former, form our, form your

[English form; -er.] 1. One who or that which forms; a creator. "Fader and form our of al that euere was maked." P. Plowman, 5,204. 2. Specif .: A shape around which an article is molded, woven, wrapped, pasted, or otherwise constructed. A templet, pattern, or gauge by which an article is shaped, as pottery, or an object in the lathe. A cutter by which patterns, blanks, wads, or pieces are cut from sheets for various purposes. for-mer-ět', s. [Fr.] Arch .: The arch rib, which, in Gothic groining, lies next the wall, and is consequently le than the other ribs which divide the vaulting. form-er-lý, *for-mer-lie, adv. [Eng.former; -ly. ] *1. First; first of all; beforehand. "Prevented him before his stroke could light, And on the helmet smote him former lie ." Spenser: F. Q., VI. i. 38. 2. In former times; in times past; of old; anciently. "It was enacted that they should pay no more than had been formerly wont to be paid."- Burnet : History of the Reformation (an. 1531). 3. Previously, heretofore. "And her faire lockes which formerly were bound Up in one knott, she low adowne did lose." Spenser: F. Q., II. xii. 67. Crabb thus discriminates between formerly , in times past , in days of yore, and anciently: " For merly supposes a le remote period than in times past , and that le remote than in days of yore and anciently. The two first may be said of what happens within the age of man; the last two are extended to many generations and ages. Any individual may use the word formerly with regard to himself: thus, we enjoyed our health better formerly than now. An old man may speak of times past , as when he says he does not enjoy himself as he did in times past . Old times, days of yore, and anciently, are more applicable to nations than to individuals; and all these expre different degrees of remotene ." (Crabb: Eng. Synon .) *for-mest, a . [FOREMOST.] *form-ful, a. [Eng. form ; -ful(1).] Ready or quick to form; creative, imaginative, fanciful. "As fleets the vision o'er the formful brain." Thomson: Summer , 1,632. form'-Ic, a. [Lat. form ( ica )=an ant; -ic.] Per duced, brought into existence. 2. Arranged; as stars into a constellation. IMG:content-0052.png:[blocks in formation] *for-mel, *for-maylle, *for-mell, s. [Etymol. doubtful; cf. O. Fr. forme = a hawk or falcon.] Properly a female hawk, but also applied to the females of other birds. *for-melt, v . t. [A. S. for melt an .] To melt away. *for-mēne, s. [Eng. form(ic); -ene (Chem.) (q. v.).] Chem.: A name formerly given to Methane CH4. form-er, *for-mere, a . & s. [Formed from A.S. form a early by the addition of -er. It is a word of false formation, due to the mistaken idea that formest (foremost) was a simple and not a double superlative form.] [FOREMOST.] A. As adjective : 1. Before or preceding something else in time. "We should borrow from them formic laws or apiarian policy."-Southey: The Doctor, ch. xevi. formic acid, s. Chem.: HCHO2 or H-COOH. A monobasic fatty acid, which derives its name from the circumstance that it was first obtained by distilling ants. It occurs in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, especially in the red ant, Formica rufa . When an ant walks over moistened blue litmus it turns it red. It exists also in certain caterpillars, in several secre tions of the human body, as as in blood, in urine, in the flesh-juice and in perspiration. It is also found in the juice of the stinging-nettle, and in commer cial oil of turpentine that has been exposed to the air, and in certain mineral springs. Formic acid can be obtained by the oxidation of methyl alcohol CH3OH, and by boiling hydrocyanic acid HCN with hydrochloric acid. Formic acid is obtained by distilling sugar, gum, and starch with strong sulphuric acid, but it is best prepared by heating oxalic acid, H2C2O4, with an equal quantity of glycerine, CH5(OH)3, in a retort on a water-bath; it gives off CO2 and dilute formic acid distills over. When no more gas is given off, more oxalic acid is added; it is again heated, and a more concentrated formic acid comes over. In this reaction an ether of glycerine with one formic radical is first formed. Thus, OH C3H5OH+H2C2O4 = C3H5OH+CO2+H2O and O-COH IMG:content-0053.png:[blocks in formation] "Daniel saw this vision by the floud whose waters lyke as the later waues thruste forth the former sourges." - C3H5OH+H2O=C3H5(OH)2+H-COOH. The an Joye: Expo sic i on of Daniel, ch. viii. 2. Near the beginning; early; preceding. 3. Earlier, as of two things mentioned at the same time; first mentioned. "The most obvious division of society is into rich and poor; and it is no le obvious that the number of the former bear a great disproportion to those of the latter." -Burke: A Vindication of Natural Society . 4. Past; gone by; ancient; as, in former times. "Inquire, I pray thee, of the former age."-Job viii. 8. *B. As subst.: A predece or. "To use the terms of our formers ."-W. Patten: Exped, to Scotland, 1547. chin, bench; go, gem; thin, this; (O-COH hydrous acid is obtained by heating to 100°C. lead formate (H.COO)2Pb in a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen gas. Pure formic acid is a colorle , transparent liquid, which slightly fumes in the air. It has a pungent, sour taste, and corrodes the skin, forming painful ulcers. Formic acid solidifies at -1° and boils at 99°. It mixes with water and with alcohol in all proportions; its vapor is inflammable, and burns with a blue flame. Formic acid, heated with concentrated sulphuric acid, is decomposed into carbon monoxide, CO, and water. Formic acid reduces salts of gold, silver, and mercury, being converted into carbon dioxide and water. By the sin, as; expect, Xenophon, exist. ph = f. formic-ethers action of chlorine, formic acid is converted into hydrochloric acid and CO2. All salts of formic acid are soluble in water; their aqueous solutions are turned red by the addition of ferric chloride. formic-ethers, s. pl. Chem.: Chemical substances in which the basic hydrogen of formic acid has been replaced by an alcohol radical.