Chapter Fringillaceous to Frolicsome of F by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Fritter
(Frit"ter) n. [OR. fritour, friture, pancake, F. friture frying, a thing fried, from frire to fry. See Far, v. t.]

1. A small quantity of batter, fried in boiling lard or in a frying pan. Fritters are of various kinds, named from the substance inclosed in the batter; as, apple fritters, clam fritters, oyster fritters.

2. A fragment; a shred; a small piece.

And cut whole giants into fritters.

Hudibras.

Corn fritter. See under Corn.

Fritter
(Frit"ter), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frittered ; p. pr. & vb. n. Frittering.]

1. To cut, as meat, into small pieces, for frying.

2. To break into small pieces or fragments.

Break all nerves, and fritter all their sense.

Pope.

To fritter away, to diminish; to pare off; to reduce to nothing by taking away a little at a time; also, to waste piecemeal; as, to fritter away time, strength, credit, etc.

Fritting
(Frit"ting) n. [See Frit to expose to heat.] The formation of frit or slag by heat with but incipient fusion.

Frivolism
(Friv"o*lism) n. Frivolity. [R.] Pristley.

Frivolity
(Fri*vol"i*ty) n.; pl. Frivolities [Cg. F. frivolité. See Frivolous.] The condition or quality of being frivolous; also, acts or habits of trifling; unbecoming levity of disposition.

Frivolous
(Friv"o*lous) a. [L. frivolus; prob. akin to friare to rub, crumble, E. friable: cf. F. frivole.]

1. Of little weight or importance; not worth notice; slight; as, a frivolous argument. Swift.

2. Given to trifling; marked with unbecoming levity; silly; interested especially in trifling matters.

His personal tastes were low and frivolous.

Macaulay.

Syn. — Trifling; trivial; slight; petty; worthless.

— Friv"o*lous*ly, adv. — Friv"o*lous*ness, n.

Friz
(Friz) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frizzed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Frizzing ] [Cf. F. friser to curl, crisp, frizzle, to raise the nap (on certain stuffs); prob.akin to OFries. frisle hair of the head. Cf. Frieze kind of cloth.] [Written also frizz.]

1. To curl or form into small curls, as hair, with a crisping pin; to crisp.

With her hair frizzed short up to her ears.

Pepys.

2. To form into little burs, prominences, knobs, or tufts, as the nap of cloth.

3. (Leather Manufacture) To soften and make of even thickness by rubbing, as with pumice stone or a blunt instrument.