free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: a fair decision; a fair judge.
2.
legitimately sought, pursued, done, given, etc.; proper under the rules: a fair fight.
3.
moderately large; ample: a fair income.
4.
neither excellent nor poor; moderately or tolerably good: fair health.
5.
marked by favoring conditions; likely; promising: in a fair way to succeed.
6.
Meteorology.
a.
(of the sky) bright; sunny; cloudless to half-cloudy.
b.
(of the weather) fine; with no prospect of rain, snow, or hail; not stormy.
7.
Nautical. (of a wind or tide) tending to aid the progress of a vessel.
8.
unobstructed; not blocked up: The way was fair for our advance.
9.
without irregularity or unevenness: a fair surface.
10.
free from blemish, imperfection, or anything that impairs the appearance, quality, or character: Her fair reputation was ruined by gossip.
11.
easy to read; clear: fair handwriting.
12.
of a light hue; not dark: fair skin.
13.
pleasing in appearance; attractive: a fair young maiden.
14.
seemingly good or sincere but not really so: The suitor beguiled his mistress with fair speeches.
15.
courteous; civil: fair words.
16.
Medicine/Medical. (of a patient's condition) having stable and normal vital signs and other favorable indicators, as appetite and mobility, but being in some discomfort and having the possibility of a worsening state.
17.
Dialect. scarcely; barely: It was just fair daylight when we started working.
–adverb
18.
in a fair manner: He doesn't play fair.
19.
straight; directly, as in aiming or hitting: He threw the ball fair to the goal.
20.
favorably; auspiciously.
21.
British,Australian. entirely; completely; quite: It happened so quickly that it fair took my breath away.
–noun
22.
Archaic. something that is fair.
23.
Archaic.
a.
a woman.
b.
a beloved woman.
–verb (used with object)
24.
to make the connection or junction of (surfaces) smooth and even.
25.
Shipbuilding.
a.
to draw and adjust (the lines of a hull being designed) to produce regular surfaces of the correct form.
b.
to adjust the form of (a frame or templet) in accordance with a design, or cause it to conform to the general form of a hull.
c.
to restore (a bent plate or structural member) to its original form.
d.
to align (the frames of a vessel under construction) in proper position.
26.
to bring (rivet holes in connecting structural members) into perfect alignment.
27.
Obsolete. to make fair.
—Verb phrase
28.
fair off or up, South Midland and Southern U.S.(of the weather) to clear: It's supposed to fair off toward evening.
—Idioms
29.
bid fair, to seem likely: This entry bids fair to win first prize.
30.
fair and square,
a.
honestly; justly; straightforwardly: He won the race fair and square.
b.
honest; just; straightforward: He was admired for being fair and square in all his dealings.
31.
fair to middling, Informal. only tolerably good; so-so.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME; OE fæger; c. OS, OHG fagar, ON fagr, Goth fagrs]
—Related forms
fairness, noun
—Synonyms 1.Fair,impartial,disinterested,unprejudiced refer to lack of bias in opinions, judgments, etc. Fair implies the treating of all sides alike, justly and equitably: a fair compromise. Impartial, like fair, implies showing no more favor to one side than another, but suggests particularly a judicial consideration of a case: an impartial judge. Disinterested implies a fairness arising particularly from lack of desire to obtain a selfish advantage: The motives of her guardian were entirely disinterested. Unprejudiced means not influenced or swayed by bias, or by prejudice caused by irrelevant considerations: an unprejudiced decision. 4. passable, tolerable, average, middling. 8. open, clear, unencumbered. 10. clean, spotless, pure, untarnished, unsullied, unstained. 11. legible, distinct. 12. blond, pale. 13. pretty, comely, lovely. 15. polite, gracious.
an exhibition, usually competitive, of farm products, livestock, etc., often combined in the U.S. with entertainment and held annually by a county or state.
2.
a periodic gathering of buyers and sellers in an appointed place.
3.
an exposition in which different exhibitors participate, sometimes with the purpose of buying or selling: a science fair.
4.
an exhibition and sale of articles to raise money, often for some charitable purpose.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME feire < AF, OF < LL féria religious festival, holiday (ML: market), in L only pl.; akin to feast]
Of pleasing appearance, especially because of a pure or fresh quality; comely.
Light in color, especially blond: fair hair.
Of light complexion: fair skin.
Having or exhibiting a disposition that is free of favoritism or bias; impartial: a fair mediator.
