Words whose 4th letter is F

Aliform (a.) Wing-shaped; winglike.

Baffle (n.) A grating or plate across a channel or pipe conveying water, gas, or the like, by which the flow is rendered more uniform in different parts of the cross section of the stream; -- used in measuring the rate of flow, as by means of a weir.

Bluff (n.) An act of bluffing; an expression of self-confidence for the purpose of intimidation; braggadocio; as, that is only bluff, or a bluff.

Bowfin (n.) A voracious ganoid fish (Amia calva) found in the fresh waters of the United States; the mudfish; -- called also Johnny Grindle, and dogfish.

Buff (n.) A buffet; a blow; -- obsolete except in the phrase "Blindman's buff."

Buffalo (n.) A very large and savage species of the same genus (B. Caffer) found in South Africa; -- called also Cape buffalo.

Buffer (n.) A pad or cushion forming the end of a fender, which receives the blow; -- sometimes called buffing apparatus.

Buffer (n.) A good-humored, slow-witted fellow; -- usually said of an elderly man.

Buffoon (n.) A man who makes a practice of amusing others by low tricks, antic gestures, etc.; a droll; a mimic; a harlequin; a clown; a merry-andrew.

Calf (n.) Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine, light-colored leather used in bookbinding; as, to bind books in calf.

Chafer (n.) A vessel for heating water; -- hence, a dish or pan.

Chaffinch (n.) A bird of Europe (Fringilla coelebs), having a variety of very sweet songs, and highly valued as a cage bird; -- called also copper finch.

Coffer (n.) Fig.: Treasure or funds; -- usually in the plural.

Cofferdam (n.) A water-tight inclosure, as of piles packed with clay, from which the water is pumped to expose the bottom (of a river, etc.) and permit the laying of foundations, building of piers, etc.

Coif (n.) A close-fitting cap covering the sides of the head, like a small hood without a cape.

Comfortable (a.) Free, or comparatively free, from pain or distress; -- used of a sick person.

Comforter (n.) The Holy Spirit, -- referring to his office of comforting believers.

Confederate (a.) Of or pertaining to the government of the eleven Southern States of the United States which (1860-1865) attempted to establish an independent nation styled the Confederate States of America; as, the Confederate congress; Confederate money.

Confederate (n.) A name designating an adherent to the cause of the States which attempted to withdraw from the Union (1860-1865).

Conferruminated (a.) Closely united by the coalescence, or sticking together, of contiguous faces, as in the case of the cotyledons of the live-oak acorn.

Conferva (n.) Any unbranched, slender, green plant of the fresh-water algae. The word is frequently used in a wider sense.

Confess (v. t.) To make known or acknowledge, as one's sins to a priest, in order to receive absolution; -- sometimes followed by the reflexive pronoun.

Confess (v. t.) To hear or receive such confession; -- said of a priest.

Confide (v. i.) To put faith (in); to repose confidence; to trust; -- usually followed by in; as, the prince confides in his ministers.

Confide (v. t.) To intrust; to give in charge; to commit to one's keeping; -- followed by to.

Confidence (n.) The act of confiding, trusting, or putting faith in; trust; reliance; belief; -- formerly followed by of, now commonly by in.

Confidence (n.) The state of mind characterized by one's reliance on himself, or his circumstances; a feeling of self-sufficiency; such assurance as leads to a feeling of security; self-reliance; -- often with self prefixed.

Confidence (n.) Having self-reliance; bold; undaunted.

Confine (v. i.) To have a common boundary; to border; to lie contiguous; to touch; -- followed by on or with.

Confine (n.) Common boundary; border; limit; -- used chiefly in the plural.

Confinement (n.) Restraint within doors by sickness, esp. that caused by childbirth; lying-in.

Conform (v. t.) To shape in accordance with; to make like; to bring into harmony or agreement with; -- usually with to or unto.

Conform (v. i.) To be in accord or harmony; to comply; to be obedient; to submit; -- with to or with.

Conformable (a.) Corresponding in form, character, opinions, etc.; similar; like; consistent; proper or suitable; -- usually followed by to.

