Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Farce

Farce

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Farced
,
p. pr. & vb. n.
Farcing
.]
[F.
Farcir
, L.
farcire
; akin to Gr. [GREEK][GREEK][GREEK][GREEK][GREEK][GREEK][GREEK][GREEK] to fence in, stop up. Cf.
Force
to stuff,
Diaphragm
,
Frequent
,
Farcy
,
Farse
.]
1.
To stuff with forcemeat; hence, to fill with mingled ingredients; to fill full; to stuff.
[Obs.]
The first principles of religion should not be
farced
with school points and private tenets.
Bp. Sanderson.
His tippet was aye
farsed
full of knives.
Chaucer.
2.
To render fat.
[Obs.]
If thou wouldst
farce
thy lean ribs.
B. Jonson.
3.
To swell out; to render pompous.
[Obs.]
Farcing
his letter with fustian.
Sandys.

Farce

,
Noun.
[F.
farce
, from L.
farsus
(also sometimes
farctus
), p. p. pf
farcire
. See
Farce
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
(Cookery)
Stuffing, or mixture of viands, like that used on dressing a fowl; forcemeat.
2.
A low style of comedy; a dramatic composition marked by low humor, generally written with little regard to regularity or method, and abounding with ludicrous incidents and expressions.
Farce
is that in poetry which “grotesque” is in a picture: the persons and action of a
farce
are all unnatural, and the manners false.
Dryden.
3.
Ridiculous or empty show;
as, a mere
farce
.
“The farce of state.”
Pope.

Webster 1828 Edition

Farce

F'ARCE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. farcio.]
1.
To stuff; to fill with mingled ingredients. [Little used.]
The first principles of religion should not be forced with school points and private tenets.
2.
To extend; to swell out; as the farced title. [Little used.]

F'ARCE

,
Noun.
f'ars. [Literally, seasoning, stuffing or mixture, like the stuffing of a roasted fowl; force-meat.]
A dramatic composition, originally exhibited by charlatans or buffoons, in the open street, for the amusement of the crowd, but now introduced upon the stage. It is written without regularity, and filled with ludicrous conceits. The dialogue is usually low, the persons of inferior rank, and the fable or action trivial or ridiculous.
Farce is that in poetry which grotesque is in a picture: the persons and actions of a farce are all unnatural, and the manners false.

Definition 2024

Farce

Farce

See also: farce

German

Noun

Farce f ‎(genitive Farce, plural Farcen)

  1. farce

farce

farce

See also: Farce

English

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /fɑːs/
  • (US) enPR: färs, IPA(key): /fɑrs/
  • Rhymes: -ɑː(r)s

Noun

farce ‎(countable and uncountable, plural farces)

  1. (uncountable) A style of humor marked by broad improbabilities with little regard to regularity or method; compare sarcasm.
  2. (countable) A motion picture or play featuring this style of humor.
    The farce that we saw last night had us laughing and shaking our heads at the same time.‎
    • 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, Prologue:
      Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language […]; his clerks […] understood him very well. If he had written a love letter, or a farce, or a ballade, or a story, no one, either clerks, or friends, or compositors, would have understood anything but a word here and a word there.
  3. (uncountable) A situation abounding with ludicrous incidents.
    The first month of labor negotiations was a farce.‎
    • 2012 May 9, Jonathan Wilson, “Europa League: Radamel Falcao's Atlético Madrid rout Athletic Bilbao”, in the Guardian:
      The first match in the magnificent new national stadium was a Euro 2012 qualifier between Romania and France that soon descended into farce as the pitch cut up and players struggled to maintain their footing. Amorebieta at times seemed to be paying homage to that game, but nobody else seemed to have a problem; it was just that Falcao was far better than him.
  4. (uncountable) A ridiculous or empty show.
    The political arena is a mere farce, with all sorts of fools trying to grab power.‎
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English farcen, from Old French farsir, farcir, from Latin farcire ‎(“to cram, stuff”).

Verb

farce ‎(third-person singular simple present farces, present participle farcing, simple past and past participle farced)

  1. To stuff with forcemeat.
  2. (figuratively) To fill full; to stuff.
    • Bishop Sanderson
      The first principles of religion should not be farced with school points and private tenets.
  3. (obsolete) To make fat.
    • Ben Jonson
      if thou wouldst farce thy lean ribs
  4. (obsolete) To swell out; to render pompous.
    • Sandys
      farcing his letter with fustian

Anagrams

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /faʁs/

Noun

farce f ‎(plural farces)

  1. stuffing (for meat, etc)
  2. farce (play)

Related terms

Italian

Noun

farce f

  1. plural of farcia

Norman

Noun

farce f ‎(plural farces)

  1. (Jersey) batter

Etymology

French.

Similar Results