fascio siciliano, any of the organizations of workers and peasants founded in Sicily in the early 1890s, reflecting the growing social awareness of the lower classes. The fasci were primitive trade unions and mutual-benefit societies aimed at helping workers get better contracts and helping

fascioliasis: …caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, a small parasitic flatworm that lives in the bile ducts and causes a condition known as liver rot.

gastropod: Classification: shells (Columbellidae), mud snails (Nassariidae), tulip shells (Fasciolariidae), whelks (Buccinidae), and crown conchs (Galeodidae) mainly cool-water species; but dove and tulip shells have many tropical representatives. Superfamily Volutacea Harp shells (Harpidae), olive shells (Olividae),

fascioliasis, infection of humans and grass-grazing animals caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, a small parasitic flatworm that lives in the bile ducts and causes a condition known as liver rot. F. hepatica is a leaf-shaped worm about 2 to 4 cm (0.8 to 1.6 inches) long that grows in the

fasciolopsiasis, infection of humans and swine by the trematode Fasciolopsis buski, a parasitic worm. Human and swine hosts of F. buski become infected by ingestion of metacercariae (encysted late larvae) on aquatic plants. Following ingestion, the metacercariae emerge from their cysts and anchor

fasciolopsiasis: …and swine by the trematode Fasciolopsis buski, a parasitic worm.

plantar fasciitis, swelling or degeneration of the plantar fascia, the thick band of connective tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone to the toes. Plantar fasciitis causes dull or stabbing pain, typically after a long period of rest, such as sleeping or sitting.

fascism, political ideology and mass movement that dominated many parts of central, southern, and eastern Europe between 1919 and 1945 and that also had adherents in western Europe, the United States, South Africa, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East. Europe’s first fascist leader, Benito

Zheliu Zhelev: His scholarly book Fascism (written in 1967) was removed from bookstores and banned only three weeks after its publication in 1982 when authorities realized that its critique of fascist regimes applied equally to the communist governments of eastern Europe (the book’s original title was The Totalitarian State). Clandestinely…

Emilio De Bono: …the historic meeting of the Fascist Grand Council (July 24/25, 1943) and was among those who voted against Mussolini, thus causing the leader’s downfall. When Mussolini regained power in northern Italy with German help, he had De Bono arrested, tried for treason, and executed by a firing squad.

Fascist Party (PNF), political party formed by Benito Mussolini in November 1921 and dissolved in 1943 after he was deposed. It served as the political instrument for the Italian fascist movement and Mussolini, its leader. From 1922 to 1943, a period referred to as the ventennio fascista (“twenty

Michele Sindona: …of his master companies was Fasco AG, incorporated in Liechtenstein, through which, by the mid-1960s, he headed companies in nine countries dealing in real estate, steel, paper, food processing, and banking. (He was also thought to have developed links to the Sicilian Mafia.) In 1972 he bought a controlling interest…

fusain, macroscopically distinguishable component, or lithotype, of coal that is commonly found in silvery-black layers only a few millimetres thick and occasionally in thicker lenses. It is extremely soft and crumbles readily into a fine, sootlike powder. Fusain is composed mainly of fusinite

Justin Fashanu was a British football (soccer) player who was the first professional footballer to come out as gay. Fashanu was initially raised in the London area of Hackney, where his Nigerian father was a law student and his Guyanese mother a nurse. When he was a young boy, his parents split up

Justin Fashanu was a British football (soccer) player who was the first professional footballer to come out as gay. Fashanu was initially raised in the London area of Hackney, where his Nigerian father was a law student and his Guyanese mother a nurse. When he was a young boy, his parents split up

Taoism: Communal folk Taoism (shenjiao): … in modern times is the fashi (magician). For the orthodox Taoist priests the shenjiao rites are the “little rites”; the jiao rituals, the exclusive function of the Taoist priests, are the “great rites.” Both kinds of priests—the orthodox and the magicians—operate on different occasions in the same temples and are…

