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fast

1
[ fast, fahst ]
/ fæst, fɑst /
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See synonyms for: fast / faster / fastest / fasting on Thesaurus.com

adjective, fast·er, fast·est.
adverb, fast·er, fast·est.
noun
a fastening for a door, window, or the like.
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Idioms about fast

    play fast and loose. play (def. 80).
    pull a fast one, Informal. to play an unfair trick; practice deceit: He tried to pull a fast one on us by switching the cards.

Origin of fast

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English fæst “firm”; cognate with Dutch vast, Old Norse fastr “firm,” German fest; akin to fast2

synonym study for fast

1, 2. See quick.

Other definitions for fast (2 of 3)

fast2
[ fast, fahst ]
/ fæst, fɑst /

verb (used without object)
to abstain from all food.
to eat only sparingly or of certain kinds of food, especially as a religious observance.
verb (used with object)
to cause to abstain entirely from or limit food; put on a fast: to fast a patient for a day before surgery.
noun
an abstinence from food, or a limiting of one's food, especially when voluntary and as a religious observance; fasting.
a day or period of fasting.

Origin of fast

2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English fasten, festen, Old English fæstan; cognate with German fasten, Gothic fastan, Old Norse fasta

OTHER WORDS FROM fast

un·fast·ing, adjective

Other definitions for fast (3 of 3)

fast3
[ fast, fahst ]
/ fæst, fɑst /

noun
a chain or rope for mooring a vessel.

Origin of fast

3
First recorded in 1670–80; alteration, by association with fast1 (in the sense “firmly tied”), of late Middle English fest “fastening, mooring rope,” from Old Norse festr “mooring rope, cable,” from Old Norse fastr “fixed, firm”; cf. fasten, fast1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fast in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fast (1 of 2)

fast1
/ (fɑːst) /

adjective
adverb
interjection
archery (said by the field captain to archers) stop shooting!

Word Origin for fast

Old English fæst strong, tight; related to Old High German festi firm, Old Norse fastr

British Dictionary definitions for fast (2 of 2)

fast2
/ (fɑːst) /

verb
(intr) to abstain from eating all or certain foods or meals, esp as a religious observance
noun
  1. an act or period of fasting
  2. (as modifier)a fast day

Derived forms of fast

faster, noun

Word Origin for fast

Old English fæstan; related to Old High German fastēn to fast, Gothic fastan
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

Other Idioms and Phrases with fast

fast

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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