FELL


Meaning of FELL in English

I. ˈfel noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English fel skin, from Old English fell; akin to Old High German fel skin, Old Norse ber fjall skin of a bear, Gothic thrūts fill leprosy, Latin pellis skin, Greek pelma sole, Russian pelena swaddling clothes, covering

1.

a. : an animal skin with or without the original hair or wool : pelt , hide

b. : the skin of a human being

2. : the flesh immediately under the skin : a thin tough membrane covering a carcass immediately under the hide and consisting of superficial fascia more or less intermingled with fatty tissue

3. : a body covering of especially thick hair or wool : fleece

II. transitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English fellen, from Old English fellan, fyllan; akin to Old High German fellen to fell, Old Norse fella; causative from the root of English fall (v.)

1. : to cut, beat, or knock down or bring down (as with a missile)

fell a tree

fell an opponent

strong enough to fell an ox

felled the deer with a single shot

got as far as the top of the prison wall where a live electric wire felled him — New York Times

also : kill

a final attack of pneumonia felled him — Time

2. chiefly Scotland

a. : slaughter

fell a fat swine

b. : to bring to a state of exhaustion or prostration especially by beating

felled the old mare

3. : to sew with a flat-fell seam : hem , blindstitch

III. noun

( -s )

1.

a. : the act of felling something (as a tree)

b. : the timber cut down in one season

2.

a. : the junction of the last filling thread with unwoven warp threads when a cloth is being woven

b. : the final yard or so in weaving out a warp

IV.

past tense and dialect past part of fall

V. adjective

( -er/-est )

Etymology: Middle English fel, from Old French fel (nominative case form) cruel, fierce, from Medieval Latin fellon-, fello villain, rogue — more at felon

1.

a. : fierce , cruel , savage

a fell and barbarous enemy

swoop down and massacre his relatives, carrying off two young girls for their own fell purpose — Time

b. : awesome , sinister , malevolent

turned on him a fell countenance

c. : killing or markedly sickening or destroying : deadly , murderous , dire

a fell posion

a fell disease

a murderer bent on his fell purpose

2. chiefly Scotland

a. : eager , intent

fell on seeing him

b. : shrewd , clever

fell at poetry

c. : sharp , pungent

fell cheese

d. : spirited , energetic

3. chiefly Scotland : strange and inexplicable

a fell part of her died with him

Synonyms: see fierce

VI. adverb

Etymology: Middle English fel, from fel, adjective

1. chiefly Scotland : in a fell manner: as

a. : fiercely , cruelly

b. : vigorously , eagerly

2. chiefly Scotland : very , greatly

VII. noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse fell, fjall; akin to Old High German felis rock, Middle Irish all cliff, Late Greek pella stone, Sanskrit pāsāna

1. chiefly Scotland : mountain , height — now used chiefly in place names

Capel Fells

2. dialect Britain : an elevated wild field : a hill moor

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.