Argungu: Argungu is noted for its Fashin Ruwa, an annual fishing festival usually held in February, and for its Kanta Museum, which houses 16th-century artifacts. The ruins of the walled town of Surame, the 16th- and 17th-century capital of the Hausa kings of Kebbi, are 35 miles (56 km) east-northeast. In…

fashion, in dress and adornment, any mode of dressing that is prevalent during a particular time or in a particular place. See

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: Rise to prominence and Bollywood stardom: …as an aspiring model in Fashion (2008), which explored the harsh reality beneath the glamorous facade of the fashion industry. Chopra’s next notable credits were the romantic comedy Dostana (2008; “Friendship”) and the action drama Kaminey (2009; “Scoundrels”). She showcased her versatility in What’s Your Raashee? (2009), for which she…

Anna Cora Mowatt: Her first successful play, Fashion; or, Life in New York, a social satire for which she is chiefly remembered, opened in New York City in 1845.

fashion industry: Fashion design and manufacturing: Historically, very few fashion designers have become famous “name” designers, such as Coco Chanel or Calvin Klein, who create prestigious high-fashion collections, whether couture or prêt-à-porter (“ready-to-wear”). These designers are influential in setting trends in fashion, but, contrary to popular belief,…

Vogue: History: In 2003 she and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) jointly inaugurated the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which offered financial support and business mentoring to the “next generation” of American fashion designers.

dress: Europe, 1500–1800: …new styles were disseminated by mannequin dolls sent out to European capitals and by costume plates drawn by notable artists from Albrecht Dürer to Wenceslaus Hollar.

fashion industry, multibillion-dollar global enterprise devoted to the business of making and selling clothes. Some observers distinguish between the fashion industry (which makes “high fashion”) and the apparel industry (which makes everyday clothing or “mass fashion”), but by the 1970s the

Christian Louboutin: …Christian Louboutin,” opened at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Another (“L’Exhibition[niste],” 2020) was co-organized by the designer and held at the Palais de la Porte Dorée, Paris.

fashion industry: Media and marketing: The first dedicated fashion magazines appeared in England and France in the late 18th century. In the 19th century fashion magazines—such as the French La Mode Illustrée, the British Lady’s Realm, and the American Godey’s Lady’s Book—proliferated and flourished. Featuring articles, hand-colored illustrations (known as fashion plates), and…

Kathy Griffin: …Joan Rivers—her friend and mentor—on Fashion Police following Rivers’s death the previous year. Griffin left the show after only seven episodes, however, claiming that it was not a good fit for her improvisational style.

fashion industry: Fashion shows: Fashion designers and manufacturers promote their clothes not only to retailers (such as fashion buyers) but also to the media (fashion journalists) and directly to customers. Already in the late 19th century, Paris couture houses began to offer their clients private viewings of…

fashion industry: The fashion system: The fashion industry forms part of a larger social and cultural phenomenon known as the “fashion system,” a concept that embraces not only the business of fashion but also the art and craft of fashion, and not only production but also consumption. The…

fashion industry: Fashion shows: …during spring and fall “Fashion Weeks,” of which the most important take place in Paris, Milan, New York, and London. However, there are dozens of other Fashion Weeks internationally—from Tokyo to Dubai to São Paulo. These shows, of much greater commercial importance

fashionable novel, early 19th-century subgenre of the comedy of manners portraying the English upper class, usually by members of that class. One author particularly known for his fashionable novels was Theodore

knitting: …shaped by a process called fashioning, in which stitches are added to some rows to increase width, and two or more stitches are knitted as one to decrease width. Circular (tubular) knits are shaped by tightening or stretching stitches.

William Dieterle: Warner Brothers: …of illness, Dieterle then made Fashions of 1934, a popular musical featuring Powell as a New York businessman who uses a designer (Bette Davis) to steal the latest styles from Paris. The comedy was especially notable for the lively production numbers staged by Busby Berkeley. Dieterle reteamed with Davis for…

Al-Fāshir, city, western Sudan, located 120 miles (195 km) northeast of Nyala. A historical caravan center, it lies at an elevation of about 2,400 feet (700 meters) and today serves as an agricultural marketing center for the cereals and fruits grown in the surrounding area. It is linked by road

Fashoda Incident, (September 18, 1898), the climax, at Fashoda, Egyptian Sudan (now Kodok, South Sudan), of a series of territorial disputes in Africa between Great Britain and France. The disputes arose from the common desire of each country to link up its disparate colonial possessions in Africa.

al-Fāsī was a Muslim teacher and mystic who was prominent in the intellectual life of northwest Africa. The details of al-Fāsī’s life are obscure. After his family emigrated from Spain, he settled in the capital of Fès in 1580. His reputation as a teacher and scholar soon attracted many students.

