Forest
Forest, area of land covered by trees.
21st Century Webster's Family Encyclopedia - Forest to Gabon
Forest fire
Forest fire See: Forestry.
Forest products
Forest products, products derived from trees that since prehistoric times have provided food, shelter, clothing, and fuel.
U.S. Forest Service
Forest Service, U.S., Department of Agriculture agency, created in 1905 to manage and protect the national forests.
Forestry
Forestry, management of forests for productive purposes. In the United States, a forestry program emerged in the 1890s because of fears of a “timber famine” and following exploitation of the Great Lakes pine forests. Congress authorized the first forest reserves in 1891; creation of the Forest Service in 1905 put forestry on a scientific basis. The most important aspect of forestry i…
Forgery
Forgery, in law, the making or altering of a written document with intent to defraud.
Forget-me-not
Forget-me-not, any of various annual or perennial wild and garden flowers (genus Myosotis), native to North America, Europe, and Asia.
Forging
Forging, shaping metal by hammering or pressing, usually when the work-piece is red hot (about 400°–700°C) but sometimes when it is cold.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde (HCHO), colorless, acrid, toxic gas; the simplest and most reactive aldehyde.
Formalin
Formalin See: Formaldehyde.
Formic acid
Formic acid (CH2O2), industrial chemical used to process textiles, leather, rubber, and other products.
Formosa
Formosa See: Taiwan.
Edwin Forrest
Forrest, Edwin (1806–72), prominent U.S. tragedian, the first U.S. actor actively to encourage native playwrights.
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Forrest, Nathan Bedford (1821–77), Confederate cavalry general.
James Vincent Forrestal
Forrestal, James Vincent (1892–1949), U.S. secretary of defense, first head of the newly formed defense department (1947).
E(ward) M(organ) Forster
Forster, E(ward) M(organ) (1879–1970), English writer and critic, whose works reflected his sharp wit and graceful style.
Forsythia
Forsythia, or golden bell, shrub (genus Forsythia) native to eastern Europe and Asia as far east as Japan.
Fort Benning
Fort Benning, U.S.
Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg, center for U.S.
Fort Dix
Fort Dix, U.S.
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne, fort built by the French in 1754 near the present-day site of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Fort Eustis
Fort Eustis, home of the U.S.
Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G.
Fort Knox
Fort Knox, U.S. military reservation in Hardin County, north central Kentucky.
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale (pop. 1,255,488), city in southeastern Florida.
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth, in Missouri, site of the Combined Arms Center of the U.S.
Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood, in Missouri, site of the Engineer Center and School of the U.S.
Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan, in Alabama, site of the U.S.
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, fort in Baltimore Harbor, Md.
Fort McPherson
Fort McPherson, headquarters for the U.S.
Fort Monmouth
Fort Monmouth, in New Jersey, site of Communications-Electronics Command of the U.S.
Fort Monroe
Fort Monroe, U.S.
Fort Moultrie
Fort Moultrie, historic fort on Sullivan's Island in Charleston Harbor, S.C.
Fort Necessity
Fort Necessity, historic fort built by George Washington in 1754, located in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara, fort on the eastern shore of the Niagara River (now on the New York- Ontario border) built by the French in 1726 to guard the river entrance to the fur country.
Fort Riley
Fort Riley, home to the U.S.
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker, home of the U.S.
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston, fort in San Antonio, Tex., built in 1876.
Fort Sill
Fort Sill, U.S.
Fort Smith
Fort Smith (pop. 175,911), city in Arkansas, originally established as a U.S.
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter, fort in Charleston Harbor, S.C., where the first shots in the Civil War were fired on Apr. 12, 1861.
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, Revolutionary War post located at Lake Champlain, N.Y.
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne (pop. 363,811), city in northeastern Indiana, the site of a settlement of the Miami tribe visited by French explorer La Salle in 1670.
Fort Worth
Fort Worth (pop. 454,400), city in northern Texas, seat of Tarrant County. Located on the Trinity River about 30 mi (48 km) west of Dallas, Fort Worth was founded in 1849 as an outpost against Native American attacks. The city became a major trading center during the cattle drives of the 1870s and was known as the place “Where the West Begins.” It was incorporated in 1873 and has a c…
James Forten
Forten, James (1766–1842), black U.S. entrepreneur and abolitionist during the early 1800s.
