*arf*

a. Full of obstructions. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedwarfed ] To make a dwarf of; to stunt or hinder the growth of; to dwarf. Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) A Mediterranean fish (Capros aper), of the family Caproidæ; -- so called from the resemblance of the extended lips to a hog's snout. (b) An Australian percoid fish (Histiopterus recurvirostris), valued as a food fish. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Metal.) A certain process for producing upon articles of iron or steel an adherent coating of the magnetic oxide of iron (which is not liable to corrosion by air, moisture, or ordinary acids). This is accomplished by producing, by oxidation at about 1600° F. in a closed space, a coating containing more or less of the ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and the subsequent change of this in a reduced atmosphere to the magnetic oxide (Fe2O4). [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

pret. of Carve. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the quantity that a car will hold. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Zool.) a small fusiform fish (Decapterus punctatus), allied to the mackerel, found in the West Atlantic and on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Syn. -- round scad, quiaquia, Decapterus punctatus. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. See counterscarp. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. small food fish (Poronotus triacanthus) of the Atlantic coast.
Syn. -- Poronotus triacanthus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. any of several silvery marine fishes with very flat bodies.
Syn. -- moonfish, Atlantic moonfish, horsefish, horsehead, Selene setapinnis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n.; pl. Dwarfs [ OE. dwergh, dwerf, dwarf, AS. dweorg, dweorh; akin to D. dwerg, MHG. twerc, G. zwerg, Icel. dvergr, Sw. & Dan. dverg; of unknown origin. ] 1. An animal or plant which is much below the ordinary size of its species or kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Especially: A diminutive human being, small in stature due to a pathological condition which causes a distortion of the proportions of body parts to each other, such as the limbs, torso, and head. A person of unusually small height who has normal body proportions is usually called a midget. [ PJC ]

☞ During the Middle Ages dwarfs as well as fools shared the favor of courts and the nobility. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Folklore) A small, usually misshapen person, typically a man, who may have magical powers; mythical dwarves were often depicted as living underground in caves. [ PJC ]

Dwarf is used adjectively in reference to anything much below the usual or normal size; as, a dwarf pear tree; dwarf honeysuckle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dwarf elder (Bot.), danewort. --
Dwarf wall (Arch.), a low wall, not as high as the story of a building, often used as a garden wall or fence. Gwilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dwarfed p. pr. & vb. n. Dwarfing. ] To hinder from growing to the natural size; to make or keep small; to stunt. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Even the most common moral ideas and affections . . . would be stunted and dwarfed, if cut off from a spiritual background. J. C. Shairp. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become small; to diminish in size. [ 1913 Webster ]

Strange power of the world that, the moment we enter it, our great conceptions dwarf. Beaconsfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a dwarf; below the common stature or size; very small; petty; as, a dwarfish animal, shrub. -- Dwarf"ish*ly, adv. -- Dwarf"ish*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A diminutive dwarf. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Much undersized. [ R. ] Waterhouse.

n. one of two flaps attached to a cap to keep the ears warm. On some hats the earflaps may be adjusted or tied to the top of the hat, and lowered when needed in colder weather.
Syn. -- earlap. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. [ Far + fet, p. p. of Fette. ] Farfetched. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

York with his farfet policy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Anything brought from far, or brought about with studious care; a deep strategem. [ Obs. ] “Politic farfetches.” Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Far + fetch. ] To bring from far; to seek out studiously. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To farfetch the name of Tartar from a Hebrew word. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Brought from far, or from a remote place. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every remedy contained a multitude of farfetched and heterogeneous ingredients. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Studiously sought; not easily or naturally deduced or introduced; forced; strained; hence, implausible or improbable. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. 1. Full of fear, apprehension, or alarm; afraid; frightened. [ 1913 Webster ]

Anxious amidst all their success, and fearful amidst all their power. Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Inclined to fear; easily frightened; without courage; timid. [ 1913 Webster ]

What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? Deut. xx. 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Indicating, or caused by, fear. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Inspiring fear or awe; exciting apprehension or terror; terrible; frightful; dreadful. [ 1913 Webster ]

This glorious and fearful name, The Lord thy God. Deut. xxviii. 58. [ 1913 Webster ]

Death is a fearful thing. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In dreams they fearful precipices tread. Dryden.

