English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

feet

noun

Plural of foot: the lower part of the leg on which a person or animal stands and walks.

feeze

noun

A feeling of anxiety or fright.

Fei

name

A Chinese surname and given-name element, with meanings varying by the character used, often "to fly" or "abundant."

feign

verb

To pretend to feel or have something that isn't real.

feigned

adj

Not genuine; put on or faked.

feigning

noun

The act of pretending or faking something.

feilding

name

The name of a town in Manawatu district, Manawatū-Whanganui, North Island, New Zealand.

Fein

name

A Jewish surname of German or Yiddish origin, meaning "fine" or "elegant."

feint

noun

A deceptive move meant to distract an opponent from a real attack.

feisty

adj

Full of spirit and energy; not afraid to stand up for oneself.

Feldman

name

A Jewish and German surname meaning "field man," historically an occupational name.

feldspar

noun

Any of a group of common minerals made of aluminium, silicon and oxygen combined with potassium, sodium or calcium, which together form roughly 60% of the Earth's crust.

Felicia

name

A female first name of Latin, masculine equivalent Felix origin.

felicific

adj

Bringing about pleasure or happiness.

felicitation

noun

A message of congratulation, wishing someone joy or happiness.

felicitator

noun

A person who congratulates someone.

felicitous

adj

Neatly apt or fitting, in a way that pleases.

felicitousness

noun

The quality of being felicitous.

felicity

noun

A state of great happiness or contentment.

felid

noun

Any animal belonging to the cat family.

feline

adj

Relating to cats, or resembling a cat in grace or manner.

Felipe

name

A masculine given name, the Spanish and Portuguese form of Philip, meaning "lover of horses."

Felix

name

A male first name of Latin origin.

fell

verb

To cut something down, especially a tree, or to knock someone or something to the ground.

Fella

name

An informal word for a man or fellow, occasionally used as a nickname.

fellah

noun

A farmer or farm worker from the Middle East or North Africa.

fellate

verb

To stimulate the penis or scrotum using the mouth.

fellatio

noun

Oral sex performed on a penis.

feller

noun

A casual or dialectal way of saying "fellow," meaning a man or guy.

felling

noun

The act of cutting down trees.

fellow

noun

A man or boy; a guy.

Fellows

name

An English surname, originally denoting a member of a guild or fellowship.

fellowship

noun

A shared feeling of friendship and connection among people, or a group bound by common interests.

felon

noun

Someone convicted of a felony — a serious crime.

felonious

adj

Relating to or having the character of a felony; done with criminal intent.

felonization

noun

The process of making an act count legally as a felony.

felonize

verb

To make a crime legally count as a felony.

felony

noun

A serious crime, typically punishable by at least a year in prison, as opposed to a lesser misdemeanor.

felt

noun

A dense fabric made by matting and pressing fibers, usually wool, rather than weaving them.

Felton

name

An English surname and place name, originally meaning "settlement by open land."

fem

noun

Another word for femme.

female

noun

A person, animal, or plant of the sex or gender that produces eggs or bears offspring.

femicide

noun

The act of killing a woman or girl on account of her gender, typically carried out by a man out of misogyny.

feminine

adj

Having qualities traditionally associated with women, such as gentleness or delicacy.

feminineness

noun

The quality of being feminine.

femininity

noun

The qualities or characteristics regarded as typical of women.

feminism

noun

A movement and set of beliefs advocating that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men.

feminist

noun

A person who supports feminism — the belief that women should have equal rights and opportunities to men.

femme

noun

A woman, or, in queer contexts, someone whose gender presentation is markedly feminine.

femme fatale

noun

A glamorous and mysterious woman who uses her charm to draw men into danger, ruin or disgrace, especially as a stock character in novels and films.

femoid

noun

(informal) A woman, sometimes used to imply she is especially interested in wealthy or high-status partners.

femoral

adj

Relating to the femur or the thigh.

femur

noun

The thighbone — the long bone running from the hip to the knee.

fen

noun

A low-lying wetland fed by groundwater, typically less acidic than a bog.

fence

noun

A barrier, usually made of wood, metal, or wire, marking a boundary or enclosing an area.

fenced

adj

Enclosed by a fence.

fencer

noun

A person who takes part in the sport of fencing.

fencing

noun

The sport of duelling with swords under formal rules.

fend

verb

To look after or provide for oneself, without relying on others.

fender

noun

The part of a car body that covers the area around a wheel.

feng

noun

A style of curry associated with Eurasian cuisine, typically dry and heavily spiced.

fennel

noun

A plant with a mild anise-like flavor, used as a vegetable, herb, and spice.

Fenner

name

An English surname, an occupational name for someone who worked with hides or lived near a fen.

fentanyl

noun

A powerful synthetic opioid painkiller, far stronger than morphine, used medically but also widely abused and linked to overdose deaths.

Fenton

name

An English surname and given name meaning "settlement in the marshland."

fenugreek

noun

A leguminous plant grown as a vegetable and for its seeds, which are used as a spice.

Fenwick

name

An English surname and place name meaning "farm or settlement by the fen."

FER

noun

(genetics) The gene that codes for a protein called FER.

feral

adj

Wild and untamed, especially describing an animal that has escaped domestication and now lives in the wild.

Ferdie

name

A masculine given name, an informal short form of Ferdinand.

Ferdinand

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, meaning "bold voyager" or "brave journey," borne by several European kings.

Ferengi

noun

In the Star Trek universe, a member of an alien species known for large ears and an intense focus on profit and trade.

Fergie

noun

An informal nickname for a Ferguson tractor.

Fergus

name

A masculine given name of Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin, meaning "man of vigor."

