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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

A large hammer used to start the top-mast fid, and to beat down the top, when setting up topmast-rigging.

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

Suddenly the waiter entered, with a hand fid of letters which he proceeded to distribute.

From Comedies of Courtship by Anthony Hope

Yards are a-trip when swayed up, ready to have the stops cut for crossing: so an upper-mast is said to be a-trip, when the fid is loosened preparatory to lowering it.

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

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

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

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