fief (fef)

[F. fief, OF. fief, fieu, fied, etc.: see fee2, feud, feoff.] 1. A fee; a feud; an estate held of a superior on condition of military or other service. See feud2. He cautioned him against forming any designs on Naples, since that kingdom was a fief of the church. Pre scott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 1. In France a revolution has pa ed over the fief , and it has become a mere administrative subdivision, the Com Maine, Early Law and Custom, p. 326. mune. 2. In French- Canadian law , immovable prop- erty held under a feudal tenure, to which is at- tached a privilege of nobility, subject to feal- ty and homage and to certain services to the seignior. Also feoff . fiel (fēl), a . [Sc., also written feil , feele ; cf. Icel. felldr , fit, ppr. of fella , join, fit.] Comfort- able; cozy. O leeze me on my spinning-wheel, O leeze me on my rock an' reel; Frae tap to tae that cleeds me bien, An' haps me fiel an' warm at e'en! Burns , Be and her Spinning-Wheel. field (feld), n. [Early mod. E. also feeld , feelde ; feeld , feld , fild , feld , a field, pasture, plain, open country, = OS. feld = OFries. feld , field = D. veld = MLG. LG. feld = OHG. feld , MHG. velt , G. feld (> Sw. fält = Dan. felt ) , a field; Goth. * filth (1) not found. Perhaps akin to AS. folde , the earth, dry land, a land, country, region, the ground, soil, earth, clay: see folds . Cf. Finn. pel to , a field; OBulg. polje = Ru . pole , a field; OBulg. polu , open. Connection with fell4 , a hill, is doubtful; with fold2 , an inclosure, out of the question.] 1. A piece of cleared or cultivated ground, or of land suitable for pasture or tillage; specifically, any part of a farm inclosed or set apart from the rest, as for a special use, except a garden, a wood-lot, or an orchard, and the appurtenances of the buildings: as, a wheat- field , or a field of pot a toes. An even feelde thou chese, and in the mene Or hille or dale in mesure thou demene. Palladius , Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 4. The field give I thee, and the cave that is therein. Gen. xxiii. 11. The wretched, bloody, and usurping boar, That spoil'd your summer fields and fruitful vines. Shak., Rich. III., v. 2. On either side the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye. Tennyson, Lady of Shalott. 2. Any piece of open ground set apart or used for a special purpose: as, a bleaching- field. Specifically-3. In base - ball, cricket, and similar games: ( a ) The ground on which the game is played; more specifically, in base - ball, that part of the ground on which the fielders play, and known as in -field, out- field, right-, center-, and left - field, according to the station of the corresponding players. See (b). The effect of the slow stroke would be to send the hit ball to the right field . Sci . Amer ., N. S., LV. 168. (b) The fielders collectively: as, the work of the field was excellent. In base-ball the field includes all the players but the pitcher and catcher (who are also included when their work is similar to that of the other players, as distinct from their specific work as pitcher and catcher), and is divided into the in - field, the three basemen and the short-stop, and the out - field, the right-, center-, and left-fielders. See fielder. 4. Any continuous extent of surface considered as analogous to a level expanse of ground: as, a field of ice or snow. See ice - field. A field consists of pieces of closely aggregated ice covering an extensive area. A. W. Greely , Arctic Service, Int. A field [of ice] in motion coming against another field results in the instant upheaval and destruction of the edges of the conflicting floes. A. W. Greely , Arctic Service, p. 45. dim. of lyre, etc.) A small musical instrument having the shape of a lyre. fid i spinal is (fid"i-spi-nā'lis), n.; pl. fid is pin a les (-lez). The deep-seated multifid muscle of the back; the multifid us spinæ. Coues. He that seith to his brother, fy ! schal be gilt i to the Wyclif , Mat. v. 22 (Purv.). counseil. Fue on the, traytoure attaynte, at this tyde; Of treasoune thou tyxste hym, that triste the for trewe. York Plays , p. 316. which figures are drawn: as, the field or ground of a picture.-6. In numis., that part of the surface of a coin or medal which is left unoccupied by the main device ('type'). The field is either left field plain, or is filled with symbols or letters, which (except when they appear in the exergue) are described as being in the field, or in field. 7. In her., the escutcheon, considered as a plane of a given tincture upon which the different bearings appear to be laid; also, when the escutcheon is divided by impalement or quartering, each division, as a quarter or the half divided palew palewise, it being considered as the whole escutcheon with reference to that coat of arms. (See cut under shield.) In a flag the field is the ground of each division. Bright flag at yonder tapering mast, Fling out your field of azure blue; Let star and stripe be westward cast, And point as Freedom's eagle flew! .. N. P. Will is . The American yacht flag. displays a white foul anchor in a circle of 13 stars in the blue field [of the union]. Amer . Cyc ., VII. 252. 8. In entom., a place, space, or area, as a division of the surface of a wing: as, the posterior of the discoidal field.