/ ˈfaɪsti; NAmE / adjective
( feist·ier , feisti·est ) ( informal , approving ) ( of people ) strong, determined and not afraid of arguing with people
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WORD ORIGIN
late 19th cent.: from earlier feist , fist small dog , from fisting cur or hound , a derogatory term for a lapdog, from Middle English fist break wind , of West Germanic origin. Compare with fizzle .