List Of Unusual Words Beginning With F
fabiform
shaped like a bean
fabulist
one who invents fables
faburden
harmony in thirds and sixths
face-cord
unit of wood measurement equal to a stack four by eight feet in volume
facetiae
term for books of inappropriate or lewd nature
facia
nameplate or sign above shop
facinorous
atrociously wicked
factious
turbulent; given to faction; seditious
factitious
produced by humans or artificial forces
factitive
signifying making or causing something to be
factive
indicating causation
factotum
lackey; person employed to do various jobs
factualism
theory that facts alone can be used to draw moral conclusions
facture
workmanship; the products of making
facula
unusually bright spot on sun's surface
facultative
optional; incidental; conferring privilege
fagin
an adult who instructs others in crime
fagottist
bassoon player
faience
glazed coloured earthware
faille
shiny closely woven silk, cotton or rayon fabric
fain
happy; inclined; pleased
fainéant
puppet ruler; do-nothing; idle person
fairlead
ring through which rope is led to change its direction without friction
falanouc
carnivorous mongoose-like mammal of Madagascar
falcade
motion of a horse throwing itself on its haunches
falcate
resembling a sickle
falciform
shaped like a sickle
falconet
small variety of falcon
falconine
of, like or pertaining to falcons or hawks
falderal
nonsense; meaningless refrain of a song
faldstool
desk from which the Litany is read at church service
fallibilism
the doctrine that empirical knowledge is uncertain
falsidical
conveying a meaning that is false
falsiloquence
deceitful speech
famicide
one who destroys another's reputation; slanderer
famigerate
to carry news from abroad
familic
pertaining to a family; domestic
familism
the tendency of a family to cohere as a group
familistery
house for communal living
famulus
private secretary or attendant
fanal
lighthouse or beacon
fandangle
pretentious tomfoolery
fandango
lively Spanish dance performed by a couple
fane
flag or banner; weather-cock
fanfaron
an empty boaster
fanfaronade
grandiose trumpet blast
fanion
cloth worn on priest's arm and used for handling holy vessels
fanion
small flag used in surveying
fantassin
infantry soldier
fantasticate
to fantasize over something
fantigue
anxiety or irritation
fantod
a state of irritability or tension; an emotional fit
farad
unit measuring electrical capacitance
farandine
silk and wool cloth
farandole
lively Provençal dance in which men and women hold hands
farcinate
to fill the stomach with food
fardage
wood placed in bottom of ship to keep cargo dry
fardel
anything cumbersome or irksome
farinaceous
mealy; consisting of cereals
farinose
resembling or yielding flour
farouche
wild; unpolished
farraginous
disordered; jumbled; miscellaneous
farrago
confused mass of objects or people; disordered mixture
farrier
one who shoes horses or cares for horses
farris
female blacksmith
farrow
to give birth to piglets
farruca
Spanish gypsy dance with sudden tempo and mood changes
fasces
bundle of rods with an axe used to symbolise authority
fascia
board over a shop-front
fascicle
bundle; division of book published in parts
fascine
bundle of brushwood used to fill ditches
fasti
record or register
fastigiate
pointed; conical
fastigium
roof; peak; gable
fastuous
haughty; ostentatious
fatalism
doctrine that events are fixed and humans are powerless
fathometer
instrument for measuring underwater depth using sound
fatidical
prophetic; having the power to foretell the future
fatiloquent
speaking prophetically; declaring fate
fatuous
silly; purposeless
fauld
horizontal plates of armor below the breastplate
fauteuil
enclosed seat in theatre
faveolate
honeycombed
faviform
shaped like a honeycomb
favonian
of, like or pertaining to the west wind; mild and favourable
feague
to whip; to perplex
featous
shapely; well-made; handsome; neat
febricant
causing fever
febricity
feverishness
febrifuge
something which reduces fever
fecalith
stony heap or mass of feces
feckless
feeble; helpless; futile; ineffectual
feculent
covered with filth; filthy
felicide
killing of a cat
felicificative
tending to make happy
feliform
having a catlike form or shape
fell
barren or rocky hill or moor
felloe
circular rim of a wheel
felsenmeer
flat arctic area covered with angular boulders
femerall
outlet for smoke in a roof
femicide
killing of a woman
fenestella
recess in church wall for storing communion vessels
fenestral
of, like or pertaining to windows
fennec
