feme sole, in Anglo-American common law, a woman in the unmarried state or in the legally established equivalent of that state. The concept derived from feudal Norman custom and was prevalent through periods when marriage abridged women’s rights. Feme sole (Norman French meaning “single woman”)

fehmic court, medieval law tribunal properly belonging to Westphalia, though extending jurisdiction throughout the German kingdom. After 1180, when ducal rights in Westphalia passed to the archbishop of Cologne, Westphalian jurisdiction still retained Carolingian features: in every county, or

igneous rock: Chemical components: …and magnesium (Mg), are termed femic (from ferrous iron and magnesium), whereas the silicic rocks are referred to as sialic (from silica and aluminum, with which they are enriched) or salic (from silica and aluminum). The terms mafic (from magnesium and ferrous iron) and felsic (feldspar and silica) are used…

caesura: …or long syllable, and the feminine caesura, which follows an unstressed or short syllable. The feminine caesura is further divided into the epic caesura and the lyric caesura. An epic caesura is a feminine caesura that follows an extra unstressed syllable that has been inserted in accentual iambic metre. An…

feminine ending, in prosody, a line of verse having an unstressed and usually extrametrical syllable at its end. In the opening lines from Robert Frost’s poem “Directive,” the fourth line has a feminine ending while the rest are

gender: …into two genders, masculine and feminine. Russian and German nouns are grouped into three genders, the third being neuter. While nouns referring to masculine or feminine beings almost always take the logical gender in these languages, for most other nouns the gender is arbitrary.

The Feminine Mystique, a landmark book by feminist Betty Friedan published in 1963 that described the pervasive dissatisfaction among women in mainstream American society in the post-World War II period. She coined the term feminine mystique to describe the societal assumption that women could find

Karen Horney: …were given particular attention after Feminine Psychology, a collection of her early papers on the subject, was published in 1967.

feminine rhyme, in poetry, a rhyme involving two syllables (as in motion and ocean or willow and billow). The term feminine rhyme is also sometimes applied to triple rhymes, or rhymes involving three syllables (such as exciting and inviting). Robert Browning alternates feminine and masculine rhymes

gender role: …on concepts of masculinity and femininity. A gender role should not be confused with gender identity, which refers to an individual’s internal sense of being masculine, feminine, on a spectrum between the two, a gender unrelated to that binary, or no gender at all.

feminism, the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests. Throughout most of Western history,

philosophical feminism, a loosely related set of approaches in various fields of philosophy that (1) emphasizes the role of gender in the formation of traditional philosophical problems and concepts, (2) analyzes the ways in which traditional philosophy reflects and perpetuates bias against women,

Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster chose feminism as its 2017 Word of the Year, in response to both the massive Women’s Marches in American cities over the weekend following President Donald Trump’s inauguration and the scores of women who came forward to out famous and influential men for past

philosophical feminism: Feminist ethics: Whereas feminist social and political philosophy arose from consciousness-raising groups, feminist ethics was initially developed by women who were or had been full-time homemakers or mothers and who felt excluded (and in some cases offended) by the women’s movement’s emphasis on dismantling barriers…

Michel del Castillo: …“The Night of the Decree”), Une Femme en soi (1991; “A Woman Herself”), Le Crime des pères (1993; “The Fathers’ Crime”), Mon frère l’idiot (1995; “My Brother, the Idiot”), and De père franƈais (1998; “The French Father”).

Anna Karina: …Femme est une femme (1961; A Woman Is a Woman), a lonely, pathetic prostitute in Vivre sa vie (1962; My Life to Live), and a member of a gang of alienated youths who attempt a robbery in Bande à part (1964; Band of Outsiders). In 1965 she starred in three…

Brian De Palma: Later work: …an audience, and the thriller Femme Fatale (2002) was a return to his earlier works. Directed and scripted by De Palma, it offered Antonio Banderas as a photographer and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as a jewel thief. Although it drew praise from critics, it failed to register at the box office. The…

femme fatale, a seductive and beautiful woman who brings disaster to anyone with whom she becomes romantically involved. The femme fatale is an archetype that appears throughout history in mythology, art, and literature and became a principal character in the hard-boiled detective novels and

Britney Spears: Princess of Pop: …Baby One More Time, Oops!…I Did It Again, and In the Zone: …(“Womanizer”) since her debut; and Femme Fatale (2011) was her most up-tempo dance-oriented offering to date. Britney Jean (2013) was characterized by Spears as being highly personal, but it was criticized for obscuring her voice with synthesized effects. However, Glory (2016), her ninth studio album, was considered a return to…

Léon Bloy: …and La Femme pauvre (1897; The Woman Who Was Poor), express his mystical conception of woman as the Holy Spirit and of love as a devouring fire. The eight volumes of his Journal (written 1892–1917; complete edition published 1939) reveal him as a crusader of the absolute, launching onslaughts against…

Fernand Crommelynck: In Une Femme qu’a le coeur trop petit (1934; “A Woman Whose Heart is Too Small”) Crommelynck depicts a perfect wife whose obsessive virtuousness and efficiency wither all love. With Chaud et froid (1934; “Hot and Cold”), Crommelynck returned to the theme of marital constancy. He…

Annie Ernaux: A Man’s Place and A Woman’s Story: …Place) and Une Femme (1987; A Woman’s Story). The former delves into the life of an early 20th-century working-class man with minimal education. It received great acclaim, earning her the Prix Renaudot, the French literary prize for an outstanding original novel, as well as a larger readership in France. Une…

The Blue-Stockings, comedy in five acts by Molière, produced and published in 1672 as Les Femmes savantes. The play is sometimes translated as The Learned Ladies. Molière ridiculed the intellectual pretensions of the French bourgeoisie in this subtle, biting satire of dilettantes. The central

human cardiovascular system: The aorta and its principal branches: …and become known as the femoral arteries after passing through the inguinal region, giving off branches that supply structures of the abdomen and lower extremities.

human nervous system: Lumbar plexus: …the anterior division of the femoral nerve. The posterior division of the femoral nerve provides sensory fibers to the inner surface of the leg (saphenous nerve), to the quadriceps muscles (muscular branches), to the hip and knee joints, and to the articularis genu muscle.

human cardiovascular system: Inferior vena cava and its tributaries: …area and terminating in the femoral vein.

raspy cricket: Sound and communication: …out alarm signals by using femoral-abdominal stridulation, in which the femur of a hind leg is rubbed across pegs on the abdomen. This produces the raspy noise for which they are named.

Ahmed H. Zewail: …of physical chemistry known as femtochemistry. Zewail was the first Egyptian and the first Arab to win a Nobel Prize in a science category.

atom: Atomic model: …measuring nuclear sizes is the femtometer (fm), which equals 10−15 meter. The diameter of a nucleus depends on the number of particles it contains and ranges from about 4 fm for a light nucleus such as carbon to 15 fm for a heavy nucleus such as lead. In spite of…

Ahmed H. Zewail: During the process, known as femtosecond spectroscopy, molecules were mixed together in a vacuum tube in which an ultrafast laser beamed two pulses. The first pulse supplied the energy for the reaction, and the second examined the ongoing action. The characteristic spectra, or light patterns, from the molecules were then…

femur, upper bone of the leg or hind leg. The head forms a ball-and-socket joint with the hip (at the acetabulum), being held in place by a ligament (ligamentum teres femoris) within the socket and by strong surrounding ligaments. In humans the neck of the femur connects the shaft and head at a

fen, type of wetland ecosystem, especially a low-lying area, wholly or partly covered with water and dominated by grasses and grasslike plants such as sedges and reeds. Fens develop on slopes, in depressions, or on flats as a result of sustained flows of mineral-rich groundwater in the root zone.