Just to all parties; equitable: a compromise that is fair to both factions.
Free of clouds or storms; clear and sunny: fair skies.
Free of blemishes or stains; clean and pure: one's fair name.
Promising; likely: We're in a fair way to succeed.
Having or exhibiting a disposition that is free of favoritism or bias; impartial: a fair mediator.
Just to all parties; equitable: a compromise that is fair to both factions.
Being in accordance with relative merit or significance: She wanted to receive her fair share of the proceeds.
Consistent with rules, logic, or ethics: a fair tactic.
Moderately good; acceptable or satisfactory: gave only a fair performance of the play; in fair health.
Superficially true or appealing; specious: Don't trust his fair promises.
Lawful to hunt or attack: fair game.
Archaic Free of all obstacles.
adv.
In a proper or legal manner: playing fair.
Directly; straight: a blow caught fair in the stomach.
tr.v.
faired, fair·ing, fairs
To join (pieces) so as to be smooth, even, or regular: faired the aircraft's wing into the fuselage.
n.
Archaic A beautiful or beloved woman.
Obsolete Loveliness; beauty.
Phrasal Verb(s): fair off/up Chiefly Southern U.S.
To become clear. Used of weather.
Idiom(s):
fair and square
Just and honest.
Idiom(s):
for fair
To the greatest or fullest extent possible: Our team was beaten for fair in that tournament.
Idiom(s):
no fair
Something contrary to the rules: That was no fair.
[Middle English, from Old English fæger, lovely, pleasant.]
fair'ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean free from favoritism, self-interest, or preference in judgment. Fair is the most general: a fair referee; a fair deal. Just stresses conformity with what is legally or ethically right or proper: "a just and lasting peace" (Abraham Lincoln).
Equitable implies justice dictated by reason, conscience, and a natural sense of what is fair: an equitable distribution of gifts among the children. Impartial emphasizes lack of favoritism: "the cold neutrality of an impartial judge" (Edmund Burke).
Unprejudiced means without preconceived opinions or judgments: an unprejudiced evaluation of the proposal. Unbiased implies absence of a preference or partiality: gave an unbiased account of her family problems. Objective implies detachment that permits impersonal observation and judgment: an objective jury. Dispassionate means free from or unaffected by strong emotions: a dispassionate reporter. See Also Synonyms at average, beautiful.
American folk speech puts Standard English to shame in its wealth of words for describing weather conditions. When the weather goes from fair to cloudy, New Englanders say that it's "breedin' up a storm" (Maine informant in the Linguistic Atlas of New England). If the weather is clear, however, a New Englander might call it open. Southern fair off and fair up, meaning "to become clear," were originally Northeastern terms and were brought to the South as settlement expanded southward and westward. They are now "regionalized to the South," according to Craig M. Carver, author of American Regional Dialects. These phrases may have prompted the coining of milding and milding down, noted respectively in Texas and Virginia by the Dictionary of American Regional English.
O.E. fæger "beautiful, pleasant," from P.Gmc. *fagraz (cf. O.N. fagr, O.H.G. fagar "beautiful," Goth. fagrs "fit"), from PIE *fag-. The meaning in ref. to weather (c.1205) preserves the original sense (opposed to foul). Sense of "light complexioned" (1551) reflects tastes in beauty; sense of "free from bias" (c.1340) evolved from another early meaning, "morally pure, unblemished" (c.1175). The sporting senses (fair ball, fair catch etc.) began in 1856. Fair play is from 1595; fair and square is from 1604. Fair-haired in the fig. sense of "darling, favorite" is from 1909. Fairly in the sense of "somewhat" is from 1805; it earlier meant "totally." Fairway (1584) originally meant "navigational channel of a river;" golfing sense is from 1910. First record of fair-weather friends is from 1736.
c.1330, from Anglo-Fr. feyre (1292), from O.Fr. feire, from V.L. *feria "holiday, market fair," from L. feriæ "religious festival, holiday" (see feast).
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules; "a fair referee"; "fair deal"; "on a fair footing"; "a fair fight"; "by fair means or foul" [ant: unfair]
2.
not excessive or extreme; "a fairish income"; "reasonable prices"
3.
very pleasing to the eye; "my bonny lass"; "there's a bonny bay beyond"; "a comely face"; "young fair maidens" [syn: bonny]
4.