small long-eared African fox
feracious
fruitful; fecund
feretory
shrine for relics during a procession or for a funeral bier
feria
weekday of a church calendar on which no holiday falls
ferial
of, like or pertaining to holidays
ferity
state of savagery or barbarism
fermi
unit of length equal to one quadrillionth of a metre
ferriferous
bearing iron
ferronière
jewel held on the forehead by a chain
ferruginous
of the colour of rust; impregnated with iron
ferrule
band on the end of a stick for reinforcing it
ferula
flat piece of wood
ferulaceous
like a cane or reed
ferule
cane or rod used for punishment
fescennine
marked by the use of vulgarity or obscene language
fess
broad horizontal bar across heraldic field
festilogy
treatise on ecclesiastical festivals
festinate
to accelerate; to quicken
fetial
heraldic; ambassadorial
feticide
killing of a fetus
fetlock
tuft of hair immediately above horse's hoof
fettling
loose material thrown on furnace hearth for protection
feuilleton
critical article at the bottom of a newspaper page
fiacre
hackney coach; cab
fiberscope
instrument using fiberoptics to examine inaccessible areas
fibriform
shaped like a fibre
fibrilliform
shaped like a small fibre
fibula
brooch in the shape of a safety pin
ficiform
shaped like a fig
fictile
capable of being moulded; of, like or pertaining to pottery
fictionalism
belief that the falsity of an idea does not render it useless
fictor
sculptor; one who makes images from clay
fid
conical wooden pin used to splice strands of rope
fiddle-faddle
trifling talk
fiddley
iron framework around hatchway opening
fideicide
killer of faith; one who breaks a trust
fideism
doctrine that knowledge depends on faith over reason
fidicinal
of, like or pertaining to stringed musical instruments
fiduciary
held in trust; depending on trust
fie
expression of disgust or disapproval
fierasfer
small parasitic Mediterranean fish
figuline
of, like or pertaining to earthenware
figurant
ballet dancer who dances only in groups
figuration
the act of giving figure or form
figurehead
ornament or (usually female) bust attached to the bow of a ship
filaceous
filatory
filature
filemot
dead-leaf colour; dull brown
filicide
killing of one's own child
filiciform
shaped like a fern or frond
filiferous
thread-bearing
filiform
shaped like a thread
filiopietistic
marked by excessive veneration of ancestors
filipendulous
hanging by or strung on a thread
fillister
groove in window pane into which glass is set
filose
threadlike; having a threadlike end
filoselle
coarse floss silk
fimbriate
fringed; having a narrow border
fimetic
of, like or pertaining to dung
fimicolous
living in dung
finalism
belief that an end has or can be reached
fingent
moulding; shaping
finial
decoration on the top of a gable or spire
finical
excessively precise in trivial matters
finitism
belief that the universe or God is finite in scope
fipple
plug in the mouthpiece of a wind instrument
firkin
old unit of capacity equal to one quarter of a barrel
fissicostate
having divided ribs
fissilingual
with forked or cloven tongue
fissility
ability to be split
fissiparous
tending to break up into parts
fissiped
animal with separated toes
fistula
long narrow passage or duct
fistuliform
shaped like a pipe
fitch
brush made from hair of polecat
fixity
fixed state; stability; permanence
flabellation
the act of fanning
flabelliform
shaped like a fan
flagellantism
the practice of whipping oneself or another
flagelliferous
bearing a whip or flagellum
flagelliform
shaped like a whip
flagellomania
abnormal enthusiasm for flogging
flageolet
small flute or recorder with two thumb holes
flagitate
to entreat or importune
flagitious
grossly wicked; guilty of heinous crimes
flagstaff
flag pole at stern of a ship
flambeau
flaming torch
flammeous
flame-coloured
flammiferous
producing flame
flammulation
flamelike marking
flancard
armour for the thigh
flânerie
idling; strolling about aimlessly
flannel
ostentatious nonsense
flapdoodle
gross flattery; nonsense
flaughter
flautino
small flute or piccolo
flavescent
yellowish or turning yellow
fleam
surgical instrument
flèche
narrow wooden spire on church roof
fleer
to mock; to jeer; to make faces in contempt
flench
to cut up the blubber of; to flay
fleshling
a sensualist
fleuret
ornament resembling a small flower
flews
drooping or pendulous lips
flexiloquent
speaking ambiguously or using words of doubtful meaning
flexuose
full of windings and turnings; undulating
flibbertigibbet
gossipy or flighty person
