📖 F — The English dictionary · page 12

fen — Everyday, meaning 1: A fen is low, flat, wet land, like a marsh, often with reeds and peat.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The Fens are a large flat area of eastern England, much of it drained for farming.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (Mandarin, pinyin) fēn is a Chinese money unit (one hundredth of a yuan) and a word for «minute» or «points»; it is not an English word in that sense.↗ Example: The fen was full of reeds and birds.↗ · Much of the Fens was drained to grow crops.↗ · Mist rose over the fen at dawn.↗ · Peat forms in a fen over thousands of years.↗ · Ely Cathedral stands like a ship above the Fens.↗ · (Mandarin, pinyin) In China, ten fen make one jiao.↗ · Over woodland and heath, flood and fen, they flew on, till they reached the wild moor, over which they hovered in broad circles.↗ · He lieth under the lotus-trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.↗ (Writings JOB.40.21, JPS 1917)↗

fence — Everyday, meaning 1: A fence is a wall of wood, metal or wire around a garden or field.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To fence something in is to put a fence around it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Fencing is a sport of fighting with long thin swords.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A fence can also be a strong defence or protection against harm.↗ Example: 3 birds were sitting on the fence.↗ · He built a fence 40 feet long.↗ · The fence has 12 posts.↗ · How many more birds than storks are on the fence?↗ · The cat jumped over the fence.↗ · How much fence goes round a field 10 metres by 5 metres?↗ · Dad painted the fence green.↗ · Don't climb the fence; it is not safe.↗ · "Ho, thou firm fence of mine, be thou divided!↗ · Then the angel of the LORD stood in a hollow way between the vineyards, a fence being on this side, and a fence on that side.↗ (Torah NUM.22.24, JPS 1917)↗ · Thou hast broken down all his fences; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.↗ (Writings PSA.89.41, JPS 1917)↗ · He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and hath set darkness in my paths.↗ (Writings JOB.19.8, JPS 1917)↗ · Why hast Thou broken down her fences, so that all they that pass by the way do pluck her?↗ (Writings PSA.80.13, JPS 1917)↗

fend — Everyday, meaning 1: To fend for yourself is to look after yourself without help.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To fend off someone or something is to push it away or defend yourself against it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (rugby) A fend or hand-off is pushing away a tackler with your arm.↗ Example: Baby turtles must fend for themselves from the start.↗ · When Mum was ill, we had to fend for ourselves at dinner time.↗ · The knight fended off the dragon with his shield.↗ · She fended off the reporters' questions.↗ · The goalkeeper fended off a hard shot.↗ · Fox cubs learn to fend for themselves by autumn.↗ · The following morning, instead of one, three cows stood on the island, and they all ate seaweed and fended for themselves like the first one.↗

ferment — Everyday, meaning 1: (science) To ferment means to change chemically because of yeast or bacteria, which break down sugar and make gas, acid or alcohol.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To ferment trouble means to cause it or stir it up (more often «foment»).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun, formal) A ferment is a state of excitement, unrest or trouble in a group of people.↗ Example: Yeast makes the dough ferment and rise.↗ · Milk ferments into yoghurt.↗ · Cabbage is fermented to make sauerkraut.↗ · The grape juice fermented in big barrels.↗ · We watched a balloon fill with gas from fermenting sugar water.↗ · The city was in a ferment after the news.↗ · Kimchi is fermented cabbage from Korea.↗ · For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins.↗ (Writings PSA.73.21, JPS 1917)↗

fermentation — Everyday, meaning 1: Fermentation is a natural change in which tiny living things like yeast or bacteria break down sugars, often making gas, acid or alcohol.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It is how bread rises, how yoghurt, cheese, sauerkraut and kimchi are made, and how wine and beer are made.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (figurative, formal) Fermentation can mean excitement or unrest among people.↗ Example: Yeast fermentation makes bread dough rise.↗ · We watched fermentation blow up a balloon on a bottle.↗ · Yoghurt is made by fermentation of milk.↗ · Kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish from Korea.↗ · Fermentation gives off carbon dioxide gas.↗ · Warmth speeds up fermentation.↗

