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