Frivolous - Frontal

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Frivolous (?), a. [L. frivolus; prob. akin to friare to rub, crumble, E. friable: cf. F. frivole.]
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1. Of little weight or importance; not worth notice; slight; as, a frivolous argument. Swift.
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2. Given to trifling; marked with unbecoming levity; silly; interested especially in trifling matters.
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His personal tastes were low and frivolous. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Trifling; trivial; slight; petty; worthless.

-- Frivolously, adv. -- Frivolousness, n.
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Friz (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frizzed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frizzing (?).] [Cf. F. friser to curl, crisp, frizzle, to raise the nap (on certain stuffs); prob.akin to OFries. frisle hair of the head. Cf. kind of cloth.] [Written also frizz.] 1. To curl or form into small curls, as hair, with a crisping pin; to crisp.
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With her hair frizzed short up to her ears. Pepys.
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2. To form into little burs, prominences, knobs, or tufts, as the nap of cloth.
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3. (Leather Manufacture) To soften and make of even thickness by rubbing, as with pumice stone or a blunt instrument.
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Coloq. Frizzing machine . (a) (Fabrics) A machine for frizzing the surface of cloth. (b) (Wood Working) A bench with a revolving cutter head slightly protruding above its surface, for dressing boards.
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Friz, n.; pl. Frizzes (�). That which is frizzed; anything crisped or curled, as a wig; a frizzle. [Written also frizz.]
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He [Dr. Johnson], who saw in his glass how his wig became his face and head, might easily infer that a similar fullbottomed, well-curled friz of words would be no less becoming to his thoughts. Hare.
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Frize (?), n. (Arch.) See 1st .
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Frizel (?), a. (Firearms) A movable furrowed piece of steel struck by the flint, to throw sparks into the pan, in an early form of flintlock. Knight.
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Frizette (?), n. [F. frisette curl.] A curl of hair or silk; a pad of frizzed hair or silk worn by women under the hair to stuff it out.
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Frizz (?), v. t. & n. See , v. t. & n.
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Frizz, v. t. & i. [Partly imitative, but cf. .] To fry, cook, or sear with a sizzling noise; to sizzle.
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Frizzle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frizzled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frizzling (?).] [Dim. of .] To curl or crisp, as hair; to friz; to crinkle. Gay.
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Coloq. To frizzle up , to crinkle or crisp excessively.
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Frizzle (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Frizzled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frizzling (?).] [Freq. of an imitative word frizz, in dial. use.] 1. To fry, toast, or broil with a sputtering sound to cook with a sizzling noise. Also fig. Hawthorne.
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2. To cook, in certain way, so as to curl or crinkle up.

Drain and heat it [shaved smoked beef] in one tablespoonful of hot butter, to curl or frizzle it. Mrs. Lincoln (Cook Book).
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Frizzle, n. A curl; a lock of hair crisped. Milton.
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Frizzler (?), n. One who frizzles.

{ Frizzly (?), Frizzy (?), } a. Curled or crisped; as, frizzly, hair.
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Fro (frō), adv. [OE. fra, fro, adv. & prep., Icel. frā, akin to Dan. fra from, E. from. See .] From; away; back or backward; -- now used only in opposition to the word to, in the phrase to and fro, that is, to and from. See under . Milton.
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Fro, prep. From. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Frock (frŏk), n. [F. froc a monk's cowl, coat, garment, LL. frocus, froccus, flocus, floccus, fr. L. floccus a flock of wool; hence orig., a flocky cloth or garment; cf. L. flaccus flabby, E. flaccid.] 1. A loose outer garment; especially, a gown forming a part of European modern costume for women and children; also, a coarse shirtlike garment worn by some workmen over their other clothes; a smock frock; as, a marketman's frock.
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2. A coarse gown worn by monks or friars, and supposed to take the place of all, or nearly all, other garments. It has a hood which can be drawn over the head at pleasure, and is girded by a cord.
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Coloq. Frock coat , a body coat for men, usually double-breasted, the skirts not being in one piece with the body, but sewed on so as to be somewhat full. -- Coloq. Smock frock . See in the Vocabulary.
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Frock, v. t. 1. To clothe in a frock.
