previous next
Fair, adj., 1) beautiful, handsome; used of things as well as persons: Ven. 7. Ven. 7 Lucr. 1600. Sonn. 13, 9. 54, 3. 95, 12. 106, 2. 127, 1. 144, 3. Compl. 208 (gems). Pilgr. 38 (sun). Tp. I, 2, 126 (“Milan).” Tp. I, 2, 126 II, 1, 70. II, 1, 70 Gentl. II, 1, 54. II, 4, 199. II, 6, 2. II, 6, 2 IV, 2, 41. IV, 4, 153. IV, 4, 153 V, 2, 11 (pearls) etc. etc. “wine and sugar of the best and the --est,” Wiv. II, 2, 70 (Mrs. Quickly's speech). “where you may make the --est shoot,” LLL IV, 1, 10. “thy f. virtue's force,” Mids. III, 1, 143 (== thy beauty's force).
Substantively, a) beauty: “having no f. to lose,” Ven. 1083. “to rob him of his f.” Ven. 1083 “neither in inward worth, nor outward f.” Sonn. 16, 11. “every fair from f. sometime declines,” 18, 7. “that f. thou owest,” 18, 7 “these bastard signs of f.” 68, 3. “to your f. no painting set,” 83, 2. “my decayed f. a sunny look of his would soon repair,” Err. II, 1, 98. “where f. is not, praise cannot mend the brow,” LLL IV, 1, 17. “O heresy in f.” LLL IV, 1, 17 “Demetrius loves your f.” Mids. I, 1, 182. “let no f. be kept in mind but the f. of Rosalind,” As III, 2, 99.
b) a beautiful person; applied to a man: “speak, f.” Ven. 208. To women: “that his foul thoughts might compass his f. f.” Lucr. 346. “his f.” Sonn. 21, 4. “from many a several f.” Compl. 206. “gentle and f.” Meas. I, 4, 24. “looking on --est of f.” LLL II, 241. “twenty thousand --s,” V, 2, 37. “O happy f.” Mids. I, 1, 182. “I'll be thine, my f.” Wint. IV, 4, 42. “speak, my f.” H5 V, 2, 177. “farewell, revolted f.” Troil. V, 2, 186. “that f. for which love groaned,” Rom. II Chor. Rom. II Chor.
c) anything beautiful: the life of purity, the supreme f. (viz the sun) Lucr. 780. “every f.” Sonn. 18, 7. 21, 4. “slander's mark was ever yet the f.” 70, 2. “they hide the f.” Rom. I, 1, 237. “'tis much pride for f. without the f. within to hide,” I, 3, 90.
2) clear, fine, not dim and cloudy: “f. welkin,” Lucr. 116. “the f. and fiery-pointed sun,” Lucr. 116 “f. was the morn,” Pilgr. 117. “f. weather,” Ado I, 3, 25. LLL I, 2, 149. “f. blessed beams,” Mids. III, 2, 392. “since the more f. and crystal is the sky,” R2 I, 1, 41. “f. time of day,” H5 V, 2, 3. “so foul and f. a day,” Mcb. I, 3, 38. “f. daylight,” Lr. IV, 7, 52.
3) clear, unspotted, pure: “lest f. humanity abhor the deed,” Lucr. 195. his f. f. 346 (== his pure, innocent mistress). “thou their f. life, and they thy fouler grave,” Lucr. 195 “f. founts,” Lucr. 195 “f. nature is both kind and tame,” Compl. 311. “f. issue,” Tp. IV, 1, 24; cf. Wint. II, 1, 150. “when his f. course is not hindered,” Gentl. II, 7, 27. “Silvia is too f., too true, too holy, to be corrupted with my worthless gifts,” IV, 2, 5. “each f. instalment,” Wiv. V, 5, 67. “bear a f. presence, though your heart be tainted,” Err. III, 2, 13. “my f. name,” R2 I, 1, 167. “the arms are f.” H4A V, 2, 88. “let fools do good, and f. men call for grace,” Tit. III, 1, 205. “divided from herself and her f. judgement,” Hml. IV, 5, 85 etc.
4) of a white complexion: Ado I, 1, 174 (quibbling). LLL V, 2, 32. As IV, 3, 86. Tit. IV, 2, 69. Tit. IV, 2, 69 Opposed to black: Sonn. 127, 1. Sonn. 127, 1 144, 3. 147, 13. Gentl. V, 2, 9. LLL IV, 3, 253. LLL IV, 3, 253 As III, 2, 97. Tit. III, 1, 205. IV, 2, 69. Oth. I, 3, 291. II, 1, 130 etc.
5) becoming, honorable, equitable: “with colours --er painted their foul ends,” Tp. I, 2, 143. “f. encounter of two most rare affections,” III, 1, 74. “f. play,” V, 175; cf. John V, 2, 118 and H8 IV, 2, 36. “keep f. quarter with his bed,” Err. II, 1, 108. II, 2, 147. “too brown for a f. praise,” Ado I, 1, 174. “death is the --est cover for her shame,” IV, 1, 117. “teach us some f. excuse,” LLL V, 2, 432. “I like not f. terms and a villain's mind,” Merch. I, 3, 181. III, 4, 36. “there is a f. behaviour in thee,” Tw. I, 2, 47. R2 I, 1, 54. III, 3, 53. III, 3, 53 III, 3, 53 H4A II, 2, 14. H6B IV, 6, 11. H6C IV, 7, 14. Troil. II, 2, 148. Ant. V, 2, 10 etc. etc.
