Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Fern
Fern
,adv.
Long ago.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
Fern
,Adj.
[AS.
fyrn
.] Ancient; old.
[Obs.]
“Pilgrimages to . . . ferne halwes.” [saints]. Chaucer.
Fern
(fẽrn)
, Noun.
[AS.
fearn
; akin to D. varen
, G. farn
, farn
kraut; cf. Skr. parṇa
wing, feather, leaf, sort of plant, or Lith. papartis
fern.] (Bot.)
An order of cryptogamous plants, the
Filices
, which have their fructification on the back of the fronds or leaves. They are usually found in humid soil, sometimes grow epiphytically on trees, and in tropical climates often attain a gigantic size. ☞ The plants are asexual, and bear clustered sporangia, containing minute spores, which germinate and form prothalli, on which are borne the true organs of reproduction. The brake or bracken, the maidenhair, and the polypody are all well known ferns.
Christmas fern
. See under
– Christmas
. Climbing fern
(Bot.)
, a delicate North American fern (
– Lygodium palmatum
), which climbs several feet high over bushes, etc., and is much sought for purposes of decoration. Fern owl
. (Zool.)
(a)
The European goatsucker.
(b)
The short-eared owl.
[Prov. Eng.]
– Fern shaw
a fern thicket.
[Eng.]
R. Browning.
Webster 1828 Edition
Fern
FERN
,Noun.
A plant of several species constituting the tribe or family of Filices, which have their fructification on the back of the fronds or leaves, or in which the flowers are borne on footstalks which overtop the leaves. The stem is the common footstalk or rather the middle rib of the leaves, so that most ferns want the stem altogether. The ferns constitute the first order of cryptogams, in the sexual system.
Definition 2024
Fern
Fern
See also: fern
English
Proper noun
Fern
- A female given name from the fern plant.
- 1952, E. B. White, Charlotte's Web
- "Charlotte is the best storyteller I ever heard," said Fern, poking her dish towel into a cereal bowl.
- 1952, E. B. White, Charlotte's Web
Anagrams
fern
fern
See also: Fern
English
A fern.
Noun
fern (plural ferns)
- Any of a group of some twenty thousand species of vascular plants classified in the division Pteridophyta that lack seeds and reproduce by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations.
Synonyms
- (Pteridophyta): Filicophyta (archaic)
Derived terms
|
Translations
plant
|
|
See also
Anagrams
German
Etymology
From Old High German ferrana.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fɛʁn/
- Rhymes: -ɛʁn
Adjective
fern (comparative ferner, superlative am fernsten)
Declension
Positive forms of fern
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist fern | sie ist fern | es ist fern | sie sind fern | |
| strong declension (without article) |
nominative | ferner | ferne | fernes | ferne |
| genitive | fernen | ferner | fernen | ferner | |
| dative | fernem | ferner | fernem | fernen | |
| accusative | fernen | ferne | fernes | ferne | |
| weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der ferne | die ferne | das ferne | die fernen |
| genitive | des fernen | der fernen | des fernen | der fernen | |
| dative | dem fernen | der fernen | dem fernen | den fernen | |
| accusative | den fernen | die ferne | das ferne | die fernen | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein ferner | eine ferne | ein fernes | (keine) fernen |
| genitive | eines fernen | einer fernen | eines fernen | (keiner) fernen | |
| dative | einem fernen | einer fernen | einem fernen | (keinen) fernen | |
| accusative | einen fernen | eine ferne | ein fernes | (keine) fernen | |
Comparative forms of fern
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist ferner | sie ist ferner | es ist ferner | sie sind ferner | |
| strong declension (without article) |
nominative | fernerer | fernere | ferneres | fernere |
| genitive | ferneren | fernerer | ferneren | fernerer | |
| dative | fernerem | fernerer | fernerem | ferneren | |
| accusative | ferneren | fernere | ferneres | fernere | |
| weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der fernere | die fernere | das fernere | die ferneren |
| genitive | des ferneren | der ferneren | des ferneren | der ferneren | |
| dative | dem ferneren | der ferneren | dem ferneren | den ferneren | |
| accusative | den ferneren | die fernere | das fernere | die ferneren | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein fernerer | eine fernere | ein ferneres | (keine) ferneren |
| genitive | eines ferneren | einer ferneren | eines ferneren | (keiner) ferneren | |
| dative | einem ferneren | einer ferneren | einem ferneren | (keinen) ferneren | |
| accusative | einen ferneren | eine fernere | ein ferneres | (keine) ferneren | |
Superlative forms of fern
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist am fernsten | sie ist am fernsten | es ist am fernsten | sie sind am fernsten | |
| strong declension (without article) |
nominative | fernster | fernste | fernstes | fernste |
| genitive | fernsten | fernster | fernsten | fernster | |
| dative | fernstem | fernster | fernstem | fernsten | |
| accusative | fernsten | fernste | fernstes | fernste | |
| weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der fernste | die fernste | das fernste | die fernsten |
| genitive | des fernsten | der fernsten | des fernsten | der fernsten | |
| dative | dem fernsten | der fernsten | dem fernsten | den fernsten | |
| accusative | den fernsten | die fernste | das fernste | die fernsten | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein fernster | eine fernste | ein fernstes | (keine) fernsten |
| genitive | eines fernsten | einer fernsten | eines fernsten | (keiner) fernsten | |
| dative | einem fernsten | einer fernsten | einem fernsten | (keinen) fernsten | |
| accusative | einen fernsten | eine fernste | ein fernstes | (keine) fernsten | |
Derived terms
- fern liegen
- Ferne
- Fernsehen
- Fernsicht
- Fernverkehr
- Fernweh
- Fernzug
Icelandic
Etymology
From the root fer-. Compare tvennur, þrennur.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fɛrtn/
- Rhymes: -ɛrtn
Adjective
fern
- four (used when counting singular nouns, pluralia tantum or groupings (especially pairs) of items, or when the item counted is missing from the sentence or separated by the preposition af (“of”))
- fernir skór – four pairs of shoes
- fernir tónleikar – four concerts (tónleikar is plurale tantum)
- Þetta má gera á fernan hátt. – This can be done in four ways. (háttur cannot be used in its plural form in this sense)
- Það er fernt sem mig vantar. – There are four [things] that I need. (noun omitted)
- Ég vil fá fernt af öllu. – I want four of everything.
Inflection
positive (strong declension)
positive (weak declension)
Derived terms
Related terms
Old Irish
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic *wernā (compare Welsh gwern). Cognate with Old Armenian գերան (geran).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fʲer͈n͈/
Noun
fern f
Inflection
This noun needs an inflection-table template.
Derived terms
Descendants
Mutation
| Old Irish mutation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radical | Lenition | Nasalization |
| fern | ḟern | fern pronounced with /v(ʲ)-/ |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | ||