feast

American  

[feest] / fist /

noun

1. any rich or abundant meal.

   The steak dinner was a feast.

2. a sumptuous entertainment or meal for many guests.

   a wedding feast.

3. something highly agreeable.

   The Rembrandt exhibition was a feast for the eyes.

4. a periodical celebration or time of celebration, usually of a religious nature, commemorating an event, person, etc..

   Every year, in September, the townspeople have a feast in honor of their patron saint.

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verb (used without object)

1. to have or partake of a feast; eat sumptuously.

2. to dwell with gratification or delight, as on a picture or view.

verb (used with object)

1. to provide or entertain with a feast.

idioms

1. feast one's eyes, to gaze with great joy, admiration, or relish.

   to feast one's eyes on the Grand Canyon.

feast British  

/ fiːst /

noun

1. a large and sumptuous meal, usually given as an entertainment for several people

2. a periodic religious celebration

3. something extremely pleasing or sumptuous

   a feast for the eyes

4. a festival or other event of variable date

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verb

1. (intr)

   1. to eat a feast

   2. (usually foll by on) to enjoy the eating (of), as if feasting

      to feast on cakes

2. (tr) to give a feast to

3. to take great delight (in)

   to feast on beautiful paintings

4. (tr) to regale or delight

   to feast one's mind or one's eyes

Related Words

Feast, banquet imply large social events, with an abundance of food. A feast is a meal with a plenteous supply of food and drink for a large company: to provide a feast for all company employees. A banquet is an elaborate feast for a formal and ceremonious occasion: the main speaker at a banquet.

Other Word Forms

• feaster noun
• feastless adjective
• outfeast verb (used with object)
• overfeast verb
• prefeast noun
• unfeasted adjective

Etymology

Origin of feast

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English feste, from Old French, from Latin fēsta, neuter plural (reinterpteted as feminine singular noun in Vulgar Latin ) of fēstus “festal, festive,” equivalent to fēs- (akin to fair ² ) + -tus adjective suffix

Example Sentences

Come closer and feast your eyes on the wonders of U.S. entertainment, from independence to the present day.

From The Wall Street Journal

She described the churches' designs as a "visual feast", adding they form part of "a rich tapestry of our past".

From BBC

And here, each frame is a sumptuous feast of texture, light and color — like a swath of sweat-drenched tulle cast out onto the wind and into the fog.

From Salon

Detractors said lions were increasingly feasting on livestock as their prey, such as deer, has declined, and some expressed concerns about the safety of pets and loved ones.

From Los Angeles Times

Later the four of them sat around the blazing fire, feasting on toasted bread and melted cheese, sun-dried fruits, honey and oat cakes, and Solla's best hard brown toffee.

From Literature

Related Words

• barbecue
• dinner
• festival
• festivity
• fiesta
• gala
• picnic
• repast