Emmen: …of the peat colonies (veenkolonien) established in the 19th century to convert the surrounding peat fields to agricultural use. As peat digging declined after 1920, Emmen suffered considerable unemployment. It has grown rapidly into the foremost urban and industrial centre of Drenthe since textile (silk, rayon, synthetics), metallurgical, chemical,…

Fen River, river in Shanxi province, northern China. The Fen River is an eastern tributary of the Huang He (Yellow River). After rising in the Guancen Mountains in northwestern Shanxi, it flows southeast into the basin of Taiyuan and then southwest through the central valley of Shanxi to join the

Fen River, river in Shanxi province, northern China. The Fen River is an eastern tributary of the Huang He (Yellow River). After rising in the Guancen Mountains in northwestern Shanxi, it flows southeast into the basin of Taiyuan and then southwest through the central valley of Shanxi to join the

twayblade: The fen orchid (L. loeselii) is a similar species found in northern Eurasia.

Fen River, river in Shanxi province, northern China. The Fen River is an eastern tributary of the Huang He (Yellow River). After rising in the Guancen Mountains in northwestern Shanxi, it flows southeast into the basin of Taiyuan and then southwest through the central valley of Shanxi to join the

Shanxi: Relief: The Fen River valley comprises a chain of linked, loess-filled basins that crosses the plateau from northeast to southwest. The largest of the valley’s basins is the 100-mile- (160-km-) long Taiyuan Basin. North of Taiyuan are three detached basins, which are areas of cultivation. Farther north the Datong…

Moll Cutpurse: …an entertainer, a receiver (fence) and broker of stolen goods, and a celebrated cross-dresser. Because much of the historical material relating to her life is fragmented, prejudiced, embellished, or even invented, she has become something of a mythical figure.

fence, barrier erected to confine or exclude people or animals, to define boundaries, or to decorate. Timber, soil, stone, and metal are widely used for fencing. Fences of living plants have been made in many places, such as the hedges of Great Britain and continental Europe and the cactus fences

Viola Davis: The Help and How to Get Away with Murder: …the 2016 film adaptation of Fences, which he also directed. For her work in the drama, Davis won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. Consequently, she became the first Black woman to win an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony for acting.

Fences, play in two acts by August Wilson, performed in 1985 and published in 1986. It won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1987. It was part of Wilson’s Century Cycle, with plays depicting African American life in each decade of the 20th century. Fences is set in 1957. The protagonist of Fences is

Naomi Klein: No Logo and The Shock Doctrine: She followed with Fences and Windows (2002), a volume of essays on anti-globalization topics that ranged from World Trade Organization protests to a study of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico.

isoprenoid: Monoterpenes: …mentioned, as well as borneol, fenchyl alcohol, and the hydrocarbon camphene.

fencing, organized sport involving the use of a sword—épée, foil, or sabre—for attack and defense according to set movements and rules. Although the use of swords dates to prehistoric times and swordplay to ancient civilizations, the organized sport of fencing began only at the end of the 19th

bass: History: …1951 by what later became Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The P Bass featured an ash body, a 20-fret maple neck, a 34-inch scale length, and a single pickup. Since its invention, the P Bass has been modified in various ways, with different sizes and different pickup arrangements.

Fender Telecaster, model of electric guitar created by American inventor and manufacturer Leo Fender that has the distinction of being the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar. The Telecaster, or “Tele,” is renowned for its ease of use, durability, and affordability relative to other

bass: History: …1951 by what later became Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The P Bass featured an ash body, a 20-fret maple neck, a 34-inch scale length, and a single pickup. Since its invention, the P Bass has been modified in various ways, with different sizes and different pickup arrangements.

bass: History: …1951 by what later became Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The P Bass featured an ash body, a 20-fret maple neck, a 34-inch scale length, and a single pickup. Since its invention, the P Bass has been modified in various ways, with different sizes and different pickup arrangements.

bass: History: …Model, later known as the Jazz Bass. The Jazz Bass was distinguished by its comparatively thin neck, which allowed for faster movement along its length—a feature considered advantageous for jazz bass playing—and broad tonal range, made possible by the use of two single-coil pickups, the tone of which could be…

bass: History: …an instrument known as the Precision Bass, or P Bass, was produced in 1951 by what later became Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The P Bass featured an ash body, a 20-fret maple neck, a 34-inch scale length, and a single pickup. Since its invention, the P Bass has been modified…

Fender Stratocaster, model of electric guitar created by American inventor and manufacturer Leo Fender and known for its elegant design and tonal versatility. The Stratocaster, or “Strat,” as it is known by guitar aficionados, is easily recognized by the two horns that highlight the guitar body’s