Forty-Niners
Forty-Niners, name given to those who flooded into California following the gold strike of 1848.
Forum
Forum, public meeting or meeting place used for open discussion of current topics of general interest.
Ugo Foscolo
Foscolo, Ugo (1778–1827), Italian author.
Harry Emerson Fosdick
Fosdick, Harry Emerson (1878–1969), U.S.
Lukas Foss
Foss, Lukas (Lukas Fuchs; 1922– ), German-born U.S. composer who developed a method of simultaneous improvisation and experimented with electronic effects, the use of prerecorded tape, and avant-garde composition, as in Echoi (1961–63), Cello Concerto (1966), and Fanfare (1973).
Dian Fossey
Fossey, Dian (1932–85), U.S. zoologist.
Fossil
Fossil, evidence of ancient plant or animal life preserved in sediment or rock. Preservation of an organism in its entirety (i.e., unaltered hard and soft parts together) is exceptional. Entire mammoths have been preserved in Siberian permafrost. Unaltered hard parts are common in post-Mesozoic sediments but become increasingly scarce further back in geologic time. Petrification describes 2 ways i…
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuel See: Energy supply.
Stephen Collins Foster
Foster, Stephen Collins (1826–64), U.S. composer of over 200 songs and instrumental pieces.
Jean Bernard Leon Foucault
Foucault, Jean Bernard Leon (1819–68), French physicist.
Founding Fathers
Founding Fathers, statesmen of the American Revolution, in particular writers of the Constitution of the United States.
Foundry
Foundry, metal casting plant.
Jean Fouquet
Fouquet, Jean (c. 1420–80), French painter who helped bring the Italian Renaissance style to France.
Four freedoms
Four freedoms, freedom of speech and worship and freedom from want and fear.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, allegorical biblical figures (Revelation 6:1–8).
François Marie Charles Fourier
Fourier, François Marie Charles (1772–1837), French Utopian socialist.
Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier Baron
Fourier, Jean Baptiste Joseph, Baron (1768–1830), French mathematician best known for his equations of heat transmission and for showing that all periodic vibrations can be reduced to a series of simple, regular wave motions.
Fourteen Points
Fourteen Points, war objectives for the United States, proposed by President Woodrow Wilson in Jan. 1918, incorporated in the armistice of Nov. 1918.
Fourth of July
Fourth of July See: Independence Day.
Fowl
Fowl See: Chicken; Poultry farming.
Henry Watson Fowler
Fowler, Henry Watson (1858–1933), English lexicographer, best known for his A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1926).
John Robert Fowles
Fowles, John Robert (1926– ), English novelist.
Fox
Fox, any of various small, bushy-tailed members of the dog family.
Charles James Fox
Fox, Charles James (1749–1806), English statesman and orator, champion of political and religious freedom, and fierce opponent of George III and the power of the crown.
George Fox
Fox, George (1624–91), English religious leader, founder of the Society of Friends or Quakers (1652).
Fox terrier
Fox terrier, breed of small dog developed in England in the mid-1800s to flush out foxes during hunts.
Foxglove
Foxglove, plant (genus Digitalis) of Europe and Central Asia grown for its tall stem of hanging tubular flowers.
Foxhound
Foxhound, medium-sized hound originally used to hunt foxes.
James Emory Foxx
Foxx, James Emory (1907–67), U.S. baseball player.
John Charles Frémont
Frémont, John Charles (1813–90), U.S. explorer, general, politician, and popular hero.
Fra Angelico
Fra Angelico (Guido di Pietro; 1400–55), Italian painter and Dominican friar.
Fraction
Fraction, in mathematics, expression representing the ratio of 2 numbers.
Fracture
Fracture, break of a a bone. Diagnosis is made by X ray, which shows the breakline in a bone, and the identification of swelling and localized tenderness to pressure or percussion (tapping). Depending on the size and type of the fracture, strapping, an elastic bandage, a plaster cast, or metal fixation may be necessary for healing. In simple fractures the bone is completely broken but there is no …
Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Fragonard, Jean-Honoré (1732–1806), French painter.
