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Word Meaning Eponym
Fahrenheit A system of temperature measure according to which water freezes at 32o and boils at 212o. Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), the German instrument maker who made the first reliable thermometers, providing him with the scale that now bears his name.
farad A unit of electrical capacitance. Michael Faraday (1791-1867), the British physicist who discovered electromagnetic induction (1831) and first suggested the field theory developed later by Maxwell and Einstein.
faraday A unit of electricity. Michael Faraday (1791-1867), British physicist who discovered electromagnetic induction (1831) and first suggested the field theory developed later by Maxwell and Einstein.
fauna The animal kingdom, all animals taken together. Faunus, the Roman god of pastures and forests.
fermi A metric unit of length equal to one quadrillionth of a meter Enrico Fermi (1901-1954), Italian-born American physicist known for his work on quantum theory and the first nuclear reactor.
Ferris wheel A large vertical wheel at amusement parks with seats around its rim. US engineer George W. G. Ferris (1859-1896), who designed the first one for the Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, 1893. It was 250 feet tall.
filbert A hazel nut. Saint Philbert (died 684), a Frankish abbot whose feast day (August 22) marks the ripening season of this nut.
flora Vegetation, all vegetation taken together or all in a specific region (the flora of Pennsylvania). Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers.
forsythia An early-blooming plant with long radiating spears of bright yellow flowers in the spring. William Forsyth (1737-1804), a Scottish botanist and horticulturist who was a royal head gardener and a founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society.
frangipani 1. The temple tree: a shrub with milky sap and showy, fragrant, variously colored flowers. 2. An almond-flavored cream pastry filling. Marquis Frangipani, 16th century Italian nobleman who created a perfume for scenting gloves in the 16th century.
freesia A South African plant with one-sided clusters of fragrant, multicolored flowers. Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese (d.1876), a German physician.
fresnel A unit of frequency, equivalent to 1012 hertz. Augustin Jean Fresnel (1788-1827), the French physicist who first created polarized light and invented the Fresnel lens.
Friday The sixth day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. Frig(ga), Norse goddess of marital affection.
fuchsia An ornamental shrub with hanging clusters of red-magenta-purple flowers. Leonard Fuchs (1501-1566), a German botanist and physician who wrote a popular book on collecting medicinal plants with beautiful drawings of the plants.
furphy A bit of gossip, a rumor or fanciful story. The Furphy family of Victoria, Australia, manufacturer of Furphy mobile water tanks around which troops gathered and exchanged gossip during World War I.
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