English Dictionary: April Fool | by the DICT Development Group |
3 results for April Fool | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
April \A"pril\, n. [L. Aprilis. OE. also Averil, F. Avril, fr. L. Aprilis.] 1. The fourth month of the year. 2. Fig.: With reference to April being the month in which vegetation begins to put forth, the variableness of its weather, etc. The April's her eyes; it is love's spring. --Shak. {April fool}, one who is sportively imposed upon by others on the first day of April. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Fool \Fool\, n. [OE. fol, n. & adj., F. fol, fou, foolish, mad; a fool, prob. fr. L. follis a bellows, wind bag, an inflated ball; perh. akin to E. bellows. Cf. {Folly}, {Follicle}.] 1. One destitute of reason, or of the common powers of understanding; an idiot; a natural. 2. A person deficient in intellect; one who acts absurdly, or pursues a course contrary to the dictates of wisdom; one without judgment; a simpleton; a dolt. Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools. --Milton. Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other. --Franklin. 3. (Script.) One who acts contrary to moral and religious wisdom; a wicked person. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. --Ps. xiv. 1. 4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional jester or buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments. Can they think me . . . their fool or jester? --Milton. {April fool}, {Court fool}, etc. See under {April}, {Court}, etc. {Fool's cap}, a cap or hood to which bells were usually attached, formerly worn by professional jesters. {Fool's errand}, an unreasonable, silly, profitless adventure or undertaking. {Fool's gold}, iron or copper pyrites, resembling gold in color. {Fool's paradise}, a name applied to a limbo (see under {Limbo}) popularly believed to be the region of vanity and nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or condition of vain self-satistaction. {Fool's parsley} (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant ({[92]thusa Cynapium}) resembling parsley, but nauseous and poisonous. {To make a fool of}, to render ridiculous; to outwit; to shame. [Colloq.] {To play the fool}, to act the buffoon; to act a foolish part. [bd]I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.[b8] --1 Sam. xxvi. 21. |