fantastic (fan-tas'tik), grotesque; imaginary. "fatal sisters," this refers to the three Fates of Greek mythology, "spinners of the thread of life." The first, Clotho, spins the thread of life, the second, Lachesis, determines its length, and the third, Atropos, cuts it. The Greek Fates have their counterpart in the Norse Norns. Fata Morgana (fa'ta mor-ga'na), a mirage at sea. The spectator on shore sees images of men, houses, and ships, sometimes on the sea; so-called because formerly regarded as the work of a fairy of this name. Father of Waters, a fanciful name given by the Indians to the Mississippi River. fathom (fath'um), find the depth of; measure of length containing six feet. Fatigue (fa-teg'), weariness from labor or exertion. Federal (fed'er-al), a friend of the Constitution of the United States at its adoption. feign (fan), pretend. feint (fant), pretense. Felician, Father (fe-lish'an), felicity (fe-lis'i-ti), happiness. fell (fel), a rocky hill. felloe (fel'o), the outside rim of a wheel supported by the spokes. felon (fel'un) one guilty of a crime. Fenwick (fen wik), a Scotch family. Feroe (fer'o), a group of islands in the North Sea between the Shetlands and Iceland. fervently (fur'_vent-li), earnestly. festoons (fes-toonz'), green vines or leaves hanging in a curve, garlands. fettered (fet'erd), bound. feudal (fu'dal), the feudal ystem, by which the holding of land depended upon rendering military service to the king or feudal lord during the Middle Ages. filch (filch), steal. filial (fil'yal), dutiful as a child to his parent. film (film), a thin, slight covering. finance (fi-nans'), public money. "finny herd," a school of fish. firmament (fur'ma-ment), heavens. "fishing smack," a small sloop-rigged vessel used for fishing along the coast. flag-bird, a poetic word for standard. flagon (flag'un), a vessel with a narrow mouth for holding liquor. flail (flal), a wooden instrument for threshing out grain by hand. "flame pennons," (flam-pen'un), swallow-tailed flags. flank (flank), the side of an animal, between the ribs and hip. flaunt (riant), display with pride or in a showy manner. Flemish (flem'ish), pertaining to Flanders, One of the provinces of Belgium. A favorite subject of Flemish painters was the family group around the fireside. Flimen (flim''n), floundering (floun'der-ing), tossing and tumbling. flurry (flur'i), hurry. flux (fluks), the setting in of the tide toward the shore. fondling (fond'ling), caressing. Fontaine quibout (fon-tan'ke-boo), Foolish Virgins, this refers to the parable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25; 1-13. foolscap (foolz'kap), long folio writing paper named from its watermark, the fool's cap and bells. ford (ford), a place where water may be crossed on foot by wading. forebode (for-bod'), foretell despondingly. forfeit (for'fit), lose the right to a thing by some error or crime. formidable (for'mi-da-b'l), alarming, dangerous.