fig

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See also: fig., Fig, and fiğ

English

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A fig (the fruit).
A fig (the fruit) in cross-section.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /fɪɡ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪɡ

Etymology 1

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From Middle English fige, fygge (also fyke, from Old English fīc, see fike), borrowed from Anglo-Norman figue, borrowed from Old French figue, from Old Occitan figa, from Vulgar Latin *fīca (“fig”), from Latin fīcus (“fig tree”), from a pre-Indo European language, perhaps Phoenician 𐤐𐤂 (pg, literally “ripe fig”) (compare Biblical Hebrew פַּגָּה (paggâ, “early fallen fig”), Classical Syriac ܦܓܐ (paggāʾ), dialectal Arabic فَجّ (fajj), فِجّ (fijj)).[1] (Another Semitic root (compare Akkadian 𒈠 (tīʾu, literally “fig”)) was borrowed into Ancient Greek as σῦκον (sûkon) (whence English sycophant; Boeotian τῦκον (tûkon)) and Armenian as թուզ (tʻuz).) The soap-making sense derives from the resemblance of the granulations in and texture of the soap to those of a fig. Doublet of fico.

Noun

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fig (plural figs)

  2. The fruit of the fig tree, pear-shaped and containing many small seeds. [from 12th c.]
  3. A fruit-bearing tree or shrub of the genus Ficus that is native mainly to the tropics. [from 14th c.]
  4. The value of a fig, practically nothing; a fico; a whit. [from 15th c.]
  5. A Lady Finger banana, also known as the "fig banana", (cultivar of Musa acuminata) [from 16th c.]
  6. (Newfoundland, dated) A raisin (dried grape). [from 18th c.]
  7. A small piece of tobacco. [from 19th c.]
    • 1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life, Penguin, published 2009, page 109:
      “You may flog, and welcome, master,” said he, “if you'll give me a fig o' tibbacky.”
    • 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 289:
      This was followed by his presenting his sable acquaintance with a fig of tobacco, whereupon, instead of thanking the donor in the usual way, the black signified his gratitude by throwing a spear at twenty or thirty yards' distance.
Derived terms
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Descendants
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  • Tok Pisin: fik
  • → Chuukese: fik
  • → Maori: piki
Translations
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Verb

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fig (third-person singular simple present figs, present participle figging, simple past and past participle figged)

  1. (obsolete) To insult with a fico, or contemptuous motion.
  2. (obsolete) To put into the head of, as something useless or contemptible.
  3. (soap-making, dated) To develop, or cause (a soap) to develop, white streaks or granulations. [mid-1800s to mid-1900s]
    • 1893, Henry Gathmann, American Soaps, page 204:
      For filling figged soaps silicate of potash is best adapted, as soda prevents in a measure the proper crystallization. [...] Artificially figged soap [...makes] a very close imitation of the naturally figged soap.
    • 1897, The National Provisioner, page 27:
      Figging is usually considered to indicate a good quality of soft soap, but such is really not the case. A first-class soft soap can be made which will not fig, while, on the other hand, a poor soap can be produced which will fig.
    • 1938, Harry Bennett, The Standard Book of Formulas:
      In the cold soaps, the water soluble color is added in liquid form after saponification has started. In figged soaps, the color is crutched in after saponification is completed.

Further reading

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Etymology 2

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Variation of fike.

Verb

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fig (third-person singular simple present figs, present participle figging, simple past and past participle figged)

  1. (intransitive) To move suddenly or quickly; rove about.
Derived terms
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Etymology 3

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Noun

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fig (plural figs)

  1. Abbreviation of figure (“diagram or illustration”).
  2. (colloquial, dated) A person's figure; dress or appearance.
Alternative forms
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  • (abbreviation): fig.

Verb

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fig (third-person singular simple present figs, present participle figging, simple past and past participle figged)

  1. (colloquial, dated, transitive) To dress; to get oneself up a certain way.
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Etymology 4

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See figging.

Verb

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fig (third-person singular simple present figs, present participle figging, simple past and past participle figged)

  1. (transitive, rare) To insert a ginger root into the anus, vagina or urethra of (a horse): to perform figging upon; to feague, to feak.
    Synonym: ginger
    • 1874, The Slang Dictionary: Etymological, Historical, and Anecdotal, page 176:
      Ginger, a showy, fast horse — as if he had been figged with ginger under his tail; a red-haired man.
    • 1901, Natal Agriculture Journal, page 744:
      He must be "figged." Figging consists in pushing a piece of crushed ginger into the return of the wretched creature — a practice which is now illegal, and of which information should be given to the R.S.P.C.A. whenever detected.
    • 2015, Becky Lower, The Cotillion Ball Saga, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:
      “Is something amiss with the horse, Parr?” His gaze left the horse for a second as he glanced at Grace. “Yes, the horse has been figged. Now I just need to figure out who the culprit is.”

Noun

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fig (plural figs)

  1. The piece of ginger root used in figging.

References

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  1. ^ Andreas Franz and Wilhelm Schimper, Plant Geography Upon a Physiological Basis, volume 2 (Berlin: Gebrüder Borntraeger, 1902), page 100

Anagrams

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Haitian Creole

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Etymology

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From French figue (“fig”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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fig

  1. banana
    Synonym: bannann

Polish

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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fig f

  1. genitive plural of figa

Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin ficus.

Noun

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fig m (plural figi)

  1. (obsolete) fig tree

Declension

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Declension of fig
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) fig figul (niște) figi figii
genitive/dative (unui) fig figului (unor) figi figilor
vocative figule figilor

References

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  • fig in Academia Română, Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a, Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010. →ISBN

Volapük

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Noun

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fig (nominative plural figs)

  1. fig

Declension

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declension of fig
singular plural
nominative fig figs
genitive figa figas
dative fige figes
accusative figi figis
vocative 1 o fig! o figs!
predicative 2 figu figus
  • 1 status as a case is disputed
  • 2 in later, non-classical Volapük only
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