fool 1
/foohl/ , n.
1. a silly or stupid person; a person who lacks judgment or sense.
2. a professional jester, formerly kept by a person of royal or noble rank for amusement: the court fool.
3. a person who has been tricked or deceived into appearing or acting silly or stupid: to make a fool of someone.
4. an ardent enthusiast who cannot resist an opportunity to indulge an enthusiasm (usually prec. by a present participle): He's just a dancing fool.
5. a weak-minded or idiotic person.
6. be nobody's fool , to be wise or shrewd.
v.t.
7. to trick, deceive, or impose on: They tried to fool him.
v.i.
8. to act like a fool; joke; play.
9. to jest; pretend; make believe: I was only fooling.
10. fool around ,
a. to putter aimlessly; waste time: She fooled around all through school.
b. to philander or flirt.
c. to be sexually promiscuous, esp. to engage in adultery.
11. fool away , to spend foolishly, as time or money; squander: to fool away the entire afternoon.
12. fool with , to handle or play with idly or carelessly: to be hurt while fooling with a loaded gun; to fool with someone's affections.
[ 1225-75; ME fol, fool fol follis bellows, bag; cf. FOLLIS ]
Syn. 1. simpleton, dolt, dunce, blockhead, numskull, ignoramus, dunderhead, ninny, nincompoop, booby, saphead, sap. 2. zany, clown. 5. moron, imbecile, idiot. 7. delude, hoodwink, cheat, gull, hoax, cozen, dupe, gudgeon.
Ant. 1. genius.
fool 2
/foohl/ , n. British Cookery.
a dish made of fruit, scalded or stewed, crushed and mixed with cream or the like: gooseberry fool.
[ 1590-1600; prob. special use of FOOL 1 ]