Fair vs Well - What's the difference?

fair | well |

As a proper noun fair

is .

As an adjective well is

wild.

fair

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) fayr, feir, fager, from (etyl) .

Adjective

(er)

Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.

*{{quote-book, year=1917, year_published=2008

, edition=HTML, author=(Edgar Rice Burroughs), publisher=The Gutenberg Project , title= A Princess of Mars , passage="It was a purely scientific research party sent out by my father's father, the Jeddak of Helium, to rechart the air currents, and to take atmospheric density tests," replied the fair prisoner, in a low, well-modulated voice.}}

*{{quote-book, year=2010, author=(Stephan Grundy)

, title= Beowulf , genre=Fiction, publisher=iUniverse, isbn=9781440156977, page=33 , passage=And yet he was also, though many generations separated them, distant cousin to the shining eoten-main Geard, whom the god Frea Ing had seen from afar and wedded; and to Scatha, the fair daughter of the old thurse Theasa, who had claimed a husband from among the gods as weregild for her father's slaying: often, it was said, the ugliest eotens would sire the fairest maids.}}

Unblemished (figuratively or literally); clean and pure; innocent.

*Book of Common Prayer

*:a fair white linen cloth

Light in color, pale, particularly as regards skin tone but also referring to blond hair.

*1677 , (Matthew Hale), The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature , page 200

*:the northern people large and fair -complexioned

*:This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. In complexion fair , and with blue or gray eyes, he was tall as any Viking, as broad in the shoulder.

Just, equitable.

*:“[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”

Adequate, reasonable, or decent.

*, chapter=3

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the bay and ought to fetch a fair price.}}

Favorable to a ship's course.

Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious; said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.

*(Matthew Prior) (1664-1721)

*:You wish fair winds may waft him over.

Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed; unencumbered; open; direct; said of a road, passage, etc.

*Sir (Walter Raleigh) (ca.1554-1618)

*:The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a fair way to have enlarged.

(lb) Without sudden change of direction or curvature; smooth; flowing; said of the figure of a vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.

(lb) Between the baselines.

Synonyms

* (beautiful) beautiful, pretty, lovely * (unblemished) pure, clean, neat * (light in color) pale * (just) honest, just, equitable

Derived terms

* all's fair in love and war * fair and square * fair cop * fair copy * fair go * fair play * fair sex * fair to middling * fair use * fair-weather friend * to be fair

Noun

(fair)

Something which is fair (in various senses of the adjective).

When will we learn to distinguish between the fair and the foul?

(obsolete) A woman, a member of the ‘fair sex’; also as a collective singular, women.

* 1744 , , act 2, scene 8

''Love and Hymen, hand in hand,

''Come, restore the nuptial band!

''And sincere delights prepare

''To crown the hero and the fair .

* 1749 , Henry Fielding, Tom Jones , Folio Society 1973, p. 39:

In enjoying, therefore, such place of rendezvous, the British fair ought to esteem themselves more happy than any of their foreign sisters

* 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , III.24:

If single, probably his plighted Fair / Has in his absence wedded some rich miser [...].

(obsolete) Fairness, beauty.

(Shakespeare)

A fair woman; a sweetheart.

* Shenstone

I have found out a gift for my fair .

(obsolete) Good fortune; good luck.

* Shakespeare

Now fair befall thee!

Verb

(en verb)

To smoothen or even a surface (especially a connection or junction on a surface).

To bring into perfect alignment (especially about rivet holes when connecting structural members).

To construct or design a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline or reduce air drag or water resistance.

(obsolete) To make fair or beautiful.

* Shakespeare

Fairing the foul.

Synonyms

* (to reduce air drag or water resistance) to streamline

Derived terms

* fair off * fair up * fairing

Adverb

(en adverb)

Clearly; openly; frankly; civilly; honestly; favorably; auspiciously; agreeably.

Derived terms

* bid fair * fair and square

Etymology 2

From (etyl) feire, from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)

A community gathering to celebrate and exhibit local achievements.

An event for public entertainment and trade, a market.

