French, Daniel Chester 1850-1931.
American sculptor whose many public statues include the seated marble figure of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
O.E. frencisc "of the Franks" (see frank). Euphemistic meaning "bad language" (pardon my French) is from 1895. Used in many combination-words, often dealing with food or sex. French fries is 1918 Amer.Eng., from French fried potatoes (1894, first attested in O.Henry); French dressing first recorded 1900; French toast is from 1660. French letter "condom" (c.1856), French (v.) "perform oral sex on" (c.1917) and French kiss (1923) all probably stem from the Anglo-Saxon equation of Gallic culture and sexual sophistication, a sense first recorded 1749 in French novel. To take French leave, "depart without telling the host," is 1771, from a social custom then prevalent. However, in France this is said to be called filer à l'anglaise, lit. "to take English leave."
Main Entry: French Pronunciation: 'french Function: noun Inflected Form: plFrench : a unit of measure equal to one-third millimeter used
in measuring the outside diameter of a tubular instrument (as a catheter or sound) inserted into a bodily cavity <the catheter shaft size is three French —Medical Industry
Today> <an initial aortogram was done … with a five French catheter —J.-P. Beregi et al> —abbreviation F
French Camp, CA (CDP, FIPS 26028) Location: 37.88282 N, 121.27873 W Population (1990): 3018 (543 housing units) Area: 8.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 95231
French Camp, MS (village, FIPS 26020) Location: 33.29209 N, 89.39848 W Population (1990): 320 (79 housing units) Area: 2.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 39745
French Gulch, CA Zip code(s): 96033
French Lick, IN (town, FIPS 25972) Location: 38.54723 N, 86.62017 W Population (1990): 2087 (948 housing units) Area: 4.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 47432
French Settlemen, LA Zip code(s): 70733
French Village, MO Zip code(s): 63036
French Island, WI (CDP, FIPS 27875) Location: 43.85830 N, 91.26030 W Population (1990): 4478 (1731 housing units) Area: 5.5 sq km (land), 1.6 sq km (water)
French Settlement, LA (village, FIPS 27435) Location: 30.31146 N, 90.80330 W Population (1990): 829 (359 housing units) Area: 7.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Frank\, a. [Compar Franker; superl. Frankest.] [F. franc free, frank, L. Francus a Frank, fr. OHG. Franko the name of a Germanic people on the Rhine, who afterward founded the French monarchy; cf. AS. franca javelin, Icel. frakka. Cf. Franc, French, a., Franchise, n.]1. Unbounded by restrictions, limitations, etc.; free. [R.] "It is of frank gift." --Spenser. 2. Free in uttering one's real sentiments; not reserved; using no disguise; candid; ingenuous; as, a frank nature, conversation, manner, etc. 3. Liberal; generous; profuse. [Obs.] Frank of civilities that cost them nothing. --L'Estrange. 4. Unrestrained; loose; licentious; -- used in a bad sense. --Spenser. Syn: Ingenuous; candid; artless; plain; open; unreserved; undisguised; sincere. See Candid, Ingenuous.
French\ (fr[e^]nch), a. [AS. frencisc, LL. franciscus, from L. Francus a Frank: cf. OF. franceis, franchois, fran[,c]ois, F. fran[,c]ais. See Frank, a., and cf. Frankish.] Of or pertaining to France or its inhabitants. French bean (Bot.), the common kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). French berry (Bot.), the berry of a species of buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus), which affords a saffron, green or purple pigment. French casement (Arch.) See French window, under Window. French chalk (Min.), a variety of granular talc; -- used for drawing lines on cloth, etc. See under Chalk. French cowslip (Bot.) The Primula Auricula. See Bear's-ear. French fake (Naut.), a mode of coiling a rope by running it backward and forward in parallel bends, so that it may run freely. French honeysuckle (Bot.) a plant of the genus Hedysarum (H. coronarium); -- called also garland honeysuckle. French horn, a metallic wind instrument, consisting of a long tube twisted into circular folds and gradually expanding from the mouthpiece to the end at which the sound issues; -- called in France cor de chasse. French leave, an informal, hasty, or secret departure; esp., the leaving a place without paying one's debts. French pie [French (here used in sense of "foreign") + pie a magpie (in allusion to its black and white color)] (Zo["o]l.), the European great spotted woodpecker (Dryobstes major); -- called also wood pie. French polish. (a) A preparation for the surface of woodwork, consisting of gums dissolved in alcohol, either shellac alone, or shellac with other gums added. (b) The glossy surface produced by the application of the above. French purple, a dyestuff obtained from lichens and used for coloring woolen and silken fabrics, without the aid of mordants. --Ure. French red rouge. French rice, amelcorn. French roof (Arch.), a modified form of mansard roof having a nearly flat deck for the upper slope. French tub, a dyer's mixture of protochloride of tin and logwood; -- called also plum tub. --Ure. French window. See under Window.
