*fool*

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Befooled p. pr. & vb. n. Befooling. ] [ OE. befolen; pref. be- + fol fool. ] 1. To fool; to delude or lead into error; to infatuate; to deceive. [ 1913 Webster ]

This story . . . contrived to befool credulous men. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cause to behave like a fool; to make foolish. “Some befooling drug.” G. Eliot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. fouler to tread, crush. Cf. 1st Foil. ] A compound of gooseberries scalded and crushed, with cream; -- commonly called gooseberry fool. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. fol, n. & adj., F. fol, fou, foolish, mad; a fool, prob. fr. L. follis a bellows, wind bag, an inflated ball; perh. akin to E. bellows. Cf. Folly, Follicle. ] 1. One destitute of reason, or of the common powers of understanding; an idiot; a natural. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A person deficient in intellect; one who acts absurdly, or pursues a course contrary to the dictates of wisdom; one without judgment; a simpleton; a dolt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other. Franklin. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Script.) One who acts contrary to moral and religious wisdom; a wicked person. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Ps. xiv. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional jester or buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments. [ 1913 Webster ]

Can they think me . . . their fool or jester? Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

April fool,
Court fool, etc. See under April, Court, etc. --
Fool's cap, a cap or hood to which bells were usually attached, formerly worn by professional jesters. --
Fool's errand, an unreasonable, silly, profitless adventure or undertaking. --
Fool's gold, iron or copper pyrites, resembling gold in color. --
Fool's paradise, a name applied to a limbo (see under Limbo) popularly believed to be the region of vanity and nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or condition of vain self-satistaction. --
Fool's parsley (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant (Aethusa Cynapium) resembling parsley, but nauseous and poisonous. --
To make a fool of, to render ridiculous; to outwit; to shame. [ Colloq. ] --
To play the fool, to act foolishly; to act the buffoon; to act a foolish part. “I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.” 1 Sam. xxvi. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Fooled p. pr. & vb. n. Fooling. ] To play the fool. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To waste time in unproductive activity; to spend time in idle sport or mirth; to trifle; to toy.
Syn. -- fool around. [ PJC ]

Is this a time for fooling? Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To infatuate; to make foolish. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

For, fooled with hope, men favor the deceit. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To use as a fool; to deceive in a shameful or mortifying manner; to impose upon; to cheat by inspiring foolish confidence; as, to fool one out of his money. [ 1913 Webster ]

You are fooled, discarded, and shook off
By him for whom these shames ye underwent. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To fool away, to get rid of foolishly; to spend in trifles, idleness, folly, or without advantage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl.; sing. Foolah. (Ethnol.) Same as Fulahs. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Fooled around p. pr. & vb. n. Fooling around. ] 1. To waste time in idle pursuits; to fool{ 2 }.
Syn. -- fool{ 2 }. [ PJC ]

2. To flirt or philander. RHUDbr/ [ PJC ]

3. To be sexually promiscuous; to engage in sexual intercourse with more than one partner; especially, to engage in adultery; as, to fool around with another woman. [ PJC ]

v. t. To manipulate (a machine or device) without proper knowledge of its operation; to experiment aimlessly with a device; as, don't fool around with the transit. [ PJC ]

a. Begotten by a fool. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Fooleries 1. The practice of folly; the behavior of a fool; foolish behavior; absurdity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Folly in fools bears not so strong a note,
As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An act of folly or weakness; a foolish practice; something absurd or nonsensical. [ 1913 Webster ]

That Pythagoras, Plato, or Orpheus, believed in any of these fooleries, it can not be suspected. Sir W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) The orange filefish. See Filefish. (b) The winter flounder. See Flounder. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Lucky, without judgment or contrivance. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being foolhardy; foolhardiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a foolhardy manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Courage without sense or judgment; foolish rashness; recklessness. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Fool, F. fol, fou + F. hardiesse boldness. ] Foolhardiness. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OF. folhardi. See Fool idiot, and Hardy. ] Daring without judgment; foolishly adventurous and bold. Howell.

Syn. -- Rash; venturesome; venturous; precipitate; reckless; headlong; incautious. See Rash. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Foolishly hasty. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Fool + -fy. ] To make a fool of; to befool. [ R. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Marked with, or exhibiting, folly; void of understanding; weak in intellect; without judgment or discretion; silly; unwise. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am a very foolish fond old man. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Such as a fool would do; proceeding from weakness of mind or silliness; exhibiting a want of judgment or discretion; as, a foolish act. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Absurd; ridiculous; despicable; contemptible. [ 1913 Webster ]

A foolish figure he must make. Prior.

Syn. -- Absurd; shallow; shallow-brained; brainless; simple; irrational; unwise; imprudent; indiscreet; incautious; silly; ridiculous; vain; trifling; contemptible. See Absurd. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a foolish manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The quality of being foolish. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A foolish practice; an absurdity. [ 1913 Webster ]

The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. 1 Cor. i. 18. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OF. follarge. See Fool, and Large. ] Foolishly liberal. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Fool-large, Largess. ] Foolish expenditure; waste. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ So called from the watermark of a fool's cap and bells used by old paper makers. See Fool's cap, under Fool. ] A writing paper made in sheets, ordinarily 16 x 13 inches, and folded so as to make a page 13 x 8 inches. See Paper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl.; sing. Fulah, Foolah /sing>. (Ethnol.) A peculiar African race of uncertain origin, but distinct from the negro tribes, inhabiting an extensive region of Western Soudan. Their color is brown or yellowish bronze. They are Muslims. Called also Fellatahs, Foulahs, and Fellani. Fulah and Fulani are also used adjectively; as, Fulah or Fulani empire, tribes, language. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To exceed in folly. [ R. ] Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Tom (see Tomboy) + fool. ] A great fool; a trifler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Trifling or silly behavior done mostly for amusement; foolishness; fooling around.
Syn. -- tomfoolishness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as tomfoolery. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + befool. ] To deliver from the state of a fool; to awaken the mind of; to undeceive. [ 1913 Webster ]