FERNS

Noun

ferns

plural of fern

Anagrams

• fren's, frens, nerfs

Source: Wiktionary


FERN

Fern, adv.

Definition: Long ago. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Fern, a. Etym: [AS. fyrn.]

Definition: Ancient; old. [Obs.] "Pilgrimages to . . . ferne halwes." [saints]. Chaucer.

Fern, n. Etym: [AS. fearn; akin to D. varen, G. farn, farnkraut; cf. Skr. parna wing, feather, leaf, sort of plant, or Lith. papartis fern.] (Bot.)

Definition: An order of cryptogamous plants, the Filices, which have their fructification on the back of the fronds or leaves. They are usually found in humid soil, sometimes grow epiphytically on trees, and in tropical climates often attain a gigantic size.

Note: The plants are asexual, and bear clustered sporangia, containing minute spores, which germinate and form prothalli, on which are borne the true organs of reproduction. The brake or bracken, the maidenhair, and the polypody are all well known ferns. Christmas fern. See under Christmas.

– Climbing fern (Bot.), a delicate North American fern (Lygodium palmatum), which climbs several feet high over bushes, etc., and is much sought for purposes of decoration.

– Fern owl. (Zoƶl.) (a) The European goatsucker. (b) The short- eared owl. [Prov. Eng.] -- Fern shaw, a fern thicket. [Eng.] R. Browning.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

15 April 2025

DOOMED

(adjective) marked by or promising bad fortune; ā€œtheir business venture was doomed from the startā€; ā€œan ill-fated business ventureā€; ā€œan ill-starred romanceā€; ā€œthe unlucky prisoner was again put in ironsā€- W.H.Prescott


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Coffee Trivia

Plain brewed coffee contains almost no calories, while coffee with dairy products, sugar, and other flavorings is much higher in calories. An espresso has 20 calories. A nonfat latte has 72, while a flavored one has 134.

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