not true or correct; erroneous: a false statement.
2.
uttering or declaring what is untrue: a false witness.
3.
not faithful or loyal; treacherous: a false friend.
4.
tending to deceive or mislead; deceptive: a false impression.
5.
not genuine; counterfeit.
6.
based on mistaken, erroneous, or inconsistent impressions, ideas, or facts: false pride.
7.
used as a substitute or supplement, esp. temporarily: false supports for a bridge.
8.
Biology. having a superficial resemblance to something that properly bears the name: the false acacia.
9.
not properly, accurately, or honestly made, done, or adjusted: a false balance.
10.
inaccurate in pitch, as a musical note.
–adverb
11.
dishonestly; faithlessly; treacherously: Did he speak false against me?
—Idiom
12.
play someone false, to betray someone; be treacherous or faithless.
[Origin: bef. 1000; ME, OE fals < L falsus feigned, false, orig. ptp. of fallere to deceive; reinforced by or reborrowed from AF, OF fals, fem. false < L]
—Related forms
falsely, adverb
falseness, noun
—Synonyms 1. mistaken, incorrect, wrong, untrue. 2. untruthful, lying, mendacious. 3. insincere, hypocritical, disingenuous, disloyal, unfaithful, inconstant, perfidious, traitorous. 4. misleading, fallacious. 5. artificial, spurious, bogus, forged. False,sham,counterfeit agree in referring to something that is not genuine. False is used mainly of imitations of concrete objects; it sometimes implies an intent to deceive: false teeth; false hair. Sham is rarely used of concrete objects and usually has the suggestion of intent to deceive: sham title; sham tears. Counterfeit always has the implication of cheating; it is used particularly of spurious imitation of coins, paper money, etc.
c.1200, from O.Fr. fals, faus, from L. falsus "deceived, erroneous, mistaken," pp. of fallere "deceive, disappoint," of uncertain origin. Adopted into other Gmc. languages (cf. Ger. falsch, Dan. falsk), though Eng. is the only one in which the active sense of "deceitful" (a secondary sense in L.) has predominated. Falsies "padded brassiere" first recorded 1943.
not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality; "gave false testimony under oath"; "false tales of bravery" [ant: true]
2.
arising from error; "a false assumption"; "a mistaken view of the situation"
3.
erroneous and usually accidental; "a false start"; "a false alarm"
4.
deliberately deceptive; "false pretenses"
5.
inappropriate to reality or facts; "delusive faith in a wonder drug"; "delusive expectations"; "false hopes" [syn: delusive]
6.
not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article; "it isn't fake anything; it's real synthetic fur"; "faux pearls"; "false teeth"; "decorated with imitation palm leaves"; "a purse of simulated alligator hide" [syn: fake]
7.
designed to deceive; "a suitcase with a false bottom"
8.
inaccurate in pitch; "a false (or sour) note"; "her singing was off key"
9.
adopted in order to deceive; "an assumed name"; "an assumed cheerfulness"; "a fictitious address"; "fictive sympathy"; "a pretended interest"; "a put-on childish voice"; "sham modesty" [syn: assumed]
10.
(used especially of persons) not dependable in devotion or affection; unfaithful; "a false friend"; "when lovers prove untrue"
adverb
1.
in a disloyal and faithless manner; "he behaved treacherously"; "his wife played him false" [syn: faithlessly]
Main Entry: false Pronunciation: 'fols Function: adjective Inflected Forms: fals·er; fals·est 1: not corresponding
to truth or reality <a test for syphilis which gave false results> 2: artificially made <a set of false teeth> 3: of a kind related
to or resembling another kind that is usually designated by the unqualified vernacular <false oats> —false·lyadverb —false·nessnoun
Main Entry: false Function: adjective 1: not genuine, authentic, or legitimate —compare COUNTERFEIT 2 a: not true or correct; especially: intentionally or knowingly untrue or incorrect <injured by false accusations>
b: intended to mislead or deceive :DECEPTIVE, MISLEADING —compare FRAUDULENT —false·lyadverb
—false·nessnoun
False Pass, AK (CDP, FIPS 24670) Location: 54.84103 N, 163.43685 W Population (1990): 68 (36 housing units) Area: 38.3 sq km (land), 6.3 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 99583
Croup\ (kr??p), n. [Scot. croup, cf. croup, crowp, to croak, to cry or speak with a hoarse voice; cf. also LG. kropp, G. kropf, the crop or craw of a bird, and tumor on the anterior part of the neck, a wen, etc. Cf. Crop.] (Med.) An inflammatory affection of the larynx or trachea, accompanied by a hoarse, ringing cough and stridulous, difficult breathing; esp., such an affection when associated with the development of a false membrane in the air passages (also called membranous croup). See False croup, under False, and Diphtheria.