France
France (official name République Française), republic of Western Europe, the third largest country of Europe (in area) after Germany and the Russian Federation. The capital is Paris. Roughly square, France extends for about 600 mi (966 km) from Flanders to the Spanish border, and for about the same distance west to east. It borders the sea in 3 directions and has a coastline of almos…
Anatole France
France, Anatole (Jacques Anatole François Thibault; 1844–1924), French novelist and critic.
Piero della Francesca
Francesca, Piero della See: Piero della Francesca.
Francis
Francis, 2 kings of France.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi, Saint (1182?–1226), Italian Roman Catholic mystic, founder of the Franciscans.
Saint Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales, Saint (1567–1622), French nobleman, Roman Catholic bishop of Geneva-Annecy from 1603.
Francis Ferdinand
Francis Ferdinand (1863–1914), Austrian archduke and heir apparent of the Austro-Hungarian throne.
Francis II
Francis II (1768–1835), last emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and ruler of Austria.
Francis Joseph I
Francis Joseph I, or Franz Josef I (1830–1916), emperor of Austria-Hungary (1848–1916) and king of Hungary from 1867.
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier See: Xavier, Saint Francis.
Franciscans
Franciscans, largest order in the Roman Catholic Church.
Francium
Francium, chemical element, symbol Fr; for physical constants see Periodic Table.
César Auguste Franck
Franck, César Auguste (1822–90), Belgian-French composer.
Francisco Franco
Franco, Francisco (1892–1975), Spanish general, dictator of Spain from 1939.
Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War (July 1870–May 1871), war arising from Prussian premier Otto von Bismarck's desire to unify the German states against a common enemy and Napoleon III's fear of an alliance against him if a Prussian prince succeeded to the Spanish throne.
Frank
Frank See: Franks.
Anne Frank
Frank, Anne (1929–45), German born Dutch Jew who with her family lived in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam (1942–44).
Frankenstein
Frankenstein, novel by Mary Shelley (1818).
Helen Frankenthaler
Frankenthaler, Helen (1928– ), U.S. painter whose work is considered transitional between abstract expressionism and color-field painting.
Frankfort
Frankfort (pop. 25,968), capital of Kentucky and seat of Franklin County, located in the bluegrass region on the Kentucky River.
Frankfurt
Frankfurt (pop. 647,200), city in central Germany, on the Main River.
Felix Frankfurter
Frankfurter, Felix (1882–1965), U.S.
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin, Benjamin (1706–90), U.S. printer, publisher, writer, politician, economist, scientist, statesman, and diplomat. At the start of his career he made his fortune as a publisher and printer and derived substantial revenue from writing his famous Poor Richard's almanacs (published annually between 1732 and 1757). As a writer, however, he is best revealed in his personal letters,…
John Hope Franklin
Franklin, John Hope (1915– ), black U.S. historian, educator, and author of books on African American history, including From Slavery to Freedom (1947), The Emancipation Proclamation (1963), and Racial Equality in America (1976).
Rosalind Elsie Franklin
Franklin, Rosalind Elsie (1920–58), British chemist and biologist.
Franklin's gull
Franklin's gull (Larus pipixcan), insect-eating land-based bird.
Sir John Franklin
Franklin, Sir John (1786–1847), British rear admiral and Arctic explorer.
State of Franklin
Franklin, State of, area between Tennessee and North Carolina, organized between 1784 and 1788, but never admitted as a state.
Franks
Franks, Germanic tribes, originally living east of the Rhine.
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, group of 85 islands in the Arctic Ocean.
Douglas Andrew Fraser
Fraser, Douglas Andrew (1916– ), U.S. labor leader.
John Malcolm Fraser
Fraser, John Malcolm (1930– ), Australian prime minister (1975–83).
Fraser River
Fraser River, river in British Columbia, 850 mi (1,370 km) long, named for Simon Fraser, who explored it in 1808.
Fraud
Fraud, in law, any willful action intended to cheat another person by false pretenses or misrepresentation.
Fraunces Tavern
Fraunces Tavern, historic building in New York City located at the corner of Broad and Pearl streets.
