Pronunciations (18)
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/ˈfɛə/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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[ˈfɛə̯]
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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[ˈfɛː]
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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/ˈfɛː/
Pronunciation notes
- British
- Southern
- Standard
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[ˈfɛː]
Pronunciation notes
- British
- Southern
- Standard
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/ˈfeː/
Pronunciation notes
- Australia
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[ˈfeː]
Pronunciation notes
- Australia
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/ˈfeə/
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[ˈfe̝ə]
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/ˈfiə/
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[ˈfiə]
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/ˈfɜː(ɹ)/
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[ˈfɜː(ɹ)]
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/ˈfɛɚ/
Pronunciation notes
- Canada
- General-American
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[ˈfɛɹ]
Pronunciation notes
- Canada
- General-American
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[ˈfɛɹ̩]
Pronunciation notes
- Canada
- General-American
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/ˈfeɾ/
Pronunciation notes
- Scotland
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[ˈfe(ː)ɾ]
Pronunciation notes
- Scotland
Adjective
Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.
Usage- Archaic
- Literary
- Examples
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Monday's child is fair of face.
There was once a knight who wooed a fair young maid.
More examples (4)
He is so fayre, withoutten les, / he semys full well to sytt on des.
That the ſonnes of God ſaw the daughters of men, that they were faire, and they took them wiues, of all which they choſe.
"It was a purely scientific research party sent out by my father's father, the Jeddak of Helium, to rechart the air currents, and to take atmospheric density tests," replied the fair prisoner, in a low, well-modulated voice.
And yet he was also, though many generations separated them, distant cousin to the shining eoten-main Geard, whom the god Frea Ing had seen from afar and wedded; and to Scatha, the fair daughter of the old thurse Theasa, who had claimed a husband from among the gods as weregild for her father's slaying: often, it was said, the ugliest eotens would sire the fairest maids.
Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent.
- Examples
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one's fair name
After scratching out and replacing various words in the manuscript, he scribed a fair copy to send to the publisher.
More examples (2)
The Table hauing at the Communion time a faire white linnen cloth vpon it, shall stand in the body of the Church, or in the Chancell, where Morning prayer and Euening prayer be appointed to be said.
1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, London, Observation 21, “Of Moss, and several other small vegetative Substances,” p. 135, […] I have observ’d, that putting fair Water (whether Rain-water or Pump-water, or May-dew, or Snow-water, it was almost all one) I have often observ’d, I say, that this Water would, with a little standing, tarnish and cover all about the sides of the Glass that lay under water, with a lovely green […]
Light in color, pale, particularly with regard to skin tone but also referring to blond and red hair.
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Examples
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She had fair hair and blue eyes.
the northern people large and fair-complexioned
More examples (1)
This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. In complexion fair, and with blue or gray eyes, he was tall as any Viking, as broad in the shoulder.
Just.
- Examples
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He must be given a fair trial.
More examples (1)
“[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
Adequate, reasonable, or decent, but not excellent.
- Examples
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Their performance has been only fair.
The patient was in a fair condition after some treatment.
More examples (2)
My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price.
The words of these songs were either without meaning, or derived from an idiom with which Watt, a very fair linguist, had no acquaintance.
Favorable to a ship's course.
Usage- of a wind
- Examples
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More examples (1)
I shipped with them and becoming friends, we set forth on our venture, in health and safety; and sailed with a fair wind, till we came to a city called Madínat-al-Sín; […]
Favorable, pleasant.
- Examples
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The weather was fair today.
Favorable, pleasant. Not overcast; cloudless; clear.
- Examples
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a fair sky
They had good weather and tolerably fair winds, and before they entered the Straits of Magellan the captain had formulated a plan for the disposition of Garta.
Favorable, pleasant. Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unencumbered; open; direct; said of a road, passage, etc.
- Examples
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a fair mark; in fair sight; a fair view
The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a fair way to have enlarged.
Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; flowing; said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.
Between the baselines.
Taken direct from an opponent's foot, without the ball touching the ground or another player.
Usage- of a catch
Not a no ball.
Usage- of a ball delivered by the bowler
Of a coin or die, having equal chance of landing on any side, unbiased.
- Examples
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A fair coin has a 50% chance of landing on heads.
Noun
Something which is fair (in various senses of the adjective).
- Examples
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When will we learn to distinguish between the fair and the foul?
A woman, a member of the ‘fair sex’; also as a collective singular, women.
Usage- Obsolete
- Examples
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Love and Hymen, hand in hand, Come, restore the nuptial band! And sincere delights prepare To crown the hero and the fair.