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2. To make a monk of. Cf. .
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Frocked (?), a. Clothed in a frock.
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Frockless (?), a. Destitute of a frock.
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Froe (frō), n. [See .] A dirty woman; a slattern; a frow. [Obs.] “Raging frantic froes.” Draylon.
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Froe, n. [See the tool] An iron cleaver or splitting tool; a frow. [U. S.] Bartlett.
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Froebelian (?), a. Pertaining to, or derived from, Friedrich Froebel, or the kindergarten system of education, which he organized. -- n. One who teaches by, or advocates the use of, the kindergarten system.
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Frog (frŏg), n. [AS. froggu, frocga a frog (in sensel); akin to D. vorsch, OHG. frosk, G. frosch, Icel. froskr, fraukr, Sw. & Dan. frö.] 1. (Zoöl.) An amphibious animal of the genus Rana and related genera, of many species. Frogs swim rapidly, and take long leaps on land. Many of the species utter loud notes in the springtime.
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☞ The edible frog of Europe (Rana esculenta) is extensively used as food; the American bullfrog (R. Catesbiana) is remarkable for its great size and loud voice.
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2. [Perh. akin to E. fork, cf. frush frog of a horse.] (Anat.) The triangular prominence of the hoof, in the middle of the sole of the foot of the horse, and other animals; the fourchette.
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3. (Railroads) A supporting plate having raised ribs that form continuations of the rails, to guide the wheels where one track branches from another or crosses it.
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4. [Cf. fraco of wool or silk, L. floccus, E. frock.] An oblong cloak button, covered with netted thread, and fastening into a loop instead of a button hole.
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5. The loop of the scabbard of a bayonet or sword.
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Coloq. Cross frog (Railroads), a frog adapted for tracks that cross at right angles. -- Coloq. Frog cheese , a popular name for a large puffball. -- Coloq. Frog eater , one who eats frogs; -- a term of contempt applied to a Frenchman by the vulgar class of English. -- Coloq. Frog fly . (Zoöl.) See hopper. -- Coloq. Frog hopper (Zoöl.), a small, leaping, hemipterous insect living on plants. The larvæ are inclosed in a frothy liquid called cuckoo spit or frog spit. -- Coloq. Frog lily (Bot.), the yellow water lily (Nuphar). -- Coloq. Frog spit (Zoöl.), the frothy exudation of the frog hopper; -- called also frog spittle. See Cuckoo spit, under .
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Frog (?), v. t. To ornament or fasten (a coat, etc.) with trogs. See , n., 4.
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frogmarch v. 1. to march a person against his will by any method.
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2. to carry someone against his will upside down such that each limb is held by one person.
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frogbit, frog's-bit (?), n. (Bot.) (a) A European plant (Hydrocharis Morsus-ranæ), floating on still water and propagating itself by runners. It has roundish heart-shaped leaves and small white flowers. (b) An American plant (Limnobium Spongia), with similar habits.
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Frog-eyed (?), a. Spotted with whitish specks due to a disease, or produced artificially by spraying; -- said of tobacco used for cigar wrappers.
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Frogfish (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) See , n., 2. (b) An oceanic fish of the genus Antennarius or Pterophrynoides; -- called also mousefish and toadfish.
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Frogged (?), a. Provided or ornamented with frogs; as, a frogged coat. See , n., 4. Ld. Lytton.
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Froggy (?), a. Abounding in frogs. Sherwood.
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Frogmouth (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of several species of Asiatic and East Indian birds of the genus Batrachostomus (family Podargidæ); -- so called from their very broad, flat bills.
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Frogs-bit (?), n. (Bot.) Frogbit.
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Frogshell (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of numerous species of marine gastropod shells, belonging to Ranella and allied genera.
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Froise (?), n. [OE. froise cf. F. froisser to bruise, E. frush to bruise,] A kind of pancake. See 1st . [Written also fraise.]
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Frolic (frŏlĭk), a. [D. vroolijk; akin to G. frölich, fr. froh, OHG. frō, Dan. fro, OS. frāh, cf. Icel. frār swift; all perh. akin to Skr. pru to spring up.] Full of levity; dancing, playing, or frisking about; full of pranks; frolicsome; gay; merry.
