1. An ornamental appendage to the border of a piece of stuff, originally consisting of the ends of the
warp, projecting beyond the woven fabric; but more commonly made separate and sewed on, consisting
sometimes of projecting ends, twisted or plaited together, and sometimes of loose threads of wool, silk,
or linen, or narrow strips of leather, or the like.
2. Something resembling in any respect a fringe; a line of objects along a border or edge; a border; an
edging; a margin; a confine.
The confines of grace and the fringes of repentance.
Jer. Taylor. 3. (Opt.) One of a number of light or dark bands, produced by the interference of light; a diffraction
band; — called also interference fringe.
4. (Bot.) The peristome or fringelike appendage of the capsules of most mosses. See Peristome.
Fringe tree (Bot.), a small tree growing in the Southern United States, and having snow-white flowers,
with long pendulous petals.
Fringe
(Fringe), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fringed ; p. pr. & vb. a. Fringing.] To adorn the edge of with a
fringe or as with a fringe.
Precipices fringed with grass.
Bryant. Fringing reef. See Coral reefs, under Coral.
Fringed
(Fringed) a. Furnished with a fringe.
Fringed lear (Bot.), a leaf edged with soft parallel hairs.
Fringeless
(Fringe"less), a. Having no fringe.
Fringent
(Frin"gent) a. Encircling like a fringe; bordering. [R.] "The fringent air." Emerson.
Fringilla
(||Frin*gil"la) a. [NL., fr. L. fringilla a chaffinch.] (Zoöl.) A genus of birds, with a short, conical,
pointed bill. It formerly included all the sparrows and finches, but is now restricted to certain European
finches, like the chaffinch and brambling.