Sir James George Frazer
Frazer, Sir James George (1854–1941), British social anthropologist.
Edward Franklin Frazier
Frazier, Edward Franklin (1894–1962), black U.S. sociologist and writer.
Freckle
Freckle, small area of skin pigmentation, usually occurring on the face, arms, and hands.
Frederick
Frederick, name of 3 Holy Roman Emperors. Frederick I Barbarossa (1123?–90) was elected king of Germany in 1152. Having pacified Germany, where he pro-moted learning, primary and secondary educational systems, and economic growth, he occupied Lombardy and was crowned king of Italy in 1154 and Holy Roman emperor in 1155. He was drowned while leading the Third Crusade, and passed into legend …
Frederick the Great
Frederick the Great See: Frederick (Prussia).
Frederick (Prussia)
Frederick (Prussia), name of 3 kings of Prussia. Frederick I (1657–1713), elector of Brandenburg from 1688, sought the title of king from the Emperor Leopold I. In 1700 he obtained it in exchange for military assistance and in 1701 he crowned himself king of Prussia, which was the major part of his domain. Frederick II (the Great) (1712–86) was one of the most influential 18th-centur…
Frederick William
Frederick William (1620–88), elector of Brandenburg from 1640, known as the Great Elector.
Frederick William I
Frederick William I (1688–1740), king of Prussia from 1713.
Fredericton
Fredericton (pop. 44,400), capital of New Brunswick province in eastern Canada, on the St.
Frederik
Frederik, or Frederick, name of Danish kings, including 2 of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
Free enterprise system
Free enterprise system See: Capitalism.
Free Methodist Church
Free Methodist Church, U.S. denomination founded in 1860 by members excluded from the Methodist Episcopal Church for trying to restore Wesleyan principles.
Free-piston engine
Free-piston engine, engine that produces hot gas, which is used to run turbines.
Free silver
Free silver, 19th-century U.S. political movement attempting to boost the price of silver, which had been hit by world prices and demonetization in 1873.
Free Soil Party
Free Soil Party, short-lived U.S. coalition party formed in New York in 1848 to oppose the extension of slavery into the territories gained after the Mexican-American War.
Free trade
Free trade, international commerce, free from tariffs, quotas, or other legal restriction, except nonrestrictive tariffs levied for revenue only.
Free verse
Free verse (from French vers libre), verse without conventional rhythm or meter, relying instead upon the cadences of the spoken language.
Freedmen's Bureau
Freedmen's Bureau, U.S.
Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) act giving the public right of access to governmental records.
Freemasonry
Freemasonry See: Masonry.
Freesia
Freesia, sweet-scented flowering plant (genus Freesia) of the iris family, originating in South Africa.
Freethinker
Freethinker, person who does not accept religious dogma.
Freeze-drying
Freeze-drying, or lyophilization, process that removes water from foods, drugs, and other substances, preserving the items for later use.
Gottlob Frege
Frege, Gottlob (1848–1925), German logician, father of mathematical logic.
French
French See: French language.
French Academy
French Academy See: Académie Française.
French Canada
French Canada See: Canada; Quebec.
French Canadians
French Canadians See: Canada; Canadian literature; Quebec.
Daniel Chester French
French, Daniel Chester (1850–1931), U.S. sculptor.
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa, 4 territories in Central Africa that were colonized by France in 1839 and became the independent countries of Gabon, Chad, Congo, and Central African Republic in 1960.
French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion See: Foreign Legion.
French Guiana
French Guiana, French overseas department on the northeast coast of South America.
French Guinea
French Guinea See: Guinea; French West Africa.
French horn
French horn, musical horn instrument.
French and Indian Wars
French and Indian Wars, conflict over control of North America that erupted into a series of wars involving England and its North American colonies against France and the colony of New France: King William's War (1689–97), Queen Anne's War (1702–13), King George's War (1744–48), and the French and Indian War (1754–63). In Europe these wars are known…
John Denton Pinkstone French t Earl of Ypres (1s)
French, John Denton Pinkstone, 1st Earl of Ypres (1852–1925), British field marshal, commander of the British Expeditionary Force at the beginning of World War I.
French language
French language, Romance language spoken in France and parts of Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and former French and Belgian colonies; it is the official language of 21 countries.