-9. Any space or region; specifically, any region, open or covered with forests, considered with reference to its particular products or features; an extent of ground covered with or containing some special natural formation or production: as, diamond-, gold-, coal-, or oil- (petroleum-) fields. -10. A scene of operations; open space of any extent considered as a theater of action: as, researches in the field; the field of military operations; a hunting - field; the general's headquarters were in the field. The Confederate government did not hesitate to enter the field and take a share in the busine . J. R. Soley, Blockade and Cruisers, p. 155. Specifically-11. A battle-ground; the space on which a battle is or has been fought; hence, a battle; an action: as, the field of Waterloo; the field was held against all odds; to show how fields are lost and won. This yere [1453] was a felde at St. Albons, bytuene the Kynge and ye Duke of York.. This yere [1457] was a felde at Ludlow, and at Bloreheth, and a fray bytuene men of the Kingis hous and men of lawe. Arnold's Chronicle , p. xxxiv. I goe lyke one that, having lost the field , Is prisoner led away with heavy hart. : Spenser, Sonnets, lii. A Persian prince That won three fields of Sultan Solyman. 2203 power; in a telescope or microscope, the space or range within which objects are visible to an eye looking through the instrument. - Field shunt, the shunt or derived circuit of a shunt-wound dynamo (see dynamo) which gives rise to the electromagnetic field in which the armature revolves. Fields of Cohnheim. Same as areas of Cohn heim (which see, under area ). - Flatne of the field. See flatne .-Open-field system, field-gra system, phrases used in describing the methods of allotment and tillage in ancient village communities, where upon the open fields of the community arable lots were allotted from time to time to individuals, and plowed and cultivated in turn. The next fact to be noted is that under the English system the open fields were the common fields-the arable land-of a village community or township under a manori al lordship. Seebohm , Eng. Community, p. 8. Three-field system, the method of operating the open field system in ancient village communities in which rotation of crops in three courses was pursued. - To keep the field. (a) To keep the campaign open; live in tents, or be in a state of active operations: as, at the approach of cold weather the troops were unable to keep the field. ( b ) To maintain one's ground against all comers. There all day long Sir Pelleas kept the field With honour. Tennyson, Pelleas and Ettarre. To take the field, to begin the active operations of a campaign; put troops in a position of menace. - Uniform field, in physics, a field of force throughout which the force is constant and has everywhere the same direction. - Unit field, in physics, a field of force throughout which there is a unit force. field (feld), v. [ II. in trans. 1. To take to the field; do any thing in the field, as exploring, fighting, or searching for food. The more highly improved breeds of the pigeons will not field , or search for their own food. Darwin , Var. of Animals and Plants, p. 5. 2. In base - ball and cricket , to act as a fielder. Also (in cricket) to fag out. field-ale (fēld'āl), n . An extortionate practice of the ancient officers of the royal forests in England, and of bailiffs of hundreds, whereby they compelled persons to contribute to the supply of their drink. IMG:content-1276.jpg:[blocks in formation] What though the field be lost? All is not lost. Milton , P. L., i. 105. With his back to the field , and his feet to the foe. Campbell, Lochiel's Warning. 12. The sphere or range of any connected series of actions; a subject or cla of subjects concerning which observations or reflections are made; a cla of connected objects toward which human energies are directed; the place where or that about which one busies himself: as, his field of operations was his countinghouse; philology is an attractive field of research; a wide field of contemplation. The varied fields of science, ever new, Op'ning and wider op'ning on her view. Cowper , Table-Talk, 1. 264. In the vast field of criticism on which we are entering innumerable reapers have already put their sickles. Macaulay . The visual field is le identified with the danger field in the rabbit, the eyes of which are on different sides of the head and have different fields , and which needs a strong stimulus to cause bilateral winking. Amer . Jour. Psychol. 13. In physics, a portion of space considered as traversed by equipotential surfaces and lines of force, so that at every point of it a force would be exerted upon a particle placed there. This mode of expre ion and thought was originated by Faraday, and is applied chiefly to electric and magnetic forces. The intensity of a magnetic field is the force which a unit-pole will experience when placed in it. The electric field is the portion of space in the neighbor hood of electrified bodies, considered with reference to electric phenomena. Clerk Maxwell , Elect. and Mag., § 44. 14. In sporting : (a) Those taking part in a hunt. The field moves off toward the cover. Christian Union, March 31, 1887. (b) All the entries collectively against which a single contestant has to compete: as, to back a crew against the field. (c) Specifically, all the contestants not individually favored in betting: as, to bet on the field in a horse-race. - A fair field, a fair opportunity for action. See extract under favor, n., 5. - Basal field, common field, Elysian Fields, etc. See the adjectives. Field electromagnet, an electromagnet producing the magnetic field in which the armature of a dynamo revolves. Field fortifications. See fortifica tion.-Field of vision or view, in general, the space over which objects can be discerned; the compa of visual lery. Milit ., a