Hon"ey*suc`kle\, n. [Cf. AS. hunis?ge privet. See Honey, and Suck.] (Bot.) One of several species of flowering plants, much admired for their beauty, and some for their fragrance. Note: The honeysuckles are properly species of the genus Lonicera; as, L. Caprifolium, and L. Japonica, the commonly cultivated fragrant kinds; L. Periclymenum, the fragrant woodbine of England; L. grata, the American woodbine, and L. sempervirens, the red-flowered trumpet honeysuckle. The European fly honeysuckle is L. Xylosteum; the American, L. ciliata. The American Pinxter flower (Azalea nudiflora) is often called honeysuckle, or false honeysuckle. The name Australian honeysuckle is applied to one or more trees of the genus Banksia. See French honeysuckle, under French.
Horn\, n. [AS. horn; akin to D. horen, hoorn, G., Icel., Sw., & Dan. horn, Goth. ha['u]rn, W., Gael., & Ir. corn, L. cornu, Gr. ?, and perh. also to E. cheer, cranium, cerebral; cf. Skr. [,c]iras head. Cf. Carat, Corn on the foot, Cornea, Corner, Cornet, Cornucopia, Hart.]1. A hard, projecting, and usually pointed organ, growing upon the heads of certain animals, esp. of the ruminants, as cattle, goats, and the like. The hollow horns of the Ox family consist externally of true horn, and are never shed. 2. The antler of a deer, which is of bone throughout, and annually shed and renewed. 3. (Zo["o]l.) Any natural projection or excrescence from an animal, resembling or thought to resemble a horn in substance or form; esp.: (a) A projection from the beak of a bird, as in the hornbill. (b) A tuft of feathers on the head of a bird, as in the horned owl. (c) A hornlike projection from the head or thorax of an insect, or the head of a reptile, or fish. (d) A sharp spine in front of the fins of a fish, as in the horned pout. 4. (Bot.) An incurved, tapering and pointed appendage found in the flowers of the milkweed (Asclepias). 5. Something made of a horn, or in resemblance of a horn; as: (a) A wind instrument of music; originally, one made of a horn (of an ox or a ram); now applied to various elaborately wrought instruments of brass or other metal, resembling a horn in shape. "Wind his horn under the castle wall." --Spenser. See French horn, under French. (b) A drinking cup, or beaker, as having been originally made of the horns of cattle. "Horns of mead and ale." --Mason. (c) The cornucopia, or horn of plenty. See Cornucopia. "Fruits and flowers from Amalth[ae]a's horn." --Milton. (d) A vessel made of a horn; esp., one designed for containing powder; anciently, a small vessel for carrying liquids. "Samuel took the hornof oil and anointed him [David]." --1 Sam. xvi. 13. (e) The pointed beak of an anvil. (f) The high pommel of a saddle; also, either of the projections on a lady's saddle for supporting the leg. (g) (Arch.) The Ionic volute. (h) (Naut.) The outer end of a crosstree; also, one of the projections forming the jaws of a gaff, boom, etc. (i) (Carp.) A curved projection on the fore part of a plane. (j) One of the projections at the four corners of the Jewish altar of burnt offering. "Joab . . . caught hold on the horns of the altar." --1 Kings ii. 28. 6. One of the curved ends of a crescent; esp., an extremity or cusp of the moon when crescent-shaped. The moon Wears a wan circle round her blunted horns. --Thomson. 7. (Mil.) The curving extremity of the wing of an army or of a squadron drawn up in a crescentlike form. Sharpening in mooned horns Their phalanx. --Milton. 8. The tough, fibrous material of which true horns are composed, being, in the Ox family, chiefly albuminous, with some phosphate of lime; also, any similar substance, as that which forms the hoof crust of horses, sheep, and cattle; as, a spoon of horn. 9. (Script.) A symbol of strength, power, glory, exaltation, or pride. The Lord is . . . the horn of my salvation. --Ps. xviii. 2. 