French literature
French literature, poetry, prose, and drama written by authors of France in standard modern French, as well as works in the medieval French dialects, in Breton, and in Provençal. French literature has exerted a strong influence on the writers of many nations, right up to the present. Provençal, the language of the south of France, seems to be the first vernacular language used in Fre…
French Morocco
French Morocco See: Morocco.
French Polynesia
French Polynesia, French territory in the South Pacific that includes Tahiti, one of the Society Islands.
French Quarter
French Quarter See: New Orleans.
French Revolution
French Revolution, first European revolution in modern times, (1789–99). Through its wars, the revolution spread the explosive ideas of the sovereignty of the people, liberty of the individual, and equality before the law. By 1788 in a time of the rise of the middle classes, the country was still ruled by the privileged nobility and clergy, the 2 upper Estates of the States-General. The tax…
French Somaliland
French Somaliland See: Djibouti.
French Southern and Antarctic Territories
French Southern and Antarctic Territories, island possessions of France in the Indian Ocean and along a coastal portion of Antarctica.
French West Africa
French West Africa, federation of 8 French overseas territories, 1895–1959.
French West Indies
French West Indies, Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, French colonies until 1946.
Philip Freneau
Freneau, Philip (1752–1832), U.S. journalist and poet.
Freon
Freon See: Fluorocarbon.
Frequency band
Frequency band, or waveband, radio frequency range assigned to a broadcasting station by the Federal Communications Commission.
Frequency modulation
Frequency modulation, one of two chief methods of sending sound signals on radio waves.
Fresco
Fresco, painting dry earth pigments mixed with water on fresh, wet lime plaster.
Anna Freud
Freud, Anna (1895–1982), Austrian-born British pioneer of child psychoanalysis.
Sigmund Freud
Freud, Sigmund (1856–1939), Austrian neurologist, author, psychiatrist, and founder of almost all the basic concepts of psychoanalysis. He graduated with an M.D. from the University of Vienna in 1881, and for some months in 1885 he studied under J.M. Charcot, whose work in hysteria converted Freud to the cause of psychiatry. Dissatisfied with hypnosis and electrotherapy as treatment techniq…
Frey
Frey, in Scandinavian mythology, god of fertility, sunshine, and rain.
Friars Minor
Friars Minor See: Franciscans.
Henry Clay Frick
Frick, Henry Clay (1849–1919), U.S. industrialist and art collector.
Friction
Friction, resistance to motion arising at the boundary between two touching surfaces.
Betty Friedan
Friedan, Betty (1921– ), U.S. feminist leader and author.
Milton Friedman
Friedman, Milton (1912– ), U.S. economist, proponent of the monetarist theory, which regards the money supply as the central controlling factor in economic development.
Society of Friends
Friends, Society of See: Quakers.
Frigatebird
Frigatebird, any of a family (Fregatidae) of large seabirds with long pointed wings, forked tails, and weak legs.
(Charles) Rudolf Friml
Friml, (Charles) Rudolf (1879–1972), Czech-born U.S. composer of operettas and film scores.
Fringe tree
Fringe tree, tree of the olive family named for its fringe-shaped, white flower petals.
Karl von Frisch
Frisch, Karl von (1886–1984), Austrian zoologist best known for his studies of bee behavior, perception, and communication, discovering the “dance of the bees.” With Nikolaas Tinbergen and Konrad Lorenz, he was awarded the 1973 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for his work.
Max Frisch
Frisch, Max (1911–91), Swiss architect, journalist, and playwright best known for his play The Firebugs (1958) and the novels I'm Not Stiller (1954), Homo faber (1957), and Man in the Holocene (1980).
Ragnar Frisch
Frisch, Ragnar (1895–1973), Norwegian economist.
Fritillary
Fritillary, genus of herbs of the family Liliaceae that includes about 80 species of hardy perennials native to the north temperate zone.
Sir Martin Frobisher
Frobisher, Sir Martin (1539–94), English navigator and explorer.
Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel
Froebel, Friedrich Wilhelm August (1782–1852), German educator noted as the founder of the kindergarten system.
Frog
Frog, jumping, tailless amphibian.