Leo Africanus was a traveler whose writings remained for some 400 years one of Europe’s principal sources of information about Islam. Educated at Fès, in Morocco, Leo Africanus traveled widely as a young man on commercial and diplomatic missions through North Africa and may also have visited the

Morocco: The pre-World War II period: In the ensuing repression, Muḥammad ʿAllāl al-Fāsī, a prominent nationalist leader, was banished to Gabon in French Equatorial Africa, where he spent the following nine years.

Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi was a Talmudic scholar who wrote a codification of the Talmud known as Sefer ha-Halakhot (“Book of Laws”), which ranks with the great codes of Maimonides and Karo. Alfasi lived most of his life in Fès (from which his surname was derived) and there wrote his digest of the

al-Fāsī was a Muslim teacher and mystic who was prominent in the intellectual life of northwest Africa. The details of al-Fāsī’s life are obscure. After his family emigrated from Spain, he settled in the capital of Fès in 1580. His reputation as a teacher and scholar soon attracted many students.

Fasilides was an Ethiopian emperor from 1632 to 1667, who ended a period of contact between his country and Europe, initiating a policy of isolation that lasted for more than two centuries. Fasilides succeeded to the throne on the abdication of Susenyos (1632), who had permitted an increase of

Fasilides was an Ethiopian emperor from 1632 to 1667, who ended a period of contact between his country and Europe, initiating a policy of isolation that lasted for more than two centuries. Fasilides succeeded to the throne on the abdication of Susenyos (1632), who had permitted an increase of

Fasilides was an Ethiopian emperor from 1632 to 1667, who ended a period of contact between his country and Europe, initiating a policy of isolation that lasted for more than two centuries. Fasilides succeeded to the throne on the abdication of Susenyos (1632), who had permitted an increase of

Donna Karan is an American designer who is internationally acclaimed for the simplicity and comfort of her clothes. Donna Karan was born in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York. Her father was a tailor, and her mother was a model and a showroom sales representative in New York City’s

Faṣlī era, chronological system devised by the Mughal emperor Akbar for land revenue purposes in northern India, for which the Muslim lunar calendar was inconvenient. Faṣlī (“harvest”) is derived from the Arabic term for “division,” which in India was applied to the groupings of the seasons. The

Fasching, a Roman Catholic Shrovetide Carnival celebrated in German-speaking countries. There are many regional differences concerning the name, duration, and activities of the carnival. It is known as Fasching in Bavaria and Austria, Fosnat in Franconia, Fasnet in Swabia, Fastnacht in Mainz and

Fasching, a Roman Catholic Shrovetide Carnival celebrated in German-speaking countries. There are many regional differences concerning the name, duration, and activities of the carnival. It is known as Fasching in Bavaria and Austria, Fosnat in Franconia, Fasnet in Swabia, Fastnacht in Mainz and

solmization: Often called fasola, it survives in some areas of the United States. See shape-note hymnal.

Captain Marvel: Shazam! and the litigious origins of Captain Marvel: …1966, when pulp magazine magnate Myron Fass published Captain Marvel, a title widely regarded as one of the worst comic books ever written. Fass’s Captain Marvel was released at a time when Marvel Comics was riding a wave of popularity with hits like Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and X-Men. It seems…

Max Kretzer: …based upon his working experience: Der Fassadenraphael (1911; “The Raphael of the Façades”) describes his experience as a sign writer and Der alte Andreas (1911; “Old Andrew”) records his work in a lamp factory. In other novels he treats pressing social problems of the day: prostitution in Die Betrogenen (1882;…

