1. [n]  a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.
2. [n]  a sale of miscellany; often for charity; "the church bazaar"
3. [n]  a competitive exhibition of farm products; "she won a blue ribbon for her baking at the county fair"
4. [n]  gathering of producers to promote business; "world fair"; "trade fair"; "book fair"
5. [adv]  in a fair evenhanded manner; "deal fairly with one another"
6. [adv]  in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating; "they played fairly"
7. [adj]  very pleasing to the eye; "my bonny lass"; "there's a bonny bay beyond"; "a comely face"; "young fair maidens"
8. [adj]  visually appealing; "our fair city"
9. [adj]  (used of hair or skin) pale or light-colored; "a fair complexion";
10. [adj]  free of clouds or rain; "today will be fair and warm"
11. [adj]  (of a baseball) hit between the foul lines; "he hit a fair ball over the third base bag"
12. [adj]  free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; or conforming with established standards or rules; "a fair referee"; "fair deal"; "on a fair footing"; "a fair fight"; "by fair means or foul"
13. [adj]  (of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections; "fair copy"; "a clean manuscript"
14. [adj]  not excessive or extreme; "a fairish income"; "reasonable prices"
15. [adj]  of no exceptional quality or ability; "a novel of average merit"; "only a fair performance of the sonata"; "in fair health"; "the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average"; "the performance was middling at best"
16. [adj]  showing lack of favoritism; "the cold neutrality of an impartial judge"
17. [adj]  more than adequate in quality; "fair work"
18. [v]  join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly

1. \Fair\, a. [Compar. {Fairer}; superl. {Fairest}.] [OE.
   fair, fayer, fager, AS. f[ae]ger; akin to OS. & OHG. fagar,
   Icel. fagr, Sw. fager, Dan. faver, Goth. fagrs fit, also to
   E. fay, G. f["u]gen, to fit. fegen to sweep, cleanse, and
   prob. also to E. fang, peace, pact, Cf. {Fang}, {Fain}, {Fay}
   to fit.]
   1. Free from spots, specks, dirt, or imperfection;
      unblemished; clean; pure.
            A fair white linen cloth.             --Book of
                                                  Common Prayer.
   2. Pleasing to the eye; handsome; beautiful.
            Who can not see many a fair French city, for one
            fair French made.                     --Shak.
   3. Without a dark hue; light; clear; as, a fair skin.
            The northern people large and fair-complexioned.
                                                  --Sir M. Hale.
   4. Not overcast; cloudless; clear; pleasant; propitious;
      favorable; -- said of the sky, weather, or wind, etc.; as,
      a fair sky; a fair day.
            You wish fair winds may waft him over. --Prior.
   5. Free from obstacles or hindrances; unobstructed;
      unincumbered; open; direct; -- said of a road, passage,
      etc.; as, a fair mark; in fair sight; a fair view.
            The caliphs obtained a mighty empire, which was in a
            fair way to have enlarged.            --Sir W.
                                                  Raleigh.
   6. (Shipbuilding) Without sudden change of direction or
      curvature; smooth; fowing; -- said of the figure of a
      vessel, and of surfaces, water lines, and other lines.
   7. Characterized by frankness, honesty, impartiality, or
      candor; open; upright; free from suspicion or bias;
      equitable; just; -- said of persons, character, or
      conduct; as, a fair man; fair dealing; a fair statement.
      ``I would call it fair play.'' --Shak.
   8. Pleasing; favorable; inspiring hope and confidence; --
      said of words, promises, etc.
            When fair words and good counsel will not prevail on
            us, we must be frighted into our duty. --L'
                                                  Estrange.
   9. Distinct; legible; as, fair handwriting.
   10. Free from any marked characteristic; average; middling;
       as, a fair specimen.
             The news is very fair and good, my lord. --Shak.
   {Fair ball}. (Baseball)
       (a) A ball passing over the home base at the height
           called for by the batsman, and delivered by the
           pitcher while wholly within the lines of his position
           and facing the batsman.
       (b) A batted ball that falls inside the foul lines; --
           called also a {fair hit}.
   {Fair maid}. (Zo["o]l.)
       (a) The European pilchard ({Clupea pilchardus}) when
           dried.
       (b) The southern scup ({Stenotomus Gardeni}). [Virginia]
   {Fair one}, a handsome woman; a beauty,
   {Fair play}, equitable or impartial treatment; a fair or
      equal chance; justice.
   {From fair to middling}, passable; tolerable. [Colloq.]
   {The fair sex}, the female sex.
   Syn: Candid; open; frank; ingenuous; clear; honest;
        equitable; impartial; reasonable. See {Candid}.
   

2. \Fair\, adv.
   Clearly; openly; frankly; civilly; honestly; favorably;
   auspiciously; agreeably.
   {Fair and square}, justly; honestly; equitably; impartially.
      [Colloq.]
   {To bid fair}. See under {Bid}.
   {To speak fair}, to address with courtesy and frankness.
      [Archaic]
   

3. \Fair\, n.
   1. Fairness, beauty. [Obs.] --Shak.
   2. A fair woman; a sweetheart.
            I have found out a gift for my fair.  --Shenstone.
   3. Good fortune; good luck.
            Now fair befall thee !                --Shak.
   {The fair}, anything beautiful; women, collectively. ``For
      slander's mark was ever yet the fair.'' --Shak.
   

4. \Fair\, v. t.
   1. To make fair or beautiful. [Obs.]
            Fairing the foul.                     --Shak.
   2. (Shipbuilding) To make smooth and flowing, as a vessel's
      lines.
   

5. \Fair\, n. [OE. feire, OF. feire, F. foire, fr. L. fariae,
   pl., days of rest, holidays, festivals, akin to festus
   festal. See {Feast}.]
   1. A gathering of buyers and sellers, assembled at a
      particular place with their merchandise at a stated or
      regular season, or by special appointment, for trade.
   2. A festival, and sale of fancy articles. erc., usually for
      some charitable object; as, a Grand Army fair.
   3. A competitive exhibition of wares, farm products, etc.,
      not primarily for purposes of sale; as, the Mechanics'
      fair; an agricultural fair.
   {After the fair}, Too late. [Colloq.]
   

An early system on the IBM 705.

[Listed in CACM 2(5):1959-05-16].