François de Salignac de la Mothe Fénelon
Fénelon, François de Salignac de la Mothe (1652–1715), French theologian, archbishop of Cambrai from 1695.
21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Federalist, The to Forensic science
Fès
Fès See: Fez.
Federal Land Bank
Federal Land Bank See: Farm Credit System.
Federal Maritime Commission
Federal Maritime Commission, independent U.S. government agency, composed of 5 presidential appointees, that regulates the nation's shipping laws.
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), independent U.S. government agency whose function is to protect the public interest by mediating those labor-management disputes that affect interstate commerce.
Federal National Mortgage Association
Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), or “Fannie Mae,” government-chartered corporation that acts as a secondary mortgage market for banks.
Federal Reserve Bank
Federal Reserve Bank See: Federal Reserve System.
Federal Reserve System
Federal Reserve System, central U.S. banking authority. In 1913 Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act, dividing the country into 12 districts, each with a Federal Reserve Bank. A 7-member Board of Governors (Federal Reserve Board) in Washington, D.C., coordinates these banks, which constitute a central banking system, handling the government's transactions, coordinating and controlling co…
Federal system
Federal system See: Federalism.
Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission (FTC), U.S. agency established (1914) to prevent unfair business practices, particularly monopolies, and to maintain a competitive economy.
The Federalist
Federalist, The, series of papers on the proposed new U.S.
Federalist Party
Federalist Party, early U.S. political party, in power from 1797 to 1801.The Federalists, under the leadership of President George Washington's secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton, advocated a strong central government, one whose power could be increased through liberal interpretations of the Constitution.
Lyonel Feininger
Feininger, Lyonel (1871–1956), U.S. artist.
Feisal
Feisal See: Faisal.
Robert Feke
Feke, Robert (17077–52?), New York-born painter.
Feldspar
Feldspar, abundant mineral consisting of potassium-, sodium-, and calcium-aluminum silicates.
Bob Feller
Feller, Bob (Robert William Andrew Feller; 1919– ), U.S. baseball star, pitcher with the Cleveland Indians (1936–56).
Federico Fellini
Fellini, Federico (1920–93), Italian film director.
Felony
Felony, criminal offense more serious than a misdemeanor; the distinction between the two is generally the severity of the prescribed penalty.
Feminism
Feminism, 19th- and 20th-century movement for women's political, economic, and social equality with men.
Fencing
Fencing, sport of combat using a blunted sword (foil, epee, or saber), descended from the duel.
Fenian movement
Fenian movement, movement for Irish independence from Great Britain in the mid- to late 1800s.
Fennec
Fennec (Fennecus zerda), small desert fox with long ears.
Fennel
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), perennial herb of the parsley family native to southern Europe and cultivated widely for its licorice-flavored foliage and seeds.
Fer-de-lance
Fer-de-lance (Bothrops atrox), large, poisonous snake of the viper family, found on the eastern coast of South America and on some West Indian islands.
Edna Ferber
Ferber, Edna (1887–1968), U.S. author, noted for her novels about 19th-century life, including So Big (1924), for which she won a 1925 Pulitzer Prize, Show Boat (1926), Cimarron (1930), and Giant (1952).
Ferdinand
Ferdinand, name of 3 Holy Roman Emperors.
Ferdinand
Ferdinand, Spanish kings.
Archduke Ferdinand
Ferdinand, Archduke See: World War I.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence (1919– ), U.S. poet who was at the center of the “beat generation” writers of the 1950s.
Pierre de Fermat
Fermat, Pierre de (1601–65), French mathematician, founder of modern number and probability theories.
Fermentation
Fermentation, chemical reaction that involves degradation of a carbohydrate (organic) material without the presence of oxygen.
Enrico Fermi
Fermi, Enrico (1901–54), Italian atomic physicist who won the 1938 Nobel Prize for physics for his experiments with radioactivity.
Fermium
Fermium, chemical element, symbol Fm; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Fern
Fern, green, nonflowering plant of the class Filicineae having creeping or erect rhizomes (rootstocks) or an erect aerial stem and large conspicuous leaves.
Geraldine Anne Ferraro
Ferraro, Geraldine Anne (1935– ), U.S. politician.
Ferret
Ferret, small mammal of the weasel family.