Fab"ur*den\ (f[a^]b"[u^]r*den), n. [F. faux bourdon. See False, and Burden a verse.]1. (Mus.) (a) A species of counterpoint with a drone bass. (b) A succession of chords of the sixth. [Obs.] 2. A monotonous refrain. [Obs.] --Holland.
Fail\v. i. [imp. & p. p. Failed; p. pr. & vb. n. Failing.] [F. failir, fr. L. fallere, falsum, to deceive, akin to E. fall. See Fail, and cf. Fallacy, False, Fault.]1. To be wanting; to fall short; to be or become deficient in any measure or degree up to total absence; to cease to be furnished in the usual or expected manner, or to be altogether cut off from supply; to be lacking; as, streams fail; crops fail. As the waters fail from the sea. --Job xiv. 11. Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign. --Shak. 2. To be affected with want; to come short; to lack; to be deficient or unprovided; -- used with of. If ever they fail of beauty, this failure is not be attributed to their size. --Berke. 3. To fall away; to become diminished; to decline; to decay; to sink. When earnestly they seek Such proof, conclude they then begin to fail. --Milton. 4. To deteriorate in respect to vigor, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man fails. 5. To perish; to die; -- used of a person. [Obs.] Had the king in his last sickness failed. --Shak. 6. To be found wanting with respect to an action or a duty to be performed, a result to be secured, etc.; to miss; not to fulfill expectation. Take heed now that ye fail not to do this. --Ezra iv. 22. Either my eyesight fails, or thou look'st pale. --Shak. 7. To come short of a result or object aimed at or desired; to be baffled or frusrated. Our envious foe hath failed. --Milton. 8. To err in judgment; to be mistaken. Which ofttimes may succeed, so as perhaps Shall grieve him, if I fail not. --Milton. 9. To become unable to meet one's engagements; especially, to be unable to pay one's debts or discharge one's business obligation; to become bankrupt or insolvent.
False\, a. [Compar. Falser; superl. Falsest.] [L. falsus, p. p. of fallere to deceive; cf. OF. faus, fals, F. faux, and AS. fals fraud. See Fail, Fall.]1. Uttering falsehood; unveracious; given to deceit; dishnest; as, a false witness. 2. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous; perfidious; as, a false friend, lover, or subject; false to promises. I to myself was false, ere thou to me. --Milton. 3. Not according with truth or reality; not true; fitted or likely to deceive or disappoint; as, a false statement. 4. Not genuine or real; assumed or designed to deceive; counterfeit; hypocritical; as, false tears; false modesty; false colors; false jewelry. False face must hide what the false heart doth know. --Shak. 5. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous; as, a false claim; a false conclusion; a false construction in grammar. Whose false foundation waves have swept away. --Spenser. 6. Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental. 7. (Mus.) Not in tune. False arch (Arch.), a member having the appearance of an arch, though not of arch construction. False attic, an architectural erection above the main cornice, concealing a roof, but not having windows or inclosing rooms. False bearing, any bearing which is not directly upon a vertical support; thus, the weight carried by a corbel has a false bearing. False cadence, an imperfect or interrupted cadence. False conception (Med.), an abnormal conception in which a mole, or misshapen fleshy mass, is produced instead of a properly organized fetus. False croup (Med.), a spasmodic affection of the larynx attended with the symptoms of membranous croup, but unassociated with the deposit of a fibrinous membrane. Falsedoor or window (Arch.), the representation of a door or window, inserted to complete a series of doors or windows or to give symmetry. False fire, a combustible carried by vessels of war, chiefly for signaling, but sometimes burned for the purpose of deceiving an enemy; also, a light on shore for decoying a vessel to destruction. False galena. See Blende. False imprisonment (Law), the arrest and imprisonment of a person without warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or the unlawful detaining of a person in custody. False keel (Naut.), the timber below the main keel, used to serve both as a protection and to increase the shio's lateral resistance. False key, a picklock. False leg. (Zo["o]l.) See Proleg. False membrane (Med.), the fibrinous deposit formed in croup and diphtheria, and resembling in appearance an animal