Frobisher, Sir Martin (b. c. 1535, Yorkshire, Eng.—d. Nov. 22, 1594, Plymouth, Devon) English navigator and early explorer of Canada’s northeastern coast. Searching for the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean, he crossed the Atlantic in 1576 and reached Labrador and Baffin Island, discovering Frobisher Bay. Returning to England with reports of possible gold mines, he obtained royal backing for further expeditions in 1577 and 1578; when he brought back nothing of value, his backing col¬ lapsed. In 1585 he sailed as vice admiral of Sir Francis Drake’s expedi¬ tion to the West Indies, and in 1588 he played a prominent part in the campaign against the Spanish Armada.
Frobisher Bay Vfro-bi-shoiA Inlet of the North Atlantic Ocean. Extend¬ ing northwest from the southeastern tip of Baffin Island, Can., it is about 150 mi (240 km) long and 20^40 mi (32-64 km) wide and has a maxi¬ mum depth of 400 ft (120 m). It was discovered in 1576 by Martin Fro¬ bisher. The town of Iqaluit at the head of the bay is the capital of Nunavut.
Frobisher Bay See Iqaluit
Froebel Vfrce-bslX, Friedrich (Wilhelm August) or Friedrich Wilhelm Frobel (b. April 21, 1782, Oberweissbach, Thuringia, Ernes¬ tine Saxony—d. June 21, 1852, Marienthal, near Bad Liebenstein, Thu¬ ringia) German educator and founder of the kindergarten. Influenced by the theories of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, he founded an infant school in 1837 that he later called the Kindergarten, or “garden of children.” He believed in “self-activity” and play as essential factors in child education, the teacher’s role being not to drill or indoctrinate but rather to encour¬ age self-expression through play. He greatly influenced modern tech¬ niques in preschool education, including the ideas of John Dewey.
frog Any of various tailless amphibians in the order Anura. The name may be limited to any member of the family Ranidae (true frogs); more broadly, it often distinguishes smooth-skinned, leaping anurans from
squat, warty, hopping ones (toads).
Frogs generally have protruding eyes, strong, webbed hind feet adapted for leaping and swimming, and smooth, moist skin. Most are predominantly aquatic, but some live on land. They range in length (snout to anus) from 0.4 to 12 in. (9.8 mm-30 cm). Though frogs have poi¬ sonous skin glands, they rely on camouflage for protection from predators. Most eat insects and other small arthropods or worms, but sev¬ eral also eat other frogs, rodents, and reptiles. They usually breed in fresh¬ water, where they lay eggs that hatch into tadpoles. Since 1989 researchers have become increasingly alarmed by striking declines in frog populations worldwide, suspected to be linked to climatic factors or a fungal disease.
frog hopper See spittlebug
Froissart\frwa-'sar\, Jean (b. 1333?, Valenciennes, Brabant—d. 1400/ 01, Chimay, Hainaut) French court historian and poet. As a scholar Frois¬ sart traveled widely and lived among the nobility of several European courts. His Chronicles, a firsthand narrative covering the Hundred Years' War from 1325 to 1400, including events in Flanders, Spain, Portugal, France, and England, is the most important and detailed document of feu¬ dal times and the best contemporary exposition of chivalric and courtly ideals. He also wrote ballades, rondeaux, and allegorical poetry celebrat¬ ing courtly love.
A.
Jean Froissart (seated), writing his Chroniques, miniature from a mid-15th-century manuscript; in the Bibliotheque de I'Arsenal, Paris (Ms. 5190).
COURTESY OF THE BIBLIOTHEQUE DE L'ARSENAL, PARIS; PHOTOGRAPH, STUDIO STA PHOTO
Fromm, Erich (b. March 23, 1900, Frankfurt am Main, Ger.—d. March 18, 1980, Muralto, Switz.) German-born U.S. psychoanalyst and social philosopher. A disciple of Sigmund Freud, Fromm joined the Frankfurt school in the 1920s and left Nazi Germany for the U.S in 1933. Taking issue with Freud, he came to believe in the interaction of psychology and society and argued that psychoanalytic principles could be applied to cure cultural ills. He taught at various institutions, including the National Uni¬ versity of Mexico (1951-67) and New York University (from 1962). His many books, which had popular as well as academic success, included Escape from Freedom (1941), The Sane Society (1955), and The Crisis of Psychoanalysis (1970); The Art of Loving (1956) became a durable best-seller.
Fronde Vfro n d\, the (1648-53) Series of civil wars in France during the minority of Louis XIV. The Fronde (named for the “sling” of a chil-
Snake's head (Fritillaria meleagris)
INGMAR HOLMASEN
Costa Rican flying tree frog (Agalych- nis spurrelli).
HEATHER ANGEL
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
716 i front ► fructose
dren’s game played in the streets of Paris in defiance of authorities) was in part an attempt to check the growing power of royal government, but its failure paved the way for the absolutism of Louis XIV’s reign. The first phase, the Fronde of the Parlement (1648-49), was an attempt to place constitutional limits on the queen regent, Anne of Austria, and her chief minister, Jules Mazarin. Uprisings forced the government to concede to the Parlement’s demands. The more serious second phase, the Fronde of the Princes (1650-53), sprang from aristocratic opposition to Mazarin. The military leader the Great Conde was arrested, causing his friends to rebel (in the so-called first war of the princes). His supporters joined the Parisian party (the Old Fronde) in successfully calling for Conde’s release and Mazarin’s resignation. Conde lost his position when Anne joined with the Old Fronde against him, precipitating the second war of the princes (1651-53). After losses in battle, he fled. The king entered Paris in tri¬ umph in 1652, followed by Mazarin in 1653. The Fronde was the last serious challenge to the monarchy until the French Revolution.
front In meteorology, the interface or transition zone between two air masses of different density and temperature. Frontal zones are frequently accompanied by low barometric pressure, marked changes in wind direc¬ tion and relative humidity, and considerable cloudiness and precipitation.
Front Islamique du Salut (FIS) See Islamic Salvation Front
Frontenac \fro n -to- , nak\ / Louis de Buade, count de Palluau
and de (b. May 22, 1622, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, France—d. Nov. 28, 1698, Quebec, New France) French courtier and governor of New France (1672-82, 1689-98). Despite a record of mis- govemment, he encouraged exploration that led to the expansion of the French empire in Canada. He established fur-trading posts that brought him into conflict with the Montreal fur traders and later expanded the posts west. He engaged in disputes with the officials and clergy of New France. The Iroquois Confederacy, which had remained on good terms with the French until 1675, turned against the French, and the colony was left defenseless. Louis XIV recalled Frontenac in 1682. Reappointed when the French and Indian War started (1689), he distinguished himself by repuls¬ ing British attacks on Quebec.
Frontinus \fran-'tl-n3s\, Sextus Julius (b. ad 35—d. 103) Roman governor of Britain and author of a work on the waters of the city of Rome. He was praetor in Rome in 70; later made governor of Britain, he sub¬ dued the Silures in southeastern Wales (75) and held other tribes in check. In 97 he took charge of the aqueducts at Rome and compiled a history full of technical details and regulations governing their use and other matters of importance in the history of civil engineering.
frost Atmospheric moisture that crystallizes directly on the ground and on exposed objects. The term also refers to the occurrence of subfreez¬ ing temperatures that affect plants and crops. Frost crystals, sometimes called hoarfrost in the aggregate, form when water vapour in the atmo¬ sphere passes into the ice-crystal phase without going through the inter¬ mediate liquid phase. Frost forms under conditions that would form dew if the temperature were above freezing. In agriculture, frost refers to the freezing of the water in plant cells, which causes the cells to burst and thereby destroys the plant.