Ferrous sulfate
Ferrous sulfate (FeSO4), iron salt of sulfuric acid consisting of light-green crystals that turn dark when exposed to air.
Jules François Camille Ferry
Ferry, Jules François Camille (1832–93), French statesman.
Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent, historic area in the Middle East, birthplace of the Sumerian, Phoenician, and Hebrew civilizations.
Fertilization
Fertilization, in biology, union of 2 unlike gametes (sex cells: female egg and male sperm) in the sexual reproductive process, involving fusion of the 2 nuclei that combines hereditary traits of both parents to produce new individuals.
Fertilizer
Fertilizer, material added to soil to provide essential plant nutrients.
Fescue
Fescue, tufted perennial grass (genus Festuca) common in meadows of temperate zones, used for pasture and hay crops.
Festival of Lights
Festival of Lights See: Hanukkah.
Fetish
Fetish, inanimate object, such as a stone or a tree, worshipped for its magical powers.
Fetus
Fetus, unborn or unhatched vertebrate whose basis structural plan is in place; in humans, the period from 3 months' gestation to birth.
Feudalism
Feudalism, system of social, economic, and political relationships that shaped society in medieval Europe. It originated in the 9th century and flourished from the 10th to the 13th centuries. The system rested on the obedience and service of a vassal to his lord in return for protection, maintenance, and, most particularly, a tenancy of land (a fief). The duty owed by a vassal included military se…
Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach
Feuerbach, Ludwig Andreas (1804–72), German philosopher.
Fever
Fever, rise of body temperature above normal (98.6°/37°C), but varying from 97° to 99°F (36° to 37.2°C).
Feverfew
Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium), small hardy plant with daisylike flowers, once thought to cure fever.
Richard Phillips Feynman
Feynman, Richard Phillips (1918–88), U.S. physicist.
Fez
Fez, traditional Turkish headgear first made in Fez, Morocco.
FHA
FHA See: Federal Housing Administration.
Fiber
Fiber, thin thread that may be spun into yarn.
Fiber optics
Fiber optics, branch of physics based on the transmission of light pulses along hair- thin glass fibers.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass, flexible fibers made of glass.
Leonardo Fibonacci
Fibonacci, Leonardo (Leonardo Pisano; 1189?–1250), Italian mathematician whose Liber Abaci (1202) was the first European account of Indian and Arabian mathematics.
Fibrin
Fibrin, insoluble fibrous protein that enables the blood to clot.
Johann Gottlieb Fichte
Fichte, Johann Gottlieb (1762–1814), German philosopher and metaphysician.
Fiction
Fiction, division of literature consisting of narrative prose works with invented characters and incidents.
Fiddler crab
Fiddler crab, small tropical crab (genus Uca) that burrows in mud.
Leslie A(aron) Fiedler
Fiedler, Leslie A(aron) (1917– ), U.S. social historian and literary critic, noted for An End to Innocence: Essays on Culture and Politics (1955), The Jew in the American Novel (1959), Being Busted (1969), and Collected Essays (1971).
Field
Field, U.S. family prominent in merchandising, publishing, and philanthropy.
Field
Field, U.S. family prominent in law and industry in the 19th century.
Field glasses
Field glasses See: Binoculars.
Field hockey
Field hockey, team game played with a stick and a leather ball.
Field-ion microscope
Field-ion microscope See: Ion microscope.
Field Museum of Natural History
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago museum housing one of the largest and best-known natural history collections in the world.
Henry Fielding
Fielding, Henry (1707–54), English novelist and dramatist.
W.C. Fields
Fields, W.C. (William Claude Dukenfield; 1880–1946), U.S. comedian and actor who often played a cantankerous, drunken, witty misogynist and child-hater.
Fifth Column
Fifth Column, term describing agents working within a country for the overthrow of the government, through their activities of spying, sabotage, and distributing propaganda.
Fifty-Four Forty or Fight
Fifty-Four Forty or Fight, slogan used by U.S. extremists in the controversy with Great Britain over the Oregon country.
Fig
Fig, any of over 600 species of shrubs, trees, and vines (genus Ficus) of the mulberry family, particularly the common fig (F. carica) native to the Mediterranean.
Fightingfish
Fightingfish, small, brilliantly colored, long-finned freshwater fish (genus Betta) of southeastern Asia.
Figure skating
Figure skating See: Ice skating.