membrane. False papers (Naut.), documents carried by a ship giving false representations respecting her cargo, destination, ect., for the purpose of deceiving. False passage (Surg.), an unnatural passage leading off from a natural canal, such as the urethra, and produced usually by the unskillful introduction of instruments. False personation (Law), the intentional false assumption of the name and personality of another. False pretenses (Law), false representations concerning past or present facts and events, for the purpose of defrauding another. False rail (Naut.), a thin piece of timber placed on top of the head rail to strengthen it. False relation (Mus.), a progression in harmony, in which a certain note in a chord appears in the next chord prefixed by a flat or sharp. False return (Law), an untrue return made to a process by the officer to whom it was delivered for execution. False ribs (Anat.), the asternal rebs, of which there are five pairs in man. False roof (Arch.), the space between the upper ceiling and the roof. --Oxford Gloss. False token, a false mark or other symbol, used for fraudulent purposes. False scorpion (Zo["o]l.), any arachnid of the genus Chelifer. See Book scorpion. False tack (Naut.), a coming up into the wind and filling away again on the same tack. False vampire (Zo["o]l.), the Vampyrus spectrum of South America, formerly erroneously supposed to have blood-sucking habits; -- called also vampire, and ghost vampire. The genuine blood-sucking bats belong to the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. See Vampire. False window. (Arch.) See False door, above. False wing. (Zo["o]l.) See Alula, and Bastard wing, under Bastard. False works (Civil Engin.), construction works to facilitate the erection of the main work, as scaffolding, bridge centering, etc.
False\, a. [Compar. Falser; superl. Falsest.] [L. falsus, p. p. of fallere to deceive; cf. OF. faus, fals, F. faux, and AS. fals fraud. See Fail, Fall.]1. Uttering falsehood; unveracious; given to deceit; dishnest; as, a false witness. 2. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous; perfidious; as, a false friend, lover, or subject; false to promises. I to myself was false, ere thou to me. --Milton. 3. Not according with truth or reality; not true; fitted or likely to deceive or disappoint; as, a false statement. 4. Not genuine or real; assumed or designed to deceive; counterfeit; hypocritical; as, false tears; false modesty; false colors; false jewelry. False face must hide what the false heart doth know. --Shak. 5. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous; as, a false claim; a false conclusion; a false construction in grammar. Whose false foundation waves have swept away. --Spenser. 6. Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental. 7. (Mus.) Not in tune. False arch (Arch.), a member having the appearance of an arch, though not of arch construction. False attic, an architectural erection above the main cornice, concealing a roof, but not having windows or inclosing rooms. False bearing, any bearing which is not directly upon a vertical support; thus, the weight carried by a corbel has a false bearing. False cadence, an imperfect or interrupted cadence. False conception (Med.), an abnormal conception in which a mole, or misshapen fleshy mass, is produced instead of a properly organized fetus. False croup (Med.), a spasmodic affection of the larynx attended with the symptoms of membranous croup, but unassociated with the deposit of a fibrinous membrane. Falsedoor or window (Arch.), the representation of a door or window, inserted to complete a series of doors or windows or to give symmetry. False fire, a combustible carried by vessels of war, chiefly for signaling, but sometimes burned for the purpose of deceiving an enemy; also, a light on shore for decoying a vessel to destruction. False galena. See Blende. False imprisonment (Law), the arrest and imprisonment of a person without warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or the unlawful detaining of a person in custody. False keel (Naut.), the timber below the main keel, used to serve both as a protection and to increase the shio's lateral resistance. False key, a picklock. False leg. (Zo["o]l.) See Proleg. False membrane (Med.), the fibrinous deposit formed in croup and diphtheria, and resembling in appearance an animal membrane. False papers (Naut.), documents carried by a ship giving false representations respecting her cargo, destination, ect., for the purpose of