* , chapter=7

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=The turmoil went on—no rest, no peace. […] It was nearly eleven o'clock now, and he strolled out again. In the little fair created by the costers' barrows the evening only seemed beginning; and the naphtha flares made one's eyes ache, the men's voices grated harshly, and the girls' faces saddened one.}}

An event for professionals in a trade to learn of new products and do business.

A funfair, an amusement park.

Derived terms

* funfair

Statistics

* ----

well

English

(wikipedia well)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), (m), (m), (m), from (etyl) (m), . Related to (will).

Alternative forms

* (dialectal) * (Scotland) *

Adverb

(lb) Accurately, competently, satisfactorily.

* {{quote-book, 1852, Mrs M.A. Thompson, chapter=The Tutor's Daughter, Graham's American Monthly Magazine of Literature, Art, and Fashion, page= 266

, passage=In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well -remembered road.}}

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well . Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand.}}

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= Welcome to the plastisphere , passage=Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.}}

(lb) Completely, fully.

Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.

(lb) To a significant degree.

Very (as a general-purpose intensifier).

* 1999 , "Drummond Pearson", What Ash are doing right now...'' (on Internet newsgroup ''alt.music.ash )

That guy rocks! I think he's called Matthew Lillard or sommat but he is well cool in Scream.

* 2002 , "jibaili", FIFA 2003 How is it?'' (on Internet newsgroup ''microsoft.public.xbox )

Hey Dude / FIFA 2003 is well wicked, I've got FIFA 2002 on PS2, David Beckham on Xbox and Football Manager on Xbox too, out of all pf(SIC) them FIFA 2003 is easliy(SIC) the best.

* 2003 , Steve Eddy, Empower, Book 2

Hey, you should've seen it, it was well good.

In such manner as is desirable; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favourably; advantageously.

* (John Dryden) (1631-1700)

It boded well to you.

* (John Milton) (1608-1674)

Know / In measure what the mind may well contain.

* (Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)

All the world speaks well of you.

Derived terms

* all too well * as well * do well by doing good * full well * fully well * just as well * pretty well * well and truly * well-behaved * well-known * well-mannered * well-padded * well-read * well-used

Adjective

In good health.

I had been sick, but now I'm well .

(archaic) Prudent; good; well-advised.

* 1897 , National Association of Railway Surgeons, Railway surgeon , page 191:

On leaving the operating table it is well to put the patient in a bed previously warmed and supplied with hot cans.

Derived terms

* full well * get well * * well-being

Interjection

(en interjection)

Used to acknowledge a statement or situation.

* , chapter=5

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=“Well ,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.}}

An exclamation of surprise, often doubled or tripled.

Used in speech to express the overcoming of reluctance to say something.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=“Well ,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration, “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.}}

Used in speech to fill gaps; filled pause.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)

A hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, oil, natural gas or other fluids.

* Bible, John iv. 11

The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.

A place where a liquid such as water surfaces naturally; a spring.

* Milton

Begin, then, sisters of the sacred well .

A small depression suitable for holding liquid, or other objects.

(figurative) A source of supply.

* Spenser

Dan Chaucer, well of English undefiled

* Keble

a well of serious thought and pure

(nautical) A vertical, cylindrical trunk in a ship, reaching down to the lowest part of the hull, through which the bilge pumps operate.

(nautical) The cockpit of a sailboat.

(nautical) A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes perforated in the bottom to let in water to keep fish alive while they are transported to market.

(nautical) A vertical passage in the stern into which an auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of the water.

(military) A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from which run branches or galleries.

(architecture) An opening through the floors of a building, as for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole.

(metalworking) The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal falls.

A well drink.

They're having a special tonight: $1 wells .

(video games) The playfield of the video game Tetris , into which the blocks fall.

Derived terms

* ink well * light well (architecture) * oil well * spare tire well, spare tyre well * window well (architecture) * wishing well

Etymology 3

From (etyl) (m). Cognate with German .

Verb

(en verb)

To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring.

* Dryden

[Blood] welled from out the wound.

* Bryant

[Yon spring] wells softly forth.

To have something seep out of the surface.

Her eyes welled with tears.

Statistics

* 1000 English basic words 200 English basic words English degree adverbs English intensifiers English manner adverbs English suppletive adverbs English terms with multiple etymologies ----