Figwort family
Figwort family, or Scrophulariaceae, group of about 3,000 species of plants growing mainly in temperate regions.
Fiji
Fiji, or Viti, independent republic in the southwest Pacific Ocean, comprising about 320 islands (about 105 inhabited) and about 7,095 sq mi (18,376 sq km).
Filaria
Filaria, parasitic roundworm (class Nematoda) that can live in the bodies of human beings or animals.
Filbert
Filbert, any of various trees and shrubs of (genus Corylus) belonging to the birch family.
Filibuster
Filibuster, practice of prolonging debate to prevent the adoption of a measure or procedure, especially in the U.S.
Filipinos
Filipinos See: Philippines.
Millard Fillmore
Fillmore, Millard (1800–74), 13th president of the United States. Fillmore served only 2 years in office, stepping into the executive post from the vice presidency after the death of President Zachary Taylor. As president, Fillmore preferred to take the role of moderator in the fierce debates raging throughout the country and the Congress in the turbulent pre-Civil War years. At age 15 Fill…
Film
Film See: Motion pictures; Photography.
Finance
Finance See: Banking; Budget; Economics; Money.
Finch
Finch, songbird of the family Frangillidae, typified by stout, conical bills adapted for opening seeds.
Fine arts
Fine arts, art, such as painting, sculpture, architecture, music, literature, and theater, created with an esthetic goal rather than with functional application.
Commission of Fine Arts
Fine Arts, Commission of, independent U.S. agency that makes recommendations to the federal government and the District of Columbia on questions of architecture, art, and design.
Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes, 11 narrow, glacially formed lakes in west central New York.
Fingerprint
Fingerprint, impression of the underside tip of the finger or thumb, which has patterns of ridges unique to each person, used as a means of identification since ancient times.
Mike Fink
Fink, Mike (1770?–1823), U.S. frontiersman and folk hero.
Finland
Finland (Finnish: Suomi; Republic of), independent republic of northern Europe, east of the Scandinavian peninsula. This “land of thousands of lakes” is bounded by 2 arms of the Baltic Sea in the southwest and south, Russia in the east, and Norway and Sweden in the north and northwest. About one-fourth of Finland lies inside the Arctic Circle, and about one-tenth consists of inland w…
Carlos Juan Finlay
Finlay, Carlos Juan (1833–1915), Cuban physician who first proposed (1881) that yellow fever is transmitted by the mosquito.
Finnish
Finnish, most important of the Finno-Urgic languages, spoken by around 5 million people in Finland.
Finns
Finns See: Finland.
Fiord
Fiord, or fjord, coastal inlet characterized by sheer parallel walls.
Fir
Fir, common name for various evergreen members of the pine family, including 9 true firs (genus Abies) native to the United States.
(Arthur Annesley) Ronald Firbank
Firbank, (Arthur Annesley) Ronald (1886–1926), English novelist known for his eccentric, innovative style and his verbal wit.
Firdausi
Firdausi (Abul Qasim Mansur; 940?–1020?), Persian epic poet, author of the Shah Namah (Book of Kings), Persia's first great literary work.
Fire
Fire See: Combustion.
Fire ant
Fire ant, omnivorous ant (genus Solenopsis), primarily of the tropics, that inflicts an extremely painful sting.
Fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher, portable appliance for putting out small fires.
Firearm
Firearm, weapon from which a missile, as a bullet, is projected by firing explosive charges.
Firecracker flower
Firecracker flower (Dichelostemma idamaia), perennial plant belonging to the amaryllis family and native to California.
Firedamp
Firedamp See: Damp.
Firefly
Firefly, any of various soft-bodied, carnivorous, nocturnal beetles of the family Lampyridae that produce an intermittent greenish light in their abdominal organs.
Harvey Samuel Firestone
Firestone, Harvey Samuel (1868–1938), U.S. industrialist, founder of one of the largest rubber companies in the world, the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company.
Fireweed
Fireweed, or willow herb (Epilobium angustifolium), tall perennial plant of temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Fireworks
Fireworks, combustible or explosive preparations used for entertainment, probably first devised in ancient China to frighten off devils.
First aid
First aid, treatment that can be given by minimally trained people for accident, injury, and sudden illness, until more skilled persons arrive or the patient is transferred to a hospital. Recognition of the injury or the nature of the illness and its gravity are crucial first measures, along with prevention of further injury to the patient or helpers. Clues such as medical bracelets or cards, evid…
First Continental Congress
First Continental Congress See: Continental Congress.