fermenting — Everyday, meaning 1: Fermenting is when tiny living things such as yeast or bacteria slowly change sugar into gas, acids or alcohol, as when bread dough rises or milk becomes yogurt.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Fermenting food is food that is going through this change on purpose, like sauerkraut or kimchi.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Something fermenting can be trouble or anger slowly building up in a group of people.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Worries or thoughts can also ferment in your mind, slowly growing stronger until you cannot ignore them.↗ Example: The yeast is fermenting the sugar and making bubbles.↗ · Fermenting cabbage turns into sauerkraut.↗ · The dough rose because the yeast was fermenting.↗ · Old fruit left in the sun starts fermenting and smells sour.↗ · Yogurt is made by bacteria fermenting milk.↗ · We watched a balloon fill with gas from fermenting yeast.↗ · Anger was fermenting in the crowd.↗ · Fermenting foods have a sharp, sour taste.↗ · Anne Lisbeth walked on thus with her senses half asleep, but the thoughts were fermenting within her.↗

fern — Everyday, meaning 1: A fern is a green plant with no flowers and long feathery leaves called fronds.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Ferns make new plants from tiny spores, not seeds; the spores grow in brown dots under the fronds.↗ Example: Ferns grow in the shady part of the wood.↗ · A fern has no flowers and no seeds.↗ · The brown dots under the leaf are spores.↗ · Dinosaurs walked among giant ferns.↗ · The All Blacks have a silver fern on their shirts.↗ · A baby fern frond is curled up like a snail shell.↗ · She did not seem at all inclined to part with the fern stems.↗

ferocious — Everyday, meaning 1: Ferocious means fierce, wild and dangerous: a ferocious dog.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A ferocious look is angry and frightening.↗ Example: The wolf had ferocious teeth.↗ · Despite his ferocious looks, he was gentle.↗ · The ferocious animals were locked below deck.↗

ferocity — Everyday, meaning 1: Ferocity is fierce, wild anger or savage force.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In tales, it is the wild, dangerous power of a monster or beast.↗ Example: The beast attacked with great ferocity.↗ · His face showed only redness and ferocity.↗ · The ferocity of the fight frightened the villagers.↗

ferret — Everyday, meaning 1: A small, long, thin furry animal related to the weasel, kept as a pet or once used to chase rabbits out of their holes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To ferret around or about is to search busily for something.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To ferret out is to find something out by careful searching.↗ Example: Our neighbour has two pet ferrets.↗ · The ferret squeezed into the rabbit hole.↗ · Ferrets sleep for many hours a day.↗ · She ferreted around in her bag for her keys.↗ · The detective ferreted out the truth.↗ · A baby ferret is called a kit.↗ · Let a woman alone, in the meantime, for ferreting or wheedling a secret out of her good man, when she wishes.↗ · But wild-cats shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of ferrets; and ostriches shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.↗ (Prophets ISA.13.21, JPS 1917)↗

ferrous — Everyday, meaning 1: (science) Containing iron: «ferrous metals».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (chemistry) Relating to iron in a certain chemical form.↗ Example: Steel is a ferrous metal.↗ · Ferrous metals can rust.↗ · A magnet picks up ferrous scrap.↗ · Aluminium cans are non-ferrous.↗ · Sort the metals into ferrous and non-ferrous.↗ · Ferrous sulphate is used in some iron tablets.↗

ferry — Everyday, meaning 1: A ferry is a boat or ship that carries people, cars and goods across a river, lake or sea, again and again on a set route.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To ferry is to carry people or things from one place to another, often many times.↗ Example: A ferry carries 40 cars each trip.↗ · It makes 6 trips a day.↗ · How many trips for 150 people?↗ · The ferry ticket costs $5.↗ · We took the ferry across Sydney Harbour.↗ · The ferry to the island leaves every hour.↗ · Mum ferried us to football and back all weekend.↗ · The car drove onto the ferry.↗ · So Ib went in the ferry-boat from Aarhus to Copenhagen.↗

ferryboat — Everyday, meaning 1: A ferryboat is a boat that carries people, cars or goods across a river or sea and back again.↗ Example: We crossed the river on the ferryboat.↗ · He sprang into the ferryboat.↗ · The ferryboat carried twenty people at a time.↗ · And the ferryboat passed to and fro to bring over the king's household, and to do what he thought good.↗ (Prophets 2SA.19.19, JPS 1917)↗

ferryman — Everyday, meaning 1: A ferryman is a person whose job is to row or steer a boat that carries people across a river or lake.↗ Example: The old ferryman asked: 'Are you going far, my friend?'↗ · The ferryman did not get in but pushed the boat off.↗ · The ferryman has rowed to and fro for thirty years.↗

