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Fenian

[ fee-nee-uhn, feen-yuhn ]

noun

  1. a member of an Irish revolutionary organization founded in New York in 1858, which worked for the establishment of an independent Irish republic.
  2. (in late Irish legends) a member of a group of warriors always ready to defend Ireland against its enemies.


Fenian

/ ˈfiːnɪən /

noun

  1. (formerly) a member of an Irish revolutionary organization founded in the US in the 19th century to fight for an independent Ireland
  2. Irish myth one of the Fianna
  3. derogatory.
    an Irish Catholic or a person of Irish Catholic descent
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


adjective

  1. of or relating to the Fenians
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈFenianism, noun
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Other Words From

  • Feni·an·ism noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Fenian1

1810–20; < Irish f éinne (genitive of fiann band of Fenians) + -ian; influenced by Old Irish f éne ancient inhabitant of Ireland
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Fenian1

C19: from Irish Gaelic fēinne , plural of fian band of warriors
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Example Sentences

He was in the Fenian r-raid, an' his father carrid a pike in forty-eight.

Difficulties in Ireland culminated in a revival of Fenian activities and in the committing of numerous outrages.

This Limerick Junction was the nucleus of the Fenian nebula.

The “Ram” collapsed with the collapse of the Fenian movement.

We admit that its Fenian topography is authentic, but it is not the only one.

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Feng Yu-hsiangFenian cycle