Firth
Firth, arm of the sea or the opening of a river into the sea.
Firth of Clyde
Firth of Clyde, bay-like mouth of the River Clyde in southwest Scotland 50 mi (80 km) long and 30 mi (50 km) wide.
Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth, broad mouth of the River Forth on Scotland's east coast.
Bobby Fischer
Fischer, Bobby (Robert James Fisher; 1943– ), U.S. chess player, In 1958, he became the youngest player to attain the rank of international grand master.
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich (1925– ), German baritone.
Fish
Fish, cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate that breathes by means of gills. Typically, a fish's body is streamlined and covered by a layer of scales. Fish swim by means of fins, especially a vertical tail fin. All fish possess a 2-chambered heart. Fish are found wherever there is natural water, unless it is poisoned. Some fish, such as the African lungfish, spend some time out of water, breathin…
Hamilton Fish
Fish, Hamilton (1808–93), U.S. statesman.
Fish hawk
Fish hawk See: Osprey.
Fish and Wildlife Service
Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. federal agency within the Department of the Interior, created in 1956, concerned with conservation and development of fish and wildlife resources, wilderness areas, and river basins.
Fisher
Fisher See: Marten.
Saint John Fisher
Fisher, Saint John (1469–1535), English cardinal.
Age of Fishes
Fishes, Age of See: Devonian Period.
Fishing
Fishing, form of recreation that is probably the world's most popular participant sport; it is also one of the oldest. People fished for food in prehistoric times, probably first by using the “tickling” method of catching fish by hand, which is still very popular in the Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. Today there are millions of people who fish for pleasure or in …
Fishing industry
Fishing industry, worldwide economic activity that includes the production, marketing, and conservation of fish, shellfish, and related products, such as seaweeds.
James Fisk
Fisk, James (1834–72), U.S. financial speculator, notorious for stock manipulation.
Minnie Maddern Fiske
Fiske, Minnie Maddern (Marie Augusta Davey; 1865–1932), U.S. actress known for her performances of the modern realistic dramas of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.
Fission
Fission, nuclear reaction in which the atom is split into 2 approximately equal masses.
John Fitch
Fitch, John (1743–98), U.S. inventor and engineer.
(William) Clyde Fitch
Fitch, (William) Clyde (1865–1909), U.S. playwright known for his social satires and character studies.
Edward FitzGerald
FitzGerald, Edward (1809–83), English poet and scholar, translator of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat.
Ella Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald, Ella (1918–96), U.S. jazz singer.
F(rancis) Scott (Key) Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald, F(rancis) Scott (Key) (1896–1940), U.S. novelist and short-story writer.
Five Books of Moses
Five Books of Moses See: Pentateuch.
Five Civilized Tribes
Five Civilized Tribes, alliance of 5 Native American tribes—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Chocktaw, Creek, and Seminole—forced to leave their lands east of the Mississippi and resettle in the Indian Territory (Oklahoma) under the Removal Act of 1830.
Fjord
Fjord See: Fiord.
Flag
Flag, piece of cloth or other material, usually rectangular, bearing a distinctive design and displayed as a symbol or signal.
Kirsten Flagstad
Flagstad, Kirsten (1895–1962), Norwegian singer, one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff (pop. 34,743), city in northern Arizona near the San Francisco Mountains.
Robert Joseph Flaherty
Flaherty, Robert Joseph (1884–1951), U.S. pioneer documentary filmmaker.
Flamenco
Flamenco, folk music of Andalusia in southern Spain.
Flamingo
Flamingo, several species of colorful water birds of the family Phoenicopteridae, related to herons.
Edward Joseph Flanagan
Flanagan, Edward Joseph (1886–1948), Irish-born U.S.
Flanders
Flanders, medieval county on the coast of northwestern Europe, largely corresponding to northern Belgium, with smaller portions in the Netherlands and France.
Flanders Fields
Flanders Fields, U.S. military cemetery in Belgium.
Flatboat
Flatboat, bargelike craft used in the westward movement of the United States in the 1800s.
Flatfish
Flatfish, any of an order (Hetero somata) of plate-shaped fish with both eyes on one side of the head.
