A premature explosion in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine during the exhaust or the compression stroke, tending to drive the piston in the wrong direction.
An explosion in other equipment.
An explosion in the exhaust passages of an internal combustion engine.
verb
(of a gun, cannon, Bunsen burner, etc.) To fire in the opposite direction, for example due to an obstruction in the barrel.
(of an engine) To experience a premature ignition of fuel or an ignition of exhaust gases, making a popping sound.
To fail in a manner that brings down further misfortune.
backfired
backfired
verb
simple past tense and past participle of backfire
backfires
backfires
noun
plural of backfire
verb
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of backfire
backfiring
backfiring
noun
A failure that leads to further misfortune.
The occurrence of a backfire.
verb
present participle of backfire
backfriend
backfriend
noun
(UK, dialectal) A friend at one's back; a backer; one who does his best for another; a supporter.
(UK, dialectal) A hangnail.
(UK, dialectal, obsolete) A false friend; a secret enemy.
bakersfield
bakersfield
Proper noun
A major city in California, USA
bekerchief
biforked
biforked
adj
forked into two; bifurcate
biforking
birkhoff
blackfigured
blackfire
blackfisher
blackfriars
blackfriars
intj
(obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) look out; beware
noun
plural of blackfriar
bookfair
boufarik
breakfasting
breakfasting
noun
The act of eating breakfast.
verb
present participle of breakfast
brickcroft
brickfield
brickfield
noun
A place where bricks are made; a brickyard.
brickfielder
brickfielder
noun
(Australia) A hot, dry, dusty wind of southern or central Australia.
brickfields
brickfields
noun
plural of brickfield
brookfield
butterflylike
butterflylike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a butterfly.
chirikof
chuckfarthing
clarkfield
cockfighter
cockfighter
noun
One who engages in a cockfight.
cofferlike
cofferlike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a coffer.
coffinmaker
coffinmaker
noun
A manufacturer of coffins.
confervalike
craftsmanlike
craftsmanlike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a craftsman
creekfish
creekfish
noun
(US) Erimyzon oblongus, the chubsucker.
creekfishes
crookfingered
defrocking
defrocking
noun
The formal removal of the rights and authority of a member of the clergy.
verb
present participle of defrock
diefenbaker
disfrock
disfrock
verb
(transitive) To remove from status as a member of a clergy; to unfrock.
disfrocked
disfrocked
verb
simple past tense and past participle of disfrock
disfrocking
disfrocking
verb
present participle of disfrock
disfrocks
disfrocks
verb
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of disfrock
drawknife
drawknife
noun
A joiner's tool having a blade with a handle at each end, used to shave off surfaces, by drawing it toward one; a shave; a drawshave.
A tool used for the purpose of making an incision along the path a saw is to follow, to prevent it from tearing the surface of the wood.
verb
(transitive) To cut or shave with a drawknife.
drinkproof
dwarflike
dwarflike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a dwarf; small, diminutive.
enkerchief
fabrikoid
factorylike
factorylike
adj
Resembling a factory in any of various respects
fairbank
fairbank
verb
(gambling, slang, transitive) For the bank or dealer to assist (the player) by cheating in his/her favour, to encourage further play and facilitate a later swindle.
fairbanks
fairbanks
verb
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of fairbank
fairkeeper
fairlike
fairlike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a fair (entertainment and trading event).
fairoaks
fairyfolk
fairyfolk
noun
Alternative form of fairy folk
fairylike
fairylike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a fairy.
faithbreaker
faithbreaker
noun
Someone who breaks a promise or violates a treaty.
fakeries
fakeries
noun
plural of fakery
fakir
fakir
noun
(Hindu, more loosely) An ascetic mendicant, especially one who performs feats of endurance or apparent magic.
(Islam) A faqir, owning no personal property and usually living solely off alms.
(derogatory) Someone who takes advantage of the gullible through fakery, especially of a spiritual or religious nature.
fakirism
fakirism
noun
The practices of fakirs.
fakirs
fakirs
noun
plural of fakir
falkirk
falkirk
Proper noun
A town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, originally in
A unitary council area in Scotland, and previously a local government district in Region (1975-1996).
farcelike
farcelike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of farce.
farika
farkleberries
farkleberries
noun
plural of farkleberry
farmerlike
farmerlike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a farmer.
farrierlike
fatherkin
fatherkin
noun
(dated) Fond term of address for one's father.
fatherlike
fatherlike
adj
having the qualities of a father
featherlike
featherlike
adj
As light as a feather.
Having the characteristics of plumage.
fecifork
fedirko
feinschmecker
feinschmeckers
ferkin
fernlike
fernlike
adj
Resembling a fern.
fernsick
ferntickle
ferntickled
ferrick
ferronickel
ferronickel
noun
A ferroalloy of iron and nickel.
feverlike
feverlike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a fever.
fibrinokinase
ficklehearted
fickler
fickler
adj
comparative form of fickle: more fickle
fieldwork
fieldwork
noun
(countable, rare) A temporary fortification built by troops in the field; a defensive earthwork in the field.