fertile — Everyday, meaning 1: Fertile land or soil is good for growing plants and crops.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A fertile animal or person can have babies; a fertile seed or egg can grow.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A fertile imagination or mind has lots of new ideas.↗ Example: The river leaves fertile soil on the fields.↗ · Farmers grow lots of wheat on fertile land.↗ · Volcanic soil is very fertile.↗ · Only fertile eggs can hatch into chicks.↗ · She has a fertile imagination and writes great stories.↗ · Deserts are not fertile because of little water.↗ · They soon came to a magnificent marble palace, which was situated in a charming and fertile valley.↗

fertilisation — Everyday, meaning 1: Fertilisation is when a male cell and a female cell join to start a new living thing, such as pollen joining an egg cell in a flower to make a seed.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Fertilisation is also putting fertiliser on soil to help plants grow.↗ Example: After pollination, fertilisation happens inside the flower.↗ · Fertilisation makes the flower's ovule grow into a seed.↗ · In frogs, fertilisation happens in the water.↗ · Draw the life cycle: germination, growth, pollination, fertilisation.↗ · Too much fertilisation of fields can pollute rivers.↗ · Bees help with pollination, which leads to fertilisation.↗

fertilise — Everyday, meaning 1: To fertilise soil is to add manure, compost or chemicals so that plants grow better.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In living things, to fertilise an egg is when a male cell (sperm or pollen) joins a female egg cell so a new animal or plant can start to grow.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal, rare) To make something richer or more productive, like ideas.↗ Example: Dad fertilises the vegetable patch with compost every spring.↗ · Bees help to fertilise apple blossom by carrying pollen.↗ · A hen's egg from the shop is usually not fertilised, so no chick will hatch.↗ · Farmers fertilise their fields before planting wheat.↗ · In our science book, the fish eggs were fertilised in the river.↗ · Don't fertilise the tomatoes too much or the leaves will burn.↗ · Once the flower is fertilised, it starts to grow a fruit.↗

fertiliser — Everyday, meaning 1: A substance added to soil to help plants grow, such as manure, compost or chemical pellets.↗ Example: The farmer spread fertiliser on the field.↗ · Compost is a natural fertiliser.↗ · Our tomato plant grew bigger with fertiliser.↗ · Too much fertiliser can pollute rivers.↗ · Wash your hands after touching fertiliser.↗ · Manure is used as fertiliser.↗

fertility — Everyday, meaning 1: Fertility is how well soil or land can grow plants and crops.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Fertility is a living thing's ability to have babies or young.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Fertility of mind means being full of ideas.↗ Example: The Nile floods brought fertility to the fields.↗ · Farmers add compost to improve soil fertility.↗ · Volcanic soil is famous for its fertility.↗ · The zoo studies the fertility of its rare tigers.↗ · Some couples have help from fertility doctors to have a baby.↗ · Ancient people prayed to gods for the fertility of their crops.↗ · The Sphinx was an ancient Egyptian divinity, who personified wisdom, and the fertility of nature.↗ · They are referred to Life, Peace, Wisdom, Riches, Grace, Fertility and Power.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · Daleth, predominant in fertility, crowned, combined, and formed the Sun in the Universe, the third day of the week, and the right nostril in man.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · He produced Daleth, and referred it to Fertility; He crowned it, combined and formed with it the Sun in the Universe, the third day of the week, and the right nostril of man.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

fertilizer — Everyday, meaning 1: Fertilizer is a substance added to soil to give plants the food (nutrients) they need to grow better.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It can be natural, like manure and compost, or made in factories.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Someone or something that helps things grow and multiply, such as a god in ancient stories.↗ Example: We added fertilizer to half the bean plants for our test.↗ · Manure is a natural fertilizer.↗ · Too much fertilizer can wash into rivers and harm fish.↗ · The tomatoes grew bigger with fertilizer.↗ · Wash your hands after touching fertilizer.↗ · Farmers spread fertilizer in spring.↗ · Faunus is frequently called Inuus or the fertilizer, and Lupercus or the one who wards off wolves.↗

fervently — Everyday, meaning 1: In a fervent way: with great feeling and deep belief.↗ Example: Let us pray for that, said Finegas fervently.↗ · They knelt and prayed fervently to God.↗ · The youth prayed so fervently that he did not hear the king call.↗