Flatheads
Flatheads, Native American tribe of the Salish linguistic family inhabiting western Montana.
Flatworm
Flatworm, major group of simple animals that includes the parasitic flukes and tapeworms and the free-living flatworms.
Gustave Flaubert
Flaubert, Gustave (1821–80), French novelist.
Flax
Flax (genus Linum, especially L. usitatissimum), plant of temperate and subtropical areas grown for its fiber, which is spun into linen, and for linseed oil.
Flea
Flea, wingless insect (order Siphonaptera) with legs developed for jumping and a laterally compressed body.
Fleabane
Fleabane, any of 200 species of an aster-like flowering plant (genus Erigeron) that grows in temperate climates around the world.
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison, historic London jail in use from the 1100s, when it was the king's jail, until the 1800s, when it was torn down.
Fleming
Fleming, resident of Flanders (northern Belgium). Flemings, who make up about 55% of Belgium's population, are descended from the Franks and speak Dutch. The French-speaking Walloons, who live in Wallonia (southern Belgium), are descended from the area's original inhabitants, the Celts. When the Franks invaded what is now Belgium during the 3rd and 4th centuries, they pushed t…
Ian Lancaster Fleming
Fleming, Ian Lancaster (1908–64), British author and creator of the James Bond series of spy thrillers.
Sir Alexander Fleming
Fleming, Sir Alexander (1881–1955), British bacteriologist, discoverer of lysozyme (1922) and penicillin (1928).
Sir Sandford Fleming
Fleming, Sir Sandford (1827–1915), Canadian civil engineer and builder of that country's Intercolonial Railway.
Flemish
Flemish, form of Dutch traditionally spoken in North Belgium.
Flesh-eating animal
Flesh-eating animal See: Carnivore.
John Fletcher
Fletcher, John (1579–1625), English author of plays.
Fletcher v. Peck
Fletcher v.
Flicker
Flicker (Colaptes auratus), woodpecker of North America, known for its colorful plumage and loud calls.
Flickertail state
Flickertail state See: North Dakota.
Flint
Flint, or chert, sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline quartz and chalcedony.
Flood
Flood, flow of water from a river, lake, or ocean over normally dry land.
Flora
Flora, term used to refer to the plant life of a region or a particular time.
Florence
Florence (Italian: Firenze; pop. 397,400), historic city of central Italy, capital of Firenze province, on the Arno River at the foot of the Apennines.
Flores Island
Flores Island, westernmost island of the Portuguese Azores, in the North Atlantic.
Howard Walter Florey
Florey, Howard Walter (1898–1968), Baron Florey of Adelaide, Australian-born British pathologist.
Floriculture
Floriculture, cultivation of flowers and ornamental plants for commercial business.
Florida
Florida, southeasternmost state of the United States, on a peninsula that separates the Gulf Of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean, bordered to the north by Georgia and Alabama. The Florida panhandle extends to the west along the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico. The Florida uplands run down from the northwest into the center of the state. They are characterized in the south by rolling hills studd…
Florida Keys
Florida Keys, chain of about 20 small coral islands off southern Florida.
Strait of Florida
Florida, Strait of, or Florida Strait, channel between the Florida Keys and the northern coast of Cuba.
Florin
Florin, solid-gold coin introduced in Florence, Italy, in 1252 and made until the early 1500s.
Flotation
Flotation, industrial process used to separate valuable mineral compounds from low-grade ores.
jetsam Flotsam and lagan
Flotsam, jetsam, and lagan, terms in maritime law relating to goods lost at sea.
Flounder
Flounder, any of a group of edible saltwater flatfish (families Pleuronectidae and Bothidae) of the Pacific and Atlantic.
Flour
Flour, fine powder ground from the grains or starchy portions of wheat, rye, corn, rice, potatoes, bananas, or beans.
Flour beetle
Flour beetle (Tribolium confusum), small (1/7 in/4 mm long), dark-red beetle that feeds on dried foods, flour, and other grain products.
Flower
Flower, part of a plant that is concerned with reproduction. Each flower is borne on a stalk or pedicel, the tip of which is expanded to form a receptacle that bears the floral organs. The sepals are the first of these organs and are normally green and leaflike. Above the sepals there is a ring of petals, which are normally colored and vary greatly in shape. The ring of sepals is termed the calyx,…
Flowering maple
Flowering maple, or Chinese bell flower, name for a number of trees and shrubs of the mallow family, and not, in fact, maples.
