Fanatic

A person affected by exce ive zeal and enthusiasm, especially on religious subjects: one laboring under wild and extravagant notions of religion; an enthusiast; a visionary. In ancient Rome the term was applied to such as pa d their time in temples, and who, pretending to be inspired by the Divinity, would burst into wild and antic gestures, utter pretended prophecies, cut themselves with knives, . Hence, the term has, in modern times, come to be applied to such as manifest a religious enthusiasm, uncontrolled by reason or experience, and proceeding from a belief that they are under divine direction, and doing what will be well-pleasing in the sight of God. Fanaticism is sometimes applied in a wider sense to any exce ive prepo e ion of the mind by ideas of any kind. Fanaticism has prevailed under different forms in all ages of the world; and one of its most remarkable and dangerous features is the tendency that it has to spread over large ma es of a people. It is not usually confined to one individual; for there are generally to be found others who are ready to take up and act upon the delusion. The very earnestne of the fanatic-and fanatics generally are in earnest serves to carry conviction to the minds of others. Among persons of this cla were Madame Guyon, Johanna South cott, and numerous others. When confined to an adherence to certain theological dogmas, it is in The American Dictionary and Cyclopedia IMG:content-0121.png:[graphic] a comparatively mild and harmle form; but sometimes it man fests itself in atrocities of the most cruel and heart-rending description, — murders, a a inations, and the like. If ignorance be the mother of devotion, much more is it the mother of fanaticism; and the only fit cure for delusions of this sort is the spread of education, enabling people to judge rightly as to the relative importance of things, and to distinguish between the true and the false. Fanatically, adv . In a manner governed by wild and unreasonable enthusiasm; with wild, irrational zeal or fanaticism. Fanaticalne , n. State of being fanatic; fanaticism. Fanaticism, n . Quality of a fanatic; wild and extravagant notions of religion; exce ive and erratic enthusiasm; religious frenzy. Fanaticize, v . a . To render fanatic. Fan-blower, n. ( Mach .) Same as FANNER, q . v. Fancied, ( fan's id ,) p . a. Imagined; imaginary; conceived; liked. Fan'cier, n. One who fancies, or takes a fancy to; as, a dog - fancier . - A person controlled by fancy. "Not reasoners, but fanciers ." - Macaulay. Fan'ciful, a. Full of fancy; guided by the imagination rather than by judgment, reason, and experience; whimsical; fantastical; as, a fanciful man. - Dictated by fancy or the imagination; chimerical; full of wild images; ideal; as, a fanciful project. Fancifully, adv . In a fanciful manner; chimerically; wildly; whimsically. Fan'cifulne , n. Quality of being fanciful; habit of being controlled by fancy rather than by reason. Fan'cile , a. Destitute of fancy; prosaic; bare of imagination. Fan'-cricket, n. (Zool.) The MOLE-CRICKET, q. v. Fan'cy, n. [Gr. and Lat. phantasia , from Gr. phaino , to bring to light, to make to appear. See FAME.] An appearance presented to the mind; image; conception; representation of anything formed in the mind. - The faculty by which the mind forms images or representations of things at pleasure; imagination. -An opinion or notion bred rather by the imagination than by the reason; caprice; desultory idea; whim. "A person who was not disturbed by any fancies in religion." Clarendon. -Inclination; capricious liking; fondne ; as, to take a fancy to a person; hence, by implication, the object of such inclination; as, the younger sister is my fancy. "His fancy lay extremely to travelling. - L' Estrange. -Something that pleases or entertains without much real use or value. "London pride is a pretty fancy for borders." - Mortimer . (Phil.) This term was used by the ancient philosophers as co-extensive with conception - that power or faculty of the mind by which man reproduces the images -of objects, apart from any impre ion on the organs of sense. It is now properly applied to a particular province of the imagination, though sometimes it is loosely used as synonymous with it. "The office of the fancy," according to a modern philosopher, "is to collect materials for the imagination." A man whose habits of a ociation present to him a number of resembling or analogous ideas, for illustrating or embellishing a subject, we call a man of fancy ; but for an effort of imagination, various other powers are nece ary, particularly those of taste and judgment. - It is the power of F. which supplies the poet with metaphorical language, and with all the analogies which are the foundation of his allusions; but it is the power of imagination that creates the complex scenes he describes, and the fictitious characters he delineates. To F. we apply the epithets of rich or luxuriant ; to imagination, those of beautiful or sublime . Others, however, regard F. as a higher energy of the mental activity than imagination, and that it is the imagination that furnishes the materials out of which it creates its fantasies, either by modifying or exaggerating them, or by forming new combinations. The Fancy, a term applied in England to those persons, collectively, who exhibit a special taste or fancy for sporting and athletic pursuits; it is, however, more particularly applied to those who encourage and prac tise boxing , or the art of self-defence. Fan'cy, v. π. To imagine; to picture or figure to one's self; to believe or come to a conclusion without proof; as, to fancy another is one's enemy. -v. a. To portray in the mind; to form a conception of; to image to self; to imagine. "He whom I fancy, but can ne'er expre ." - Dryden. -To feel a fancy or inclination for; to be pleased with, particularly on account of external gifts or graces; to be prepo e ed in favor of; as, to fancy a girl. Fan'cy, a. Fine; elegant; ornamental; adapted to please the taste or fancy; as, a fancy costume. Fancy ball , a ball or entertainment of dancing, in which those who attend are attired in fancy dre es: a bal costumé. - Fancy goods or articles , fabrics and ornaments for personal wear, of lively colors, as distinguished from articles of a plainer character and more sombre hue. - Fancy stocks . ( Banking , U. S.) A species of stocks which afford great opportunity for stock-gain bling, since they have no intrinsic value, and the fluctuations in their prices are chiefly artificial. Fancy Store (U. S.), an establishment for the sale of fancy goods, embroideries, . Fan'cy Creek, in Kansas , a post-office of Clay co. Fan'cy Creek, in Wisconsin , a village of Rich land on a creek of the same name. Fancy Farm, in Kentucky , a post-office of Graves co. The American Dictionary and Cyclopedia will even enter houses in the bush, in pursuit of gnats and other insects. In the breeding-season it is not so familiar. Its nest is very elegant, resembling a winegla in shape, and is generally composed of the inner bark of a Eucalyptus, neatly lined with the down of the tree-fern, intermingled with flowering stalks of mo , and outwardly matted together with the webs of spiders, which not only serve to envelop the nest, but also strengthen its attachment to the branch on which it is constructed, which is always within a few feet of the ground. Eggs two in number.