oths formerly hung about a ship, to conceal the men from
the enemy. Shakspeare, who knew everything, makes Pistol bombastically
exclaim--

"Clap on more sails: pursue, up with your fights."

_Close fights_, synonymous with _close quarters_.

FIGURE. The principal piece of carved work or ornament at the head of a
ship, whether scroll, billet, or figure-head.

FIGURE-HEAD. A carved bust or full-length figure over the cut-water of a
ship; the remains of an ancient superstition. The Carthaginians carried
small images to sea to protect their ships, as the Roman Catholics do
still. The sign or head of St. Paul's ship was Castor and Pollux.

FIGURE OF EIGHT. A knot made by passing the end of a rope over and round
the standing part, up over its own part, and down through the bight.

FIGURE OF THE EARTH. The form of our globe, which is that of an oblate
spheroid with an ellipticity of about 1/299.

FIKE. _See_ FYKE.

FILADIERE. A small flat-bottomed boat of the Garonne.

FILE. Originally a string of soldiers one behind the other, though in
the present formation of British troops, the length of the string has
been reduced to two.

FILE. _An old file._ A somewhat contemptuous epithet for a deep and
cunning, but humorous person.

FILE OFF, TO. To march off to a flank by files, or with a very small
front.

FILL, TO. To brace the yards so that the wind strikes the after side of
the sails, and advances the ship in her course, after the sails had been
shivering, or braced aback. A ship may be forced backward or forward, or
made to remain in her place, with the same wind, by "backing, filling,"
or shivering the sails. (_See_ BRACE, BACK, and SHIVER.) Colliers
generally _tide it_, "backing and filling" down the Thames until they
gain the reaches, where there is room for tacking, or the wind is fair
enough for them to lay their course.--An idle skulker, a fellow who
loiters, trying to avoid being seen by the officer of the watch, is said
to be "backing and filling;" otherwise, doing nothing creditably.

FILL AND STAND ON. A signal made after "lying by" to direct the fleet to
resume their course.

FILLER. A filling piece in a made mast.

FILLET. An ornamental moulding. Rings on the muzzle and cascabel of
guns.

FILLET-HORSE. The horse employed in the shafts of the limbers.

FILLING. In ship-carpentry, wood fitted on a timber or elsewhere to make
up a defect in the moulding way. This name is sometimes given to a
_c