f

¹

abbreviation for

1. firm ¹.
2. Photography. f-number.
3. Music. forte ².

F

²

or f

[ ef ]

noun

, plural F's or Fs, f's or fs.

1. the sixth letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
2. any spoken sound represented by the letter F or f, as in fat, differ, or huff.
3. something having the shape of an F .
4. a written or printed representation of the letter F or f.
5. a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter F or f.

f.

³

abbreviation for

1. (in prescriptions) make.

f

⁴

Symbol.

1. Optics. focal length ( def 1 ).
2. Mathematics. function (of). See function ( def 4d ).

F

⁵

abbreviation for

1. female ( def 6 ).
2. Genetics. filial ( def 3 ).
3. firm.
4. franc; francs.
5. French ¹( def 3 ).

f.

⁶

abbreviation for

1. (in prescriptions) let them be made.

F

⁷

Symbol.

1. the sixth in order or in a series.
2. (sometimes lowercase) (in some grading systems) a grade or mark that indicates academic work of the lowest quality; failure.
3. Music.
   1. the fourth tone in the scale of C major or the sixth tone in the relative minor scale, A minor.
   2. a string, key, or pipe tuned to this tone.
   3. a written or printed note representing this tone.
   4. (in the fixed system of solmization) the fourth tone of the scale of C major, called fa.
   5. the tonality having F as the tonic note.
4. (sometimes lowercase) the medieval Roman numeral for 40. Compare Roman numerals.
5. Fahrenheit ( def 2 ).
6. Mathematics.
   1. field ( def 15 ).
   2. function (of). See function ( def 4d ).
7. (sometimes lowercase) Electricity. farad ( def ).
8. Chemistry. fluorine ( ).
9. (sometimes lowercase) Physics.
   1. force ( def 13b ).
   2. frequency ( def 3b ).
   3. fermi ( def ).
10. Biochemistry. phenylalanine ( def ).

f.

⁸

abbreviation for

1. (in prescriptions) let it be made; let there be made.

f.

⁹

abbreviation for

1. (in the Netherlands) guilder; guilders.

f.

¹⁰

abbreviation for

1. farad.
2. farthing.
3. father.
4. fathom.
5. feet.
6. female.
7. feminine.
8. filly.
9. fine.
10. fluid (ounce).
11. folio.
12. following.
13. foot.
14. form.
15. formed of.
16. franc.
17. from.
18. Mathematics. function (of ).

f/

¹¹

or f/ or f:

abbreviation for

, Photography.

1. f-number.

F-

¹²

abbreviation for

, Military.

1. (in designations of aircraft) fighter:

   F-105.

F.

¹³

abbreviation for

1. Fahrenheit.
2. February.
3. Fellow.
4. forint.
5. franc; francs.
6. France.
7. French.
8. Friday.

f

¹

/ ɛf /

noun

1. the sixth letter and fourth consonant of the modern English alphabet
2. a speech sound represented by this letter, usually a voiceless labio-dental fricative, as in fat

F

²

symbol for

1. music
   1. a note having a frequency of 349.23 hertz ( F above middle C ) or this value multiplied or divided by any power of 2; the fourth note of the scale of C major
   2. a key, string, or pipe producing this note
   3. the major or minor key having this note as its tonic
2. Fahrenheit
3. Fellow
4. chem fluorine
5. Helmholtz function
6. physics force
7. franc(s)
8. farad(s)
9. genetics a generation of filial offspring, F 1 being the first generation of offspring, F 2 being the second generation, etc

abbreviation for

1. France (international car registration)

F-

³

abbreviation for

1. fighter

   F-106

f

⁴

symbol for

1. music forte: an instruction to play loudly
2. physics frequency
3. (formerly in the Netherlands) guilder
4. maths function (of)
5. physics femto-
6. chess See algebraic notation

f.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. fathom(s)
2. female
3. grammar feminine
4. ff.FF. folio
5. ff. following (page)

f

⁶

symbol for

1. f-number

Word History and Origins

Origin of f¹

From the Latin word fac

Origin of f²

From the Latin word f īant

Origin of f³

From the Latin word fiat

Origin of f⁴

From the Dutch word florin

Word History and Origins

Origin of f¹

(sense 3) from Dutch: florin