(of a baseball) hit between the foul lines; "he hit a fair ball over the third base bag" [ant: foul]
5.
lacking exceptional quality or ability; "a novel of average merit"; "only a fair performance of the sonata"; "in fair health"; "the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average"; "the performance was middling at best" [syn: average]
6.
attractively feminine; "the fair sex"
7.
(of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections; "fair copy"; "a clean manuscript" [syn: clean]
8.
gained or earned without cheating or stealing; "an honest wage"; "an fair penny" [syn: honest]
9.
free of clouds or rain; "today will be fair and warm"
10.
(used of hair or skin) pale or light-colored; "a fair complexion";
adverb
1.
in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating; "they played fairly" [syn: fairly] [ant: below the belt]
2.
without favoring one party, in a fair evenhanded manner; "deal fairly with one another" [syn: fairly]
noun
1.
a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc. [syn: carnival]
2.
gathering of producers to promote business; "world fair"; "trade fair"; "book fair"
3.
a competitive exhibition of farm products; "she won a blue ribbon for her baking at the county fair"
4.
a sale of miscellany; often for charity; "the church bazaar" [syn: bazaar]
Fair Oaks, CA (CDP, FIPS 23294) Location: 38.64850 N, 121.24718 W Population (1990): 26867 (10718 housing units) Area: 25.6 sq km (land), 1.1 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 95628
Fair Play, MO (city, FIPS 23428) Location: 37.63389 N, 93.57543 W Population (1990): 442 (198 housing units) Area: 0.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 65649
Fair Play, SC Zip code(s): 29643
Fair Lawn, NJ (borough, FIPS 22470) Location: 40.93597 N, 74.11804 W Population (1990): 30548 (11759 housing units) Area: 13.4 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 07410
Fair Haven, VT (CDP, FIPS 25450) Location: 43.59575 N, 73.27106 W Population (1990): 2432 (1007 housing units) Area: 7.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 05743
Fair Haven, NJ (borough, FIPS 22440) Location: 40.36045 N, 74.03779 W Population (1990): 5270 (1967 housing units) Area: 4.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 07704
Fair Grove, MO (city, FIPS 23338) Location: 37.38259 N, 93.15138 W Population (1990): 919 (371 housing units) Area: 7.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 65648
Fair Bluff, NC (town, FIPS 22240) Location: 34.31174 N, 79.03461 W Population (1990): 1068 (467 housing units) Area: 5.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 28439
Fair Play, MD Zip code(s): 21733
Fair Haven, NY (village, FIPS 24988) Location: 43.32573 N, 76.70243 W Population (1990): 895 (711 housing units) Area: 4.5 sq km (land), 3.0 sq km (water)
Fair Haven, MI (CDP, FIPS 27140) Location: 42.67740 N, 82.64812 W Population (1990): 1505 (653 housing units) Area: 5.2 sq km (land), 4.5 sq km (water)
Fair Oaks, GA (CDP, FIPS 28520) Location: 33.91970 N, 84.54457 W Population (1990): 6996 (3646 housing units) Area: 5.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Fair Oaks, OK (town, FIPS 25000) Location: 36.14784 N, 95.70807 W Population (1990): 1133 (398 housing units) Area: 39.2 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)
Fair Plain, MI (CDP, FIPS 27160) Location: 42.08175 N, 86.45353 W Population (1990): 8051 (3394 housing units) Area: 10.9 sq km (land), 0.6 sq km (water)
North Fair Oaks, CA (CDP, FIPS 51840) Location: 37.47450 N, 122.20177 W Population (1990): 13912 (3954 housing units) Area: 3.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Fair Oaks Ranch, TX (city, FIPS 25168) Location: 29.73607 N, 98.63564 W Population (1990): 1860 (719 housing units) Area: 15.0 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Can*did\ (k[a^]n"d[i^]d), a. [F. candide (cf. It. candido), L. candidus white, fr. cand[=e]re to be of a glowing white; akin to accend[e^]re, incend[e^]re, to set on fire, Skr. chand to shine. Cf. Candle, Incense.]1. White. [Obs.] The box receives all black; but poured from thence, The stones came candid forth, the hue of innocence. --Dryden. 2. Free from undue bias; disposed to think and judge according to truth and justice, or without partiality or prejudice; fair; just; impartial; as, a candid opinion. "Candid and dispassionate men." --W. Irving. 3. Open; frank; ingenuous; outspoken. Syn: Fair; open; ingenuous; impartial; just; frank; artless; unbiased; equitable. Usage: Candid, Fair, Open, Frank, Ingenuous. A man is fair when he puts things on a just or equitable footing; he is candid when be looks impartially on both sides of a subject, doing justice especially to the motives and conduct of an opponent; he is open and frank when he declares his sentiments without reserve; he is ingenuous when he does this from a noble regard for truth. Fair dealing; candid investigation; an open temper; a frank disposition; an ingenuous answer or declaration.