Michael Fassbender is a German-Irish actor who is known for his ability to immerse himself in a wide range of roles and is especially adept at playing complex and difficult characters. Fassbender’s notable films include Inglourious Basterds (2009), Shame (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and Steve

Rainer Werner Fassbinder was a German motion-picture and theatre director, writer, and actor who was an important force in postwar West German cinema. His socially and politically conscious films often explore themes of oppression and despair. Fassbinder left school at age 16 and became involved

Cornelia Adele Strong Fassett was an American painter, perhaps best remembered for her painting of a meeting of the Electoral Commission of 1877 and her portraits of other major political figures of her day. Fassett studied art in New York City and in Europe, where she stayed for three years. She

Carlo Fassi was an Italian-born figure-skating coach who guided four individual skaters to gold medals in the Winter Olympics. (Read Scott Hamilton’s Britannica entry on figure skating.) Fassi was the Italian singles champion from 1943 to 1954, won a bronze medal at the world championship in 1953,

FAST, astronomical observatory in the Dawodang depression, Guizhou province, China, that, when it began observations in September 2016, became the largest single-dish radio telescope in the world. FAST’s collecting area is more than 2.5 times that of the 305-metre (1,000-foot) dish at the Arecibo

fasting, abstinence from food or drink or both for health, ritualistic, religious, or ethical purposes. The abstention may be complete or partial, lengthy, of short duration, or intermittent. Fasting has been promoted and practiced from antiquity worldwide by physicians, by the founders and

Jorie Graham: The poems in Fast (2017) center on loss and mourning. In Runaway (2020), Graham continued to explore topical issues, notably climate change and mass migrations.

Vin Diesel: …star and a producer, for Fast & Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Furious 7 (2015). The latter was especially successful, earning more than $1.5 billion to become among the highest-grossing films of all time. The franchise continued to do well with The Fate of…

Fast & Furious (film franchise), Hollywood film franchise that follows a group of street racers who use their driving skills to win races and sell stolen goods but, over the course of the series, move on to catching criminals and helping save the world. The series includes 10 main films, as well as

Vin Diesel: …Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Furious 7 (2015). The latter was especially successful, earning more than $1.5 billion to become among the highest-grossing films of all time. The franchise continued to do well with The Fate of the Furious (2017) and F9: The Fast…

Idris Elba: The Suicide Squad and Hijack: …villain in the action movie Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), a spin-off from the long-running Fast & Furious franchise. His other credits from 2019 included the family musical Cats, a film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hugely successful stage production. Elba later starred in Concrete Cowboy (2020),…

plasma: Higher frequency waves: …components, referred to as the fast and slow Alfvén waves, which propagate at different frequency-dependent speeds. At still higher frequencies these two waves (called the electron cyclotron and ion cyclotron waves, respectively) cause electron and cyclotron resonances (synchronization) at the appropriate resonance frequencies. Beyond these resonances, transverse wave propagation does…

Busby Berkeley: Later films: Fast and Furious (1939) was the last entry in a short-lived series about a rare-book dealer and his wife (Franchot Tone and Ann Sothern) who solve crimes, this time at a beauty contest, while Broadway Serenade (1939) required Berkeley to handle only the final musical…

Eric Holder: …legislators in the wake of Operation Fast and Furious, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation of gun trafficking on the U.S.-Mexico border from late 2009 to early 2011. After Holder failed to respond to a congressional subpoena of documents relating to the operation, and in spite of…

Vin Diesel: The Fast and the Furious (2001) established Diesel in his most-famous role, as the charismatic street racer–thief Dominic Toretto. The over-the-top action film cost $38 million to make but was an unexpected hit, grossing nearly $145 million in the United States. Diesel followed with another…

Vin Diesel: …had only a cameo in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006). However, he returned to the franchise, both a star and a producer, for Fast & Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Furious 7 (2015). The latter was especially successful, earning more than…

Andy Roberts: …father of modern West Indian fast bowling.