Fender Telecaster, model of electric guitar created by American inventor and manufacturer Leo Fender that has the distinction of being the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar. The Telecaster, or “Tele,” is renowned for its ease of use, durability, and affordability relative to other

Leo Fender was an American inventor and manufacturer of electronic musical instruments. Together with George Fullerton, Fender developed the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar in 1951. Called the Fender Broadcaster (renamed the Telecaster later that year), it was produced under the

Leo Fender was an American inventor and manufacturer of electronic musical instruments. Together with George Fullerton, Fender developed the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar in 1951. Called the Fender Broadcaster (renamed the Telecaster later that year), it was produced under the

Karl Lagerfeld: Early career: …by upscale Italian design house Fendi to modernize the company’s fur line. His designs proved groundbreaking. Among other innovations, he introduced the use of skins such as mole, rabbit, and squirrel—pelts never before used in high-fashion designs. He stayed with Fendi throughout his career.

Eddie Fenech Adami is a Maltese political leader who twice served as prime minister of Malta (1987–96 and 1998–2004) and who later was the country’s president (2004–09). After graduating from the University of Malta, Fenech Adami practiced law beginning in 1959, and from 1962 to 1969 he was the

Eddie Fenech Adami is a Maltese political leader who twice served as prime minister of Malta (1987–96 and 1998–2004) and who later was the country’s president (2004–09). After graduating from the University of Malta, Fenech Adami practiced law beginning in 1959, and from 1962 to 1969 he was the

François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon was a French archbishop, theologian, and man of letters whose liberal views on politics and education and his involvement in a controversy over the nature of mystical prayer caused concerted opposition from church and state. His pedagogical concepts and

Fenestella, genus of extinct bryozoans, small colonial animals, especially characteristic of the Early Carboniferous Period (360 to 320 million years ago). Close study of Fenestella reveals a branching network of structures with relatively large elliptical openings and smaller spherical openings

Fenestella was a Latin poet and annalist whose lost work, the Annales, apparently contained a valuable store of antiquarian matter as well as historical narrative of the final century of the Roman Republic. Fenestella was used as a source by the 1st-century-ad historian Pliny the Elder, the

human ear: Function of the ossicular chain: If the oval and round windows were exposed equally to airborne sound crossing the middle ear, the vibrations in the perilymph of the scala vestibuli would be opposed by those in the perilymph of the scala tympani, and little effective movement of the basilar membrane would result. As it…

human ear: Transmission of sound by air conduction: …on the membrane covering the oval window in the bony plate of the inner ear. The action of the stapes transmits the sound waves to the perilymph of the vestibule and the scala vestibuli.

human ear: Function of the ossicular chain: …can be accomplished with the fenestration operation, can restore hearing to within 25 to 30 dB of normal. Only if the fixed stapes is removed (stapedectomy) and replaced by a tiny artificial stapes can normal hearing be approached. Fortunately, operations performed on the middle ear have been perfected so that…

Mount Tai: One of them, called feng, was held on top of Mount Tai and consisted of offerings to heaven; the other, called shan, was held on a lower hill and made offerings to earth. These ceremonies are often referred to together as fengshan (worship of heaven and earth) and were…

fenghuang, in Chinese mythology, an immortal bird whose rare appearance is said to be an omen foretelling harmony at the ascent to the throne of a new emperor. Like the qilin (a unicorn-like creature), the fenghuang is often considered to signify both male and female elements, a yin-yang harmony;

Lei Gong: …of goatskin bag manipulated by Feng Bo (“Earl of Wind”), who was later replaced by Feng Popo (“Madame Wind”). She rides a tiger among the clouds.

