Fickle

[A.S. ficol, from wicelian, to wag; Ger. wackeln; Lat. vacillare, to hesitate, to change opinion.] Wavering; of a changeable mind; not firm in appearance or purpose; irresolute; inconstant; variable; capricious; as, "the fickle sex." "A fickle, wavering nation." - Shaks . Fic'klene , n. Wavering disposition; inconstancy; instability; unsteadine in opinion or purpose. Fic'kly, a. Without steadine . Fico, ( fe'co ,) n. [It., from Lat. ficus , a fig.] An act of contempt, done by thrusting the thumb between two of the fingers, expre ing, a fig for you; as, "he gives the fico to his adversaries." - Carew. Fi'coidales, n . pl . [From Lat. ficus , a fig.] ( Bot . ) An alliance of plants, cla Exogens (perigynous). DIAG. Mono dichlamydeous flowers, central or axile placentæ, a polypetalous corolla, if one is present, and an external embryo, curved around a small quantity of mealy albumen. The alliance is divided into the orders Brasil laceæ , Mesembryacea, Tetragoniacese , and Sclera nth aceæ. Ficoid'eæ, n . pl . ( Bot . ) A synonym for MESEMBRYACER, Fictile, ( fic'til ,) a. [Lat. fictilis , from fictus , pp. of fin q. v. gere, to make or form. Moulded into shape by art; made of clay; manufactured by the potter; as, fictile ve els. Fiction, ( fick's hun ,) n. [Fr., from Lat. fictio , derived from fictus , pp. of fingere , to form.] The act of imagining, inventing, or feigning; as, "a mere fiction of the mind." ( Stilling fleet .) - The thing feigned, invented, or imagined; as, "the fictions of the poets." (Sidney.)A lie; a fabrication; a fable. - Fictitious literature or writings.- See NOVEL, and ROMANCE. (Law.) A F. of law [Lat. fictio juris is a supposition of law that a thing is true, without inquiring whether it be so or not, that it may have the effect of truth so far as is consistent with equity. The utility of such fictions is merely, by substituting the imaginary for the true state of the case, to pa more rapidly over those parts of the subject which were not disputed, and arrive at the points really at i ue. The fictions of the Roman law apparently had their origin in the edictal power, and they were devised for the purpose of providing for cases where there were no legal provisions. Fictions must be framed according to the rules of law, and there ought to be equity and po ibility in every legal fiction. "These fictions of law," says Black stone, "though at first they may startle the student, he will find, upon further consideration, to be highly beneficial and useful; especially as this maxim is ever invariably observed, that no fiction shall extend to work an injury; its proper operation being to prevent a mischief, or remedy an inconvenience that might result from the general rule of law." Fictional, a . Same as FICTITIOUS. Fictionist, n. One who writes works of fiction. Fictitious, a. [L. Lat. fictitius .] Feigned; imaginary; not real; counterfeit; false; not genuine; as, "he needs no trappings of fictitious fame." - Dryden . Fictitiously, adv . By fiction; falsely; counterfeitly. Fictitiousne , n. Feigned or false representation. Fictive, a. [Fr. fictif ; L. Lat. fictivus , from fictus , formed.] Feigned; pretended; simulated; as, "fictive tears." Tennyson .