four mites that's now a groat? 
Sir H. Taylor, Ph. van Artevelde, I., ii. 6. 
fowert, and n. See four. 
fowk, n. A dialectal form otfolk. 
fowl 1 (foul ),n. [Early mod. E. also foul, foule ; 
< 'ME. fowl, foul,fowel, fuwel, fuel, fugel,fugel, 
< AS. fuffol, fugel = OS. fugal, fugl = OFries. 
fugel = D. vogel = MLG. vogel, voggel, vagel = 
OHG. fogal, MHG. vogel, G. vogel = Icel. fugl, 
fogl = Sw. fdgel = Dan. fugl = Goth, fugls, a 
fowl, a bird. It is possible that the orig. form 
was "ftugl, AS. "flugol, etc., < / *flvg, AS.fleogan 
(pret. pl.flugon), fly; cf. G. gefliigel, fowl col- 
lectively (<.fliegen = 'E.fty), with equiv. MHG. 
geviigele. Cf. fugleman, G. ftugelmann.] 1. A 
bird : generally unchanged in the plural when 
used in a collective or generic sense. 
This launde that I of speke was so feire and plesaunt tu 
be-holde for the swote sanours, that thei hadde no will to 
meve thens and for the swete songe of the/owtes. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 274. 
In Huntlee bannkes cs mery to bee, 
Whare/ow/es synges bothe nyght and daye. 
Thomas of Ertseldoune (Child's Ballads, I. 107). 
This river also, as the two former, is replenished with fish 
and/ote. Capt. John Smith, Works, I. 117. 
Specifically 2. A barn -yard cock or hen; also, 
a domestic duck or turkey ; in the plural, poultry. 
[This is now the usual meaning of the word when used 
without qualification, bird being the general term for a 
feathered biped.) 
