- ferrite (n.)
- 1851, from Latin ferrum "iron" (see ferro-) + -ite (2).
- ferro-
- before vowels ferr-, word-forming element indicating the presence of iron, from Latin ferro-, comb. form of ferrum "iron," possibly of Semitic origin, via Etruscan [Klein].
- ferromagnetic (adj.)
- 1840, from ferro- "iron" + magnetic.
- ferrous (adj.)
- "pertaining to or containing iron," 1865, from Latin ferreus "made of iron," from ferrum "iron" (see ferro-). In chemistry, "containing iron," especially with a valence of two.
- ferrule (n.)
- "metal cap on a rod," 1610s, ferule, earlier verrel (early 15c.), from Old French virelle, from Latin viriola "bracelet," diminutive of viriae "bracelets," from a Gaulish word (cf. Old Irish fiar "bent, crooked"); spelling influenced by Latin ferrum "iron."
- ferry (v.)
- Old English ferian "to carry, convey, bring, transport," from Proto-Germanic *farjanan (cf. Old Frisian feria "carry, transport," Old Norse ferja "to pass over, to ferry," Gothic farjan "travel by boat"), from PIE *per- "going, passage." Related to fare (v.). Related: Ferried; ferries; ferrying.
- ferry (n.)
- early 15c., "a passage over a river," from Old Norse ferju- "passage across water," ultimately from the same Germanic root as ferry (v.). The modern noun (1580s) is a shortening of ferry boat (mid-15c.).
- fertile (adj.)
- mid-15c., from Middle French fertil and directly from Latin fertilis "bearing in abundance, fruitful, productive," from ferre "to bear" (see infer). Fertile Crescent (1914) was coined by U.S. archaeologist James H. Breasted (1865-1935).
- fertilisation (n.)
- chiefly British English spelling of fertilization. For spelling, see -ize.
- fertility (n.)
- early 15c., from Middle French fertilité, from Latin fertilitatem (nominative fertilitas) "fruitfulness, fertility," from fertilis (see fertile).
- fertilization (n.)
- 1857, noun of action from fertilize.
- fertilize (v.)
- 1640s, "make fertile;" see fertile + -ize. Its biological sense of "unite with an egg cell" is first recorded 1859. Related: Fertilized; fertilizing.
- fertilizer (n.)
- 1660s, "a person who fertilizes," agent noun from fertilize. As a euphemism for "manure," from 1846.
- ferule (n.)
- "rod for punishing children," 1590s, earlier "giant fennel" (early 15c.), from Middle English ferula "fennel plant" (late 14c.), from Latin ferula "reed, whip, rod, ferule, staff; fennel plant or rod," probably related to festuca "stalk, straw, rod."
- fervent (adj.)
- mid-14c., from Old French fervent, from Latin ferventem (nominative fervens) "boiling, hot, glowing," figuratively "violent, impetuous, furious," present participle of fervere "to boil, glow," from PIE root *bhreue- (see brew). The figurative sense of "impassioned" is first attested c.1400. Related: Fervency; fervently.
- fervid (adj.)
- 1590s, from Latin fervidus "glowing, burning; vehement, fervid," from fervere "to boil, glow" (see brew (v.)). Figurative sense of "impassioned" is from 1650s. Related: Fervidly.
- fervor (n.)
- mid-14c., "warmth or glow of feeling," from Old French fervor (Modern French ferveur) "heat, enthusiasm, ardor, passion," from Latin fervor "a boiling, violent heat; passion, ardor, fury," from fervere "to boil" (see brew).
- fervour (n.)
- chiefly British English spelling of fervor (q.v.); for spelling, see -or.
- Fescennine (adj.)
- "vulgar, obscene, scurrilous," from Latin Fescenninus (versus), a rude form of dramatic or satiric verse, from Fescennia, city in Etruria, noted for such productions.
The Fescennine Songs were the origin of the Satire, the only important species of literature not derived from the Greeks, and altogether peculiar to Italy. These Fescennine Songs were rude dialogues, in which the country people assailed and ridiculed one another in extempore verses, and which were introduced as an amusement in various festivals. [William Smith, "A Smaller History of Rome," London, 1870]
- fescue (n.)
- 1510s, "teacher's pointer," alteration of festu "piece of straw, twig" (late 14c.), from Old French festu (Modern French fétu), a kind of straw, from Vulgar Latin festucum, from Latin festuca "straw, stalk, rod," probably related to ferula (see ferule). Sense of "pasture, lawn grass" is first recorded 1762.
- fess (v.)
- shortened form of confess, attested by 1840, American English. Related: Fessed; fesses; fessing.
- fess (n.)
- "white horizontal band across an escutcheon," late 15c., from Old French faisce, from Latin fascia (see fasces).
- fest
- see -fest.
- festal (adj.)
- late 15c., from Middle French festal, from Late Latin festalis, from Latin festum "feast" (see feast (n.)).
- fester (v.)
- late 14c., from Old French festre "small sore discharging pus," from Latin fistula "pipe, ulcer" (see fistula). The noun is from c.1300. Related: Festered; festering.
- festival (n.)
- 1580s, from earlier adjective (14c.), from Old French festival "suitable for a feast, solemn, magnificent, joyful, happy," and directly from Medieval Latin festivalis "of a church holiday" (see festivity).
- festive (adj.)
- 1650s, "pertaining to a feast," from Latin festivus "festive, joyous, gay," from festum "festival, holiday," noun use of neuter of adjective festus (see feast (n.)).