Jean Froissart
Froissart, Jean (1337?–1410?), French poet and chronicler.
Erich Fromm
Fromm, Erich (1900–80), German-born U.S. psychoanalyst.
Fronde
Fronde, series of uprisings against the French crown, 1648–53.
Front
Front, in meteorology, boundary between air masses.
Louis de Baude Frontenac Comte de Palluau et de
Frontenac, Louis de Baude, Comte de Palluau et de (1620–98), French soldier and governor of New France (1672–82 and 1689–98).
Frontier
Frontier, in U.S. history, boundary between the settled and unsettled areas of the country. It was constantly changing as the descendants of the original settlers of the 13 colonies spread out north, south, and especially, west. In the early days expansion was slow, consisting largely of migrations into the Appalachian area and into what is now Pennsylvania. By the time of Independence, Kentucky h…
Frost
Frost, frozen atmospheric moisture formed on objects whose surface temperature is below 32°F (0°C), the freezing point of water.
Robert Lee Frost
Frost, Robert Lee (1874–1963), U.S. poet.
Frostbite
Frostbite, damage occurring in skin and adjacent tissues caused by freezing.
Frozen food
Frozen food See: Food, frozen.
FRS
FRS See: Federal Reserve System.
Fructose
Fructose (C6H12O6), sugar found in honey and fruits, used as a fluid and nutrient replenisher.
Fruit
Fruit, ripe ovary of a flowering plant containing the seed or seeds.
Fruit bat
Fruit bat See: Flying fox.
Fruit fly
Fruit fly, small winged insects of the families Tephritidae and Drosophilidae that feed on decaying vegetation and ripe fruit, sometimes causing great damage to crops.
Christopher Fry
Fry, Christopher (1907– ), English verse dramatist and film writer.
Elizabeth Gurney Fry
Fry, Elizabeth Gurney (1780–1845), British Quaker philanthropist whose inspections of prisons throughout Britain and Europe led to great advances in the treatment of the imprisoned and the insane.
Fu-chou
Fu-chou See: Fuzhou.
Klaus Fuchs
Fuchs, Klaus (1911–88), German-born physicist and convicted spy.
Fuchsia
Fuchsia, tropical plant (genus Fuschia) of South America and New Zealand, named for the German botanist Leonhard Fuchs.
Fuel cell
Fuel cell, device that produces electricity through the chemical reaction between 2 substances. The most common type is powered by the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Two porous electrodes are immersed into an electrolyte (usually an alkali). Through oxidation, hydrogen is supplied to the anode, and oxygen is allowed to diffuse through the cathode. At the anode, hydrogen gives up electrons t…
Fuel-injection system
Fuel-injection system, method of supplying fuel to internal combustion engines.
Carlos Fuentes
Fuentes, Carlos (1928– ), Mexican author of novels, essays, and short fiction.
Athol Fugard
Fugard, Athol (1932– ), South African playwright of Dutch descent known for his political dramas.
Fugitive slave laws
Fugitive slave laws, laws passed by U.S.
Fugue
Fugue (Italian, “flight”), musical form in which 2 or more parts (voices) enter successively in imitation and combine in developing a theme.
Mount Fuji
Fuji, Mount See: Mount Fuji.
Fujiyama
Fujiyama See: Mount Fuji.
Fulani
Fulani, people of West Africa living throughout a wide area from Senegal to Cameroon.
James William Fulbright
Fulbright, James William (1905–95), U.S. political leader and lawyer, initiator of the Fulbright Act (1946), providing for international exchange of students and teachers.
Fulcrum
Fulcrum See: Lever.
Margaret Fuller
Fuller, Margaret (1810–50), U.S. critic and advocate of female emancipation.
Melville Weston Fuller
Fuller, Melville Weston (1833–1910), U.S. jurist.
R(ichard) Buckminster Fuller
Fuller, R(ichard) Buckminster (1895–1983), U.S. inventor, philosopher, author, and mathematician.
Robert Fulton
Fulton, Robert (1765–1815), U.S. inventor who improved both the submarine and the steamboat.
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism, U.S. conservative Protestant movement, upholding evangelicalism against modernism.
