n.
Pronunciation: ' fe-l ə -n ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -nies
Date: 14th century
1 : an act on the part of a feudal vassal involving the forfeiture of his fee
2 a : a grave crime formerly differing from a misdemeanor under English common law by involving forfeiture in addition to any other punishment b : a grave crime declared to be a felony by the common law or by statute regardless of the punishment actually imposed c : a crime declared a felony by statute because of the punishment imposed d : a crime for which the punishment in federal law may be death or imprisonment for more than one year