deceiving. False passage (Surg.), an unnatural passage leading off from a natural canal, such as the urethra, and produced usually by the unskillful introduction of instruments. False personation (Law), the intentional false assumption of the name and personality of another. False pretenses (Law), false representations concerning past or present facts and events, for the purpose of defrauding another. False rail (Naut.), a thin piece of timber placed on top of the head rail to strengthen it. False relation (Mus.), a progression in harmony, in which a certain note in a chord appears in the next chord prefixed by a flat or sharp. False return (Law), an untrue return made to a process by the officer to whom it was delivered for execution. False ribs (Anat.), the asternal rebs, of which there are five pairs in man. False roof (Arch.), the space between the upper ceiling and the roof. --Oxford Gloss. False token, a false mark or other symbol, used for fraudulent purposes. False scorpion (Zo["o]l.), any arachnid of the genus Chelifer. See Book scorpion. False tack (Naut.), a coming up into the wind and filling away again on the same tack. False vampire (Zo["o]l.), the Vampyrus spectrum of South America, formerly erroneously supposed to have blood-sucking habits; -- called also vampire, and ghost vampire. The genuine blood-sucking bats belong to the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. See Vampire. False window. (Arch.) See False door, above. False wing. (Zo["o]l.) See Alula, and Bastard wing, under Bastard. False works (Civil Engin.), construction works to facilitate the erection of the main work, as scaffolding, bridge centering, etc.
False\, v. t. [L. falsare to falsify, fr. falsus: cf. F. fausser. See False, a.]1. To report falsely; to falsify. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 2. To betray; to falsify. [Obs.] [He] hath his truthe falsed in this wise. --Chaucer. 3. To mislead by want of truth; to deceive. [Obs.] In his falsed fancy. --Spenser. 4. To feign; to pretend to make. [Obs.] "And falsed oft his blows." --Spenser.
False\, v. t. [L. falsare to falsify, fr. falsus: cf. F. fausser. See False, a.]1. To report falsely; to falsify. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 2. To betray; to falsify. [Obs.] [He] hath his truthe falsed in this wise. --Chaucer. 3. To mislead by want of truth; to deceive. [Obs.] In his falsed fancy. --Spenser. 4. To feign; to pretend to make. [Obs.] "And falsed oft his blows." --Spenser.
Fal*set"to\, n.; pl. Falsettos. [It. falsetto, dim. fr. L. falsus. See False.] A false or artificial voice; that voice in a man which lies above his natural voice; the male counter tenor or alto voice. See Head voice, under Voice.
Fal"si*fy\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Falsified; p. pr. & vb. n. Falsifying.] [L. falsus false + -ly: cf. F. falsifier. See False, a.]1. To make false; to represent falsely. The Irish bards use to forge and falsify everything as they list, to please or displease any man. --Spenser. 2. To counterfeit; to forge; as, to falsify coin. 3. To prove to be false, or untrustworthy; to confute; to disprove; to nullify; to make to appear false. By how much better than my word I am, By so much shall I falsify men's hope. --Shak. Jews and Pagans united all their endeavors, under Julian the apostate, to baffie and falsify the prediction. --Addison. 4. To violate; to break by falsehood; as, to falsify one's faith or word. --Sir P. Sidney. 5. To baffle or escape; as, to falsify a blow. --Butler. 6. (Law) To avoid or defeat; to prove false, as a judgment. --Blackstone. 7. (Equity) To show, in accounting, (an inem of charge inserted in an account) to be wrong. --Story. Daniell. 8. To make false by multilation or addition; to tamper with; as, to falsify a record or document.
Fal"si*ty\, n.;pl. Falsities. [L. falsitas: cf. F. fausset['e], OF. also, falsit['e]. See False, a.]1. The quality of being false; coutrariety or want of conformity to truth. Probability does not make any alteration, either in the truth or falsity of things. --South. 2. That which is false; falsehood; a lie; a false assertion. Men often swallow falsities for truths. --Sir T. Brown. Syn: Falsehood; lie; deceit. Usage: Falsity, Falsehood, Lie. Falsity denotes the state or quality of being false. A falsehood is a false declaration designedly made. A lie is a gross, unblushing falsehood. The falsity of a person's assertion may be proved by the evidence of others and thus the charge of falsehood be fastened upon him.
