verb
fess
fehs
verb
1
To admit or confess to something, usually after some hesitation.
"He finally fessed up to breaking the window."
"She fessed up that she'd eaten the last slice of cake."
noun
1
In heraldry, a broad horizontal band running across the centre of a shield.
"The coat of arms showed a gold fess on a blue background."
adj
1
Informal: lively, bold, or full of energy.
"The puppy was feeling fess after its nap, racing circles round the yard."
How to Use Fess
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMostly used today in the phrase "fess up," meaning to own up to something.
Common mistake
Almost always appears as "fess up" in modern use; using bare "fess" as a verb elsewhere sounds old-fashioned.
Common pairings
fess up
fess up to something
Word Forms
fessed past tense, fesses plural, Fesses plural, fesses singular
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Etymology
The verb is simply a shortened form of "confess." The heraldry sense comes separately from Old French fesse, ultimately from Latin fascia, "band" or "sash."