fard

verb

1. (archaic, transitive)To paint, as the cheeks or face.

   “The fairest are but farded like the face of Jezebel […]”

2. (archaic, transitive)To embellish or gloss over.

   “For looke how far fellonie may glory in her fetters, so far may we in our funerals wherewith we but feard death. For as some Gentiles, where gold is vernaculous and plentifull, their catiues thogh therewith enchained, yet remaines catiues: so to vs, thogh our graue were of enamelled gold, yet it is but our graue, the monument of our common misery, that by diuine mercy onely may be remedied without farther meanes.”

   “[I]t is but bare, simple, plain, honest, homely truth, without welt, without guard. It will abide none but native colours. It scorneth to woo favour with farding and licking and counterfeisance. It hates either bought or borrowed beauty; and therefore, like some native face among the painted, looks coarse and rusty.”

   “[Y]e handle this matter too tenderly, nor will my conscience permit me to fard or daub over the causes of divine wrath […]”

noun

1. (archaic, countable, uncountable)Colour or paint, especially white paint, used on the face; makeup, war-paint.

   “And theſe [including Edward Gibbon] preſent us with the ſkeleton of hiſtory, not merely clothed with muſcles, animated with life, and bearing the bloom of health upon its cheek; but, inſtead of carrying a higher fluſh of health upon its cheek, and ſhewing a brighter beam of life in its eyes, rubbed with Spaniſh wool, painted with French fard, and exhibiting the fire of falſehood and wantonneſs in its eyes.”

   “[Y]et, that your Majesty may not be abused, and that you may see that there is nothing but fard in that which may seem fairest of all their proceedings, I conceive myself obliged in duty and honour to undervalue all their malice, and truly to inform your Majesty in what you are, and may be, so much concerned. [Footnote 1: […] Fard here signifies the false daubing on a harlot's cheek.[…]]”

   “[page 141] Various other paints, or what the French commonly denominate fards, are chiefly made for theatrical use; but they are, nevertheless, extensively used by private individuals. Unfortunately, most of these have for a basis white lead. […] [page 142] In France, where the conservators of public health constitute an intelligent portion of every municipality, prosecutions for selling fatally deleterious fards are far from being uncommon.”

2. A commandment from Allah that a Muslim has to fulfill; a religious duty or obligation.

   “It is suggested that the child pray only the fardrak'ats at this stage. He can keep adding the sunnah rak'ats from the time he has all the fards completed—that is, from his seventh birthday—so that by age ten he has the entire salat, fards and sunnahs, complete.”

3. (Scotland, alt-of, alternative, obsolete)Alternative form of ferd (“force of movement; impetus, rush; hence, a violent onset”).

   “And ſone as he perſavys quhar that went / Forganyſt him, cumand throu greſy ſward, / Hys derreſt ſon Ene with hasty fard, / Baith his handys joyfull furthſtracht he than;[…]”

4. (Pakistan)A document attesting to the owner of a property.

adj

1. (not-comparable)Required as a matter of religious duty or obligation.

   “The second fundamental of Islam is "to perform the ritual prayer (namâz, salât) [five times a day in accordance with its conditions and fards] when the time for prayer comes." It is fard for every Muslim to perform salât five times every day after each time of salât starts and to know that he or she performs it in due time.”