Filaceous
(Fi*la"ceous) a. [L. filum thread.] Composed of threads. Bacon.
Filacer
(Fil"a*cer) n. [OE. filace a file, or thread, on which the records of the courts of justice were
strung, F. filasse tow of flax or hemp, fr. L. filum thread.] (Eng. Law) A former officer in the English
Court of Common Pleas; — so called because he filed the writs on which he made out process. [Obs.]
Burrill.
Filament
(Fil"a*ment) n. [F. filament, fr. L. filum thread. See File a row.] A thread or threadlike object
or appendage; a fiber; esp. (Bot.), the threadlike part of the stamen supporting the anther.
Filamentary
(Fil`a*men"ta*ry) a. Having the character of, or formed by, a filament.
Filamentoid
(Fil"a*men*toid`) a. [Filament + -oid.] Like a filament.
Filamentous
(Fil`a*men"tous) a. [Cf. F. filamenteux.] Like a thread; consisting of threads or filaments.
Gray.
Filander
(Fil"an*der) n. (Zoöl.) A species of kangaroo inhabiting New Guinea.
Filanders
(Fil"an*ders) n. pl. [F. filandres, fr. L. filum thread.] (Falconry) A disease in hawks, characterized
by the presence of small threadlike worms, also of filaments of coagulated blood, from the rupture of a
vein; — called also backworm. Sir T. Browne.
Filar
(Fi"lar) a. [L. filum a thread.] Of or pertaining to a thread or line; characterized by threads stretched
across the field of view; as, a filar microscope; a filar micrometer.
Filaria
(||Fi*la"ri*a) n. [NL., fr. L. filum a thread.] (Zoöl.) A genus of slender, nematode worms of many
species, parasitic in various animals. See Guinea worm.
Filatory
(Fil"a*to*ry) n. [LL. filatorium place for spinning, fr. filare to spin, fr. L. filum a thread.] A
machine for forming threads. [Obs.] W. Tooke.
Filature
(Fil"a*ture) n. [LL. filatura, fr. filare to spin: cf. F. filature. See Filatory.]
1. A drawing out into threads; hence, the reeling of silk from cocoons. Ure.
2. A reel for drawing off silk from cocoons; also, an establishment for reeling silk.
Filbert
(Fil"bert) n. [Perh. fr. fill + bread, as filling the bread or husk; cf. G. bartnuss (lit., bread nut)
filbert; or perh. named from a St. Philibert, whose day, Aug. 22, fell in the nutting season.] (Bot.) The
fruit of the Corylus Avellana or hazel. It is an oval nut, containing a kernel that has a mild, farinaceous,
oily taste, agreeable to the palate.
In England filberts are usually large hazelnuts, especially the nuts from selected and cultivated trees.
The American hazelnuts are of two other species.
Filbert gall (Zoöl.), a gall resembling a filbert in form, growing in clusters on grapevines. It is produced
by the larva of a gallfly
Filch
(Filch) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Filched (filcht); p. pr. & vb. n. Filching.] [Cf. AS. feolan to stick to,
OHG. felhan, felahan, to hide, Icel. fela, Goth. filhan to hide, bury, Prov. E. feal to hide slyly, OE.