Conformable (a.) Parallel, or nearly so; -- said of strata in contact.

Conformity (n.) Correspondence in form, manner, or character; resemblance; agreement; congruity; -- followed by to, with, or between.

Confuse (v. t.) To perplex; to disconcert; to abash; to cause to lose self-possession.

Confusion (n.) The state of being abashed or disconcerted; loss self-possession; perturbation; shame.

Cowfish (n.) A marine plectognath fish (Ostracoin quadricorne, and allied species), having two projections, like horns, in front; -- called also cuckold, coffer fish, trunkfish.

Craft (n.) A vessel; vessels of any kind; -- generally used in a collective sense.

Curfew (n.) The ringing of an evening bell, originally a signal to the inhabitants to cover fires, extinguish lights, and retire to rest, -- instituted by William the Conqueror; also, the bell itself.

Daffodil (n.) A plant of the genus Narcissus (N. Pseudo-narcissus). It has a bulbous root and beautiful flowers, usually of a yellow hue. Called also daffodilly, daffadilly, daffadowndilly, daffydowndilly, etc.

Dayfly (n.) A neuropterous insect of the genus Ephemera and related genera, of many species, and inhabiting fresh water in the larval state; the ephemeral fly; -- so called because it commonly lives but one day in the winged or adult state. See Ephemeral fly, under Ephemeral.

Deaf (a.) Unwilling to hear or listen; determinedly inattentive; regardless; not to be persuaded as to facts, argument, or exhortation; -- with to; as, deaf to reason.

Deifical (a.) Making divine; producing a likeness to God; god-making.

Differ (v. i.) To be or stand apart; to disagree; to be unlike; to be distinguished; -- with from.

Differ (v. i.) To be of unlike or opposite opinion; to disagree in sentiment; -- often with from or with.

Difficulty (n.) The state of being difficult, or hard to do; hardness; arduousness; -- opposed to easiness or facility; as, the difficulty of a task or enterprise; a work of difficulty.

Difficulty (n.) Embarrassment of affairs, especially financial affairs; -- usually in the plural; as, to be in difficulties.

Diffidence (n.) Distrust of one's self or one's own powers; lack of self-reliance; modesty; modest reserve; bashfulness.

Diffident (a.) Wanting confidence in one's self; distrustful of one's own powers; not self-reliant; timid; modest; bashful; characterized by modest reserve.

Difform (a.) Irregular in form; -- opposed to uniform; anomalous; hence, unlike; dissimilar; as, to difform corolla, the parts of which do not correspond in size or proportion; difform leaves.

Draff (n.) A narrow border worked to a plane surface along the edge of a stone, or across its face, as a guide to the stone-cutter.

Drift (n.) The place in a deep-waisted vessel where the sheer is raised and the rail is cut off, and usually terminated with a scroll, or driftpiece.

Duff (n.) A stiff flour pudding, boiled in a bag; -- a term used especially by seamen; as, plum duff.

Edifice (n.) A building; a structure; an architectural fabric; -- chiefly applied to elegant houses, and other large buildings; as, a palace, a church, a statehouse.

Farfow (v. t. & i.) To bring forth (young); -- said only of swine.

Forfeit (n.) Something deposited and redeemable by a sportive fine; -- whence the game of forfeits.

Forfeit (n.) To lose, or lose the right to, by some error, fault, offense, or crime; to render one's self by misdeed liable to be deprived of; to alienate the right to possess, by some neglect or crime; as, to forfeit an estate by treason; to forfeit reputation by a breach of promise; -- with to before the one acquiring what is forfeited.

Foxfish (n.) The fox shark; -- called also sea fox. See Thrasher shark, under Shark.

Furfuran (n.) A colorless, oily substance, C4H4O, obtained by distilling certain organic substances, as pine wood, salts of pyromucic acid, etc.; -- called also tetraphenol.

Furfurol (n.) A colorless oily liquid, C4H3O.CHO, of a pleasant odor, obtained by the distillation of bran, sugar, etc., and regarded as an aldehyde derivative of furfuran; -- called also furfural.

