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against (as if) in a battle: *Did your father fight in the last war?* | *Britain fought against/with the US in the War of Independence; the Americans were fighting for/fighting to gain their freedom.* | *Stop fighting (=each other) you two.* | *The two dogs were fighting over (=because of) the scraps of food.* | *We vowed to fight on (=continue fighting) until all our demands were met.* | *I can fight any man here.* | *The two boxers fought to a finish. (=until one was completely defeated)* | (*fig.*) *He fought the other contenders for leadership of the party.* | (*fig.*) *Women have had to fight for equal rights.* | (*fig.*) *He fought his way through the crowd.* **2** [I(over, about)] to quarrel: *He and his wife are always fighting (about who will take the car).* **3** [T] to take part in (a war, battle etc): *They fought a duel.* | (*fig.*) *I’m afraid the rail unions are fighting a losing battle (=one that they are certain to lose) over driver-only trains.* **4** [T] to try to prevent; stand against: *The firemen fought the blaze very bravely.* | *The pressure group was formed to fight the closure of the hospital.* **5 fight shy of** to avoid getting mixed up in: *I rather fought shy of telling her the truth about her husband.* **6 fight the good fight** *saying from the Bible* to struggle to live one’s life according to the rules and customs of one’s religion: *He believed that all Christians should fight the good fight and spread the word.* **7 ‘Tis better to have fought and lost than never to have fought at all** *quote* a phrase from a poem by Arthur Hugh Clough **8 We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.** *quote* a phrase from a speech by Winston Churchill, made to the British Parliament in 1940. This speech is seen by British people as a sign of their determination to win World War II even if it meant suffering great hardship.
**fight back** *phr v* [I] to make a great effort to recover from a bad or losing position; defend oneself by fighting: *The government is agonizing about how to fight back at the terrorists without endangering the hostages.*
**fight sbdy./sthg. ⇔ off** *phr v* [T] to keep away by violent action: *The pop star had to fight off all the screaming teenagers who were trying to touch him.* | (*fig.*) *She took various medicines to try to fight off her cold.*
**fight sthg. out** *phr v* [T] to settle (a disagreement) by fighting: *I'm not going to interfere in their quarrel; they'll have to fight it out between them.*
**fight**$^2$ *n* **1** [C] an act of fighting between two people, groups, countries etc; battle: *The police were called in to stop the fight (between the two gangs).* | *Are you going to the big fight (= BOXING match) tonight?* | (*fig.*) *The fight against drug abuse goes on.* | (*fig.*) *Our team put up a good fight (=struggled well) but were beaten in the end.* **2** [U] also **fighting spirit** the power or desire to fight: *There’s not much fight left in him now.* | *The news of the defeat took all the fight out of us.*
**fight·er** /'fartə/ *n* **1** someone who fights, especially a professional soldier or BOXER: (*fig.*) *a tireless fighter against racism* **2** a small fast military aircraft that can destroy enemy aircraft in the air: *a fighter pilot* $\rightarrow$ compare BOMBER
**fighting 'chance** *n* [S] *infml* a small but real chance if great effort is made: [+(that)] *There’s just a fighting chance that we’ll be able to escape.*
**fight or 'flight ,syndrome** also **,fight or 'flight re,action** *n* [the] the body’s natural way of behaving in answer to danger, excitement, or STRESS. This includes increases in heart rate, in the levels of HORMONES, and in the amount of blood sent to the muscles.