(in scientific research) The collection of raw data in the field, field research, field study, field studies.
(uncountable) Work done out in the real world rather than in controlled conditions
(uncountable, agriculture) Work done out in the fields as opposed to that done elsewhere on the farm (e.g., barn, house, outbuildings, office).
fieldworker
fieldworker
noun
A person who does fieldwork.
figpecker
figpecker
noun
A bird, the western Orphean warbler, Sylvia hortensis, prized by gourmets.
fikery
filemaker
filemaker
noun
A manufacturer of files (rasping tools).
filemark
filemark
noun
(computing) A special value used on computer tape to separate individual files.
filemarks
filemarks
noun
plural of filemark
filmmaker
filmmaker
noun
A producer or director of films/movies.
fingerhook
fingerlike
fingerlike
adj
Resembling a finger, especially in shape
fingermark
fingermark
noun
A blemish made by a dirty finger.
fingerpicked
fingerpicked
verb
simple past tense and past participle of fingerpick
fingerpicks
fingerpicks
noun
plural of fingerpick
verb
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of fingerpick
fingerwork
fingerwork
noun
Alternative spelling of finger work
finickier
finickier
adj
comparative form of finicky: more finicky
finksburg
finmark
finmarks
finnickier
finnickier
adj
comparative form of finnicky: more finnicky
finnmark
finnmark
Proper noun
A county in Norway.
finnmarks
firbank
fireback
fireback
noun
A piece of iron that fits into the back of a fireplace to distribute the heat and keep the brick from cracking.
Any of certain species of pheasant in the genus Lophura.
firebreak
firebreak
noun
(figurative) Any separating barrier.
An area cleared of all flammable material to prevent a fire from spreading across it.
firebreaks
firebreaks
noun
plural of firebreak
firebrick
firebrick
noun
a brick capable of withstanding high temperatures without deforming.
firebricks
firebricks
noun
plural of firebrick
firecracker
firecracker
noun
A peanut butter cracker baked with marijuana, similar in concept to an Alice B. Toklas brownie.
A person or thing that is exciting and/or unpredictable.
A small explosive device, typically containing a small amount of gunpowder in a tightly-wound roll of paper, primarily designed to produce a large bang.
firecrackers
firecrackers
noun
plural of firecracker
firedrake
firedrake
noun
(figurative, poetic) A worker at a furnace or fire
A fiery meteor, an ignis fatuus, a rocket
A fire-breathing dragon.
A kind of firework
firelike
firelike
adj
Resembling or characteristic of fire; fiery.
firelock
firelock
noun
(by extension, historical) A firearm using such a gunlock.
(historical) A form of gunlock, in which the priming is ignited by a spark.
firelocks
firelocks
noun
plural of firelock
firepink
firepink
noun
Silene virginica, a brilliant red wildflower of eastern North America in the family Caryophyllaceae.
firepinks
firepinks
noun
plural of firepink
firework
firework
noun
A device using gunpowder and other chemicals which, when lit, emits a combination of coloured flames, sparks, whistles or bangs, and sometimes made to rocket high into the sky before exploding, used for entertainment or celebration.
fireworkless
fireworkless
adj
Without fireworks.
fireworks
fireworks
noun
(plural only) An event or a display where fireworks are set off.
(plural only, figuratively) A boisterous or violent event or situation.
plural of firework.
fireworky
fireworky
Adjective
Resembling or characteristic of a firework.
firk
firk
noun
(UK dialectal) A freak; trick; quirk.
A stroke; lash.
verb
(intransitive) To move quickly; go off or fly out suddenly; turn out.
(transitive) To carry away or about; carry; move.
(transitive) To drive away.
(transitive) To rouse; raise up.
firked
firked
verb
simple past tense and past participle of firk
firker
firkin
firkin
noun
(Britain) A varying measure of capacity, usually being a quarter of a barrel; specifically, a measure equal to nine imperial gallons.
(US) A small wooden vessel or cask of indeterminate size, used for butter, lard, etc.
A weight measure for butter, equalling 56 pounds.
firking
firking
verb
present participle of firk
firkins
firkins
noun
plural of firkin
fisherfolk
fisherfolk
noun
(anthropology) Members of a culture that is dominated by fishing.
People who fish for a living.
Recreational fishers.
fishworker
fishworker
noun
A laborer in the fishing industry.
fishworks
fishworks
noun
A fish processing plant.
fitzpatrick
flakier
flakier
adj
comparative form of flaky: more flaky
flanderkin
fleckering
fleckering
verb
present participle of flecker
fleckier
flicker
flicker
noun
(US) Any of certain small woodpeckers, especially of the genus Colaptes.
(figurative) A short moment.
An unsteady flash of light.
One who flicks.
verb
(intransitive) To burn or shine unsteadily, or with a wavering light.
(intransitive) To keep going on and off; to appear and disappear for short moments; to flutter.