Fadge\, v. i. [Cf. OE. faden to flatter, and AS. f?gan to join, unit, G. f["u]gen, or AS. [=a]f[ae]gian to depict; all perh. form the same root as E. fair. Cf. Fair, a., Fay to fit.] To fit; to suit; to agree. They shall be made, spite of antipathy, to fadge together. --Milton. Well, Sir, how fadges the new design ? --Wycherley.
Fain\, a. [OE. fain, fagen, AS. f[ae]gen; akin to OS. fagan, Icel. faginn glad; AS. f[ae]gnian to rejoice, OS. fagan[=o]n, Icel. fagna, Goth. fagin[=o]n, cf. Goth. fah[=e]ds joy; and fr. the same root as E. fair. Srr Fair, a., and cf. Fawn to court favor.]1. Well-pleased; glad; apt; wont; fond; inclined. Men and birds are fain of climbing high. --Shak. To a busy man, temptation is fainto climb up together with his business. --Jer. Taylor. 2. Satisfied; contented; also, constrained. --Shak. The learned Castalio was fain to make trechers at Basle to keep himself from starving. --Locke.
Fair\, a. [Compar. Fairer; superl. Fairest.] [OE. fair, fayer, fager, AS. f[ae]ger; akin to OS. & OHG. fagar, Icel. fagr, Sw. fager, Dan. faver, Goth. fagrs fit, also to E. fay, G. f["u]gen, to fit. fegen to sweep, cleanse, and prob. also to E. fang, peace, pact, Cf. Fang, Fain, Fay to fit.]1. Free from spots, specks, dirt, or imperfection; unblemished; clean; pure. A fair white linen cloth. --Book of Common Prayer. 2. Pleasing to the eye; handsome; beautiful. Who can not see many a fair French city, for one fair French made. --Shak. 3. Without a dark hue; light; clear; as, a fair skin. The northern people large and fair-complexioned. --Sir M. Hale. 4. Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; favorable; -- said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.; as, a fair sky; a fair day. You wish fair winds may waft him over. --Prior. 5. Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unincumbered; open; direct; -- said of a road, passage, etc.; as, a fair mark; in fair sight; a fair view. The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a fair way to have enlarged. --Sir W. Raleigh. 6. (Shipbuilding) Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; fowing; -- said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines. 7. Characterized by frankness, honesty, impartiality, or candor; open; upright; free from suspicion or bias; equitable; just; -- said of persons, character, or conduct; as, a fair man; fair dealing; a fair statement. "I would call it fair play." --Shak. 8. Pleasing; favorable; inspiring hope and confidence; -- said of words, promises, etc. When fair words and good counsel will not prevail on us, we must be frighted into our duty. --L' Estrange. 9. Distinct; legible; as, fair handwriting. 10. Free from any marked characteristic; average; middling; as, a fair specimen. The news is very fair and good, my lord. --Shak. Fair ball. (Baseball) (a) A ball passing over the home base at the height called for by the batsman, and delivered by the pitcher while wholly within the lines of his position and facing the batsman. (b) A batted ball that falls inside the foul lines; -- called also a fair hit. Fair maid. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The European pilchard (Clupea pilchardus) when dried. (b) The southern scup (Stenotomus Gardeni). [Virginia] Fair one, a handsome woman; a beauty, Fair play, equitable or impartial treatment; a fair or equal chance; justice. From fair to middling, passable; tolerable. [Colloq.] The fair sex, the female sex. Syn: Candid; open; frank; ingenuous; clear; honest; equitable; impartial; reasonable. See Candid.
Fair\, adv. Clearly; openly; frankly; civilly; honestly; favorably; auspiciously; agreeably. Fair and square, justly; honestly; equitably; impartially. [Colloq.] To bid fair. See under Bid. To speak fair, to address with courtesy and frankness. [Archaic]
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Audio Help [fair] Pronunciation Key adjective, -er, -est, adverb, -er, -est, noun, verb 