Feng Dao was a Chinese Confucian minister generally given credit for instigating the first printing of the Confucian Classics, in 932. As a result, Confucian texts became cheap and accessible, the number of scholars and the knowledge of literature greatly increased throughout the nation, and the

Feng Guifen was a Chinese scholar and official whose ideas were the basis of the Self-Strengthening Movement (1861–95), in which the Qing dynasty (1644–1911/12) introduced Western methods and technology in an attempt to renovate Chinese diplomatic, fiscal, educational, and military policy. A native

Feng Yuxiang was a Chinese warlord, known as the Christian General, who dominated parts of North China from 1918 to 1930. A soldier at the age of 11, Feng was largely self-educated. He rose through the ranks, gathering under his command a highly disciplined body of troops. He urged his men to

Feng Yuxiang was a Chinese warlord, known as the Christian General, who dominated parts of North China from 1918 to 1930. A soldier at the age of 11, Feng was largely self-educated. He rose through the ranks, gathering under his command a highly disciplined body of troops. He urged his men to

Feng Guifen was a Chinese scholar and official whose ideas were the basis of the Self-Strengthening Movement (1861–95), in which the Qing dynasty (1644–1911/12) introduced Western methods and technology in an attempt to renovate Chinese diplomatic, fiscal, educational, and military policy. A native

China: Yuan’s attempts to become emperor: …Ch’i-jui) and Feng Guozhang (Feng Kuo-chang), whose powers Yuan had attempted to curtail. When he called on them for help, they both withheld support. On March 22—with the tide of battle running against his forces in the southwest, Japanese hostility increasingly open, public opposition in full cry, and his…

China: Literature and scholarship: …editor in this realm was Feng Menglong, whose creations and influence dominate the best-known anthology, Jingu qiguan (“Wonders Old and New”), published in Suzhou in 1624.

Lei Gong: …who was later replaced by Feng Popo (“Madame Wind”). She rides a tiger among the clouds.

Jet Li: …in Feng shen bang (2016; League of Gods), which was set during the Shang dynasty. He played the Emperor in Disney’s 2020 live-action remake of its 1998 animated feature Mulan, about a young Chinese woman who disguises herself as a man to become a warrior.

feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice of orienting significant sites, buildings, and the spaces and objects within them in harmony with the flow of qi (also spelled ch’i). Qi (“breath” or “dragon’s breath”) is the vital life force, comparable to prana in Indian culture. Feng shui is rooted in the

Feng Dao was a Chinese Confucian minister generally given credit for instigating the first printing of the Confucian Classics, in 932. As a result, Confucian texts became cheap and accessible, the number of scholars and the knowledge of literature greatly increased throughout the nation, and the

Feng Youlan was an outstanding Chinese philosopher of the 20th century. Feng was educated at Peking (A.B., 1918) and Columbia (Ph.D., 1923) universities and in 1928 became professor of philosophy at Tsinghua University in Beijing. His two-volume History of Chinese Philosophy (1934; rev. ed.,

Feng Yuxiang was a Chinese warlord, known as the Christian General, who dominated parts of North China from 1918 to 1930. A soldier at the age of 11, Feng was largely self-educated. He rose through the ranks, gathering under his command a highly disciplined body of troops. He urged his men to

Feng Yunshan was a Chinese missionary and social reformer, one of the original leaders of the Taiping Rebellion, an uprising that occupied most of South China between 1850 and 1864, brought death to an estimated 20,000,000 people, and radically altered governmental structure. Feng was a neighbour

Feng Yunshan was a Chinese missionary and social reformer, one of the original leaders of the Taiping Rebellion, an uprising that occupied most of South China between 1850 and 1864, brought death to an estimated 20,000,000 people, and radically altered governmental structure. Feng was a neighbour

Feng Yuxiang was a Chinese warlord, known as the Christian General, who dominated parts of North China from 1918 to 1930. A soldier at the age of 11, Feng was largely self-educated. He rose through the ranks, gathering under his command a highly disciplined body of troops. He urged his men to

Chinese literature: 1927–37: …include the contemplative sonnets of Feng Zhi, the urbane songs of Beijing by Bian Zhilin, and the romantic verses of He Qifang. Less popular but more daring were Dai Wangshu and Li Jinfa, poets published in Xiandai (“Contemporary Age”), a Shanghai literary magazine. The latter wrote very sophisticated, if frequently

