feist

or fist

[ fahyst ]

noun

1. Also fice, fyce []. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a small mongrel dog, especially one that is ill-tempered; cur; mutt.

verb (used without object)

1. South Midland U.S. to prance or strut about:

   Look at him feist around in his new clothes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of feist¹

First recorded in 1760–70; compare (from 16th century) fisting hound, fisting cur, as contemptuous epithets for any kind of dog (present participle of fist “to break wind,” late Middle English; compare Old English fisting “breaking wind,” Middle Low German vīst, German Fist “fart”); feist def 2 is perhaps a back formation from feisty

Example Sentences

Back at CNN headquarters, I decide to ask Sam Feist one last question before I turn off my tape recorder.

From The Daily Beast

Feist pauses and smiles, convinced that he has convinced me.

From The Daily Beast

Before Feist can reply, his political director, Mark Preston, looks up from his BlackBerry.

From The Daily Beast

Feist is familiar, of course, with the objections that have been leveled against the 2012 debates lately.

From The Daily Beast

Feist cover “Limit to Your Love” [below] manages to improve on the original, and is one of the best songs of the year.

From The Daily Beast

Feist compares it with English and considers it a “mixed language” almost from the start, and many facts seem to favor this view.

From Project Gutenberg

Rebecca Feist glanced at herself in the mirror of her vanity bag.

From Project Gutenberg

Mon frre Annemond Coct, chevalier, au partir du pays me feist son heritier.

From Project Gutenberg