Syn. -- Apprehensive; afraid; timid; timorous; horrible; distressing; shocking; frightful; dreadful; awful. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a fearful manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being fearful. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Gar, n. ] (Zool.) (a) A European marine fish (Belone vulgaris); -- called also gar, gerrick, greenback, greenbone, gorebill, hornfish, longnose, mackerel guide, sea needle, and sea pike. (b) One of several species of similar fishes of the genus Tylosurus, of which one species (T. marinus) is common on the Atlantic coast. T. Caribbæus, 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A primitive tropical bottom-dwelling ray of the family Rhinobatidae with a guitar-shaped body. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ See Hare, n., and Fang. ] (Zool.) The snowy owl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The white particles formed by the congelation of dew; white frost. [ Written also horefrost. See Hoar, a. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. Ps. cxlvii. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The ribbon fish. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Any crustacean of the genus Remipes. [ 1913 Webster ]

interj. [ Par + fay. ] By my faith; verily. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Perfect. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Perfectly. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. through Canadian F. fr. Amer. Indian. ] 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. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ Pari- + focal. ] (Opt.) 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. “the convenience of a microscope with parfocal objective lenses” [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ , v. t. To perform. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Scarfed p. pr. & vb. n. Scarfing. ] 1. To throw on loosely; to put on like a scarf. “My sea-gown scarfed about me.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To dress with a scarf, or as with a scarf; to cover with a loose wrapping. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Sw. skarfva to eke out, to join together, skarf a seam, joint; cf. Dan. skarre to joint, to unite timber, Icel. skara to clinch the planks of a boat, G. scharben to chop, to cut small. ] (a) To form a scarf on the end or edge of, as for a joint in timber, metal rods, etc. (b) To unite, as two pieces of timber or metal, by a scarf joint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Icel. skarfr. ] A cormorant. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Scarfs, rarely Scarves [ Cf. OF. escharpe a pilgrim's scrip, or wallet (hanging about the neck), F. écharpe sash, scarf; probably from OHG. scharpe pocket; also (from the French) Dan. skiaerf; Sw. skärp, Prov. G. schärfe, LG. scherf, G. schärpe; and also AS. scearf a fragment; possibly akin to E. scrip a wallet. Cf. Scarp a scarf. ] An article of dress of a light and decorative character, worn loosely over the shoulders or about the neck or the waist; a light shawl or handkerchief for the neck; also, a cravat; a neckcloth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Put on your hood and scarf. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

With care about the banners, scarves, and staves. R. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (a) In a piece which is to be united to another by a scarf joint, the part of the end or edge that is tapered off, rabbeted, or notched so as to be thinner than the rest of the piece. (b) A scarf joint. [ 1913 Webster ]

Scarf joint (a) A joint made by overlapping and bolting or locking together the ends of two pieces of timber that are halved, notched, or cut away so that they will fit each other and form a lengthened beam of the same size at the junction as elsewhere. (b) A joint formed by welding, riveting, or brazing together the overlapping scarfed ends, or edges, of metal rods, sheets, etc. --
Scarf weld. See under Weld. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Anat.) See Epidermis. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) A large and powerful fish (Tetrapturus albidus) related to the swordfish, but having scales and ventral fins. It is found on the American coast and the Mediterranean. (b) The carp sucker. [ 1913 Webster ]

obs. imp. of Starve. Starved. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The European redstart. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of echinoderms belonging to the class Asterioidea, in which the body is star-shaped and usually has five rays, though the number of rays varies from five to forty or more. The rays are often long, but are sometimes so short as to appear only as angles to the disklike body. Called also sea star, five-finger, and stellerid. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The ophiuroids are also sometimes called starfishes. See Brittle star, and Ophiuroidea. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The dollar fish, or butterfish. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Cf. Swerve. ] To grow languid; to faint. [ Scot. ] “To swarf for very hunger.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Swerve. ] The grit worn away from grindstones in grinding cutlery wet. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. combat between tanks of opposing armies. [ PJC ]