fibre|glass /fa I bə r glɑːs, -glæs/ in AM, use fiberglass 1 N‑UNCOUNT Fibreglass is plastic strengthened with short, thin threads of glass.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Fibreglass is a material made from short, thin threads of glass which can be used to stop heat escaping.
fi |bre op|tics The spelling fiber optics and fibre optic are also used in American English. 1 N‑UNCOUNT Fibre optics is the use of long thin threads of glass to carry information in the form of light.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Fibre optic means relating to or involved in fibre optics. □ …fibre optic cables.
fi|broid /fa I brɔ I d/ (fibroids ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Fibroids are lumps of fibrous tissue that form in a woman's womb, often causing pain. [MEDICAL ]
fi|brous /fa I brəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A fibrous object or substance contains a lot of fibres or fibre, or looks as if it does. □ …fibrous tissue.
fibu|la /f I bjʊlə/ (fibulae ) N‑COUNT Your fibula is the outer bone of the two bones in the lower part of your leg. [MEDICAL ]
fick|le /f I k ə l/
1 ADJ If you describe someone as fickle , you disapprove of them because they keep changing their mind about what they like or want. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The group has been notoriously fickle in the past. ● fick|le|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the fickleness of businessmen and politicians.
2 ADJ If you say that something is fickle , you mean that it often changes and is unreliable. □ Orta's weather can be fickle.
fic|tion /f I kʃ ə n/ (fictions )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Fiction refers to books and stories about imaginary people and events, rather than books about real people or events. □ Immigrant tales have always been popular themes in fiction. □ Diana is a writer of historical fiction.
2 → see also science fiction
3 N‑UNCOUNT A statement or account that is fiction is not true. □ The truth or fiction of this story has never been truly determined.
4 N‑COUNT If something is a fiction , it is not true, although people sometimes pretend that it is true. □ Is the idea of 'true love' a fiction in itself?
fic|tion|al /f I kʃən ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fictional characters or events occur only in stories, plays, or films and never actually existed or happened. □ It is drama featuring fictional characters.
fic|tion|al|ize /f I kʃənəla I z/ (fictionalizes , fictionalizing , fictionalized ) in BRIT, also use fictionalise VERB To fictionalize an account of something that really happened means to tell it as a story, with some details changed or added. □ [V n] We had to fictionalize names. □ [V -ed] …a fictionalised account of a true and horrific story.
fic|ti|tious /f I kt I ʃəs/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fictitious is used to describe something that is false or does not exist, although some people claim that it is true or exists. □ We're interested in the source of these fictitious rumours.
2 ADJ A fictitious character, thing, or event occurs in a story, play, or film but never really existed or happened. □ The persons and events portrayed in this production are fictitious.
fid|dle /f I d ə l/ (fiddles , fiddling , fiddled )
1 VERB If you fiddle with an object, you keep moving it or touching it with your fingers. □ [V + with ] Harriet fiddled with a pen on the desk.
2 VERB If you fiddle with something, you change it in minor ways. □ [V + with ] She told Whistler that his portrait of her was finished and to stop fiddling with it.
3 VERB If you fiddle with a machine, you adjust it. □ [V + with ] He turned on the radio and fiddled with the knob until he got a talk show.
4 VERB If someone fiddles financial documents, they alter them dishonestly so that they get money for themselves. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] He's been fiddling the books.
5 N‑VAR Some people call violins fiddles , especially when they are used to play folk music. □ Hardy as a young man played the fiddle at local dances.
6 PHRASE Someone who is as fit as a fiddle is very healthy and full of energy. □ I'm as fit as a fiddle–with energy to spare.
7 PHRASE If you play second fiddle to someone, your position is less important than theirs in something that you are doing together. □ She hated the thought of playing second fiddle to Rose.
▸ fiddle around in BRIT, also use fiddle about 1 PHRASAL VERB If you fiddle around or fiddle about with a machine, you do things to it to try and make it work. □ [V P + with ] Two of them got out to fiddle around with the engine. [Also V P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is fiddling around with or fiddling about with something, you mean that they are changing it in a way that you disapprove of. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P P n] They're fiddling around with the budget.
fid|dler /f I dlə r / (fiddlers ) N‑COUNT A fiddler is someone who plays the violin, especially one who plays folk music.
fid|dling /f I dəl I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Fiddling is the practice of getting money dishonestly by altering financial documents. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Salomon's fiddling is likely to bring big trouble for the firm.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Violin playing, especially in folk music, is sometimes referred to as fiddling .
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe something as fiddling if it is small, unimportant, or difficult to do. □ …the daunting amount of fiddling technical detail.