Fengfayao, discussion of Buddhist precepts written in the 4th century ce by Xi Chao, who, though a Daoist, was a great admirer of Buddhism. One of the earliest discourses on the subject by a non-Buddhist, it is regarded as a milestone in the advance of Buddhist thought in China. Although it

Fenghua, county-level city, Zhejiang sheng (province), eastern China. Located in a fertile plain area 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Ningbo, Fenghua is an agricultural trade centre (e.g., rice and wheat) and specializes in orchard crops, especially peaches and plums. The former Chinese Nationalist

fenghuang, in Chinese mythology, an immortal bird whose rare appearance is said to be an omen foretelling harmony at the ascent to the throne of a new emperor. Like the qilin (a unicorn-like creature), the fenghuang is often considered to signify both male and female elements, a yin-yang harmony;

wind-bell: …(where they are known as fengling and fūrin, respectively—literally “wind-bell”), they became a decorative art on private homes as well as on sacred structures, and in the 19th and 20th centuries their popular use spread more widely among Western countries.

Fengman Dam, hydroelectric and flood-control project on the Sungari (Songhua) River some 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Jilin (Kirin) in Jilin province, China. The dam was first constructed by the Japanese in 1937–42 at the same time they were building the Sup’ung (Shuifeng) Dam at the Korean (now

Feng-shan, former municipality (shih, or shi), southwestern Taiwan. Feng-shan served as the seat of Kao-hsiung (Gaoxiun) county until 2010, at which time the county was administratively reorganized, and Feng-shan became a city district of Kao-hsiung special municipality. Feng-shan is situated about

feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice of orienting significant sites, buildings, and the spaces and objects within them in harmony with the flow of qi (also spelled ch’i). Qi (“breath” or “dragon’s breath”) is the vital life force, comparable to prana in Indian culture. Feng shui is rooted in the

Feng-yüan, former municipality (shih, or shi), T’ai-chung (Taijong) special municipality, west-central Taiwan. Until 2010 it was the seat of T’ai-chung county, but, when the county was amalgamated administratively with T’ai-chung municipality to form the special municipality, Feng-yüan became a

Jiangxi: Resources and power: …mining is also important at Fengcheng, south of Nanchang. Tantalum, lead, zinc, iron, manganese, and salt are also mined. Most of the province’s electric power is generated by thermal plants or is imported from other provinces; there are some medium and small hydroelectric stations, as well as a major one…

Fengfayao, discussion of Buddhist precepts written in the 4th century ce by Xi Chao, who, though a Daoist, was a great admirer of Buddhism. One of the earliest discourses on the subject by a non-Buddhist, it is regarded as a milestone in the advance of Buddhist thought in China. Although it

Fenghua, county-level city, Zhejiang sheng (province), eastern China. Located in a fertile plain area 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Ningbo, Fenghua is an agricultural trade centre (e.g., rice and wheat) and specializes in orchard crops, especially peaches and plums. The former Chinese Nationalist

fenghuang, in Chinese mythology, an immortal bird whose rare appearance is said to be an omen foretelling harmony at the ascent to the throne of a new emperor. Like the qilin (a unicorn-like creature), the fenghuang is often considered to signify both male and female elements, a yin-yang harmony;

tapestry: Eastern Asia: 75 metres) of Fenghuang in a Rock Garden (late Ming period), were usually brighter in colour, heavier in texture, and frequently woven with metal threads. Tapestry was also used to decorate furniture and clothing.

Fengman Dam, hydroelectric and flood-control project on the Sungari (Songhua) River some 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Jilin (Kirin) in Jilin province, China. The dam was first constructed by the Japanese in 1937–42 at the same time they were building the Sup’ung (Shuifeng) Dam at the Korean (now

Fengman Dam, hydroelectric and flood-control project on the Sungari (Songhua) River some 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Jilin (Kirin) in Jilin province, China. The dam was first constructed by the Japanese in 1937–42 at the same time they were building the Sup’ung (Shuifeng) Dam at the Korean (now

Lin Fengmian was a Chinese painter and art educator who sought to blend the best of both Eastern and Western art. The son of a painter, Lin learned traditional Chinese painting techniques as a child. After graduating from high school, he moved to France, where he studied European painting at the