Piggy Lambert: basketball coach who pioneered the fast break, an offensive drive down the court at all-out speed.

radiation measurement: Interactions of fast electrons: Energetic electrons (such as beta-minus particles), since they carry an electric charge, also interact with electrons in the absorber material through the Coulomb force. In this case, the force is a repulsive rather than an attractive one, but the net results are similar…

The cell is the most basic unit of life on Earth, and the development of the cell membrane (or plasma membrane) may be one of the most important parts of the story of the evolution of life. Both prokaryotes (single-celled organisms that lack a distinct nucleus and other organelles) and eukaryotes

telecommunications media: Reflected propagation: …reflective buildings, a phenomenon called fast fading results. Fast fading is especially troublesome at frequencies above one gigahertz, where even a few centimetres of difference in the lengths of the propagation paths can significantly change the relative phases of the multipath signals. Effective compensation for fast fading requires the use…

fast fashion, a term describing the rapid production of inexpensive, low-quality clothing that often mimics popular styles of fashion labels, big-name brands, and independent designers. By endlessly offering new trends at cheap prices, fast fashion brands such as Shein, Zara, and H&M encourage

Vin Diesel: …for Fast & Furious (2009), Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Furious 7 (2015). The latter was especially successful, earning more than $1.5 billion to become among the highest-grossing films of all time. The franchise continued to do well with The Fate of the Furious (2017) and…

fast food, mass-produced food product designed for quick and efficient preparation and distribution that is sold by certain restaurants, concession stands, and convenience stores. Fast food is perhaps most associated with chain restaurants—including such prominent brands as McDonald’s, Burger King,

Patricia Arquette: …film Holes (2003), and Linklater’s Fast Food Nation (2006). She acted in the latter film while already working with Linklater on Boyhood. Arquette’s later movies included Permanent (2017), a coming-of-age tale set in 1983, and Otherhood (2019), a comedy in which three empty nesters attempt to reconnect with their adult…

fast Fourier transform (FFT), an algorithm for calculating the discrete Fourier transform (DFT), which reduces the number of computations needed for an N-point transform from N2 to N log2(N). FFTs have applications in electrical engineering, digital signal processing, neural networks, and radio

fox-trot: …for fast music include the one-step (one walking step to each musical beat) popularized by Irene and Vernon Castle shortly after the dance’s inception and the peabody (with a quick leg cross).

sea ice: …is also landfast ice, or fast ice, which is immobile, since it is either attached directly to the coast or seafloor or locked in place between grounded icebergs. Fast ice grows in place by freezing of seawater or by pack ice becoming attached to the shore, seafloor, or icebergs. Fast…

swimming: Instruction and training: Fast interval training, used primarily to develop speed, permits rest periods long enough to allow almost complete recovery of the heart and breathing rate.

radiation measurement: Fast neutrons: Neutrons whose kinetic energy is above about 1 keV are generally classified as fast neutrons. The neutron-induced reactions commonly employed for detecting slow neutrons have a low probability of occurrence once the neutron energy is high. Detectors that are based on these reactions…

Fast of 17 Tammuz, a minor Jewish observance on the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, falling in June or July on the Gregorian calendar. The holiday inaugurates the Three Weeks, a period of mourning that culminates in the 24-hour fast of Tisha b’Av. Jews observing the Fast of 17 Tammuz keep a

Fast of Gedaliah, minor observance in the Jewish religious year that mournfully recalls the assassination of Gedaliah ben Ahikam, a Jewish governor of the southern kingdom of Judah. This fasting day occurs on 3 Tishri, the day following the two-day Rosh Hashanah (New Year) observance on 1–2 Tishri

nuclear reactor: Thermal, intermediate, and fast reactors: …hundred thousand electron volts (fast reactors). Such reactors require higher concentrations of fissile material to reach criticality than do reactor designs that operate at thermal energy levels; however, they are more efficient at converting fertile material to fissile material. Fast reactors can be designed to produce more than one…

dye: Azo dyes: …wetfastness; with Diazo Component 13, Fast Scarlet R is formed, a member of the Naphtol AS series.

