495
**father**
**fast-'forward** *n* [the U] a way of operating a TAPE RECORDER or VIDEO so that the TAPE is wound forward fast without being played
**fas-tid-i-ous** /fæ'stɪdiəs/ *adj* (typical of a person who is) extremely difficult to please or satisfy, especially disliking anything at all dirty, unpleasant, or rough: *Jean is too fastidious to eat with her fingers.* $\rightarrow$ compare FUSSY **---ly** *adv* **---ness** *n* [U]**'fast lane** *n* **1** the LANE of a MOTORWAY used by vehicles travelling fast and going past other vehicles **2** *life in the fast lane* a very exciting style of life: *With all her money and film-star friends, she really lives her life in the fast lane.***fast-ness** /'fɑːstnəs||'fæst-/ *n* **1** [U] the quality of being firm and fixed: *colour fastness* **2** [C] especially *lit* a safe place which is hard to reach: *The rebels have withdrawn to their mountain fastness for the winter.* > **USAGE** There is no noun formed from **fast** when it means quick. Use instead **speed** or **quickness**.
**Fast-net, the** /'fɑːstnet||'fæst-/ a famous YACHTING race held every two years from the south of England up to the Fastnet Rock near Ireland. In 1979, extremely bad weather caused many of the boats to sink, and several people died.**'fast track** *n* [S (to)] the fast track to something is the fastest way of achieving it: *Many saw independence as the fast track to democracy.***fat¹** /fæt/ *adj* **1** having (too) much fat on the body: *fat cattle | a fat baby | You'll get fat if you eat all those cream cakes.* **2** (of meat) containing a lot of fat: *fat bacon* $\rightarrow$ see also FATTY¹ **3** thick and well-filled: *a fat book | (fig.) a fat bank account | (fig.) The cinema industry has had a series of fat (=profitable) years.* **4** [A] *infml* nearly nonexistent: *A fat lot of good/of use that is | a fat chance* **5** **the opera isn't over till the fat lady sings** saying something is not finished until one particular important part has taken place **---ness** *n* [U] > If you want to be polite about someone do not say that they are fat. **(Rather) overweight** is a more polite way of saying the same thing. **Plump** is most often used of women and children and means 'slightly (and pleasantly) fat'. **Chubby** (used of babies and children) also means 'pleasantly fat'. **Stout** means 'rather fat and heavy' and **tubby** means 'short and rather fat, especially in the stomach'. If someone is extremely fat and unhealthy they are said to be **obese**. $\rightarrow$ see also THIN (USAGE) > **CULTURAL NOTE** In the US and the UK people who are fat are generally thought to be unattractive, and many people, especially women, often go on DIETs in order to try to lose weight. Being fat is also seen as a health problem. Some people believe they experience DISCRIMINATION (=unfair treatment, especially at work) because they are fat. $\rightarrow$ see also Cultural Notes at THIN, DIET, OBESE**fat²** *n* **1** [U] the white or yellowish substance in the bodies of animals and human beings, especially just under the skin, which helps to keep them warm **2** [C;U] this substance or the oily substance found in some plants, especially seeds, when in solid or almost solid form, considered as food: *He can't eat fat. | He fried the potatoes in deep fat. | Some kinds of margarine are made of vegetable fats.* **3** **live off/on the fat of the land** to live in great comfort with plenty to eat, without having to work very hard **4 the fat is in the fire** *infml* something has been done which will result in a lot of trouble $\rightarrow$ see also **chew the fat (CHEW¹)****fa-tal** /'feɪtl/ *adj* **1** [to, for] causing or resulting in death: *a fatal accident/illness | (fig.) Marriage at this stage could be fatal to your career.* **2** *infml* bringing danger or ruin, or having unpleasant results: *It's fatal to stay up working late into the night; you always feel terrible next day.* $\rightarrow$ see also FATALLY***Fatal At'traction*** (1987) a film with Michael DOUGLAS and Glenn CLOSE, in which a married man has sex with another woman. He does not want to have a relationship with her, and she becomes very angry and crazy, follows him everywhere, and kills his daughter's pet rabbit and tries to kill his wife.