flimflam
nonsense; trickery
flinty
unyielding; stern
flivver
cheap car or airplane
floatant
agent causing flotation
floccilation
fitful plucking at the bedclothes
floccinaucinihilipilification
setting at little or no value
flocculate
to collect or mass together in tufts or masses
floricide
killing or killer of flowers
floricomous
crowned or topped with flowers
floriferous
bearing flowers
floriform
shaped like a flower
florilegium
anthology of writings, especially of church fathers
florimania
craze for flowers
floriscope
instrument for inspecting flowers
floristry
the art of cultivating and selling flowers
florisugent
sucking honey from flowers
floromancy
belief that flowers have feelings
floruit
dates of a person's birth and death
flounce
to move impatiently or abruptly
flowmeter
instrument for measuring properties of flowing liquids
fluke
part of an anchor that fastens in the ground
flumen
right to direct excess rain water to neighbour's yard
fluminous
having many rivers or streams
flummadiddle
nonsense; humbug
flummery
anything insipid; empty compliment; humbug
fluorimeter
instrument for measuring fluorescence
fluorography
radiographic imagery using a fluorescent screen
fluoroscope
instrument using x-rays to examine internal structure of opaque object
fluvialist
one stressing the role of rivers in explanation
fluviology
study of watercourses
fluxional
variable; inconstant
flype
to strip back; to turn partially inside out
flysch
sandstone deposit
focimeter
instrument for measuring focal length of a lens
fodient
of, like or pertaining to digging
foehn
dry wind that blows down from mountaintops
foeticide
killing a fetus
foetiferous
bearing or carrying a fetus
foin
to thrust with a sword or spear
foinery
fencing; swordplay
foison
plenty; plentiful yield
foliaceous
bearing leaves; leaf-like
foliate
to cover with leaf metal; to number the leaves of
foliferous
bearing leaves
foliform
shaped like a leaf
foliophagous
eating leaves; eating folios of books
folkloristics
study of folklore and fables
fontinal
growing near springs
fooliaminy
collective term for fools
foolocracy
government by fools
foothot
hastily; immediately; on the spot
footlambert
unit of luminance of a surface emitting one lumen per square foot
footle
to waste time; to act foolishly
footling
inept; trivial
foraminated
perforated or pierced with small holes
foraminiferous
bearing foramina
foraneous
of, like or pertaining to forums
forcipate
of, like or pertaining to forceps
forcipiform
shaped like forceps
fore
at an earlier time or period
forebitt
post for fastening cables at a ship's foremast
forecabin
cabin in fore part of ship
forecastle
short raised deck at fore end of ship; fore of ship under main deck
forecome
to come early; to come before
forefoot
foremost end of ship's keel
forel
parchment for covering books
foremast
mast nearest the bow of a ship
foreright
directly in front of
foresail
lowest sail set on the foremast of square-rigged ship
foreshots
first liquid to come out of a still
forestay
stay leading from the foremast to the bow of a ship
forfaiting
export finance where debts on goods are transacted
forfend
to ward off or avert
forfex
a pair of scissors or pincers
forficate
forked; like scissors
forficulate
like scissors
forinsecal
foreign; alien; extrinsic
forisfamiliate
to emancipate from parental authority
formant
anything that limits, determines or defines
formate
to join or fly in a formation
formic
of, like or pertaining to ants
formicate
resembling an ant
formication
sensation like ants crawling on the skin
formicide
substance that kills ants
formicine
of, like or pertaining to ants
formivorous
eating ants
fornent
against; opposite
fornicate
vaulted or arched
forsooth
in truth; indeed
forswink
to exhaust by labour
fortalice
fortress; small outwork of a fortification
forthwith
immediately
forthy
for this reason; thus
fortuitism
belief in evolution by chance variation
forwhy
for what reason; why
foss
ditch, moat, trench or canal
fossa
carnivorous mongoose-like mammal of Madagascar
fossane
striped civet of Madagascar
fossarian
clergyman moonlighting as a gravedigger
fossick
to search by turning over earth or rock
fossiliferous
bearing fossils
fossorial
adapted for digging
fossulate
grooved; pitted
foudroyant
thundering; dazzling
fougade
piece of improvised artillery
foulard
soft lightweight plain-woven or twilled silk fabric
foulé
light woollen fulled cloth
fourchette
anything forked
foursquare
forthright
fouter
to mess about with aimlessly