**'fig leaf** *n* **1** the large leaf of the FIG tree. Fig leaves are often shown as covering people’s sex organs in paintings, especially paintings of Adam and Eve. **2** something that hides (something else), especially unsuccessfully or dishonestly
**fig·ment** /'fɪgmənt/ n a figment of someone’s imagination something believed but not real
**Fig 'Newton** *trademark* a type of sweet US BISCUIT filled with FIGS
**fig·u·ra·tive** /'fɪgjərətɪv, -gə-/ *adj* (of a word, phrase, meaning etc) used in some way other than the main or usual meaning, to suggest a picture in the mind or make a comparison. Words or expressions used in a figurative way are marked (*fig.*) in this dictionary: *‘A sweet temper’ is a figurative expression, but ‘sweet coffee’ is not.* $\rightarrow$ compare LITERAL$^1$ **—ly** *adv: He’s up to his eyes in paperwork — figuratively speaking, of course!*
**fig·ure**$^1$ /'fɪgə$^r$ || 'fɪgjər/ *n* **1** (the shape of) a whole human body: *I could see a figure in the far distance, but I couldn’t make out who it was.* | *There is a group of figures on the left of the painting.* **2** the human shape considered from the point of view of being attractive **3** a person of a particular type: *He was one of the leading political figures of this century.* | *a central/key figure in the negotiations* **4** any of the number signs from 0 to 9: *Write the number in words and in figures.* | *I’m no good at figures/haven’t got a head for figures! (=sums)* | *Her income is in six figures.* | *She has a six-figure income. (=at least £100,000)* **5** an amount, especially of money: *They're asking a high figure for their house.* | *The crowd is very big, but I couldn’t put a figure on it. (=say exactly what the number of people is)* **6** an often numbered drawing or DIAGRAM used in a book to explain something **7** a pattern performed in FIGURE SKATING
**CULTURAL NOTE** In the US and the UK, a man is considered to have a good body if he has broad shoulders, strong muscles, a flat stomach, and long strong legs. A woman is considered to have a good figure if she is thin with a narrow waist, long legs, and fairly large breasts. Men and women know that most people do not look like this, but it is still what most people would like to look like. $\rightarrow$ see also cultural notes at FAT, THIN
**figure**$^2$ *v* **1** [I(as, in)] to take an especially important or noticeable part; appear: *His name did not figure in the list of those who had received awards.* | *The vice-president figured prominently in the peace negotiations.* **2** [T+(that);obj] *especially AmE* to consider; believe: *I figured (that) you’d want to see me about it.* **3 That figures** *infml* That seems reasonable and is what I expected.
**figure on sthg.** *phr v* [T] *especially AmE* to plan on; include in one’s plans: [+ (obj)v-ing] *I'm figuring on (getting) a $600 pay increase.* | [+obj+v-ing] *I figured on him leaving at 6 o’clock.*
**figure sbdy./sthg. ⇔ out** *phr v* [T] to come to understand or discover by thinking: *I can't figure him out — he’s a mystery!* | [+wh-] *We still haven’t figured out how to do it.*
**fig·ured** /'fɪgəd || 'fɪgjərd/ *adj* [A] decorated with a small pattern: *a dress of figured silk*
**figured 'bass** *n* CONTINUO
**fig·ure·head** /'fɪgəhed || 'fɪgjər-/ *n* **1** a representation in wood, usually of the top half of a woman, that in former times was placed at the front of a ship **2** someone who is the head or chief in name only: *The President is just a figurehead; it’s the party leader who has the real power.*
**figure of 'eight** also **,figure 'eight** *AmE* — *n* something in the shape of the number 8, such as a knot, stitch, or dance pattern
**figure of 'speech** *n* an example of the FIGURATIVE use of words: *I didn’t really mean that my boss is a rat; it was just a figure of speech.*
**'figure ,skating** *n* [U] a kind of SKATING in which you move in patterns on the ice —**er** *n*
**fig·u·rine** /'fɪgjʊ;ri:n, 'fɪgjəri:n ||,fɪgjʊ'ri:n/ *n* a small decorative human figure made of baked clay, cut stone etc
**Fi·ji** /'fi:dʒi:/ a country in the southwest Pacific Ocean made up of two main islands and hundreds of smaller ones. Population: 868,531 (2003). Capital: Suva. **—Fijian** /fɪ'dʒi:ənl || 'fi:dʒiən/ *n, adj*
**fil·a·ment** /'fɪləmənt/ *n* a thin thread, such as the thin piece of metal inside an electric light BULB
**fil·bert** /'fɪlbət || -bərt/ *n AmE* HAZEL
**filch** /fɪltʃ/ *v* [T] to steal (something of small value) secretly; PILFER
**file**$^1$ /faɪl/ *n* a steel tool with a rough face, used for rubbing down, making smooth, or cutting through hard surfaces $\rightarrow$ see also NAIL FILE
**file**$^2$ *v* [I+adv/prep;T] to rub or cut with a file: *The prisoner filed through his bars and escaped.* | *She was filing her nails.* | *File down this rough spot.* | [+obj+adj] *He filed the wood smooth.*
**file**$^3$ *n* **1** a box FOLDER etc for storing papers in an ordered