6) being as a thing ought to be, in order, in a good state: “the ways are f. enough,” Merch. V, 264. “have you laid f. the bed?” H6B III, 2, 11. “I will go wash, and when my face is f., . . .” Cor. I, 9, 69. they (the horses) “are f. with their feeding,” As I, 1, 12. “how art thou a king but by f. sequence and succession?” R2 II, 1, 199. “that's even as f. as 'at hand, quoth the chamberlain',” H4A II, 1, 54. “f. health,” Sonn. 45, 12 and LLL V, 2, 834. “your f. safety,” John III, 3, 16. “'tis a f. hand,” Merch. II, 4, 12 (== plain, legible). “having our f. order written down,” John V, 2, 4. “f. five hundred pound a year,” John I, 69 (== full); cf. “he would have lived many a f. year,” As IV, 1, 101.
7) favourable, auspicious: “points on me graciously with f. aspect,” Sonn. 26, 10. “found such f. assistance,” 78, 2. “all the f. effects of future hopes,” Gentl. I, 1, 50. “made use and f. advantage of his days,” II, 4, 68. “her f. influence,” III, 1, 183. “God grant them a f. departure,” Merch. I, 2, 121. “this most f. occasion,” John V, 4, 51. “f. be all thy hopes,” H6A II, 5, 113. “f. hope must hinder life's decay,” H6C IV, 4, 16. “lines of f. comfort,” R3 V, 2, 6. “my consent and f. according voice,” Rom. I, 2, 19.
Substantively: “f. be to you,” Troil. III, 1, 46. “f. befall your mask,” LLL II, 124. Shr. V, 2, 111. R2 II, 1, 129. R3 I, 3, 282. III, 5, 47. “f. fall the wit that can so well defend her,” Ven. 472. “f. fall the bones,” John I, 78.
8) kind: “speak f. words,” Ven. 208. “at the price of one f. word,” Cor. III, 3, 91. “guileful f. words,” H6A I, 1, 77. “only f. speech,” Cor. III, 2, 96. “Venus salutes him with this f. good morrow,” Ven. 859. “f. praise,” LLL IV, 1, 23. “f. prayer,” Meas. I, 4, 69. Mids. II, 2, 62. “one f. look,” Gentl. V, 4, 23. Shr. V, 2, 153. R3 III, 4, 100 (Ff good). “f. humility,” III, 7, 17. “hold f. friendship with his majesty,” LLL II, 141. “f. harbour in my house,” II, 175. “f. payment for foul words,” IV, 1, 19. “f. speechless messages,” Merch. I, 1, 164. “f. ostents of love,” II, 8, 44. “render f. return,” H5 II, 4, 127. “made f. love of hate,” R3 II, 1, 50. “time, with his --er hand,” Tim. V, 1, 126 etc. “so f. an offered chain,” Err. III, 2, 186 (i. e. a chain which is so kind an offer, so kindly offered). “your company is --er than honest,” Meas. IV, 3, 185 (== more kind than decent).
9) good, accomplished, such as would be desired or loved: “our best-moving f. solicitor,” LLL II, 29. “his f. tongue, conceit's expositor,” LLL II, 29 “bless it to all f. posterity,” Mids. IV, 1, 95. “f. thoughts and happy hours attend on you,” Merch. III, 4, 41. “many f. promotions,” R3 I, 3, 80. R3 I, 3, 80 “if there be one among the --est of Greece that holds his honours higher than his ease,” Troil. I, 3, 265; cf. Tit. IV, 2, 69. Hence serving as an expletive of courtesy: “f. sir,” LLL V, 2, 310. Merch. I, 3, 127. IV, 2, 5. Shr. IV, 5, 53. “the f. Sir Eglamour,” Gentl. I, 2, 9. “fare you well, f. gentlemen,” As I, 2, 260. “f. cousin,” R2 III, 3, 190. IV, 304. H5 IV, 3, 19. “f. nephew,” H6A II, 5, 55. “f. Lords,” Lucr. 1688. H6C II, 1, 95. IV, 8, 23. “my --est friend,” Wint. IV, 4, 112. “f. lovers,” Mids. IV, 1, 182. “my f. guests,” H8 I, 4, 35. “f. Saint George,” R3 V, 3, 349. “f. Diomed,” Troil. IV, 1, 75. “f. Greek,” IV, 4, 115. “this f. assembly,” Ado V, 4, 34. As V, 4, 159. “f. knighthood's bending knee,” Wiv. V, 5, 76 etc. etc. Even in such phrases: “f. torch, burn out thy light,” Lucr. 190. “had notice of your f. approach,” LLL II, 81. “a pound of your f. flesh,” Merch. I, 3, 151. Ridiculed in Troil. III, 1, 46: f. be to you, my lord, and to all this f. company! f. desires, in all f. measure, fairly guide them! especially to you, f. queen! f. thoughts be your f. pillow!
Opposed, in all its significations, to “foul:” Ven. 1030. Lucr. 661. Tp. I, 2, 143. Ado IV, 1, 104. LLL IV, 1, 19. LLL IV, 1, 19 H6C IV, 7, 14. Tim. IV, 3, 28. Mcb. I, 1, 11. I, 3, 38 etc.
hide Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
Search for in
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: