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a. [ F. affable, L. affabilis, fr. affari to speak to; ad + fari to speak. See Fable. ] 1. Easy to be spoken to or addressed; receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; courteous; sociable. [ 1913 Webster ]

An affable and courteous gentleman. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

His manners polite and affable. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Gracious; mild; benign. [ 1913 Webster ]

A serene and affable countenance. Tatler. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Courteous; civil; complaisant; accessible; mild; benign; condescending. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Affability. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an affable manner; courteously. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. affaber workmanlike; ad + faber. ] Executed in a workmanlike manner; ingeniously made. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Contr. from confabulation. ] Familiar talk or conversation. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Confabulated; p. pr. & vb. n. Confabulating. ] [ L. confabulatus, p. p. of confabulary, to converse together; con- + fabulary to speak, fr. fabula. See Fable. ] To talk familiarly together; to chat; to prattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall not ask Jean Jaques Rousseau
If birds confabulate or no. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. confabulatio. ] Familiar talk; easy, unrestrained, unceremonious conversation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Friends' confabulations are comfortable at all times, as fire in winter. Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of the nature of familiar talk; in the form of a dialogue. Weever. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. effabilis; ex out + fari to speak. ] Capable of being uttered or explained; utterable. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. [ shortened form of fabulous. ] extremely pleasing. [ Colloq. ]
Syn. -- fabulous. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

prop. n. A large natural family of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs bearing bean pods; divided for convenience into the subfamilies Caesalpiniacea; Mimosaceae; Papilionaceae.
Syn. -- Leguminosae, family Leguminosae, family Fabaceae, legume family, pea family. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. fabaceus, fr. faba bean. ] Having the nature of a bean; like a bean. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Fabellae [ NL., dim. of L. faba a bean. ] (Anat.) One of the small sesamoid bones situated behind the condyles of the femur, in some mammals. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. Fabianus, Fabius, belonging to Fabius. ] Of, pertaining to, or in the manner of, the Roman general, Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus; cautious; dilatory; avoiding a decisive contest. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fabian policy, a policy like that of Fabius Maximus, who, by carefully avoiding decisive contests, foiled Hannibal, harassing his army by marches, countermarches, and ambuscades; a policy of delays and cautions. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to the Roman gens Fabia. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. Designating, or pertaining to, a society of socialists, organized in England in 1884 to spread socialistic principles gradually without violent agitation.

The Fabian Society proposes then to conquer by delay; to carry its programme, not by a hasty rush, but through the slower, but, as it thinks, surer methods of patient discussion, exposition, and political action. William Clarke. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A member of, or sympathizer with, the Fabian Society. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a genus of South and Central American heathlike evergreen shrubs.
Syn. -- genus Fabiana. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the principles and beliefs of or similar to those of the Fabian Society, advocating socialism to be established by gradual reforms within the law. [ British ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F., fr. L. fabula, fr. fari to speak, say. See Ban, and cf. Fabulous, Fame. ] 1. A Feigned story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue. See the Note under Apologue. [ 1913 Webster ]

Jotham's fable of the trees is the oldest extant. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

A fable may have talking animals anthropomorphically cast as humans representing different character types, sometimes illustrating some moral principle; as, Aesop's Fables. [ PJC ]

2. The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem. [ 1913 Webster ]

The moral is the first business of the poet; this being formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be most suitable to the moral. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk. “Old wives' fables. ” 1 Tim. iv. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

We grew
The fable of the city where we dwelt. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Fiction; untruth; falsehood. [ 1913 Webster ]

It would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away a great fortune by secret methods. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Fabled p. pr. & vb. n. Fabling ] To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction ; to write or utter what is not true. “He Fables not.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Vain now the tales which fabling poets tell. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

He fables, yet speaks truth. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To feign; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely. [ 1913 Webster ]

The hell thou fablest. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A writer of fables; a fabulist; a dealer in untruths or falsehoods. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Fabliaux [ F., fr. OF.fablel, dim. of fable a fable. ] (Fr. Lit.) One of the metrical tales of the Trouvères, or early poets of the north of France. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. fabrica fabric, workshop: cf. F. fabrique fabric. See Forge. ] 1. The structure of anything; the manner in which the parts of a thing are united; workmanship; texture; make; as cloth of a beautiful fabric. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is fabricated; as: (a) Framework; structure; edifice; building. [ 1913 Webster ]

Anon out of the earth a fabric huge
Rose like an exhalation. Milton.