Meaning "mirthful" is attested by 1774. Unattested from 1651 to 1735; modern use may be a back-formation from festivity. Related: Festively; festiveness. - festivity (n.)
- late 14c., from Old French festivité, from Latin festivitatem (nominative festivitas) "good fellowship, generosity," from festivus "festive," from festum "festival or holiday," neuter of festus "of a feast" (see feast). Related: Festivities.
- festoon (n.)
- 1620s, from French feston (16c.), from Italian festone, literally "a festive ornament," apparently from festa "celebration, feast," from Vulgar Latin *festa (see feast (n.)). The verb is attested from 1789. Related: Festooned.
- festschrift (n.)
- 1898, from German Festschrift, literally "festival writing."
- Festus
- male proper name, from Latin, literally "solemn, joyous, festive" (see feast).
- fet (v.)
- "to fetch," Old English fetian "to bring near, fetch, obtain," of uncertain origin. Cf. fetch (v.).
- fetal (adj.)
- 1811, from fetus + -al (1).
- fetch (v.)
- Old English feccan, apparently a variant of fetian, fatian "to fetch, bring near, obtain; induce; to marry," probably from Proto-Germanic *fatojanan (cf. Old Frisian fatia "to grasp, seize, contain," Old Norse feta "to find one's way," Middle Dutch vatten, Old High German sih faggon "to mount, climb," German fassen "to grasp, contain"). Variant form fet, a derivation of the older Old English version of the word, survived as a competitor until 17c. Related: Fetched; fetching.
- fetch (n.)
- "apparition, specter, a double," 1787, of unknown origin (see OED for discussion).
- fetching (adj.)
- 1580s, "crafty, scheming," present participle adjective from fetch. The sense of "alluring, fascinating" is by 1880.
- fete (n.)
- 1754, from French fête "festival, feast," from Old French feste (see feast). Apparently first used in English by Horace Walpole (1717-1797).
- fete (v.)
- 1819, from fete (n.). Related: Feted; fetes; feting.
- fetial (adj.)
- 1530s, "pertaining to the Fetiales," the Roman diplomatic corps, a college of 20 priests whose duty was to act as heralds and maintain the laws of war, from Latin fetiales "speaking, negotiating, diplomatic," of unknown origin.
- feticide (n.)
- also foeticide, 1844; see fetus + -cide.
- fetid (adj.)
- early 15c., from Latin fetidus (commonly, but incorrectly, foetidus) "stinking," from fetere "have a bad smell, stink." Perhaps connected with fimus "dung," or with fumus "smoke."
- fetish (n.)
- 1610s, fatisso, from Portuguese feitiço "charm, sorcery," from Latin facticius "made by art," from facere "to make" (see factitious).
Latin facticius in Spanish has become hechizo "magic, witchcraft, sorcery." Probably introduced by Portuguese sailors and traders as a name for charms and talismans worshipped by the inhabitants of the Guinea coast of Africa. Popularized in anthropology by C. de Brosses' "Le Culte des Dieux Fétiches" (1760), which influenced the word's spelling in English (French fétiche, also from the Portuguese word). Figurative sense of "something irrationally revered" is American English, 1837.Any material image of a religious idea is an idol; a material object in which force is supposed to be concentrated is a Fetish; a material object, or a class of material objects, plants, or animals, which is regarded by man with superstitious respect, and between whom and man there is supposed to exist an invisible but effective force, is a Totem. [J. Fitzgerald Lee, "The Greater Exodus," London, 1903]
For sexual sense, see fetishism. - fetishism (n.)
- 1801, "worship of fetishes;" in the purely psycho-sexual sense first recorded 1897 in writings of Henry Havelock Ellis (1859-1939), from fetish + -ism.
In certain perversions of the sexual instinct, the person, part of the body, or particular object belonging to the person by whom the impulse is excited, is called the fetish of the patient. [E. Morselli in "Baldwin Dictionary of Philosophy," 1901]
Related: Fetishist (1845; psycho-sexual sense from 1897). - fetlock (n.)
- early 14c., fetlak, from a Germanic source (cf. Dutch vetlock, Middle High German fizlach, German Fiszloch), perhaps related to the root of German fessel "pastern."
The Middle English diminutive suffix -ok (from Old English -oc) was misread and the word taken in folk etymology as being a compound of feet and lock (of hair). - fetor (n.)
- "offensive smell," mid-15c., from Latin fetor, foetor, from fetere (see fetid).
- fetta (n.)
- 1956, from Modern Greek (tyri) pheta, from tyri "cheese" + pheta, from Italian fetta "a slice," from Latin offa "a morsel, piece."
- fetter (n.)
- Old English fetor "chain or shackle for the feet," from Proto-Germanic *fetero (cf. Old Saxon feteros (plural), Middle Dutch veter "fetter," in modern Dutch "lace, string," Old High German fezzera, Old Norse fiöturr, Swedish fjätter), from PIE root *ped- "foot" (see foot (n.)). The generalized sense of "anything that shackles" had evolved in Old English. Related Fetters.
- fetter (v.)
- c.1300, from Old English gefetrian (see fetter (n.)). Related: Fettered; fettering.
- fettle (n.)
- "condition, state, trim," c.1750, Lancashire dialect, from fettle (v.) "to make ready, arrange" (14c.), perhaps from Old English fetel "a girdle, belt," from Proto-Germanic *fatiloz (cf. German fessel "fetter, chain," Old Norse fetill "strap, brace"), from *fat- "to hold."
- fettuccine (n.)
- 1922, from Italian fettuccine, plural of fettuccina, literally "little ribbon," diminutive of fetta "slice, ribbon" (see fetta).