fovea
depression or pit
foveiform
shaped like a depression or pit
fracedinous
creating heat through putrefaction
fracedo
putrefying heat
fractionalism
the state of consisting of discrete units
fractious
irritable; peevish
francolin
type of Asian and African partridge
francomania
craze or obsession with France and the French
Francophile
one who loves France or the French
Francophobia
fear of France or the French
frangible
easily broken
frankalmoign
land tenure requiring religious obligations on part of tenant
frantling
mating call of a peacock
frap
to draw a sail tight with ropes or cables
frazil
ground-ice; ice in small spikes in streams
freeboard
distance between waterline and main deck of a ship
freestone
building stone difficult to split into layers
fremescent
growling or muttering
fremitus
vibration; rumbling
frescade
a cool walk; cool or shady place
fresnel
unit of optical frequency equal to one terahertz
friable
easily crumbled or pulverized
friary
a fraternity or group of friars
fribble
frivolous nonsense; a trifling thing or person
fricandeau
thick slice of veal or similar meat
frieze
rough heavy woollen cloth
frigiferous
bearing or bringing cold
frigolabile
susceptible to the cold
frigorific
causing cold; freezing
fringillaceous
of, like or pertaining to finches
fringilliform
resembling a finch
fringilline
of, like or pertaining to finches
frisson
shiver; shudder; thrill
frist
delay or respite, as for debt repayment
frit
material from which glass is made
fritiniency
the noise of insects
froghopper
leaping and spitting insect
frogmarch
to carry an uncooperative drunkard or prisoner
fromward
leading away from
frondescence
the formation of leaves
frondiferous
bearing or producing fronds
frondose
having or like leaves
frontal
cloth hanging over front of altar
frontal
armour for the front of a horse's head
frontogenesis
creation of a weather front by meeting of air currents
frostwork
delicate figures and patterns in which frost forms on surfaces
frottage
rubbing, especially for sexual gratification
froward
frowst
to luxuriate in hot stuffiness and stupefaction
fructiferous
bearing fruit
fructivorous
feeding on fruit
fructuary
person enjoying the fruits of anything
fructuation
coming to fruit or bearing of fruit
frugiferous
bearing fruit
frugivorous
eating fruit
frumentaceous
resembling wheat or other grain
frumentarious
of, like or pertaining to corn
frutescent
like or resembling a shrub
fucivorous
eating seaweed
fucoid
shaped like seaweed
fuero
code or body of laws; a constitution
fug
hot; close; smoky state of atmosphere
fugacious
inclined to run away or flee
fuji
plain spun silk fabric
fulcible
capable of being propped up
fulciform
shaped like or resembling a prop
fulcrate
supported with fulcrums
fulgent
shining; bright
fulgural
of, like or pertaining to lightning
fulgurate
to flash like lightning
fulgurous
resembling lightning
fuliginous
sooty; dusky
fuliguline
of, like or pertaining to sea ducks
fullonical
of, like or pertaining or belonging to a fuller
fulminate
express loudly; explode violently
fulmineous
of, like or pertaining to thunder and lightning
fulsome
nauseatingly affectionate, admiring or praiseful
fulvous
dull yellow; tawny
fumarole
hole emitting gases in a volcanic region
fumatorium
a place for smoking
fumet
the scent of game when high
fumiduct
smoke vent; smokestack
fumosity
condition of fuming; an exhalation
funambulism
tightrope walking; show of mental agility
functionalism
doctrine emphasising utility and function
fundiform
shaped like a sling
fundus
the bottom of anything
funebral
of, like or pertaining to a funeral
funest
deadly; lamentable
fungible
interchangeable
fungiform
shaped like a fungus
fungous
of or like fungus; soft; spongy
funicular
of, like or pertaining to a string or cable
funipendulous
hanging by a rope or cord
furciferous
bearing a forked appendage; rascally
furcular
shaped like a fork
furfur
dandruff or scurf
furfuraceous
branny; scaly
furibund
raging; furious
furnicular
hanging from a rope or cable
furuncle
inflammatory boil
furuncular
of, like or pertaining to boils
furunculoid
like a boil
fusain
fine charcoal used in drawing
fuscous
brown; tawny; dingy
fusee
spindle in a watch on which the chain is wound
fusiform
shaped like a spindle
fusillation
death by shooting
fustian
coarse twilled cotton
fustian
pretentious writing or speech; inflated or nonsensical language
fustilarian
a term of abuse
futurition
future existence; time to come
futurology
study of future