Gaff (n.) The spar upon which the upper edge of a fore-and-aft sail is extended.

Garfish (n.) A European marine fish (Belone vulgaris); -- called also gar, gerrick, greenback, greenbone, gorebill, hornfish, longnose, mackerel guide, sea needle, and sea pike.

Garfish (n.) One of several species of similar fishes of the genus Tylosurus, of which one species (T. marinus) is common on the Atlantic coast. T. Caribbaeus, a very large species, and T. crassus, are more southern; -- called also needlefish. Many of the common names of the European garfish are also applied to the American species.

Goaf (n.) That part of a mine from which the mineral has been partially or wholly removed; the waste left in old workings; -- called also gob .

Graft (n.) To cover, as a ring bolt, block strap, splicing, etc., with a weaving of small cord or rope-yarns.

Griffin (n.) An Anglo-Indian name for a person just arrived from Europe.

Griffon (n.) A species of large vulture (Gyps fulvus) found in the mountainous parts of Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor; -- called also gripe, and grype. It is supposed to be the "eagle" of the Bible. The bearded griffin is the lammergeir.

Graffito (n.) Production of decorative designs by scratching them through a surface of layer plaster, glazing, etc., revealing a different-colored ground; also, pottery or ware so decorated; -- chiefly used attributively.

Griffon (n.) One of a European breed of rough-coated dogs, somewhat taller than the setter and of a grizzly liver color. They are used in hunt game birds. The Brussels griffon is a very small, wiry-coated, short-nosed pet dog of Belgian origin.

Gulf (n.) A portion of an ocean or sea extending into the land; a partially land-locked sea; as, the Gulf of Mexico.

Half (adv.) In an equal part or degree; in some pa/ appro/mating a half; partially; imperfectly; as, half-colored, half done, half-hearted, half persuaded, half conscious.

Half (a.) One of two equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided; -- sometimes followed by of; as, a half of an apple.

Halfbeak (n.) Any slender, marine fish of the genus Hemirhamphus, having the upper jaw much shorter than the lower; -- called also balahoo.

Hawfinch (n.) The common European grosbeak (Coccothraustes vulgaris); -- called also cherry finch, and coble.

Hamfatter (n.) A low-grade actor or performer.

Hogfish (n.) An American fresh-water fish; the log perch.

Hogfish (n.) A large, red, spiny-headed, European marine fish (Scorpaena scrofa).

Huff (v. i.) To remove from the board a man which could have captured a piece but has not done so; -- so called because it was the habit to blow upon the piece.

Inofficious (a.) Regardless of natural obligation; contrary to natural duty; unkind; -- commonly said of a testament made without regard to natural obligation, or by which a child is unjustly deprived of inheritance.

Inofficiously (adv.) Not-officiously.

Jeffersonia (n.) An American herb with a pretty, white, solitary blossom, and deeply two-cleft leaves (Jeffersonia diphylla); twinleaf.

Jeffersonite (n.) A variety of pyroxene of olive-green color passing into brown. It contains zinc.

Koff (n.) A two-masted Dutch vessel.

Kupfernickel (n.) Copper-nickel; niccolite. See Niccolite.

Leafed (a.) Having (such) a leaf or (so many) leaves; -- used in composition; as, broad-leafed; four-leafed.

Lief (adv.) Gladly; willingly; freely; -- now used only in the phrases, had as lief, and would as lief; as, I had, or would, as lief go as not.

Loaf (v. t.) To spend in idleness; -- with away; as, to loaf time away.

Loof (n.) Formerly, some appurtenance of a vessel which was used in changing her course; -- probably a large paddle put over the lee bow to help bring her head nearer to the wind.

Luff (n.) The forward or weather leech of a sail, especially of the jib, spanker, and other fore-and-aft sails.

Luffa (n.) The fibrous skeleton of the fruit, used as a sponge and in the manufacture of caps and women's hats; -- written also loofah.