10. An emblem of a cuckold; -- used chiefly in the plural. "Thicker than a cuckold's horn." --Shak. Horn block, the frame or pedestal in which a railway car axle box slides up and down; -- also called horn plate. Horn of a dilemma. See under Dilemma. Horn distemper, a disease of cattle, affecting the internal substance of the horn. Horn drum, a wheel with long curved scoops, for raising water. Horn lead (Chem.), chloride of lead. Horn maker, a maker of cuckolds. [Obs.] --Shak. Horn mercury. (Min.) Same as Horn quicksilver (below). Horn poppy (Bot.), a plant allied to the poppy (Glaucium luteum), found on the sandy shores of Great Britain and Virginia; -- called also horned poppy. --Gray. Horn pox (Med.), abortive smallpox with an eruption like that of chicken pox. Horn quicksilver (Min.), native calomel, or bichloride of mercury. Horn shell (Zo["o]l.), any long, sharp, spiral, gastropod shell, of the genus Cerithium, and allied genera. Horn silver (Min.), cerargyrite. Horn slate, a gray, siliceous stone. To haul in one's horns, to withdraw some arrogant pretension. [Colloq.] Toraise, or lift, the horn (Script.), to exalt one's self; to act arrogantly. "'Gainst them that raised thee dost thou lift thy horn?" --Milton. To take a horn, to take a drink of intoxicating liquor. [Low]
Leave\, n. [OE. leve, leave, AS. le['a]f; akin to le['o]f pleasing, dear, E. lief, D. oorlof leave, G. arlaub, and erlauben to permit, Icel. leyfi. ? See Lief.]1. Liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license. David earnestly asked leave of me. --1 Sam. xx. 6. No friend has leave to bear away the dead. --Dryden. 2. The act of leaving or departing; a formal parting; a leaving; farewell; adieu; -- used chiefly in the phrase, to take leave, i. e., literally, to take permission to go. A double blessing is a'double grace; Occasion smiles upon a second leave. --Shak. And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren. --Acts xviii. 18. French leave. See under French. Syn: See Liberty.
Pie\, n. [F. pie, L. pica; cf. picus woodpecker, pingere to paint; the bird being perhaps named from its colors. Cf. Pi, Paint, Speight.]1. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A magpie. (b) Any other species of the genus Pica, and of several allied genera. [Written also pye.] 2. (R. C. Ch.) The service book. 3. (Pritn.) Type confusedly mixed. See Pi. By cock and pie, an adjuration equivalent to "by God and the service book." --Shak. Tree pie (Zo["o]l.), any Asiatic bird of the genus Dendrocitta, allied to the magpie. Wood pie. (Zo["o]l.) See French pie, under French.
Roof\, n. [OE. rof, AS. hr?f top, roof; akin to D. roef cabin, Icel. hr?f a shed under which ships are built or kept; cf. OS. hr?st roof, Goth. hr?t. Cf. Roost.]1. (Arch.) The cover of any building, including the roofing (see Roofing) and all the materials and construction necessary to carry and maintain the same upon the walls or other uprights. In the case of a building with vaulted ceilings protected by an outer roof, some writers call the vault the roof, and the outer protection the roof mask. It is better, however, to consider the vault as the ceiling only, in cases where it has farther covering. 2. That which resembles, or corresponds to, the covering or the ceiling of a house; as, the roof of a cavern; the roof of the mouth. The flowery roof Showered roses, which the morn repaired. --Milton. 3. (Mining.) The surface or bed of rock immediately overlying a bed of coal or a flat vein. Bell roof, French roof, etc. (Arch.) See under Bell, French, etc. Flat roof. (Arch.) (a) A roof actually horizontal and level, as in some Oriental buildings. (b) A roof nearly horizontal, constructed of such material as allows the water to run off freely from a very slight inclination. Roof plate. (Arch.) See Plate, n., 10.
Sole\, n. [F. sole, L. solea; -- so named from its flat shape. See Sole of the foot.] (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any one of several species of flatfishes of the genus Solea and allied genera of the family Soleid[ae], especially the common European species (Solea vulgaris), which is a valuable food fish. (b) Any one of several American flounders somewhat resembling the true sole in form or quality, as the California sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata), the long-finned sole (Glyptocephalus zachirus), and other species. Lemon, or French, sole (Zo["o]l.), a European species of sole (Solea pegusa). Smooth sole (Zo["o]l.), the megrim.
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