fetichism, Fetishism fe"tich·ism, Fe"tish·ism noun [ Confer French
fétichisme .] [ Written also
feticism .]
1. The doctrine or practice of belief in fetiches. 2. Excessive devotion to one object or one idea; abject superstition; blind adoration. The real and absolute worship of fire falls into two great divisions, the first belonging rather to fetichism , the second to polytheism proper.
Tylor.
Fetichist, Fetishist Fe"tich·ist, Fe"tish·ist noun A believer in fetiches. He was by nature a fetichist .
H. Holbeach.
Fetichistic, Fetishistic Fe`tich·is"tic, Fe`tish·is"tic adjective Pertaining to, or involving, fetichism. A man of the fifteenth century, inheriting its strange web of belief and unbelief, of epicurean levity and fetichistic dread.
G. Eliot.
Feticide Fe"ti·cide noun [ Written also
fœticide .] [
Fetus + Latin
caedere to kill.]
(Med. & Law) The act of killing the fetus in the womb; the offense of procuring an abortion.
Feticism Fe"ti·cism noun See Fetichism .
Fetid Fet"id adjective [ Latin
fetidus ,
foetidus , from
fetere ,
foetere , to have an ill smell, to stink: confer French
fétide .]
Having an offensive smell; stinking. Most putrefactions . . . smell either fetid or moldy.
Bacon.
Fetidity Fet·id"i·ty noun Fetidness.
Fetidness Fet"id·ness noun The quality or state of being fetid.
Fetiferous Fe·tif"er·ous adjective [
Fetus +
-ferous .]
Producing young, as animals.
Fetis Fe"tis adjective [ Old French
fetis ,
faitis . Confer
Factitious .]
Neat; pretty; well made; graceful. [ Obsolete]
Full fetis was her cloak, as I was ware.
Chaucer.
Fetisely Fe"tise·ly adverb Neatly; gracefully; properly. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Fetish Fe"tish noun ,
Fe"tish*ism (... or ...; 277)
noun ,
Fe`tish*is"tic adjective See Fetich , noun , Fetichism , noun , Fetichistic , adjective
Fetlock Fet"lock noun [ Middle English
fetlak ,
fitlock , confer Icelandic
fet pace, step,
fit webbed foot of water birds, akin to English
foot . √77. See
Foot .]
The cushionlike projection, bearing a tuft of long hair, on the back side of the leg above the hoof of the horse and similar animals. Also, the joint of the limb at this point (between the great pastern bone and the metacarpus), or the tuft of hair. Their wounded steeds
Fret fetlock deep in gore.
Shak.
Fetor Fe"tor noun [ Latin
fetor ,
foetor . See
Fetid .]
A strong, offensive smell; stench; fetidness. Arbuthnot.
Fette Fet"te transitive verb [
imperfect Fette ,
past participle Fet .] [ See
Fet ,
transitive verb ]
To fetch. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Fetter Fet"ter (fĕt"tẽr)
noun [ Anglo-Saxon
fetor ,
feter ; akin to Old Saxon
feterōs , plural, OD.
veter , Old High German
fezzera , Icelandic
fjöturr , Latin
pedica , Greek
pe`dh , and to English
foot . √ 77. See
Foot .] [ Chiefly used in the plural,
fetters .]
1. A chain or shackle for the feet; a chain by which an animal is confined by the foot, either made fast or disabled from free and rapid motion; a bond; a shackle. [ They] bound him with fetters of brass.
Judg. xvi. 21. 2. Anything that confines or restrains; a restraint. Passion's too fierce to be in fetters bound.
Dryden.
Fetter Fet"ter transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Fettered ;
present participle & verbal noun Fettering .]
1. To put fetters upon; to shackle or confine the feet of with a chain; to bind. My heels are fettered , but my fist is free.
Milton. 2. To restrain from motion; to impose restraints on; to confine; to enchain; as, fettered by obligations. My conscience! thou art fettered
More than my shanks and wrists.
Shak.
Fettered Fet"tered adjective (Zoology) Seeming as if fettered, as the feet of certain animals which bend backward, and appear unfit for walking.
Fetterer Fet"ter·er noun One who fetters. Landor.
Fetterless Fet"ter·less adjective Free from fetters. Marston.
Fettle Fet"tle transitive verb [ Middle English & Prov. E., to fettle (in sense 1),
fettle ,
noun , order, repair, preparation, dress; probably akin to English
fit . See
Fit ,
adjective ]
1. To repair; to prepare; to put in order. [ Prov. Eng.]
Carlyle. 2. (Metal.) To cover or line with a mixture of ore, cinders, etc., as the hearth of a puddling furnace.
Fettle Fet"tle intransitive verb To make preparations; to put things in order; to do trifling business. [ Prov. Eng.]
Bp. Hall.
Fettle Fet"tle noun The act of fettling. [ Prov. Eng.]
Wright. In fine fettle ,
in good spirits.
Fettling Fet"tling noun 1. (Metal.) A mixture of ore, cinders, etc., used to line the hearth of a puddling furnace. [ Eng.] [ It is commonly called
fix in the United States.]
2. (Pottery) The operation of shaving or smoothing the surface of undried clay ware.
Fetuous Fet"u·ous adjective Neat; feat. [ Obsolete]
Herrick.
Fetus Fe"tus noun ;
plural Fetuses . [ Latin
fetus ,
foetus , a bringing forth, brood, offspring, young ones, confer
fetus fruitful, fructified, that is or was filled with young; akin to English
fawn a deer,
fecundity ,
felicity ,
feminine ,
female , and probably to
do , or according to others, to
be .]
The young or embryo of an animal in the womb, or in the egg; often restricted to the later stages in the development of viviparous and oviparous animals, embryo being applied to the earlier stages. [ Written also
fœtus .]
Fetwah Fet"wah noun [ Arabic ]
A written decision of a Turkish mufti on some point of law. Whitworth.
Feu Feu noun [ See 2d
Feud , and
Fee .]
(Scots Law) A free and gratuitous right to lands made to one for service to be performed by him; a tenure where the vassal, in place of military services, makes a return in grain or in money. Burrill.
Feu de joie Feu` de joie" [ French, lit., fire of joy.] A fire kindled in a public place in token of joy; a bonfire; a firing of guns in token of joy.
Feuar Feu"ar noun [ From Feu.]
(Scots Law) One who holds a feu. Sir W. Scott.
Feud Feud (fūd)
noun [ Middle English
feide , Anglo-Saxon
fǣhð , from
fāh hostile; akin to Old High German
fēhida , German
fehde , Swedish
fejd , Dutch
feide ; probably akin to English
fiend . See Foe.]
1. A combination of kindred to avenge injuries or affronts, done or offered to any of their blood, on the offender and all his race. 2. A contention or quarrel; especially, an inveterate strife between families, clans, or parties; deadly hatred; contention satisfied only by bloodshed. Mutual feuds and battles betwixt their several tribes and kindreds.
Purchas. Syn. -- Affray; fray; broil; contest; dispute; strife.
Feud Feud noun [ Late Latin
feudum ,
feodum probably of same origin as English
fief . See
Fief ,
Fee .]
(Law) A stipendiary estate in land, held of superior, by service; the right which a vassal or tenant had to the lands or other immovable thing of his lord, to use the same and take the profists thereof hereditarily, rendering to his superior such duties and services as belong to military tenure, etc., the property of the soil always remaining in the lord or superior; a fief; a fee.
Feudal Feu"dal adjective [ French
féodal , or Late Latin
feudalis .]
1. Of or pertaining to feuds, fiefs, or feels; as, feudal rights or services; feudal tenures. 2. Consisting of, or founded upon, feuds or fiefs; embracing tenures by military services; as, the feudal system.
Feudalism Feu"dal·ism noun [ Confer French
féodalisme .]
The feudal system; a system by which the holding of estates in land is made dependent upon an obligation to render military service to the kind or feudal superior; feudal principles and usages.
Feudalist Feu"dal·ist noun An upholder of feudalism.
Feudality Feu·dal"i·ty noun [ Confer French
féodalité .]
The state or quality of being feudal; feudal form or constitution. Burke.
Feudalization Feu`dal·i·za"tion noun The act of reducing to feudal tenure.
Feudalize Feu"dal·ize transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Feudalized ;
present participle & verbal noun Feudalizing .]
To reduce to a feudal tenure; to conform to feudalism.
Feudally Feu"dal·ly adverb In a feudal manner.
Feudary Feu"da·ry adjective [ Late Latin
feudarius , from
feudum . See 2d
Feud .]
Held by, or pertaining to, feudal tenure.
Feudary Feu"da·ry noun 1. A tenant who holds his lands by feudal service; a feudatory. Foxe. 2. A feodary. See Feodary .
Feudatary Feu"da·ta·ry adjective & noun [ Late Latin
feudatarius : confer French
feudataire .]
See Feudatory .
Feudatory Feu"da·to·ry noun ;
plural Feudatories A tenant or vassal who held his lands of a superior on condition of feudal service; the tenant of a feud or fief. The grantee . . . was styled the feudatory or vassal.
Blackstone. [ He] had for feudatories great princes.
J. H. Newman.
Feudatory Feu"da·to·ry adjective Held from another on some conditional tenure; as, a feudatory title. Bacon.
Feudist Feud"ist noun [ Confer French
feudiste .]
A writer on feuds; a person versed in feudal law. Spelman.
Feuillants Feu`illants" noun plural A reformed branch of the Bernardines, founded in 1577 at Feuillans , near Toulouse, in France.
Feuillemort Feuille"mort` adjective [ French
feuille morte a dead leaf.]
Having the color of a faded leaf. Locke.
Feuilleton Feu`ille·ton" noun [ French, from
feulle leaf.]
A part of a French newspaper (usually the bottom of the page), devoted to light literature, criticism, etc.; also, the article or tale itself, thus printed.
Feuilltonist Feuill"ton·ist noun [ French
feuilletoniste .]
A writer of feuilletons. F. Harrison.
feuter feu"ter transitive verb [ Middle English
feutre rest for a lance, Old French
feutre ,
fautre ,
feltre , felt, cushion, rest for a lance, from Late Latin
filtrum ,
feltrum ; of German origin, and akin to English
felt . See
Felt , and confer
Filter .]
To set close; to fix in rest, as a spear. Spenser.
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