Fair

Fair
Fair Fair (f[^a]r), a. [Compar. {Fairer}; superl. {Fairest}.] [OE. fair, fayer, fager, AS. f[ae]ger; akin to OS. & OHG. fagar, Icel. fagr, Sw. fager, Dan. faver, Goth. fagrs fit, also to E. fay, G. f["u]gen, to fit. fegen to sweep, cleanse, and prob. also to E. fang, peace, pact, Cf. {Fang}, {Fain}, {Fay} to fit.] 1. Free from spots, specks, dirt, or imperfection; unblemished; clean; pure. [1913 Webster]

A fair white linen cloth. --Book of Common Prayer. [1913 Webster]

2. Pleasing to the eye; handsome; beautiful. [1913 Webster]

Who can not see many a fair French city, for one fair French made. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. Without a dark hue; light; clear; as, a fair skin. [1913 Webster]

The northern people large and fair-complexioned. --Sir M. Hale. [1913 Webster]

4. Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; favorable; -- said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.; as, a fair sky; a fair day. [1913 Webster]

You wish fair winds may waft him over. --Prior. [1913 Webster]

5. Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unincumbered; open; direct; -- said of a road, passage, etc.; as, a fair mark; in fair sight; a fair view. [1913 Webster]

The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a fair way to have enlarged. --Sir W. Raleigh. [1913 Webster]

6. (Shipbuilding) Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; flowing; -- said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines. [1913 Webster]

7. Characterized by frankness, honesty, impartiality, or candor; open; upright; free from suspicion or bias; equitable; just; -- said of persons, character, or conduct; as, a fair man; fair dealing; a fair statement. ``I would call it fair play.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

8. Pleasing; favorable; inspiring hope and confidence; -- said of words, promises, etc. [1913 Webster]

When fair words and good counsel will not prevail on us, we must be frighted into our duty. --L' Estrange. [1913 Webster]

9. Distinct; legible; as, fair handwriting. [1913 Webster]

10. Free from any marked characteristic; average; middling; as, a fair specimen. [1913 Webster]

The news is very fair and good, my lord. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

{Fair ball}. (Baseball) (a) A ball passing over the home base at the height called for by the batsman, and delivered by the pitcher while wholly within the lines of his position and facing the batsman. (b) A batted ball that falls inside the foul lines; -- called also a {fair hit}.

{Fair maid}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The European pilchard ({Clupea pilchardus}) when dried. (b) The southern scup ({Stenotomus Gardeni}). [Virginia]

{Fair one}, a handsome woman; a beauty,

{Fair play}, equitable or impartial treatment; a fair or equal chance; justice.

{From fair to middling}, passable; tolerable. [Colloq.]

{The fair sex}, the female sex.

Syn: Candid; open; frank; ingenuous; clear; honest; equitable; impartial; reasonable. See {Candid}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • fair — adj 1: characterized by honesty and justice: free from self interest, deception, injustice, or favoritism a fair and impartial tribunal 2: reasonable as a basis for exchange a fair wage a fair valuation 3: consistent with merit or importance …   Law dictionary

  • fair — fair1 [fer] adj. [ME < OE fæger, akin to FAIN, Goth fagrs, apt, fit < IE base * pek , to be content, make (something) pretty > Lith púošiu, to ornament] 1. attractive; beautiful; lovely 2. unblemished; clean [a fair name] 3. [< notion …   English World dictionary

  • fair — Ⅰ. fair [1] ► ADJECTIVE 1) just or appropriate in the circumstances. 2) treating people equally. 3) considerable in size or amount. 4) moderately good. 5) (of hair or complexion) light; blonde. 6) (of weather) f …   English terms dictionary

  • fair do's — /dooz/ (pl of ↑do; informal) An expression appealing for, or agreeing to, fair play, strict honesty, etc • • • Main Entry: ↑fair * * * fair do’s british spoken phrase used for drawing attention to something good about someone although you are… …   Useful english dictionary

  • fair — adj 1 comely, lovely, *beautiful, pretty, bonny, handsome, beauteous, pulchritudinous, good looking Analogous words: delicate, dainty, exquisite (see CHOICE): charming, attractive, enchanting (see under ATTRACT): pure, *chaste Antonyms: foul: ill …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Fair — steht für: einen Ausdruck im Sinne von „gerecht“ in den Bereichen Sport, Recht und Informatik: siehe Fairness als Abkürzung FAIR „Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research“, siehe GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung Fairness Accuracy in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Fair — Fair, n. [OE. feire, OF. feire, F. foire, fr. L. fariae, pl., days of rest, holidays, festivals, akin to festus festal. See {Feast}.] 1. A gathering of buyers and sellers, assembled at a particular place with their merchandise at a stated or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fair Em — Fair Em, the Miller s Daughter of Manchester, is an Elizabethan era stage play, a comedy written c. 1590. It was bound together with Mucedorus and The Merry Devil of Edmonton in a volume labelled Shakespeare. Vol. I in the library of Charles II… …   Wikipedia

  • fair — fair, fairly adverbs. Fair is used in its ordinary meaning ‘in a fair manner’ in several fixed expressions, e.g. to bid fair, to play fair, fair between the eyes. In dialect use and in some non British varieties it is used to mean ‘completely,… …   Modern English usage

  • fair — [adj1] impartial, unprejudiced aboveboard, benevolent, blameless, candid, civil, clean, courteous, decent, disinterested, dispassionate, equal, equitable, even handed, frank, generous, good, honest, honorable, impartial, just, lawful, legitimate …   New thesaurus

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