Nicolas Cage: …role in the teenage comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and in 1983 appeared in Coppola’s Rumble Fish. Wanting to differentiate himself from his uncle, he subsequently began using the last name Cage. His first starring role came in Valley Girl (1983), a lighthearted romance about suburban punk rockers.…

boogie-woogie, heavily percussive style of blues piano in which the right hand plays riffs (syncopated, repeating phrases) against a driving pattern of repeating eighth notes (ostinato bass). It began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century and was associated with the southwestern

Tod Browning: Final films: Fast Workers (1933) was a drama about the men who erect skyscrapers, with John Gilbert. Mark of the Vampire (1935) was a lively remake of London After Midnight; Lugosi starred as a vampire who might be responsible for murder, and Lionel Barrymore played a professor…

Gal Gadot: … (2013), Furious 7 (2015), and Fast X (2023). Gadot did much of her own stunt work in the action-packed thrillers. During this time she also had small roles in other movies and worked in television.

Errol Morris: Political and biographical documentaries: …use of the technology was Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997), in which Morris profiled four individuals with unusual occupations and used the structure of the film to illuminate connections between their diverse lives. Two years later he directed Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter,…

breeder reactor: Fast breeder reactors: In the early 21st century, all large power plants using fast breeder reactors employed liquid-metal fast breeder reactors, which convert uranium-238 into the fissionable isotope plutonium-239 by means of artificial radioactive decay. The plutonium-239 is then bombarded with high-speed neutrons. When a…

restaurant: American contributions to restaurant development: So-called fast-food restaurants, usually operated in chains or as franchises and heavily advertised, offer limited menus—typically comprising hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, or pizza and their complements—and also offer speed, convenience, and familiarity to diners who may eat in the restaurant or take their food home.…

fish processing: Structure of skeletal muscles: The high percentage of white fibres allows fish to swim with sudden, rapid movements and gives the meat its white colour. These fibres primarily metabolize glucose, a simple sugar released from muscle glycogen stores, for energy production through anaerobic (i.e., in the absence of oxygen) glycolysis. Therefore, white fibres…

electron tube: Fast-wave electron tubes: Conventional electron tubes are designed to produce electron-field interaction by slowing down the RF wave to about one-tenth the speed of light. The continuing trend toward high power (more than 1 megawatt at frequencies of 60 GHz and 100 kilowatts at frequencies…

baseball: The pitching repertoire: The fastball is the basis of pitching skill. Good fastball pitchers are capable of throwing the ball 100 miles (160 km) per hour, but simply being fast is not enough to guarantee success. A fastball should not fly flat but have some movement in order to…

fasteners, In construction, connectors between structural members. Bolted connections are used when it is necessary to fasten two elements tightly together, especially to resist shear and bending, as in column and beam connections. Threaded metal bolts are always used in conjunction with nuts.

fasti, (probably from Latin fas, “divine law”), in ancient Rome, sacred calendar of the dies fasti, or days of the month on which it was permitted to transact legal affairs; the word also denoted registers of various types. The fasti were first exhibited in the Forum in 304 bc by the aedile Gnaeus

Ovid: Works of Ovid: Ovid’s Fasti is an account of the Roman year and its religious festivals, consisting of 12 books, one to each month, of which the first six survive. The various festivals are described as they occur and are traced to their legendary origins. The Fasti was a…

Roman religion: Influence on Roman religion: …incomplete pre-Caesarian, Republican calendar, the Fasti Antiates, discovered at Antium (Anzio); it dates from after 100 bce. It is possible to detect in these calendars much that is very ancient, including a pre-Etruscan 10-month solar year. However, the basis of the calendars, in their surviving form, is later, since it…

fasting, abstinence from food or drink or both for health, ritualistic, religious, or ethical purposes. The abstention may be complete or partial, lengthy, of short duration, or intermittent. Fasting has been promoted and practiced from antiquity worldwide by physicians, by the founders and

hypoglycemia: …in impaired glucose mobilization during fasting (defects in gluconeogenesis or glycogenolysis). Impaired glucose mobilization may be caused by adrenal insufficiency, severe liver disease, glycogen storage disease, severe infections, and starvation. Insulin-dependent hypoglycemia is diagnosed by an inappropriately high serum insulin concentration when symptoms of hypoglycemia are present. Conversely, insulin-independent