fell

¹

[fel]

verb

1. simple past tense of fall.

fell

²

[fel]

verb (used with object)

1. to knock, strike, shoot, or cut down; cause to fall: to fell a tree.

   to fell a moose;

   to fell a tree.

2. Sewing.,  to finish (a seam) by sewing the edge down flat.

noun

1. Lumbering.,  the amount of timber cut down in one season.

2. Sewing.,  a seam finished by felling.

fell

³

[fel]

adjective

1. fierce; ferocious; dreadful; savage.

2. destructive; deadly.

   fell poison;

   fell disease.

fell

⁴

[fel]

noun

Chiefly Literary.

1. the skin or hide of an animal; pelt.

fell

⁵

[fel]

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. an upland pasture, moor, or thicket; a highland plateau.

fell

¹

/ fɛl /

verb

1. to cut or knock down

   to fell a tree

   to fell an opponent

2. needlework to fold under and sew flat (the edges of a seam)

noun

1. the timber felled in one season

2. a seam finished by felling

fell

²

/ fɛl /

adjective

1. archaic,  cruel or fierce; terrible

2. archaic,  destructive or deadly

   a fell disease

3. a single hasty action or occurrence

fell

³

/ fɛl /

noun

1. (often plural)

   1. a mountain, hill, or tract of upland moor

   2. ( in combination )

      fell-walking

fell

⁴

/ fɛl /

verb

1. the past tense of fall

fell

⁵

/ fɛl /

noun

1. an animal skin or hide

Other Word Forms

• fellness noun
• fellable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fell¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English fellen, fillen, fullen, Old English fellan, fyllan “to cut, cut down, destroy, shed (tears),” causative of feallan “to fall, fall down”; cognate with Gothic falljan, Old Frisian falla, fella, Old High German fellen, German fällen “to make fall”; fall

Origin of fell²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English fel “treacherous, deceitful, false,” from Old French, nominative of felon “wicked”; felon ¹

Origin of fell³

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English fel(l); cognate with Dutch vel, German Fell, Old Norse -fjall (as in berfjall “bearskin”), Gothic -fill (in thrutsfill “leprosy,” literally “scab skin”); akin to Latin pellis “skin, hide,” Greek péltē “small, light, leather-covered shield”

Origin of fell⁴

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fel “hill, mountain; upland or pasture; a moor or down”; from Old Norse fjall, -fell, “hill, mountain,” akin to German Fels “rock, cliff”

Word History and Origins

Origin of fell¹

Old English fellan ; related to Old Norse fella , Old High German fellen ; see _fall

Origin of fell²

C13 fel , from Old French: cruel, from Medieval Latin fellō villain; see _felon ¹

Origin of fell³

C13: from Old Norse fjall ; related to Old High German felis rock

Origin of fell⁴

Old English; related to Old High German fel skin, Old Norse berfjall bearskin, Latin pellis skin; see _peel ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at / in one fell swoop. swoop.

see one fell swoop.

Example Sentences

The average rate on the 30-year mortgage, the most popular home loan in the US, fell to 6.35% last week, according to Freddie Mac.

From BBC

“I fell back on my training,” Fitzgerald said of the pick, “and I made the play that came to me.”

From Los Angeles Times

"In some cases, they threw migrants into the sea alive and refused to rescue those who fell in by accident."

From BBC

He said responsibility fell not only on public bodies failing to protect public safety but also on the killer's family, who knew but ignored the risk he posed.

From BBC

It also said "key staples such as cereals and pasta fell in price on the month".

From BBC

Related Words

• drop 
• flatten 
• raze 
• shoot 
• shoot down 
• slash 
• tumble