aff

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. [ OE. afere, affere, OF. afaire, F. affaire, fr. a faire to do; L.. ad + facere to do. See Fact, and cf. Ado. ] 1. That which is done or is to be done; matter; concern; as, a difficult affair to manage; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public; -- often in the plural. “At the head of affairs.” Junius. “A talent for affairs.” Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely; as, an affair of honor, i. e., a duel; an affair of love, i. e., an intrigue. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mil.) An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Action; endeavor. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And with his best affair
Obeyed the pleasure of the Sun. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A material object (vaguely designated). [ 1913 Webster ]

A certain affair of fine red cloth much worn and faded. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ F. affamer, fr. L. ad + fames hunger. See Famish. ] To afflict with, or perish from, hunger. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Starvation. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. ad + fatuus foolish. ] To infatuate. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]