FEIST Definition & Meaning

feist

or fist

[ fahyst ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Also fice, fyce []. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a small mongrel dog, especially one that is ill-tempered; cur; mutt.

verb (used without object)

South Midland U.S. to prance or strut about:
Look at him feist around in his new clothes.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of feist¹

First recorded in 1760–70; compare (from 16th century) fisting hound, fisting cur, as contemptuous epithets for any kind of dog (present participle of fist “to break wind,” late Middle English; compare Old English fisting “breaking wind,” Middle Low German ��ī��, German Fist “f��”); feist def 2 is perhaps a back formation from feisty

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

They are also linked to a small hunting dog breed called the feist, which William Faulkner wrote about in stories like “The Bear.”

From

You know a feist is one o’ them little bitty dogs that ginerally runs on three legs and pretends a whole lot.”

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