Muffler (n.) Any of various devices to deaden the noise of escaping gases or vapors, as a tube filled with obstructions, through which the exhaust gases of an internal-combustion engine, as on an automobile, are passed (called also silencer).

Muff (n.) A stupid fellow; a poor-spirited person.

Muffle (n.) The bare end of the nose between the nostrils; -- used esp. of ruminants.

Muffle (v. t.) To wrap up in something that conceals or protects; to wrap, as the face and neck, in thick and disguising folds; hence, to conceal or cover the face of; to envelop; to inclose; -- often with up.

Naif (a.) Having a true natural luster without being cut; -- applied by jewelers to a precious stone.

Neufchatel (n.) A kind of soft sweet-milk cheese; -- so called from Neufchatel-en-Bray in France.

Oviferous (a.) Egg-bearing; -- applied particularly to certain receptacles, as in Crustacea, that retain the eggs after they have been excluded from the formative organs, until they are hatched.

Oviform (a.) Having the form or figure of an egg; egg-shaped; as, an oviform leaf.

Parfleche (n.) A kind of rawhide consisting of hide, esp. of the buffalo, which has been soaked in crude wood-ash lye to remove the hairs, and then dried.

Parfocal (a.) With the lower focal points all in the same plane; -- said of sets of eyepieces so mounted that they may be interchanged without varying the focus of the instrument (as a microscope or telescope) with which they are used.

Pelf (n.) Money; riches; lucre; gain; -- generally conveying the idea of something ill-gotten or worthless. It has no plural.

Perfect (a.) Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; -- said of flower.

Perfective (a.) Tending or conducing to make perfect, or to bring to perfection; -- usually followed by of.

Perfoliate (a.) Having the basal part produced around the stem; -- said of leaves which the stem apparently passes directory through.

Perforata (n. pl.) A division of corals including those that have a porous texture, as Porites and Madrepora; -- opposed to Aporosa.

Perfume (v.) The scent, odor, or odoriferous particles emitted from a sweet-smelling substance; a pleasant odor; fragrance; aroma.

Pigfish (n.) Any one of several species of salt-water grunts; -- called also hogfish.

Pinfish (n.) The salt-water bream (Diplodus Holbrooki).

Prefer (v. t.) To carry or bring (something) forward, or before one; hence, to bring for consideration, acceptance, judgment, etc.; to offer; to present; to proffer; to address; -- said especially of a request, prayer, petition, claim, charge, etc.

Prefer (v. t.) To set above or before something else in estimation, favor, or liking; to regard or honor before another; to hold in greater favor; to choose rather; -- often followed by to, before, or above.

Prefix (n.) That which is prefixed; esp., one or more letters or syllables combined or united with the beginning of a word to modify its signification; as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure.

Proface (interj.) Much good may it do you! -- a familiar salutation or welcome.

Profane (a.) Not sacred or holy; not possessing peculiar sanctity; unconsecrated; hence, relating to matters other than sacred; secular; -- opposed to sacred, religious, or inspired; as, a profane place.

Professional (a.) Engaged in by professionals; as, a professional race; -- opposed to amateur.

Professionalism (n.) The following of a profession, sport, etc., as an occupation; -- opposed to amateurism.

Proficient (a.) Well advanced in any branch of knowledge or skill; possessed of considerable acquirements; well-skilled; versed; adept,

Profound (a.) Characterized by intensity; deeply felt; pervading; overmastering; far-reaching; strongly impressed; as, a profound sleep.

Puff (n.) To blow, as an expression of scorn; -- with at.

Puff (v. t.) To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate; to ruffle with puffs; -- often with up; as, a bladder puffed with air.

Puff (v. t.) To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, or the like; -- often with up.

Puffball (n.) A kind of ball-shaped fungus (Lycoperdon giganteum, and other species of the same genus) full of dustlike spores when ripe; -- called also bullfist, bullfice, puckfist, puff, and puffin.

Puffer (n.) One who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at suction to bid up the price; a by-bidder.

Puffer (n.) Any plectognath fish which inflates its body, as the species of Tetrodon and Diodon; -- called also blower, puff-fish, swellfish, and globefish.