Ferguson

name

A Scottish surname meaning "son of Fergus."

ferine

adj

Wild and fierce, like an untamed animal.

Fermat

name

A French surname, notably borne by the 17th-century mathematician Pierre de Fermat.

ferment

verb

To undergo a chemical change caused by yeast or bacteria, often turning sugars into alcohol or acid.

fermentation

noun

The chemical process by which yeast, bacteria, or enzymes convert sugars into alcohol, acid, or gas, usually without oxygen.

fermented

adj

Made or changed by the process of fermentation.

Fermin

name

A masculine given name, the Spanish form of Firmin, from a Latin word meaning "firm."

fermion

noun

In particle physics, any elementary or composite particle with half-integer spin that obeys the Pauli exclusion principle.

fermium

noun

A transuranic chemical element with the symbol Fm and atomic number 100.

fern

noun

A leafy green plant with no flowers or seeds that reproduces by releasing tiny spores, often found in shady, damp places.

Fernandes

name

A Portuguese surname meaning "son of Fernando."

Fernandez

name

A Spanish surname meaning "son of Fernando."

Fernando

name

A masculine given name of Spanish and Portuguese origin, a form of Ferdinand.

ferocious

adj

Extremely fierce, savage, or violent.

ferociously

adv

In a fierce, violent, or aggressive way.

ferociousness

noun

The quality of being fierce or savage.

ferocity

noun

Extreme fierceness or savage intensity.

Ferrara

noun

The name of a sword made by Andrea Ferrara, or, more loosely, any broadsword.

Ferrari

name

A surname of Italian origin.

Ferraris

name

An Italian surname.

Ferrell

name

An English surname.

Ferrer

name

A Catalan and Spanish surname, originally an occupational name for a blacksmith.

ferret

noun

A small, slender, domesticated relative of the weasel, sometimes used to hunt rabbits and other burrowing animals.

ferric

adj

Relating to or containing iron.

Ferris

name

A surname and masculine given name, an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Fearghusa.

ferritic

adj

Relating to a type of iron compound called a ferrite.

ferrous

adj

Containing or relating to iron.

ferry

noun

A boat or ship that carries passengers and vehicles across a stretch of water on a regular route.

ferryboat

noun

A boat that carries passengers, vehicles or goods across water, often on a fixed timetable.

ferryman

noun

A person whose job is to operate a ferry.

fershnickered

adj

(informal) Drunk or high.

fertile

adj

Of land, capable of producing abundant crops or plant growth.

fertileness

noun

The quality of being fertile.

fertilise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of fertilize.

fertility

noun

The ability to produce offspring or, of land, to grow crops abundantly.

fertilization

noun

The joining of a sperm and egg (or pollen and ovule) to produce offspring.

fertilize

verb

To add nutrients to soil to help plants grow better.

fertilizer

noun

A natural or chemical substance added to soil to help plants grow.

fervency

noun

The quality of being fervent.

fervent

adj

Showing intense and sincere feeling; passionate and earnest.

fervently

adv

In a passionate, deeply earnest way.

fervid

adj

Extremely hot, or full of intense energy.

fervidness

noun

The state of being fervid.

fervor

noun

Intense and passionate feeling or enthusiasm.

fervour

noun

British spelling of fervor: intense and passionate feeling or enthusiasm.

fess

verb

To admit or confess to something, usually after some hesitation.

fest

noun

A gathering or event celebrating a particular theme or activity, often used informally as a suffix (e.g. "chili-fest").

festal

adj

Connected with a festival or feast; cheerful and celebratory.

fester

verb

To become infected and produce pus, as an untreated wound.

festering

adj

Becoming infected, or worsening steadily through neglect.

festilogy

noun

A written work about church festivals.

festival

noun

An organised series of events celebrating a particular theme, art form, or occasion.

festivalgoer

noun

Someone who goes to a festival.

festive

adj

Having the cheerful, celebratory feel of a festival or holiday.

festivity

noun

A festival or other big celebration.

festooned

adj

Decorated with a string of lights, flowers, or paper hung in a curve between two points. It can also be used more broadly to describe a place that is richly decorated or covered in something, especially for a special occasion.

fet

verb

Archaic or dialectal: to fetch or bring something.

feta

noun

A crumbly white cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk, originally from Greece.

fetal

adj

Relating to a fetus, the developing stage of a mammal before birth.

fetch

verb

To go and get something, then bring it back.

fetching

adj

Attractive or appealing to look at.

fete

noun

A public festival or fair, often held to raise money for charity.

fetich

noun

An archaic spelling of fetish.

feticide

noun

(law) The killing of an unborn baby, including through a deliberate abortion.

fetid

noun

The strong-smelling asafoetida plant, or the substance made from it.

fetish

noun

An object believed to hold magical or spiritual power.

fetter

noun

A chain or similar restraint used to bind a person or animal, usually by the legs.

fettler

noun

A worker who keeps railway tracks in good repair.

fetus

noun

An unborn mammal at a later stage of development, showing recognizable features of the adult animal.

feud

noun

A long-running, bitter conflict between two people, families, or groups.

feudal

adj

Relating to feudalism, the medieval system in which land was granted in exchange for service and loyalty.

feudalism

noun

A social order in which resources are personally owned and lords (suzerains) hold personal loyalty from subjects (vassals); its key features are direct personal ownership, personal loyalty, and a hierarchy reinforced by religion.

feudalistic

adj

Relating to or typical of feudalism.

feudatory

adj

Connected with feudalism.

feuding

noun

The act of taking part in an ongoing bitter dispute.

fever

noun

A body temperature higher than normal, usually caused by illness.