Pronunciation Adjective
fair (comparative fairer, superlative fairest)
- (archaic or literary) Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.
- Monday's child is fair of face.
- There was once a knight who wooed a fair young maid.
- 1460-1500, The Towneley Playsː
- He is so fair, without lease, he seems full well to sit on this.
- 1912 February–July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Under the Moons of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., OCLC 17392886 ↗; republished as “Champion and Chief”, in A Princess of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., 1917, OCLC 419578288 ↗, page 96 ↗:
- "It was a purely scientific research party sent out by my father's father, the Jeddak of Helium, to rechart the air currents, and to take atmospheric density tests," replied the fair prisoner, in a low, well-modulated voice.
- Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent.
- one's fair name
- After scratching out and replacing various words in the manuscript, he scribed a fair copy to send to the publisher.
- 1605, Book of Common Prayer, London: Robert Barker, “The order for the administration of the Lords Supper, or holy Communion,”
- The Table hauing at the Communion time a faire white linnen cloth vpon it, shall stand in the body of the Church, or in the Chancell, where Morning prayer and Euening prayer be appointed to be said.
- 1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, London, Observation 21, “Of Moss, and several other small vegetative Substances,” p. 135,
- [...] I have observ’d, that putting fair Water (whether Rain-water or Pump-water, or May-dew, or Snow-water, it was almost all one) I have often observ’d, I say, that this Water would, with a little standing, tarnish and cover all about the sides of the Glass that lay under water, with a lovely green [...]
- Light in color, pale, particularly with regard to skin tone but also referring to blond hair.
- She had fair hair and blue eyes.
- 1677, Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature ↗, page 200
- the northern people large and fair-complexioned
- 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314 ↗, page 0108 ↗:
- This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. In complexion fair, and with blue or gray eyes, he was tall as any Viking, as broad in the shoulder.
- Just, equitable.
- He must be given a fair trial.
- 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314 ↗, page 0029 ↗:
- “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
- Adequate, reasonable, or decent.
- The patient was in a fair condition after some treatment.
- (nautical, of a wind) Favorable to a ship's course.
- 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 563:
- I shipped with them and becoming friends, we set forth on our venture, in health and safety; and sailed with a fair wind, till we came to a city called Madínat-al-Sín; [...]
- 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 563:
- Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.
- a fair sky; a fair day
- You wish fair winds may waft him over.
- Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unencumbered; open; direct; said of a road, passage, etc.
- a fair mark; in fair sight; a fair view
- The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a fair way to have enlarged.
- (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.
- (beautiful) beautiful, pretty, lovely
- (unblemished) pure, clean, neat
- (light in color) pale
- (just) honest, just, equitable
- French: beau, belle, joli
- German: schön, wunderbar
- Italian: bello, bella
- Portuguese: belo, formoso, bonito
- Russian: прекра́сный
- Spanish: bello
- French: blond hair, clair skin
- German: hell, hellhäutig, blond
- Italian: biondo hair, chiaro skin
- Portuguese: claro
- Russian: све́тлый
- Spanish: pastel
- French: juste, équitable
- German: fair, anständig, gerecht
- Italian: giusto, giusta, equo, equa
- Portuguese: honesto, justo, equilibrado
- Russian: справедли́вый
- Spanish: justo, equitativo
- Spanish: viento de popa
fair (plural fair)
- Something which is fair (in various senses of the adjective).
- When will we learn to distinguish between the fair and the foul?
- (obsolete) A woman, a member of the ‘fair sex’; also as a collective singular, women.
- 1744, Georg Friedrich Händel, Hercules, act 2, scene 8
- Love and Hymen, hand in hand, / Come, restore the nuptial band! / And sincere delights prepare / To crown the hero and the fair.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes, volume (
please specify ), London: Printed by A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292 ↗: - 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, III.24:
- If single, probably his plighted Fair / Has in his absence wedded some rich miser [...].
- 1744, Georg Friedrich Händel, Hercules, act 2, scene 8
- (obsolete) Fairness, beauty.
- A fair woman; a sweetheart.
Shenstone - I have found out a gift for my fair.
- (obsolete) Good fortune; good luck.
- circa 1590-92 William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Act V scene ii:
- Now, fair befall thee, good Petruchio!
- circa 1590-92 William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Act V scene ii:
fair (fairs, present participle fairing; 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.
- 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 123”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. Neuer before Imprinted, London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, OCLC 216596634 ↗:
- Fairing the foul with art’s false borrow’d face
- (to reduce air drag or water resistance) to streamline
fair
Nounfair (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).
- French: foire
- German: Jahrmarkt, Kirchtag (Austrian), Kirchweih, Kirmes, Volksfest
- Italian: fiera
- Portuguese: feira
- Russian: фее́рия
- Spanish: feria
- German: Ausstellung, Messe
- Italian: fiera
- Portuguese: feira profissional, feira industrial, feira empresarial
- Russian: вы́ставка
- Spanish: feria de muestras
- Spanish: feria
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