Flowering tobacco
Flowering tobacco, any of several species of plants (genus Nicotiana) in the nightshade family that grow wild or are cultivated for their sweet-smelling flowers.
William Floyd
Floyd, William (1734–1821), leader in the U.S. fight for independence and a N.Y. signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Flu
Flu See: Influenza.
Fluke
Fluke, name for various parasitic flatworms, some of which are important disease carriers.
Fluorescence
Fluorescence, property of emitting visible radiation as the result of absorption of radiation from some other source.
Fluorescent lamp
Fluorescent lamp, tube-shaped electric light from which light is emitted by the process of fluorescence. Fluorescent lamps produce about one-fifth the heat of light bulbs (incandescent lamps), use one-fifth the electricity, and lasts far longer. Fluorescent lamps, first introduced at the N.Y. World's Fair in 1938–39, are used largely in offices, schools, and factories. Inside a fluor…
Fluoridation
Fluoridation, addition of small quantities of fluorides to public water supplies, bringing the concentration to 1 part per million, as in some natural water.
Fluoride
Fluoride, chemical compound of the element fluorine, and an important trace constituent of the human body.
Fluorine
Fluorine, chemical element, symbol F; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
Fluorite
Fluorite, or fluorspar, common mineral composed mainly of calcium fluoride.
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon, organic compound in which hydrogen atoms are replaced by fluorine atoms.
Fluoroscope
Fluoroscope, device used in medical diagnosis and engineering quality control that allows the direct observation of an X-ray beam that is being passed through an object under examination.
Flute
Flute, musical instrument belonging to the woodwind group, although most modern orchestral flutes are made of metal. The flute differs from most other woodwind instruments in that it is played in a sideways position. For this reason it was once often called the transverse flute, to distinguish it from similar instruments like the recorder. It is also distinguished in that the sound is produced by …
Fly
Fly, insect of the order Diptera, characterized by the presence of only 1 pair of wings.
Flycatcher
Flycatcher, or tyrant flycatcher, family of birds found throughout the Americas, including kingbirds, phoebes, and pewees.
Flying buttress
Flying buttress, arch of brick or stone on the exterior of a building, spanning the roof of an aisle of a church or cathedral, or a half-arch issuing from the upper part of a wall.
Flying dragon
Flying dragon, tree-dwelling lizard (genus Draco) of southeastern Asia and the East Indies.
Flying fish
Flying fish, tropical food fish of the family Exocoetidae, that propels itself out of the sea by an elongated lobe of the tail.
Flying fox
Flying fox, or fruit bat, large bat of the family Pteropidae, found in tropical regions, especially Australia and the Philippines.
Flying lemur
Flying lemur, or colugo, nocturnal mammal (genus Cynocephalus) of the East Indies and Philippines, similar in appearance but unrelated to the lemurs.
Flying saucer
Flying saucer See: Unidentified flying object.
Flying squirrel
Flying squirrel, omnivorous, nocturnal squirrel that glides on a web of skin between its legs.
Flying Tigers
Flying Tigers, nickname for the American Volunteer Group, a civilian force of World War II pilots.
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley (1890–1964), labor leader, political activist, and first woman leader of the Communist Party in the United States.
FM
FM See: Frequency modulation.
Ferdinand Foch
Foch, Ferdinand (1851–1929), French army marshal.
Fog
Fog, cloud near the earth's surface.
Michel Fokine
Fokine, Michel (1880–1942), Russian-born U.S. dancer and choreographer, a founder of modern ballet.
Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker
Fokker, Anthony Herman Gerard (1880–1939), Dutch pilot and pioneer in aircraft design.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library, institution in Washington, D.C. possessing the world's largest collection of Shakespeariana, including 79 first folios, and a host of material on the Tudor and Stuart periods.
Folk art
Folk art, paintings, sculptures, or crafts created by individuals according to local needs, tastes and traditions.
Folk dancing
Folk dancing, traditional popular dancing of a nation or region.
Folk literature
Folk literature See: Folklore; Literature for children.
Folk music
Folk music, traditional popular music of a regional or ethnic group.