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The frolic wind that breathes the spring. Milton.
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The gay, the frolic, and the loud. Waller.
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Frolic, n. 1. A wild prank; a flight of levity, or of gayety and mirth.
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He would be at his frolic once again. Roscommon.
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2. A scene of gayety and mirth, as in lively play, or in dancing; a merrymaking.
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Frolic, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Frolicked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frolicking.] To play wild pranks; to play tricks of levity, mirth, and gayety; to indulge in frolicsome play; to sport.
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Hither, come hither, and frolic and play. Tennyson.
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Frolicful (?), a. Frolicsome. [R.]
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Frolicky (?), a. Frolicsome. [Obs.] Richardson.
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Frolicly, adv. In a frolicsome manner; with mirth and gayety. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
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Frolicsome (?), a. Full of gayety and mirth; given to pranks; sportive.
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Old England, who takes a frolicsome brain fever once every two or three years, for the benefit of her doctors. Sir W. Scott.

-- Frolicsomely, adv. -- Frolicsomeness, n.
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From (frŏm), prep. [AS. fram, from; akin to OS. fram out, OHG. & Icel. fram forward, Sw. fram, Dan. frem, Goth. fram from, prob. akin to E. forth. �202. Cf. , .] Out of the neighborhood of; lessening or losing proximity to; leaving behind; by reason of; out of; by aid of; -- used whenever departure, setting out, commencement of action, being, state, occurrence, etc., or procedure, emanation, absence, separation, etc., are to be expressed. It is construed with, and indicates, the point of space or time at which the action, state, etc., are regarded as setting out or beginning; also, less frequently, the source, the cause, the occasion, out of which anything proceeds; -- the antithesis and correlative of to; as, it, is one hundred miles from Boston to Springfield; he took his sword from his side; light proceeds from the sun; separate the coarse wool from the fine; men have all sprung from Adam, and often go from good to bad, and from bad to worse; the merit of an action depends on the principle from which it proceeds; men judge of facts from personal knowledge, or from testimony.
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Experience from the time past to the time present. Bacon.
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The song began from Jove. Drpden.
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From high Mæonia's rocky shores I came. Addison.
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If the wind blow any way from shore. Shak.
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☞ From sometimes denotes away from, remote from, inconsistent with. “Anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing.” Shak. From, when joined with another preposition or an adverb, gives an opportunity for abbreviating the sentence. “There followed him great multitudes of people . . . from [the land] beyond Jordan.” Math. iv. 25. In certain constructions, as from forth, from out, etc., the ordinary and more obvious arrangment is inverted, the sense being more distinctly forth from, out from -- from being virtually the governing preposition, and the word the adverb. See From off, under , adv., and From afar, under , adv.
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Sudden partings such as press
The life from out young hearts. Byron.

{ Fromward (?), Fromwards (?), } prep. [AS. framweard about to depart. Cf. ] A way from; -- the contrary of toward. [Obs.]
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Towards or fromwards the zenith. Cheyne.
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Frond (frŏnd), n. [L. frons, frondis, a leafy branch, foliage.] (Bot.) The organ formed by the combination or union into one body of stem and leaf, and often bearing the fructification; as, the frond of a fern or of a lichen or seaweed; also, the peculiar leaf of a palm tree.
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Frondation (?), n. [L. frondatio, from frons. See .] The act of stripping, as trees, of leaves or branches; a kind of pruning. Evelyn.
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Fronde (?), n. [F.] (F. Hist.) A political party in France, during the minority of Louis XIV., who opposed the government, and made war upon the court party.
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Fronded (?), a. Furnished with fronds. “Fronded palms.” Whittier.
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Frondent (?), a. [L. frondens, p. pr. of frondere to put forth leaves. See .] Covered with leaves; leafy; as, a frondent tree. [R.]
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Frondesce (?), v. i. [L. frondescere, inchoative fr. frondere. See .] To unfold leaves, as plants.
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Frondescence (?), n. (Bot.) (a) The time at which each species of plants unfolds its leaves. (b) The act of bursting into leaf. Milne. Martyn.
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Frondeur (?), n. [F.] (F. Hist.) A member of the Fronde.
