Formedon
(For"me*don) n. [OF., fr. Latin. So called because the plaintiff claimed "by the form of the
gift,: L. per formam doni.] (O. Eng. Law) A writ of right for a tenant in tail in case of a discontinuance
of the estate tail. This writ has been abolished.
Formell
(For"mell) n. [Dim. of F. forme the female of a bird of prey.] (Zoöl.) The female of a hawk or
falcon.
Former
(Form"er) n.
1. One who forms; a maker; a creator.
2. (Mech.) (a) A shape around which an article is to be shaped, molded, woven wrapped, pasted, or
otherwise constructed. (b) A templet, pattern, or gauge by which an article is shaped. (c) A cutting
die.
Former
(For"mer) a. [A compar. due to OE. formest. See Foremost.]
1. Preceding in order of time; antecedent; previous; prior; earlier; hence, ancient; long past.
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age.
Job. viii. 8.
The latter and former rain.
Hosea vi. 3. 3. Near the beginning; preceeding; as, the former part of a discourse or argument.
3. Earlier, as between two things mentioned together; first mentioned.
A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critic; a man may be the former merely through the
misfortune of an ill judgment; but he can not be latter without both that and an ill temper.
Pope. Syn. — Prior; previous; anterior; antecedent; preceding; foregoing.
Formeret
(||For`me*ret") n. [F.] (Arch.) One of the half ribs against the walls in a ceiling vaulted with
ribs.
Formerly
(For"mer*ly) adv. In time past, either in time immediately preceding or at any indefinite distance; of
old; heretofore.
Formful
(Form"ful) a. Creative; imaginative. [R.] "The formful brain." Thomson.
Formic
(For"mic) a. [L. formica an ant: cf. F. formique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, ants; as,
formic acid; in an extended sense, pertaining to, or derived from, formic acid; as, formic ether.
Amido formic acid, carbamic acid. — Formic acid, a colorless, mobile liquid, HCO.OH, of a sharp,
acid taste, occurring naturally in ants, nettles, pine needles, etc., and produced artifically in many ways,
as by the oxidation of methyl alcohol, by the reduction of carbonic acid or the destructive distillation of
oxalic acid. It is the first member of the fatty acids in the paraffin series, and is homologous with acetic
acid.
Formica
(||For*mi"ca) n. [L., an ant.] (Zoöl.) A Linnæan genus of hymenopterous insects, including the
common ants. See Ant.
Formicaroid
(For`mi*ca"roid) a. [NL. Formicarius, the typical genus + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or pertaining to
the family Formicaridæ or ant thrushes.
