I. ˈfist noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fȳst; akin to Old Frisian fest fist, Old Saxon & Old High German fūst, Old Slavic pęstĭ
1. : a hand with fingers doubled into the palm : a clenched hand
2.
a. : a hand when closed as if to grasp or grip : clutch , grasp
once he gets his fist on something he never lets go of it
b. : a hand whether closed or not
let's make up; give me your fist
c. : handwriting
you wrote an exquisite fist — J.E.Agate
d. : the manner of tapping out a message that is peculiar to a particular telegraph operator
3.
a. : a piece of work performed in a specified manner or with a specified degree of success : attempt , effort , job
all make a fair fist at criticizing what they call the capitalist system — A.J.Nock
b. dialect : a poor job of work : mess
made a fist of doing that painting
4. : index 9
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to clench (one's hand) into a fist
I'd fisted my hands inside their mittens to keep the fingers warm — C.A.Lindbergh b. 1902
2. : to grip with the fist : handle
he did his best at fisting frozen canvas with the rest of us — Raymond McFarland
the crack jehu fists the ribbons above the capering leaders and snorting bays — Saturday Review
III.
variant of feist