feller
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
-
a person or thing that fells
-
an attachment on a sewing machine for felling seams
noun
Usage
What does feller mean? Feller is a very informal way of saying fellow—a general term for a man or boy.It can also be used to refer to a male animal, especially a pet, as in Look at this cute little feller!It’s often paired with an adjective, as in handsome feller or big feller. Less commonly, feller can be used as an informal term of address similar to terms like dude, buddy, or pal, as in Hey, feller, what’s new with you? It can also be used by a man to refer to himself, as in Where can a feller find a hot meal around here?The related term fella is also a variant of fellow and is thought to come from an altered pronunciation of feller. Fella is also very informal. