FAIR

bonny, bonnie, comely, fair, sightly

(adjective) very pleasing to the eye; “my bonny lass”; “there’s a bonny bay beyond”; “a comely face”; “young fair maidens”

fair, fairish

(adjective) (used of hair or skin) pale or light-colored; “a fair complexion”

fair

(adjective) free of clouds or rain; “today will be fair and warm”

fair

(adjective) (of a baseball) hit between the foul lines; “he hit a fair ball over the third base bag”

fair, just

(adjective) free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules; “a fair referee”; “fair deal”; “on a fair footing”; “a fair fight”; “by fair means or foul”

honest, fair

(adjective) gained or earned without cheating or stealing; “an honest wage”; “an fair penny”

clean, fair

(adjective) (of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections; “fair copy”; “a clean manuscript”

fair

(adjective) attractively feminine; “the fair sex”

fair, fairish, reasonable

(adjective) not excessive or extreme; “a fairish income”; “reasonable prices”

average, fair, mediocre, middling

(adjective) lacking exceptional quality or ability; “a novel of average merit”; “only a fair performance of the sonata”; “in fair health”; “the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average”; “the performance was middling at best”

fairly, fair, evenhandedly

(adverb) without favoring one party, in a fair evenhanded manner; “deal fairly with one another”

fairly, fair, clean

(adverb) in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating; “they played fairly”

carnival, fair, funfair

(noun) a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.

bazaar, fair

(noun) a sale of miscellany; often for charity; “the church bazaar”

fair

(noun) a competitive exhibition of farm products; “she won a blue ribbon for her baking at the county fair”

fair

(noun) gathering of producers to promote business; “world fair”; “trade fair”; “book fair”

fair

(verb) join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Adjective

fair (comparative fairer, superlative fairest)

(archaic or literary) Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.

Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent.

Light in color, pale, particularly with regard to skin tone but also referring to blond hair.

Just, equitable.

Adequate, reasonable, or decent.

(nautical, of a wind) Favorable to a ship's course.

Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.

Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unencumbered; open; direct; said of a road, passage, etc.

(shipbuilding) Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; flowing; said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.

(baseball) Between the baselines.

(rugby, of a catch) Taken direct from an opponent's foot, without the ball touching the ground or another player.

(cricket, of a ball delivered by the bowler) Not a no-ball.

(statistics) Of a coin or die, having equal chance of landing on any side, unbiased.

Synonyms

• (beautiful): beautiful, pretty, lovely

• (unblemished): pure, clean, neat

• (light in color): pale

• (just): honest, just, equitable

Noun

fair (plural fair)

Something which is fair (in various senses of the adjective).

(obsolete) A woman, a member of the ‘fair sex’; also as a collective singular, women.

(obsolete) Fairness, beauty.

A fair woman; a sweetheart.

• Shenstone

(obsolete) Good fortune; good luck.

Verb

fair (third-person singular simple present fairs, present participle fairing, simple past and past participle faired)

(transitive) To smoothen or even a surface (especially a connection or junction on a surface).

(transitive) To bring into perfect alignment (especially about rivet holes when connecting structural members).

To construct or design a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline or reduce air drag or water resistance.

(transitive, obsolete) To make fair or beautiful.

Synonyms

• (to reduce air drag or water resistance): to streamline

Adverb

fair (comparative more fair or fairer, superlative most fair or fairest)

clearly, openly, frankly, civilly, honestly, favorably, auspiciously, agreeably

Etymology 2

Noun

fair (plural fairs)

A community gathering to celebrate and exhibit local achievements.

An event for public entertainment and trade, a market.

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).

Anagrams

• RIFA, fiar

Source: Wiktionary


Fair, a. [Compar. Fairer; superl. Fairest.] Etym: [OE. fair, fayer, fager, AS. fĂŠger; akin to OS. & OHG. fagar, Isel. fagr, Sw. fager, Dan. faver, Goth. fagrs fit, also to E. fay, G. fĂŒgen, to fit. fegen to sweep, cleanse, and prob. also to E. fang, peace, pact, Cf. Fang, Fain, Fay to fit.]

1. Free from spots, specks, dirt, or imperfection; unblemished; clean; pure. A fair white linen cloth. Book of Common Prayer.

2. Pleasing to the eye; handsome; beautiful. Who can not see many a fair French city, for one fair French made. Shak.

3. Without a dark hue; light; clear; as, a fair skin. The northern people large and fair-complexioned. Sir M. Hale.

4. Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; favorable; - - said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.; as, a fair sky; a fair day. You wish fair winds may waft him over. Prior.

5. Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unincumbered; open; direct; -- said of a road, passage, etc.; as, a fair mark; in fair sight; a fair view. The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a fair way to have enlarged. Sir W. Raleigh.

6. (Shipbuilding)

Definition: Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; fowing; -- said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.

7. Characterized by frankness, honesty, impartiality, or candor; open; upright; free from suspicion or bias; equitable; just; -- said of persons, character, or conduct; as, a fair man; fair dealing; a fair statement. "I would call it fair play." Shak.

8. Pleasing; favorable; inspiring hope and confidence; -- said of words, promises, etc. When fair words and good counsel will not prevail on us, we must be frighted into our duty. L' Estrange.

9. Distinct; legible; as, fair handwriting.

10. Free from any marked characteristic; average; middling; as, a fair specimen. The news is very fair and good, my lord. Shak. Fair ball. (Baseball) (a) A ball passing over the home base at the height called for by the batsman, and delivered by the pitcher while wholly within the lines of his position and facing the batsman. (b) A batted ball that falls inside the foul lines; -- called also a fair hit.

– Fair maid. (Zoöl.) (a) The European pilchard (Clupea pilchardus) when dried. (b) The southern scup (Stenotomus Gardeni). [Virginia] -- Fair one, a handsome woman; a beauty, -- Fair play, equitable or impartial treatment; a fair or equal chance; justice.

– From fair to middling, passable; tolerable. [Colloq.] -- The fair sex, the female sex.

Syn.

– Candid; open; frank; ingenuous; clear; honest; equitable; impartial; reasonable. See Candid.

Fair, adv.

Definition: Clearly; openly; frankly; civilly; honestly; favorably; auspiciously; agreeably. Fair and square, justly; honestly; equitably; impartially. [Colloq.] -- To bid fair. See under Bid.

– To speak fair, to address with courtesy and frankness. [Archaic]

Fair, n.

1. Fairness, beauty. [Obs.] Shak.

2. A fair woman; a sweetheart. I have found out a gift for my fair. Shenstone.

3. Good fortune; good luck. Now fair befall thee ! Shak. The fair, anything beautiful; women, collectively. "For slander's mark was ever yet the fair." Shak.

Fair, v. t.

1. To make fair or beautiful. [Obs.] Fairing the foul. Shak.

2. (Shipbuilding)

Definition: To make smooth and flowing, as a vessel's lines.

Fair, n. Etym: [OE. feire, OF. feire, F. foire, fr. L. fariae, pl., days of rest, holidays, festivals, akin to festus festal. See Feast.]

1. A gathering of buyers and sellers, assembled at a particular place with their merchandise at a stated or regular season, or by special appointment, for trade.

2. A festival, and sale of fancy articles. erc., usually for some charitable object; as, a Grand Army fair.

3. A competitive exhibition of wares, farm products, etc., not primarily for purposes of sale; as, the Mechanics' fair; an agricultural fair. After the fair, Too late. [Colloq.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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