Page 120 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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fabrication (FAB ri KAY shuhn) n. 1. something being constructed or manufac-
tured; 2. a made-up thing, especially a falsehood; false excuse; lie
• The fabrication was completed on-site and would serve as office space for
the workers.
• The new cabinets were the fabrication of a fine craftsman.
• Archie’s story about having been asked out by Veronica was a fabrication.
factor (FAK tir) n. 1. any of the conditions, circumstances, etc. that bring on a
certain result; 2. (math) any of two or more quantities that are multiplied together
to form a product —vt. (math) to resolve an expression into its component factors
• Weather is one factor that might cause the postponement of tomorrow’s
picnic.
• Multiplying the factors 2 and 6 always produces 12.
2
• When dealing with a trinomial of the form ax + bx + c, it always pays to
try to factor out an a.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. element, agent]
fallacious* (fuh LAY shus) adj. 1. containing an error; mistaken; 2. misleading
or deceptive
• Your logic in this matter is fallacious.
• It is fallacious to think that putting insect-repelling candles by the edge of
a marsh will prevent mosquito bites.
[-ly adv.]
fallible (FAL i bl) adj. 1. capable of making a mistake; 2. apt to be erroneous or
less than accurate
• One person is too fallible to be trusted to make all the important decisions.
• A pencil-and-paper calculation of a difficult problem is likely to be more
fallible than one made using a calculator or computer.
[fallibly adv., fallibility n.]
falsification* (FAWL si fi KAY shun) n. 1. a deliberately misleading account;
misrepresentation; 2. a fraudulently altered record; something proven untrue
•A falsification of the account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn had Custer’s
forces winning the day.
• Some people are mistakenly spending time in prison for crimes they did
not commit, because of falsifications on the part of certain witnesses.
[falsity n., falsify vi.]

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