fard

present singular third person fards · participle present farding · participle past farded · past farded

1. archaictransitiveTo paint, as the cheeks or face.

   The fairest are but farded like the face of Jezebel […]

   1856, Mark Napier, quoting Zachary Boyd, chapter XXXIII, in The Memoirs of the Marquis of Montrose, volume II, Edinburgh: Thomas G. Stevenson, […]; London: Hamilton, Adams & Co., →OCLC, footnote 1, page 701

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   Some of the 177 affiliates to the Manhattan-based Rush Limbaugh program complained last Wednesday when the cantankerous national talk show host said he endorsed the efforts of a fellow talk host in Atlanta who called for an end to women "farding in their cars." Limbaugh, who is heard locally on WNTR-AM (1050), told listeners that "farding on the highway is very dangerous as well as offensive to others." Not until Thursday did Limbaugh provide listeners with the meaning of the word "fard," which is to paint with cosmetics.

   1989 December 27, Jeffrey Yorke, “Limbaugh’s play on words”, in The Washington Post, published 2 January 1990, archived from the original on 27 Aug 2017

2. archaictransitiveTo embellish or gloss over.

   [Y]e handle this matter too tenderly, nor will my conscience permit me to fard or daub over the causes of divine wrath […]

   1816, Jedadiah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter VIII, in Tales of My Landlord, […], volume III (Old Mortality), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for William Blackwood, […]; London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, pages 155–156

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   For looke how far fellonie may glory in her fetters, so far may we in our funerals wherewith we but feard death. For as some Gentiles, where gold is vernaculous and plentifull, their catiues thogh therewith enchained, yet remaines catiues: so to vs, thogh our graue were of enamelled gold, yet it is but our graue, the monument of our common misery, that by diuine mercy onely may be remedied without farther meanes.

   1606, William Birnie, “Against Seculare Pompe in Funerals”, in The Blame of Kirk-bvriall, Tending to Persvvade Cemiteriall Civilitie. […], Edinburgh: Printed by Robert Charteris, […], →OCLC; republished as W[illiam] B[arclay] D[avid] D[onald] Turnbull, editor, The Blame of Kirk-buriall, Tending to Perswade Cemiteriall Civilitie, London: W[illiam] Pickering, […]; Edinburgh: G. A. Douglas, 1833, →OCLC

   [I]t is but bare, simple, plain, honest, homely truth, without welt, without guard. It will abide none but native colours. It scorneth to woo favour with farding and licking and counterfeisance. It hates either bought or borrowed beauty; and therefore, like some native face among the painted, looks coarse and rusty.

   1623 September 21, Joseph Hall, “Sermon X. The Best Bargain: A Sermon Preached to the Court at Theobald’s on Sunday, September 21, 1623”, in Philip Wynter, editor, The Works of the Right Reverend Joseph Hall, D.D., new revised and corrected edition, volume V, Oxford: At the University Press, published 1863, →OCLC, page 179

plural fards · alternative faird · alternative Scotland · alternative feard

1. archaiccountableuncountableColour or paint, especially white paint, used on the face; makeup, war-paint.

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   And theſe [including Edward Gibbon] preſent us with the ſkeleton of hiſtory, not merely clothed with muſcles, animated with life, and bearing the bloom of health upon its cheek; but, inſtead of carrying a higher fluſh of health upon its cheek, and ſhewing a brighter beam of life in its eyes, rubbed with Spaniſh wool, painted with French fard, and exhibiting the fire of falſehood and wantonneſs in its eyes.

   1791, John Whitaker, chapter I, in Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, in Vols. IV, V, and VI, Quarto, Reviewed, London: Printed for J[ohn] Murray, […], →OCLC, page 4

   [Y]et, that your Majesty may not be abused, and that you may see that there is nothing but fard in that which may seem fairest of all their proceedings, I conceive myself obliged in duty and honour to undervalue all their malice, and truly to inform your Majesty in what you are, and may be, so much concerned. [Footnote 1: […] Fard here signifies the false daubing on a harlot's cheek.[…]]

   1856, Mark Napier, quoting James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, chapter XXXIII, in The Memoirs of the Marquis of Montrose, volume II, Edinburgh: Thomas G. Stevenson, […]; London: Hamilton, Adams & Co., →OCLC, page 701

   [page 141] Various other paints, or what the French commonly denominate fards, are chiefly made for theatrical use; but they are, nevertheless, extensively used by private individuals. Unfortunately, most of these have for a basis white lead. […] [page 142] In France, where the conservators of public health constitute an intelligent portion of every municipality, prosecutions for selling fatally deleterious fards are far from being uncommon.

   1862 February, “Cosmetics”, in William B. Dana, editor, The Merchants’ Magazine and Commercial Review, volume XLVI, number II, New York, N.Y.: William B. Dana, publisher and proprietor, […], →OCLC, pages 141–142

plural fards

1. IslamA commandment from Allah that a Muslim has to fulfill; a religious duty or obligation.

   It is suggested that the child pray only the fardrak'ats at this stage. He can keep adding the sunnah rak'ats from the time he has all the fards completed—that is, from his seventh birthday—so that by age ten he has the entire salat, fards and sunnahs, complete.

   1995, Norma Tarazi, Zeba Siddiqui, “Islamic Practices, Manners, and Values”, in The Child in Islam: A Muslim Parent’s Handbook, Plainfield, Ind.: American Trust Publications, →ISBN, page 132

1. not comparableIslamRequired as a matter of religious duty or obligation.

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   The second fundamental of Islam is "to perform the ritual prayer (namâz, salât) [five times a day in accordance with its conditions and fards] when the time for prayer comes." It is fard for every Muslim to perform salât five times every day after each time of salât starts and to know that he or she performs it in due time.

   1993, Mawlânâ Diyâ’ Ad-dîn Khâlid, “Introduction”, in Belief and Islam (Hakîkat Kitâbevi Publications; no. 8), Istanbul: Hakîkat Kitâbevi, →OCLC

plural fards

1. ScotlandalternativeobsoleteAlternative form of ferd (“force of movement; impetus, rush; hence, a violent onset”).

   And ſone as he perſavys quhar that went / Forganyſt him, cumand throu greſy ſward, / Hys derreſt ſon Ene with hasty fard, / Baith his handys joyfull furthſtracht he than;[…]

   [a. 1522, Virgil, chapter XI, in Gawin Douglas [i.e., Gavin Douglas], transl., edited by [George Dundas], The Æneid of Virgil: Translated into Scottish Verse (Bannatyne Club, Publications; 64, no. 1), volume I, Edinburgh: T. Constable, printer, published 1839, →OCLC, page 355, lines 14–17

plural fards

1. PakistanA document attesting to the owner of a property.