FOOL, n. A person who pervades the domain of intellectual speculation and diffuses himself through the channels of moral activity. He is omnific, omniform, omnipercipient, omniscience, omnipotent. He it was who invented letters, printing, the railroad, the steamboat, the telegraph, the platitude and the circle of the sciences. He created patriotism and taught the nations war -- founded theology, philosophy, law, medicine and Chicago. He established monarchical and republican government. He is from everlasting to everlasting -- such as creation's dawn beheld he fooleth now. In the morning of time he sang upon primitive hills, and in the noonday of existence headed the procession of being. His grandmotherly hand was warmly tucked-in the set sun of civilization, and in the twilight he prepares Man's evening meal of milk-and-morality and turns down the covers of the universal grave. And after the rest of us shall have retired for the night of eternal oblivion he will sit up to write a history of human civilization.

Source: THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993)
 

FOOL

Fool's Lisp. A small Scheme interpreter.

(ftp://scam.berkeley.edu/src/local/fools.tar.Z).

(1994-10-04)

Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)
 

Fool \Fool\, n. [Cf. F. fouler to tread, crush. Cf. 1st Foil.]

A compound of gooseberries scalded and crushed, with cream; -- commonly called gooseberry fool. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other. --Franklin. [1913 Webster]

3. (Script.) One who acts contrary to moral and religious wisdom; a wicked person. [1913 Webster]

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. --Ps. xiv. 1. [1913 Webster]

4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional jester or buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments. [1913 Webster]

Can they think me . . . their fool or jester? --Milton. [1913 Webster]

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 (Aethusa 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 foolishly; to act the buffoon; to act a foolish part. "I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly." --1 Sam. xxvi. 21. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Fool \Fool\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fooled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fooling.]

To play the fool. [1913 Webster]

2. To waste time in unproductive activity; to spend time in idle sport or mirth; to trifle; to toy.

Syn: fool around. [PJC]

Is this a time for fooling? --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Fool \Fool\, v. t.

1. To infatuate; to make foolish. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

For, fooled with hope, men favor the deceit. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

2. To use as a fool; to deceive in a shameful or mortifying manner; to impose upon; to cheat by inspiring foolish confidence; as, to fool one out of his money. [1913 Webster]

You are fooled, discarded, and shook off By him for whom these shames ye underwent. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

To fool away, to get rid of foolishly; to spend in trifles, idleness, folly, or without advantage. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

291 Moby Thesaurus words for "fool": Columbine, Hanswurst, Harlequin, Pantalone, Pantaloon, Polichinelle, Pulcinella, Punch, Punchinello, Scaramouch, ament, apish, asinine, ass, babe, bamboozle, banter, batty, be foolish, be stupid, befool, befooled, beguiled, besotted, birdbrain, blockhead, bluff, bonehead, boob, booby, brainless, buffo, buffoon, buffoonish, busybody, butt, butt in, byword, byword of reproach, cavort, cheat, chouse, chucklehead, chump, cinch, clod, clodpate, clodpoll, clown, clown around, cockeyed, come-on, comedian, comedienne, comic, con, coquet, cozen, crazy, credulous, credulous person, cretin, cull, dabble, dabbler, daffy, daft, dally, dawdle, dazed, deceive, defraud, delude, derision, dilettante, dimwit, dizzy, dolt, donkey, doodle, dope, doting, droll, dumb, dumbbell, dummy, dunce, dupe, easy mark, easy pickings, entertainer, fair game, fake, fake out, fall guy, farceur, fatuitous, fatuous, featherbrain, featherhead, feign, fiddle, fiddle with, fiddle-faddle, fidget with, figure of fun, finger with, fish, flaky, fleece, flirt, fond, fool around, fool with, foolheaded, foolish, footle, fribble, frivol, frolic, fuddled, futile, gaga, gambol, game, gazingstock, get funny, git, go haywire, goat, gobe-mouches, goofy, goon, goose, greener, greenhorn, greeny, gudgeon, gull, gulled, half-wit, harlequin, hoax, hoodwink, horn in, horse around, humbug, idiot, idiotic, idle, ignoramus, illiterate, illiterati, imbecile, inane, inept, infatuated, innocent, insane, instrument, interfere, interlope, intermeddle, invite ridicule, jack-pudding, jackass, jay, jerk, jerk off, jest, jester, jestingstock, joke, joker, jokester, josh, kid, kid around, know-nothing, kooky, laughingstock, lead on, leadpipe cinch, loiter, loon, loony, loser, lowbrow, mad, madman, make, make believe, mark, maudlin, meddle with, merry-andrew, mess around, middlebrow, mislead, mockery, monkey, monkey around, monkey with, mooncalf, moron, moronic, motley, motley fool, mug, natural, nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit, nitwit, no scholar, numskull, nutty, oaf, patsy, pickle-herring, piddle, pigeon, pinhead, play, play around, play the buffoon, play the fool, play with, plaything, pluck, poop, potter, pretend, prize sap, puddinghead, pushover, put one on, putter, rattlebrain, retard, romp, sap, saphead, sappy, scatterbrain, schlemiel, schmuck, screwy, senseless, sentimental, silly, simple, simpleton, sitting duck, smatter, snow, softhead, spoof, stock, stooge, string along, stupid, sucker, swindle, take in, tamper, tamper with, target, tease, tenderfoot, thoughtless, tinker, tomfool, tool, toy, toy with, trick, trifle, trifle with, trusting soul, twiddle, twist, twit, unintelligentsia, victim, wacky, wanton, wet, witless, zany

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

fool

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Fool \Fool\, n. [Cf. F. fouler to tread, crush. Cf. 1st Foil.]

A compound of gooseberries scalded and crushed, with cream; -- commonly called gooseberry fool.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

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 ([AE]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. ``I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.'' --1 Sam. xxvi. 21.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Fool \Fool\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fooled; p. pr. & vb. n. Fooling.]

To play the fool; to trifle; to toy; to spend time in idle sport or mirth.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Fool \Fool\, v. t.

1. To infatuate; to make foolish. --Shak.

For, fooled with hope, men favor the deceit. --Dryden.

2. To use as a fool; to deceive in a shameful or mortifying manner; to impose upon; to cheat by inspiring foolish confidence; as, to fool one out of his money.

You are fooled, discarded, and shook off By him for whom these shames ye underwent. --Shak.

To fool away, to get rid of foolishly; to spend in trifles, idleness, folly, or without advantage.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)