**fa-tal-is-m** /'feɪtl-ɪzəm/ *n* [U] the belief that events are decided by fate and are outside human control **---ist** *n* **---istic** /'feɪtl'ɪstɪk/ *adj*: *a fatalistic attitude to death* **---istically** /-kli/ *adv***fa·tal·i·ty** /fə'tæləti/ *n fml* **1** [C] *tech* a violent accidental death: *It was a bad crash, but there were no fatalities. (=no one was killed)* **2** [U] the quality of being fatal: *New drugs have reduced the fatality of this disease.* | *The fatality rate on our roads has been increasing.* **3** [S] *fml* the quality of being decided by fate**fa·tal·ly** /'feɪtl-i/ *adv* so as to cause death, ruin, or misfortune: *fatally wounded | She was fatally attracted to him.*
**Fat·boy Slim** /'fætbɔɪ 'slɪm/ (1963–) a British musician, DJ, and RECORD producer. He has made many DANCE MUSIC records and developed a style called 'big beat' which is a mixture of rock, RHYTHM and BLUES, and TECHNO. He sometimes uses his real name, which is Norman Cook.**'fat camp** *n infml* (especially in the US) a place where children who are fat go to lose weight and to exercise, usually in the summer**'fat cat** *n infml derog* a rich man, sometimes thought of as one who smokes a CIGAR and drives a large expensive car
**'fat 'city** *n AmE slang* **in fat city** very fortunate and very happy because of new material wealth: *If this deal goes through, we'll be in fat city. | Those guys are in fat city since their rent was lowered.***fate** /feɪt/ *n* **1** [U] (often cap.) the power or force which is supposed to be the cause of and in control of all events, in a way which is beyond human control. **Fate** is not an important idea in the lives of British or American people: *He expected to spend his life in Italy, but fate had decreed otherwise. | She wondered what fate had in store for her next. (=what would happen to her next)* **2** [C] an end or result, especially death: *They met with a terrible fate.* **3** [S] what will or must happen to someone or something: *Your school report is important, but ultimately it's the university examiners who will decide your fate. (=decide whether you can or cannot enter university) | The company's fate is still uncertain. | The fate of the hostages depends upon the release of the political prisoners.* **4 a fate worse than death a)** something terrible or frightening: *Going out with Henry would be a fate worse than death.* **b)** *old use or humor* (for a woman) the loss of VIRGINITY, especially before marriage $\rightarrow$ see also **tempt fate (TEMPT), DESTINY****fat·ed** /'feɪtɪd/ *adj* [F] caused or fixed by fate: [+to-v] *You and I were fated to meet. | [+that] It was fated that we should meet.* $\rightarrow$ see also ILL-FATED**fate·ful** /'feɪtfəl/ *adj* (of a day, event, or decision) having an important (especially bad) influence on the future: *Their fateful decision to declare war changed the course of history.* **---ly** *adv***Fates, the** /feɪts/ in Greek and Roman MYTHOLOGY, the three goddesses who decided what should happen in each person's life
**'fat farm** *n AmE infml derog* a place where fat people go in order to lose weight. Some of these places are very expensive. They try to make people healthy through exercise, eating well, and relaxing. $\rightarrow$ compare HEALTH FARM**fat·head** /'fæthed/ *n infml* a fool; stupid person: *Don't do that, fathead!* **---headed** /'fæt'hedəd/ *adj* **---headedness** *n* [U]**fa·ther¹** /'fɑːðə/ *n* **1** a male parent of a child or animal: *the fathers and mothers of the schoolchildren | He became a father (=a child of his was born) this year. | My uncle has been like a father to me since my own father died. | Can we borrow the car, father? | a father of four (=having four children) | a father-to-be (=soon to be a father)* $\rightarrow$ see UNCLE (USAGE) **2** [+of] the man who began or invented (the stated thing): *Einstein is regarded by many as the father of modern scientific thought.* **3** [usually pl.] a FOREFATHER: *the customs of our fathers* $\rightarrow$ see also CITY FATHER, FOUNDING FATHER **4 how's your father?** *BrE infml* sex: *How about a bit of how's your father?* **---less** *adj*: *a poor fatherless child* > When you are addressing your father or mother or talking about them to another member of your family, you do not use the possessive pronoun 'my': *Are you all right mother? | Has father gone out?* Outside the family it is more common to include the possessive pronoun: *(My) father used to take us to the seaside every year. | (My)*