frilly
often derog something decorative or pleasant, but not necessary; EXTRA: I just want an ordinary car, without the frills. | We got a no-frills deal on our car rental. -> see also NO-FRILLS AIRLINE
**frill·y** /'frɪli/ also **frilled** /frɪld/ *adj* having many FRILLS: *The little girl wore a frilly party dress.* ---**iness** *n* [U]
**fringe¹** /frɪndʒ/ *n* **1** a decorative edge of hanging threads on a curtain, tablecloth, GARMENT etc **2** *BrE* || **bangs** *pl. AmE* - a short border of hair usually cut in a straight line, hanging over a person's forehead: *The girl wore her hair in a fringe.* **3** [of] also **fringes** *pl.* the part farthest from the centre; edge: *It was easier to move about on the fringe of the crowd. | The woodcutter had a little house on the fringes of the forest.* **I** (fig.) *A fringe group separated from the main political party.* -> see also LUNATIC FRINGE
**fringe²** *v* [T] to act as a fringe or border to: *A line of trees fringed the pool.*
**Fringe, the** the theatre productions in the EDINBURGH FESTIVAL which are not part of the official programme: *a Fringe production | a comedian who was a great success at the Fringe*
**'fringe ,benefit** *n* [often pl.] an added favour or service given with a job, besides wages, such as the use of a car, free or cheap meals, or free insurance; PERK: *One of the fringe benefits of this job is free health insurance.* -> compare EMOLUMENT
**'fringe ,theatre** *n* [U] *BrE* plays by new writers, often on difficult subjects or written in unusual ways, that are not performed in the main theatres
**frip·pe·ry** /'frɪpəri/ also **fripperies** *pl.* ---*n* foolish, unnecessary, and useless decoration(s), especially on an article of clothing
**Fris·bee** /'frɪzbi/ *trademark* a piece of plastic shaped like a plate, which you throw to someone else to catch as a game: *boys playing (with a) Frisbee in the park*
**frisk** /frɪsk/ *v* **1** [I] (of an animal or child) to run and jump about playfully: *The new lambs are frisking in the fields.* **2** [T] to search (someone) for hidden weapons, goods etc by passing the hands over the body: *The passengers were frisked before they were allowed to board the plane.* ---**frisk** *n*
**frisk·y** /'frɪski/ *adj infml, often humor* overflowing with life and activity; joyfully alive and playful: *The spring weather's making me feel quite frisky. | He may be over seventy, but he can still be quite frisky!* (=sexually playful) ---**ily** *adv* ---**iness** *n* [U]
**fris·son** /'fri:sɒn||fri:'səʊn/ *n* a feeling of excitement and/or pleasure, especially caused by something dangerous or forbidden of which one is slightly afraid
**Frist, Bill** /frɪst/ (1952-) a US politician who is also a heart SURGEON. He became the Republican Senate Majority leader in 2003, and is known for being against ABORTION and in favour of providing government money to fight the disease AIDS. He once gave medical help to two policemen who were shot on Capitol Hill.
**frit** /frɪt/ *adj BrE, dial* frightened. The word became well known throughout Britain when Margaret Thatcher used it in the British Parliament.