Fungi
Fungi, subdivision (phylum Eumycota or Eumycophyta) of the plant kingdom that comprises simple plants that reproduce mostly by means of spores and that lack chlorophyll. Fungi are now often considered a separate kingdom, not part of the plant kingdon. The majority of true fungi produce microscopic filaments (hyphae) that group together in an interwoven weft, called the mycelium. Reproduction is so…
Fungicide
Fungicide, substance used to kill fungi and so to control fungal diseases in humans and plants.
Funj Sultanate
Funj Sultanate, Muslim empire that ruled the Sudan of east Africa from c.1500 to 1821.
Funny bone
Funny bone, point at the bend of the elbow where the ulnar nerve passes over the ulna (1 of the 2 long bones of the forearm), and if struck, causes pain or tingling in the arm and fingers.
Fur
Fur, dense hair covering the skin of many mammals.
Furfural
Furfural (C5H4O2), organic chemical belonging to the aldehyde family, used commonly in industry.
Furies
Furies, in Roman mythology, goddesses of vengeance.
Furnace
Furnace, insulated structure in which high temperatures can be produced and controlled. In most furnaces the heat is produced by burning a fuel such as coal, oil, or gas, though some use the heating effect of electricity. In the so-called atomic furnaces (nuclear reactors), the heat comes from the splitting or fission of atoms and is used to generate electricity. In solar furnaces the heat is prod…
Furniture
Furniture, movable objects and accessories that add to the comfort, beauty, usefulness, and storage capacity of a dwelling.
Furniture
Furniture, movable objects and accessories that add to the comfort, beauty, usefulness, and storage capacity of a dwelling.
Furze
Furze, whin, or gorse (Ulex europaeus), thorny shrub of the pea family native to Europe and Africa.
Furze
Furze, whin, or gotse (Ulex europaeus), thorny shrub of the pea family native to Europe and Africa.
Fuse
Fuse, safety device placed in an electric circuit to prevent overloading.
Fuse
Fuse, safety device placed in an electric circuit to prevent overloading.
Fusion
Fusion, in physics, collision of 2 highly accelerated atomic nuclei to form the single nucleus of a heavier element.
Fusion
Fusion, in physics, collision of 2 highly accelerated atomic nuclei to form the single nucleus of a heavier element.
Fusion bomb
Fusion bomb See: Nuclear weapon.
Fusion bomb
Fusion bomb See: Nuclear weapon.
Futures
Futures See: Commodity exchange.
Futures
Futures See: Commodity exchange.
Futurism
Futurism, Italian 20th-century art movement. It was based on the “Manifesto of the Futurist Painters” (1910) issued by the Italian publicist and poet F.T. Marinetti with a group of like-minded Italian artists, emphasizing speed and the dynamic forces of a mechanical age. The manifesto declared that “a roaring motor car is more beautiful than the Winged Victory of Samothrace.&#…
Futurism
Futurism, Italian 20th-century art movement. It was based on the “Manifesto of the Futurist Painters” (1910) issued by the Italian publicist and poet F.T. Marinetti with a group of like-minded Italian artists, emphasizing speed and the dynamic forces of a mechanical age. The manifesto declared that “a roaring motor car is more beautiful than the Winged Victory of Samothrace.&#…
Fuzhou
Fuzhou, also Foo-chow or Fu-chou (pop. 1,129,300), port on the Min River, capital of Fujian province, southeastern China.
Fuzhou
Fuzhou, also Foo-chow or Fu-chou (pop. 1,129,300), port on the Min River, capital of Fujian province, southeastern China.
G
G, seventh letter of the English alphabet.
G
G (gravitational constant), symbol that stands for the force of gravity.
Gaberones
Gaberones See: Gaborone.
Clark Gable
Gable, Clark (1901–60), U.S. film star.
Naum Gabo
Gabo, Naum (Naum Pevsner; 1890–1977), Russian sculptor, pioneer of constructivism.
Gabon
Gabon (officially Gabonese Republic), independent state in West Africa straddling the equator. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon on the north, and the Republic of the Congo on the east and south. The Atlantic coastline is backed by a narrow coastal plain that rises to rolling hills, leading to plateaus and mountains cut by the Ogooué River and …