a. [ L. abortus (see Abort, v.) + faciens, p. pr. of facere to make. ] Producing miscarriage. -- n. A drug or an agent that causes premature delivery. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 inducing or promoting absorption
Syn. -- sorbefacient [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ . } (Aëronautics) A small plane or surface, usually capable of adjustment but not of manipulation, for preserving lateral balance in an aëroplane or flying machine. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Aëronautics) The first of two or more surfaces arranged in tandem; -- contr. with following surface, which is the rear surface. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adv. [ Pref. a- (for on or of) + far. ] At, to, or from a great distance; far away; -- often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off. [ 1913 Webster ]

The steep where Fame's proud temple shines afar. Beattie. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. affabilitas: cf. F. affabilité. ] The quality of being affable; readiness to converse; courteousness in receiving others and in conversation; complaisant behavior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Affability is of a wonderful efficacy or power in procuring love. Elyot [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. affable, L. affabilis, fr. affari to speak to; ad + fari to speak. See Fable. ] 1. Easy to be spoken to or addressed; receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; courteous; sociable. [ 1913 Webster ]

An affable and courteous gentleman. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

His manners polite and affable. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Gracious; mild; benign. [ 1913 Webster ]

A serene and affable countenance. Tatler. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Courteous; civil; complaisant; accessible; mild; benign; condescending. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Affability. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an affable manner; courteously. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. affaber workmanlike; ad + faber. ] Executed in a workmanlike manner; ingeniously made. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. afere, affere, OF. afaire, F. affaire, fr. a faire to do; L.. ad + facere to do. See Fact, and cf. Ado. ] 1. That which is done or is to be done; matter; concern; as, a difficult affair to manage; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public; -- often in the plural. “At the head of affairs.” Junius. “A talent for affairs.” Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely; as, an affair of honor, i. e., a duel; an affair of love, i. e., an intrigue. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mil.) An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Action; endeavor. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And with his best affair
Obeyed the pleasure of the Sun. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A material object (vaguely designated). [ 1913 Webster ]

A certain affair of fine red cloth much worn and faded. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ F. affamer, fr. L. ad + fames hunger. See Famish. ] To afflict with, or perish from, hunger. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Starvation. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. ad + fatuus foolish. ] To infatuate. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖r /mhw>, n. A plant (Macrochloa tenacissima) of North Africa; also, its fiber, used in paper making. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Sp. ] (Bot.) The lucern (Medicago sativa), a leguminous plant having bluish purple cloverlike flowers, and cultivated for fodder; -- so called in California, Texas, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Anatifæ [ NL., contr. fr. anatifera. See Anatiferous. ] (Zool.) An animal of the barnacle tribe, of the genus Lepas, having a fleshy stem or peduncle; a goose barnacle. See Cirripedia. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term Anatifæ, in the plural, is often used for the whole group of pedunculated cirripeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Something done before another act. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Counteracting, or preserving from, putrefaction; antiseptic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a round, broad face, like an apple. “Apple-faced children.” Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. arefacere to dry. ] The act of drying, or the state of growing dry. [ 1913 Webster ]

The arefaction of the earth. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. same as artifact.
Syn. -- artifact. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to an artefact.
Syn. -- artifactual [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. made by human actions. natural
Syn. -- artifactual [ PJC ]

n. [ L. ars, artis, art + facere, factum, to make. ] 1. (Archæol.) A product of human workmanship; -- applied esp. to the simpler products of aboriginal art as distinguished from natural objects.
Syn. -- artefact. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. Any product of human workmanship; -- applied both to objects made for practical purposes as well as works of art. It is contrasted to natural object, i.e. anything produced by natural forces without the intervention of man.
Syn. -- artefact. [ PJC ]

3. (Biol.) A structure or appearance in protoplasm due to death, method of preparation of specimens, or the use of reagents, and not present during life.
Syn. -- artefact. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. (Technology) an object, oservation, phenomenon, or result arising from hidden or unexpected causes extraneous to the subject of a study, and therefore spurious and having potential to lead one to an erroneous conclusion, or to invalidate the study. In experimental science, artifacts may arise due to inadvertant contamination of equipment, faulty experimental design or faulty analysis, or unexpected effects of agencies not known to affect the system under study.
Syn. -- artefact. [ PJC ]

adj. 1. 1 same as artefactual.
Syn. -- artefactual [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. assuefacere to accustom to; assuetus (p. p. of assuescere to accustom to) + facere to make; cf. OF. assuefaction. ] The act of accustoming, or the state of being accustomed; habituation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Custom and studies efform the soul like wax, and by assuefaction introduce a nature. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ F. Lit., to the deed, act, or point. Fait is fr. L. factum. See Fact. ] Expert; skillful; well instructed. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. L. avis bird + E. fauna. ] (Zool.) The birds, or all the kinds of birds, inhabiting a region. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. having a face resembling that of a baby [ WordNet 1.5 ]

A place where the nourishment and care of babies are offered for hire. [ 1913 Webster ]

One who keeps a baby farm. [ 1913 Webster ]

. The business of keeping a baby farm. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 2d back, n. + fall. ] A fall or throw on the back in wrestling. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a white face or a white mark on the face, as a stag. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. With the face uncovered; not masked. “You will play barefaced.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Without concealment; undisguised. Hence: Shameless; audacious; as, a barefaced lie. “Barefaced treason.” J. Baillie. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Openly; shamelessly. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being barefaced; shamelessness; assurance; audaciousness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a hardy breed of beef cattle derived as a cross between the American bison and domestic cattle, usually being genetically 3/8 bison and 5/8 domestic bovine; -- it yields leaner beef than conventional breeds. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. Befell p. p. Befallen p. pr. & vb. n. Befalling. ] [ AS. befeallan; pref. be- + feallan to fall. ] To happen to. [ 1913 Webster ]

I beseech your grace that I may know
The worst that may befall me. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To come to pass; to happen. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have revealed . . . the discord which befell. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the capital of Northern Ireland; -- the center of Irish Protestantism. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Having the striking surface convex; -- said of hammers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. benefactio, fr. benefacere to do good to one; bene well + facere to do. See Benefit. ] 1. The act of conferring a benefit. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A benefit conferred; esp. a charitable donation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Gift; present; gratuity; boon; alms. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. [ L. ] One who confers a benefit or benefits. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who confers a benefit. [ 1913 Webster ]

His benefactress blushes at the deed. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + facial. ] Having the opposite surfaces alike. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. bifarius; bis twice + fari to speak. Cf. Gr. &unr_; twofold; &unr_; twice + &unr_; to say. ] 1. Twofold; arranged in two rows. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Pointing two ways, as leaves that grow only on opposite sides of a branch; in two vertical rows. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a bifarious manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who takes pleasure in rearing or collecting rare or curious birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who has for sale the various kinds of birds which are kept in cages. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a black, dark, or gloomy face or aspect. [ 1913 Webster ]