Im*pris"on ment\, n. [OE. enprisonment; F. emprisonnement.] The act of imprisoning, or the state of being imprisoned; confinement; restraint. His sinews waxen weak and raw Through long imprisonment and hard constraint. --Spenser. Every confinement of the person is an imprisonment, whether it be in a common prison, or in a private house, or even by foreibly detaining one in the public streets. --Blackstone. False imprisonment. (Law) See under False. Syn: Incarceration; custody; confinement; durance; restraint.
Keel\, n. [Cf. AS. ce['o]l ship; akin to D. & G. kiel keel, OHG. chiol ship, Icel. kj[=o]ll, and perh. to Gr. gay^los a round-built Ph[oe]nician merchant vessel, gaylo`s bucket; cf. Skr. g[=o]la ball, round water vessel. But the meaning of the English word seems to come from Icel. kj["o]lr keel, akin to Sw. k["o]l, Dan. kj["o]l.]1. (Shipbuilding) A longitudinal timber, or series of timbers scarfed together, extending from stem to stern along the bottom of a vessel. It is the principal timber of the vessel, and, by means of the ribs attached on each side, supports the vessel's frame. In an iron vessel, a combination of plates supplies the place of the keel of a wooden ship. See Illust. of Keelson. 2. Fig.: The whole ship. 3. A barge or lighter, used on the Type for carrying coal from Newcastle; also, a barge load of coal, twenty-one tons, four cwt. [Eng.] 4. (Bot.) The two lowest petals of the corolla of a papilionaceous flower, united and inclosing the stamens and pistil; a carina. See Carina. 5. (Nat. Hist.) A projecting ridge along the middle of a flat or curved surface. Bilge keel (Naut.), a keel peculiar to ironclad vessels, extending only a portion of the length of the vessel under the bilges. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. False keel. See under False. Keel boat. (a) A covered freight boat, with a keel, but no sails, used on Western rivers. [U. S.] (b) A low, flat-bottomed freight boat. See Keel, n., 3. Keel piece, one of the timbers or sections of which a keel is composed. On even keel, in a level or horizontal position, so that the draught of water at the stern and the bow is the same. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Scor"pi*on\, n. [F., fr. L. scorpio, scorpius, Gr. ?, perhaps akin to E. sharp.]1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of pulmonate arachnids of the order Scorpiones, having a suctorial mouth, large claw-bearing palpi, and a caudal sting. Note: Scorpions have a flattened body, and a long, slender post-abdomen formed of six movable segments, the last of which terminates in a curved venomous sting. The venom causes great pain, but is unattended either with redness or swelling, except in the axillary or inguinal glands, when an extremity is affected. It is seldom if ever destructive of life. Scorpions are found widely dispersed in the warm climates of both the Old and New Worlds. 2. (Zo["o]l.) The pine or gray lizard (Sceloporus undulatus). [Local, U. S.] 3. (Zo["o]l.) The scorpene. 4. (Script.) A painful scourge. My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. --1 Kings xii. 11. 5. (Astron.) A sign and constellation. See Scorpio. 6. (Antiq.) An ancient military engine for hurling stones and other missiles. Book scorpion. (Zo["o]l.) See under Book. False scorpion. (Zo["o]l.) See under False, and Book scorpion. Scorpion bug, or Water scorpion (Zo["o]l.) See Nepa. Scorpion fly (Zo["o]l.), a neuropterous insect of the genus Panorpa. See Panorpid. Scorpion grass (Bot.), a plant of the genus Myosotis. M. palustris is the forget-me-not. Scorpion senna (Bot.), a yellow-flowered leguminous shrub (Coronilla Emerus) having a slender joined pod, like a scorpion's tail. The leaves are said to yield a dye like indigo, and to be used sometimes to adulterate senna. Scorpion shell (Zo["o]l.), any shell of the genus Pteroceras. See Pteroceras. Scorpion spiders. (Zo["o]l.), any one of the Pedipalpi. Scorpion's tail (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus Scorpiurus, herbs with a circinately coiled pod; -- also called caterpillar. Scorpion's thorn (Bot.), a thorny leguminous plant (Genista Scorpius) of Southern Europe. The Scorpion's Heart (Astron.), the star Antares in the constellation Scorpio.
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Audio Help [fawls] Pronunciation Key adjective, fals·er, fals·est, adverb 