Puffin (n.) An arctic sea bird Fratercula arctica) allied to the auks, and having a short, thick, swollen beak, whence the name; -- called also bottle nose, cockandy, coulterneb, marrot, mormon, pope, and sea parrot.

Purfile (n.) A sort of ancient trimming of tinsel and thread for women's gowns; -- called also bobbinwork.

Raiffeisen (a.) Designating, or pertaining to, a form of cooperative bank founded among the German agrarian population by Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen (1818-88); as, Raiffeisen banks, the Raiffeisen system, etc. The banks are unlimited-liability institutions making small loans at a low rate of interest, for a designated purpose, to worthy members only.

Raff (n.) The sweepings of society; the rabble; the mob; -- chiefly used in the compound or duplicate, riffraff.

Raffle (v. t.) To dispose of by means of a raffle; -- often followed by off; as, to raffle off a horse.

Ratfish (n.) Same as Rat-tail.

Redfish (n.) The blueback salmon of the North Pacific; -- called also nerka. See Blueback (b).

Redfish (n.) A large California labroid food fish (Trochocopus pulcher); -- called also fathead.

Reef (n.) A large vein of auriferous quartz; -- so called in Australia. Hence, any body of rock yielding valuable ore.

Reefer (n.) A close-fitting lacket or short coat of thick cloth.

Rinforzando (a.) Increasing; strengthening; -- a direction indicating a sudden increase of force (abbreviated rf., rfz.) Cf. Forzando, and Sforzando.

Ruffe (n.) A small freshwater European perch (Acerina vulgaris); -- called also pope, blacktail, and stone, / striped, perch.

Ruffle (v. t. & i.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; -- called also ruff.

Scaffold (n.) An accumulation of adherent, partly fused material forming a shelf, or dome-shaped obstruction, above the tuyeres in a blast furnace.

Scoff (n.) To show insolent ridicule or mockery; to manifest contempt by derisive acts or language; -- often with at.

Selfishness (n.) The quality or state of being selfish; exclusive regard to one's own interest or happiness; that supreme self-love or self-preference which leads a person to direct his purposes to the advancement of his own interest, power, or happiness, without regarding those of others.

Selfism (n.) Concentration of one's interests on one's self; self-love; selfishness.

Selvagee (n.) A skein or hank of rope yarns wound round with yarns or marSelf (a.) Having its own or a single nature or character, as in color, composition, etc., without addition or change; unmixed; as, a self bow, one made from a single piece of wood; self flower or plant, one which is wholly of one color; self-colored.

Shaft (n.) A column, an obelisk, or other spire-shaped or columnar monument.

Shaft (n.) A humming bird (Thaumastura cora) having two of the tail feathers next to the middle ones very long in the male; -- called also cora humming bird.

Shaft (n.) A well-like excavation in the earth, perpendicular or nearly so, made for reaching and raising ore, for raising water, etc.

Shafted (a.) Having a shaft; -- applied to a spear when the head and the shaft are of different tinctures.

Shift (v. t.) To change the clothing of; -- used reflexively.

Shiff (v. i.) To make a change or changes; to change position; to move; to veer; to substitute one thing for another; -- used in the various senses of the transitive verb.

Shiff (v. i.) To slip to one side of a ship, so as to destroy the equilibrum; -- said of ballast or cargo; as, the cargo shifted.

Shift (v. t.) Something frequently shifted; especially, a woman's under-garment; a chemise.

Snaffle (n.) A kind of bridle bit, having a joint in the part to be placed in the mouth, and rings and cheek pieces at the ends, but having no curb; -- called also snaffle bit.

Sniff (v. t.) To draw air audibly up the nose; to snuff; -- sometimes done as a gesture of suspicion, offense, or contempt.

Solfeggiare (v. i.) To sol-fa. See Sol-fa, v. i.

Solferino (n.) A brilliant deep pink color with a purplish tinge, one of the dyes derived from aniStaff (n.) The five Stiff (superl.) Bearing a press of canvas without careening much; as, a stiff vessel; -- opposed to crank.

Stifle (n.) The joint next above the hock, and near the flank, in the hind leg of the horse and allied animals; the joint corresponding to the knee in man; -- called also stifle joint. See Illust. under Horse.

Stuff (n.) To fill the skin of, for the purpose of preserving as a specimen; -- said of birds or other animals.

Stuffy (a.) Ill-ventilated; close.

Sufficiency (n.) Conceit; self-confidence; self-sufficiency.

Sufficient (a.) Self-sufficient; self-satisfied; content.

Sunfish (n.) Any one of numerous species of perch-like North American fresh-water fishes of the family Centrachidae. They have a broad, compressed body, and strong dorsal spines. Among the common species of the Eastern United States are Lepomis gibbosus (called also bream, pondfish, pumpkin seed, and sunny), the blue sunfish, or dollardee (L. pallidus), and the long-eared sunfish (L. auritus). Several of the species are called also pondfish.

Sunflower (n.) Any plant of the genus Helianthus; -- so called probably from the form and color of its flower, which is large disk with yellow rays. The commonly cultivated sunflower is Helianthus annuus, a native of America.

Surfeit (v. t.) To feed so as to oppress the stomach and derange the function of the system; to overfeed, and produce satiety, sickness, or uneasiness; -- often reflexive; as, to surfeit one's self with sweets.

Swift (n.) Any one of numerous species of small, long-winged, insectivorous birds of the family Micropodidae. In form and habits the swifts resemble swallows, but they are destitute of complex vocal muscles and are not singing birds, but belong to a widely different group allied to the humming birds.

Swift (n.) A reel, or turning instrument, for winding yarn, thread, etc.; -- used chiefly in the plural.

Swift (n.) The main card cylinder of a flax-carding machine.

Teufit (n.) The lapwing; -- called also teuchit.

Tiffin (n.) A lunch, or slight repast between breakfast and dinner; -- originally, a Provincial English word, but introduced into India, and brought back to England in a special sense.

Tref (a.) Ceremonially unclean, according to the Jewish law; -- opposed to kosher.

Trefle (n.) A species of time; -- so called from its resemblance in form to a trefoil.

Trefle (a.) Having a three-lobed extremity or extremities, as a cross; also, more rarely, ornamented with trefoils projecting from the edges, as a bearing.

Trefoil (n.) Any plant of the genus Trifolium, which includes the white clover, red clover, etc.; -- less properly, applied also to the nonesuch, or black medic. See Clover, and Medic.

Trifid (a.) Cleft to the middle, or slightly beyond the middle, into three parts; three-cleft.

Triflorous (a.) Three-flowered; having or bearing three flowers; as, a triflorous peduncle.

Tuefall (n.) See To-fall.

Turf (n.) Race course; horse racing; -- preceded by the.

Uniformism (n.) The doctrine of uniformity in the geological history of the earth; -- in part equivalent to uniformitarianism, but also used, more broadly, as opposed to catastrophism.

Webfoot (n.) Any web-footed bird.

Welfare (n.) Well-doing or well-being in any respect; the enjoyment of health and the common blessings of life; exemption from any evil or calamity; prosperity; happiness.

Wolf (a.) Any one of several species of wild and savage carnivores belonging to the genus Canis and closely allied to the common dog. The best-known and most destructive species are the European wolf (Canis lupus), the American gray, or timber, wolf (C. occidentalis), and the prairie wolf, or coyote. Wolves often hunt in packs, and may thus attack large animals and even man.

Wolffian (a.) Discovered, or first described, by Caspar Friedrich Wolff (1733-1794), the founder of modern embryology.

Wulfenite (n.) Native lead molybdate occurring in tetragonal crystals, usually tabular, and of a bright orange-yellow to red, gray, or brown color; -- also called yellow lead ore.

About the author

Mark McCracken Author: Mark McCracken is a corporate trainer and author living in Higashi Osaka, Japan. He is the author of thousands of online articles as well as the Business English textbook, "25 Business Skills in English".

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