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.
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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.
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Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools. --Milton.
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Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn
in no other. --Franklin.
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3. (Script.) One who acts contrary to moral and religious
wisdom; a wicked person.
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The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
--Ps. xiv. 1.
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4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional jester or
buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed
fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments.
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Can they think me . . . their fool or jester?
--Milton.
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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.
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Paradise \Par"a*dise\ (p[a^]r"[.a]*d[imac]s), n. [OE. & F.
paradis, L. paradisus, fr. Gr. para`deisos park, paradise,
fr. Zend pairida[=e]za an inclosure; pairi around (akin to
Gr. peri`) + diz to throw up, pile up; cf. Skr. dih to smear,
and E. dough. Cf. Parvis.]
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1. The garden of Eden, in which Adam and Eve were placed
after their creation.
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2. The abode of sanctified souls after death.
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To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. --Luke
xxiii. 43.
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It sounds to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise. --Longfellow.
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3. A place of bliss; a region of supreme felicity or delight;
hence, a state of happiness.
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The earth
Shall be all paradise. --Milton.
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Wrapt in the very paradise of some creative vision.
--Beaconsfield.
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4. (Arch.) An open space within a monastery or adjoining a
church, as the space within a cloister, the open court
before a basilica, etc.
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5. A churchyard or cemetery. [Obs.] --Oxf. Gloss.
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Fool's paradise. See under Fool, and Limbo.
Grains of paradise. (Bot.) See Melequeta pepper, under
Pepper.
Paradise bird. (Zool.) Same as Bird of paradise. Among
the most beautiful species are the superb (Lophorina
superba); the magnificent (Diphyllodes magnifica); and
the six-shafted paradise bird (Parotia sefilata). The
long-billed paradise birds (Epimachin[ae]) also include
some highly ornamental species, as the twelve-wired
paradise bird (Seleucides alba), which is black, yellow,
and white, with six long breast feathers on each side,
ending in long, slender filaments. See Bird of paradise
in the Vocabulary.
Paradise fish (Zool.), a beautiful fresh-water Asiatic fish
(Macropodus viridiauratus) having very large fins. It is
often kept alive as an ornamental fish.
Paradise flycatcher (Zool.), any flycatcher of the genus
Terpsiphone, having the middle tail feathers extremely
elongated. The adult male of Terpsiphone paradisi is
white, with the head glossy dark green, and crested.
Paradise grackle (Zool.), a very beautiful bird of New
Guinea, of the genus Astrapia, having dark velvety
plumage with brilliant metallic tints.
Paradise nut (Bot.), the sapucaia nut. See Sapucaia nut.
[Local, U. S.]
Paradise whidah bird. (Zool.) See Whidah.
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