2 → see also found
fou nd|ing fa |ther (founding fathers )
1 N‑COUNT The founding father of an institution, organization, or idea is the person who sets it up or who first develops it. [LITERARY ]
2 N‑PROPER‑PLURAL The Founding Fathers of the United States were the members of the American Constitutional Convention of 1787.
found|ling /faʊ ndl I ŋ/ (foundlings ) N‑COUNT A foundling is a baby that has been abandoned by its parents, often in a public place, and that has then been found by someone. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
found|ry /faʊ ndri/ (foundries ) N‑COUNT A foundry is a place where metal or glass is melted and formed into particular shapes.
fount /faʊ nt/ (founts ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a person or thing as the fount of something, you are saying that they are an important source or supply of it. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] To the young boy his father was the fount of all knowledge.
foun|tain /faʊ nt I n/ (fountains )
1 N‑COUNT A fountain is an ornamental feature in a pool or lake which consists of a long narrow stream of water that is forced up into the air by a pump.
2 N‑COUNT A fountain of a liquid is an amount of it which is sent up into the air and falls back. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] The volcano spewed a fountain of molten rock 650 feet in the air.
fou n|tain pen (fountain pens ) N‑COUNT A fountain pen is a pen which uses ink that you have drawn up inside it from a bottle.
four ◆◆◆ /fɔː r / (fours )
1 NUM Four is the number 4. □ Judith is married with four children.
2 PHRASE If you are on all fours , your knees, feet, and hands are on the ground. □ She crawled on all fours over to the window.
fou r-letter wo rd (four-letter words ) N‑COUNT A four-letter word is a short word that people consider to be rude or offensive, usually because it refers to sex or other bodily functions.
fou r-poster be d (four-poster beds ) N‑COUNT A four-poster bed or a four-poster is a large old-fashioned bed that has a tall post at each corner and curtains that can be drawn around it.
four|some /fɔː r səm/ (foursomes ) N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] A foursome is a group of four people or things. □ The London-based foursome are set to release their fourth single this month.
fou r-squa re also foursquare ADJ To stand four-square behind someone or something means to be firm in your support of that person or thing. □ They stood four-square behind their chief, and they would not accept pressure on him to resign.
four|teen ◆◆◆ /fɔː r tiː n/ (fourteens ) NUM Fourteen is the number 14. □ I'm fourteen years old.
four|teenth ◆◆◇ /fɔː r tiː nθ/
1 ORD The fourteenth item in a series is the one that you count as number fourteen. □ The Festival, now in its fourteenth year, has become a major international jazz event.
2 FRACTION A fourteenth is one of fourteen equal parts of something.
fourth ◆◆◇ /fɔː r θ/ (fourths )
1 ORD The fourth item in a series is the one that you count as number four. □ He ended up just outside the medals in fourth place.
2 FRACTION A fourth is one of four equal parts of something. [AM ] □ Three-fourths of the public say they favor a national referendum on the issue. in BRIT, use quarter
fou rth di|me n|sion N‑SING In physics, the fourth dimension is time. The other three dimensions, which exist in space, are length, width, and height. [TECHNICAL ]
fourth|ly /fɔː r θli/ ADV You say fourthly when you want to make a fourth point or give a fourth reason for something. □ Fourthly, the natural enthusiasm of the student teachers should be maintained.
fou rth of|fi |cial (fourth officials ) N‑COUNT In football, the fourth official is an official who assists the referee and assistant referees from the side of the pitch.
Fou rth of July N‑SING In the United States, the Fourth of July is a public holiday when people celebrate the Declaration of Independence in 1776. □ …a Fourth of July picnic.
four-wheel dri ve (four-wheel drives ) N‑COUNT A four-wheel drive is a vehicle in which all four wheels receive power from the engine to help with steering. This makes the vehicle easier to drive on rough roads or surfaces such as sand or snow.
fowl /faʊ l/ (fowls or fowl ) N‑COUNT A fowl is a bird, especially one that can be eaten as food, such as a duck or a chicken. □ Carve the fowl into 8 pieces.
fox /fɒ ks/ (foxes , foxing , foxed )
1 N‑COUNT A fox is a wild animal which looks like a dog and has reddish-brown fur, a pointed face and ears, and a thick tail. Foxes eat smaller animals.
2 VERB If you are foxed by something, you cannot understand it or solve it. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] I admit I was foxed for some time. □ [V n] Only once did we hit on a question which foxed one of the experts.
fox|glove /fɒ ksglʌv/ (foxgloves ) N‑VAR A foxglove is a tall plant that has pink or white flowers shaped like bells growing up its stem.
fox|hole /fɒ kshoʊl/ (foxholes ) N‑COUNT A foxhole is a small hole which soldiers dig as a shelter from the enemy and from which they can shoot.
fox|hound /fɒ kshaʊnd/ (foxhounds ) N‑COUNT A foxhound is a type of dog that is trained to hunt foxes.
fo x-hunting also foxhunting N‑UNCOUNT Fox-hunting is a sport in which people riding horses chase a fox across the countryside. Dogs called hounds are used to find the fox.