Folklore
Folklore, traditional beliefs, customs, and superstitions of a culture, handed down informally in fables, myths, legends, proverbs, riddles, songs, and ballads.
Fonda
Fonda, family of U.S. actors.
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau (pop. 14,700), town in the department Seine-et-Marne, France, 27 mi (60 km) southeast of Paris.
Theodor Fontane
Fontane, Theodor (1819–98), German author known for his novels about Prussian society.
Lynn Fontanne
Fontanne, Lynn (1887–1983), English-born U.S. actress, famous for many lead roles.
Dame Margot Fonteyn
Fonteyn, Dame Margot (1919–91), English prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet.
Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agency of the UN, established in 1945, with headquarters in Rome.
Food and U.S. Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration, U.S. (FDA), federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, set up to enforce the laws maintaining standards in the sale of food and drugs.
frozen Food
Food, frozen, food that is kept at a constant temperature of 0°F (−18°C).
Food for Peace
Food for Peace, federal program (Public Law 480), established 1954, regulating the donation and distribution of food to developing or underdeveloped countries.
Food poisoning
Food poisoning, disease resulting from ingestion of unwholesome food, usually resulting in colic, vomiting, diarrhea, and general malaise. While a number of viruses, contaminants, and irritant and allergic factors may play a part, 3 specific microorganisms are commonly responsible: Staphylococcus, Clostridium, and Salmonella bacteria. Inadequate cooking, allowing cooked food to stand for long peri…
Food preservation
Food preservation, techniques used to delay the spoilage of food.
Food Stamps
Food Stamps, locally administered, federally funded U.S. program, established 1964, that enables poverty-level families to buy a greater variety and quantity of food.
Fool's gold
Fool's gold See: Pyrite.
Foot
Foot, anatomical structure, part of the lower extremity, bearing weight and providing locomotion.
Michael Foot
Foot, Michael (1913– ), British political leader.
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease, or hoof-and-mouth disease, highly contagious viral disease affecting cattle, hogs, sheep, and other animals with cloven (split) hoofs.
Football
Football, in the United States and Canada, team sport in which the object is to deliver a ball over a goal line and to prevent the opposing team from reaching its own goal line at the opposite end of a demarcated field. Teams include 11 men. The field is 100 yd (91.4 m) long by 53 1/3 yd (48.7 m) wide. Lines are marked across the field at 5-yd (4.6-m) intervals. Behind each goal line is an area 10…
Andrew Hull Foote
Foote, Andrew Hull (1806–63), Union naval officer during the U.S.
Esther Forbes
Forbes, Esther (1891–1967), U.S. author of historical novels.
Forbidden City
Forbidden City, walled enclosure in Beijing (Peking), China, containing the imperial palace, its grounds, reception halls, and state offices.
Force
Force, in mechanics, physical quantity that, when acting on a body, either causes it to change its state of motion (i.e., imparts to it an acceleration), or tends to deform it (i.e., induces in it an elastic strain).
Ford Madox Ford
Ford, Ford Madox (Ford Madox Hueffer; 1873–1939), English author.
Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation, philanthropic corporation founded by Henry Ford in 1936.
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr.
Ford, Gerald Rudolph, Jr. (1913– ), 38th president of the United States. Ford succeeded Richard M. Nixon as president after one of the gravest traumas in U.S. political history forced Nixon to resign. Ford was christened Leslie King, Jr. When his parents were divorced, his mother's second husband, Gerald Rudolph Ford, adopted and renamed the boy. Ford grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., …
Henry Ford
Ford, Henry (1863–1947), U.S. automobile production pioneer.
John Ford
Ford, John (1586–1640), English dramatist.
John Ford
Ford, John (1895–1973), U.S. motion picture director.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, one of the U.S. automotive industry giants, established in 1903 by Henry Ford.
Ford's Theatre
Ford's Theatre See: Lincoln, Abraham.
Foreign Aid Programs
Foreign Aid Programs, financial, military, and technical assistance given by one country to another.
Foreign Legion
Foreign Legion, mercenary army created in 1831 by the French to save manpower in Algeria.
Foreign Service
Foreign Service, diplomatic and consular employees of the U.S.
George Edward Foreman
Foreman, George Edward (1948– ), U.S. boxer, world heavyweight champion from Jan. 1973 to Oct. 1974.
Forensic science
Forensic science See: Crime laboratory.