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• fid
  fid

  noun

  a stout bar of wood or metal placed across a lower spar so as to support a higher one.
• -fid
  -fid

  a combining form meaning “divided,” “lobed,” occurring in adjectives borrowed from Latin (bifid ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (pinnatifid ).
• fid.
  fid.

  abbreviation

  fiduciary.

fid

¹ American  

[fid] / fɪd /

noun

Nautical.

• fids
  plural

1. a stout bar of wood or metal placed across a lower spar so as to support a higher one.

2. a stout bar used to hold a running bowsprit in its extended position.

3. a wooden or metal pin for parting strands of a rope.

4. a bar or pin used as a key or toggle.

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-fid ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “divided,” “lobed,” occurring in adjectives borrowed from Latin (bifid ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (pinnatifid ).

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fid. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. fiduciary.

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fid ¹ British  

/ fɪd /

noun

1. a spike for separating strands of rope in splicing

2. a wooden or metal bar for supporting the heel of a topmast

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-fid ² British  

combining form

1. divided into parts or lobes

   bifid

   pinnatifid

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fids
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fid¹

First recorded in 1605–15; origin uncertain

Origin of -fid²

< Latin -fidus divided, equivalent to -fid- (variant stem of findere to split) + -us adj. suffix

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fid fids

Then as soon as I fid someone, he cancels everything?

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2019

He picked them up, took the fid off the can, and painstakingly pulled the bag out while trying not to make very much noise.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley

Also, the lifting an upper mast to withdraw its fid, in order that it may be lowered by means of the mast-rope.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

The doors cannot be opened again until the fid is taken out.

From Rollo's Philosophy. [Air] by Jacob Abbott

To apply a strain on a mast-rope in order to lift the spar upwards, so that the fid may be taken out, previous to lowering the mast.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Sir Edward Belcher

The same correspondent writes:— 'We cut out regular "fids" once from a tiger's stomach, also large pieces of bone.

From Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier Twelve Years Sporting Reminiscences of an Indigo Planter by James Inglis

Old Cupid carried the Wallingford's ensign, and a sort of harlequinade had been made out of marlinspikes, serving mallets, sail-maker's palms, and fids.

From Miles Wallingford Sequel to "Afloat and Ashore" by James Fenimore Cooper

One case there was where, for three nights running, great fids of wire were cut out of some artillery cables connecting them with their observers—a most reprehensible deed.

From The Doings of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade August 1914 to March 1915 by Lord Edward Gleichen

The other rigging I cut, and having got out the fids of the two masts, one at a time, I pushed the spars through their respective caps with a foot.

From Miles Wallingford Sequel to "Afloat and Ashore" by James Fenimore Cooper