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Frondiferous (?), a. [L. frondifer frons a leafy branch + ferre to bear: cf. F. frondifere.] Producing fronds.
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Frondlet (?), n. (Bot.) A very small frond, or distinct portion of a compound frond.
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Frondose (?), a. [L. frondosus leafy.] (Bot.) (a) Frond bearing; resembling a frond; having a simple expansion not separable into stem and leaves. (b) Leafy. Gray.
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Frondous (?), a. (Bot.) Frondose. [R.]
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Frons (?), n. [L., front.] (Anal.) The forehead; the part of the cranium between the orbits and the vertex.
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Front (frŭnt), n. [F. frant forehead, L. frons, frontis; perh. akin to E. brow.] 1. The forehead or brow, the part of the face above the eyes; sometimes, also, the whole face.
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Bless'd with his father's front, his mother's tongue. Pope.
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Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front. Shak.
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His front yet threatens, and his frowns command. Prior.
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2. The forehead, countenance, or personal presence, as expressive of character or temper, and especially, of boldness of disposition, sometimes of impudence; seeming; as, a bold front; a hardened front; hence, an attitude and demeanor intended to represent one's feelings, even if not actually felt; as, to put on a good front.
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With smiling fronts encountering. Shak.
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The inhabitants showed a bold front. Macaulay.
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3. The part or surface of anything which seems to look out, or to be directed forward; the fore or forward part; the foremost rank; the van; -- the opposite to back or rear; as, the front of a house; the front of an army.
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Had he his hurts before?
Ay, on the front. Shak.
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4. A position directly before the face of a person, or before the foremost part of a thing; as, in front of un person, of the troops, or of a house.
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5. The most conspicuous part.
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The very head and front of my offending. Shak.
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6. That which covers the foremost part of the head: a front piece of false hair worn by women.
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Like any plain Miss Smith's, who wears s front. Mrs. Browning.
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7. The beginning. “Summer's front.” Shak.
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8. (Fort.) All the works along one side of the polygon inclosing the site which is fortified.
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9. (Phon.) The middle of the upper part of the tongue, -- the part of the tongue which is more or less raised toward the palate in the pronunciation of certain sounds, as the vowel i in machine, e in bed, and consonant y in you. See Guide to Pronunciation, §10.
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10. The call boy whose turn it is to answer the call, which is often the word “front,” used as an exclamation. [Hotel Cant]
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Coloq. Bastioned front (Mil.), a curtain connerting two half bastions. -- Coloq. Front door , the door in the front wall of a building, usually the principal entrance. -- Coloq. Front of fortification , the works constructed upon any one side of a polygon. Farrow. -- Coloq. Front of operations , all that part of the field of operations in front of the successive positions occupied by the army as it moves forward. Farrow. -- Coloq. To come to the front , to attain prominence or leadership.
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Front, a. Of or relating to the front or forward part; having a position in front; foremost; as, a front view.
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Front, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fronted; p. pr. & vb. n. Fronting.] 1. To oppose face to face; to oppose directly; to meet in a hostile manner.
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You four shall front them in the narrow lane. Shak.
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2. To appear before; to meet.
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[Enid] daily fronted him
In some fresh splendor. Tennyson.
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3. To face toward; to have the front toward; to confront; as, the house fronts the street.
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And then suddenly front the changed reality. J. Morley.
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4. To stand opposed or opposite to, or over against as, his house fronts the church.
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5. To adorn in front; to supply a front to; as, to front a house with marble; to front a head with laurel.
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Yonder walls, that pertly front your town. Shak.
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Front, v. t. To have or turn the face or front in any direction; as, the house fronts toward the east.
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Frontage (?), n. The front part of an edifice or lot; extent of front.
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Frontal (?), a. [Cf. F. frontal.] Belonging to the front part; being in front; esp. (Anat.), Of or pertaining to the forehead or the anterior part of the roof of the brain case; as, the frontal bones.
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Frontal, n. [F. frontal, fronteau, OF. Frontel, frontal, L. frontale an ornament for the forehead, frontlet. See .] 1. Something worn on the forehead or face; a frontlet; as: (a) An ornamental band for the hair. (b) (Mil.) The metal face guard of a soldier.
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