More examples (1)
Here Jones, having ordered a servant to show a room above stairs, was ascending, when the dishevelled fair, hastily following, was laid hold on by the master of the house, who cried, “Heyday, where is that beggar wench going? Stay below stairs, I desire you.”
If single, probably his plighted Fair Has in his absence wedded some rich miser […].
Fairness, beauty.
Usage- Obsolete
- Examples
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My decayed fair
A fair woman; a sweetheart.
- Examples
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I have found out a gift for my fair.
Good fortune; good luck.
Usage- Obsolete
- Examples
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Now, fair befall thee, good Petruchio!
Verb
To smoothen or even a surface (especially a connection or junction on a surface).
Usage- Transitive
To bring into perfect alignment (especially about rivet holes when connecting structural members).
Usage- Transitive
To make an animation smooth, removing any jerkiness.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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More examples (1)
Since the sequence of data contain sampling noises, the captured motion is not smooth and wiggles along the moving path. There are well-known fairing algorithms in Euclidean space based on difference geometry.
To construct or design with the aim of producing a smooth outline or reducing air drag or water resistance.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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More examples (1)
Two forward cars were provided with the model. One of these (shown detached in Fig. 1) was faired at its after end, with a view to possible reduction of head resistance, and to induce a better flow of air to the propeller.
To make fair or beautiful.
Usage- Obsolete
- Transitive
- Examples
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Fairing the foul with art’s false borrow’d face
To become fair (favorable, not stormy).
Usage- Intransitive
- of weather
- Examples
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[The] weather faired, and toward midday we were again facing the fringe of breakers from the cliffs.
... weather "faired off" next morning, and we were not a bit sorry to mark time for a couple of days while the water went down.
More examples (1)
... weather faired up but there was no thought of delay; it was time for Texas to move forward and form a new, independent government. In an effort to combat the frigid conditions, the delegates nailed thin pieces of cloth over the[…]
Adverb
Clearly, openly, frankly, civilly, honestly, favorably, auspiciously, agreeably.
Almost; to a great extent but not literally.
Usage- Ireland
- Examples
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"I'm fair moidered to know what to do wid him," she confessed to the rosy-cheeked Bridget one day.
"I just want to get me blasted boots off and soak me poor feet, they're fair killing me, what with chilblains and corns, me toes are fair screaming."
More examples (1)
"We were at Egyptian Hall last night and the poor lady was overwhelmed with messages - they fair exhausted her."
Noun
A community gathering to celebrate and exhibit local achievements.
An event for public entertainment and trade, a market.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
The turmoil went on—no rest, no peace. […] It was nearly eleven o'clock now, and he strolled out again. In the little fair created by the costers' barrows the evening only seemed beginning; and the naphtha flares made one's eyes ache, the men's voices grated harshly, and the girls' faces saddened one.
An event for professionals in a trade to learn of new products and do business, a trade fair.
A travelling amusement park (called a funfair in British English and a (travelling) carnival in US English).
- Examples
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The whole town was at the fair, young and old, rich and poor.
Adjective
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Examples
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a fair referee
fair deal
More examples (3)
on a fair footing
a fair fight
by fair means or foul
not excessive or extreme
- Synonyms
- Examples
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a fairish income
reasonable prices
very pleasing to the eye
- Examples
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my bonny lass
there's a bonny bay beyond
More examples (2)
a comely face
young fair maidens
(of a baseball) hit between the foul lines
- Antonyms
- Examples
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he hit a fair ball over the third base bag
lacking exceptional quality or ability
- Examples
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a novel of average merit
only a fair performance of the sonata
More examples (3)
in fair health
the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average
the performance was middling at best
attractively feminine
- Examples
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the fair sex
(of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections
- Synonyms
- Examples
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fair copy
a clean manuscript
gained or earned without cheating or stealing
- Synonyms
- Examples
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an honest wage
a fair penny
free of clouds or rain
- Examples
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today will be fair and warm
(used of hair or skin) pale or light-colored
- Synonyms
- Examples
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a fair complexion
Noun
a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.
- Broader terms
gathering of producers to promote business
- Broader terms
- Examples
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world fair
trade fair
More examples (1)
book fair
a competitive exhibition of farm products
- Broader terms
- Examples
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she won a blue ribbon for her baking at the county fair
a sale of miscellany; often for charity
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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the church bazaar
Adverb
in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating
- Examples
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they played fairly
without favoring one party, in a fair evenhanded manner
- Synonyms
- Examples
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deal fairly with one another
Verb
join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly
- Broader terms