(b) Cloth of any kind that is woven or knit from fibers, whether vegetable, animal, or synthetic; manufactured cloth; as, silks or other fabrics; made of a fabric that is 50% cotton and 50% polyester. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The act of constructing; construction. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Tithe was received by the bishop, . . . for the fabric of the churches for the poor. Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Any system or structure consisting of connected parts; as, the fabric of the universe. [ 1913 Webster ]

The whole vast fabric of society. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Fabricked p. pr. & vb. n. Fabricking. ] To frame; to build; to construct. [ Obs. ] “Fabric their mansions.” J. Philips. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ] One who fabricates; a manufacturer. Simmonds. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Fabricated p. pr. & vb. n. Fabricating ] [ L. fabricatus, p. p. of fabricari, fabricare, to frame, build, forge, fr. fabrica. See Fabric, Farge. ] 1. To form into a whole by uniting its parts; to frame; to construct; to build; as, to fabricate a bridge or ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To form by art and labor; to manufacture; to produce; as, to fabricate woolens. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To invent and form; to forge; to devise falsely; as, to fabricate a lie or story. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our books were not fabricated with an accomodation to prevailing usages. Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. formed or conceived by the fancy or imagination; as, a fabricated excuse for his absence.
Syn. -- fancied, fictional, fictitious, fictive, invented, made-up. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. fabricatio; cf. F. fabrication. ] 1. The act of fabricating, framing, or constructing; construction; manufacture; as, the fabrication of a bridge, a church, or a government. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is fabricated; a falsehood; as, the story is doubtless a fabrication.

Syn. -- See Fiction. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] One who fabricates; one who constructs or makes. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fabricator of the works of Ossian. Mason. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who fabricates. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. fabrilis, fr. faber workman. See Forge. ] Pertaining to a workman, or to work in stone, metal, wood etc.; as, fabrile skill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. fabuliste, fr. L. fabula. See Fable. ] One who invents or writes fables. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Fabulized p. pr. & vb. n. Fabulizing ] [ Cf. F. fabuliser. See Fable. ] To invent, compose, or relate fables or fictions. G. S. Faber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. fabulositas: cf. F. fabulosité. ] 1. Fabulousness. [ R. ] Abp. Abbot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fabulous or fictitious story. [ R. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. fabulosus; cf. F. fabuleux. See Fable. ] 1. Feigned, as a story or fable; related in fable; devised; invented; not real; fictitious; as, a fabulous description; a fabulous hero. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fabulous birth of Minerva. Chesterfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Beyond belief; exceedingly great; as, a fabulous price. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Exceptionally good; extremely pleasing. [ informal ] [ PJC ]

Fabulous age, that period in the history of a nation of which the only accounts are myths and unverified legends; as, the fabulous age of Greece and Rome.

-- Fab"u*lous*ly adv. -- Fab"u*lous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. faux bourdon. See False, and Burden a verse. ] 1. (Mus.) (a) A species of counterpoint with a drone bass. (b) A succession of chords of the sixth. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A monotonous refrain. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. inaffabilité. ] Lack of affability or sociability; reticence. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. in- not + affable. ] Not affable; reserved in social intercourse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ineffabilitas: cf. F. ineffabilité. ] The quality or state of being ineffable; ineffableness; unspeakableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ineffabilis: cf. F. ineffable. See In- not, and Effable, Fame. ] Incapable of being expressed in words; unspeakable; unutterable; indescribable; as, the ineffable joys of heaven. [ 1913 Webster ]

Contentment with our lot . . . will diffuse ineffable contentment over the soul. Beattie. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being ineffable or unutterable; unspeakableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a manner not to be expressed in words; unspeakably. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not fabricated; unwrought; not artificial; natural. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Mischievous. [ R. ] Lydgate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. That which is part fable and part truth; a mixture of truth and fable. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]