**Fri·to-Lay** /'fri:təʊ leɪ/ *trademark* a US company that produces SNACK food such as FRITOS, CHEE-TOS, and potato CRISPS
**Fri·tos** /'fri:təʊz/ *trademark* a US type of CORN CHIPS
**frit·ter¹** /'frɪtəʳ/ *n* (often in comb.) a thin piece of fruit, meat, or vegetable, covered with a mixture of egg and flour (BATTER) and cooked in hot fat: *apple fritters*
**frit·ter²** *v*
**fritter sthg.** <=> **away** *phr v* [T(on)] *derog* to waste (time, money etc) on small unimportant things: *She fritters away all her money on clothes and trips to the cinema.*
**fri·vol·i·ty** /frɪ'vɒləti||- 'vɑ:-/ *n* **1** [U] *derog* the condition of being frivolous: *Your frivolity is out of place on such a solemn occasion.* **2** [C usually pl.] **a)** *derog* a frivolous act or remark: *One doesn't expect a serious political speech to be full of frivolities.* **b)** any form of light pleasure or amusement: *Most people enjoy a few frivolities during their holidays.*
**friv·o·lous** /'frɪvələs/ *adj derog* **1** not taking important matters seriously or sensibly; FLIPPANT: *When he tried to make a little joke, the judge warned him not to give frivolous replies to the lawyer's questions.* **2** liking to spend time in light useless pleasures: *He has a frivolous nature. | Are you playing cards again? What a frivolous way of spending your time!* ---**ly** *adv* ---**ness** *n* [U]
**frizz** /frɪz/ *v* [T(OUT, UP)] *infml* to cause (hair) to go into tight short curls ---**frizz** *n* [S, U]
**friz·zle** /'frɪzəl/ *v* [I(UP)] *infml* to become burnt by being cooked in hot fat: *I left the stew cooking for too long and it frizzled up and stuck to the pan.*
**frizz·y** /'frɪzi/ *adj infml* (of hair) in lots of tight short curls: *Some people have naturally frizzy hair*
**fro¹** /frəʊ/ *adv* -> see TO-AND-FRO
**fro²** *n AmE infml for* an AFRO: *He's got his hair in a fro now; I hardly recognized him.*
**frock** /frɒk||frɑ:k/ *n* **1** *old-fash* a woman's or girl's dress: *a party frock* **2** a long loose GARMENT worn by some Christian MONKS
**'frock ,coat** // *n* a knee-length coat for men, worn in the 19th century
**Fro·do** /'frəʊdəʊ/ a character in the novel *The Lord of the Rings* by J.R.R. Tolkien. He is a HOBBIT, a creature that looks like a human but is much smaller, and lives in a hole in the ground.
**frog** /frɒɡ||frɑ:ɡ, frɔ:ɡ/ *n* **1** a small hairless tailless animal, usually brownish-green, that lives in water and on land, has long back legs for swimming and jumping, and CROAKS (=makes a deep rough sound). People sometimes make jokes about kissing a frog to make it turn into an attractive prince, because this happens in some children's fairy stories. -> see also FROG PRINCE **2** a frog in the/one's throat *infml* a difficulty in speaking because of roughness in the throat
**Frog** *n infml* an insulting word for a French person, which is now considered offensive
**'frog·man** /'frɒɡmæn||'frɑ:ɡ-, 'frɔ:ɡ-/ *n pl.* **-men** /mən/ a skilled underwater swimmer who wears a special APPARATUS for breathing and FLIPPERS (=large flat shoes) to increase the strength of his leg movements: *Police frogmen were called in to search the lake for the missing child.* -> compare SKIN-DIVE
**'frog·march** /'frɒɡmɑ:tʃ||'frɑ:ɡmɑ:rtʃ, 'frɔ:ɡ-/ *v* [T+obj+adv/prep] *BrE* to force (a person) to move forward with the arms held together firmly from behind: *They frogmarched him into the yard where the firing squad was waiting.*
**'Frog ,Prince, The** a FAIRY TALE in which a prince, who has been changed into a FROG by an evil WITCH, tries to persuade a princess to kiss him so that he can become a prince again. She finally does, he becomes human again, and they get married.
**'frog·spawn** /'frɒɡspɔ:n||'frɑ:ɡ-, 'frɔ:ɡ-/ *n* [U] a nearly transparent mass of frog's eggs
**frol·ic¹** /'frɒlɪk||'frɑ:l-/ *v* **-ck-** [I(ABOUT)] to play and jump about happily; FRISK: *The young lambs were frolicking in the field.*
**frol·ic²** *n* an active and enjoyable game of amusement: *The children are having a frolic before bedtime.*
**frol·ic·some** /'frɒlɪksəm||'frɑ:l-/ *adj especially lit* playful; merry: *Kittens are naturally frolicsome.*
**from** /frəm; *strong* frɒm||frəm; *strong* frʌm, frɑ:m/ *prep* **1** starting at (the stated place, position, or condition): *The train from London arrives here at nine o'clock. | He flew from London to New York. | A cool wind blew from the sea. | She went from shop to shop trying to find what she wanted. | He rose from office boy to managing director in fifteen years. | Translate this letter from French into English. | The situation seems to be going from bad to worse.* **2** starting at (the stated time): *From the moment he saw her, he loved her. | We've been working from morning to night. (=without stopping) | We hope to go on holiday a month from (=after) today. | The shop will be open from about half past eight until six o'clock. | From now on I will only be working in the mornings.* **3** beginning at (the stated lower limit): *These coats are from £50. (=the cheapest costs £50)* | *There were from 60 to 80 people (=between 60 and 80) present.* **4** using (the stated...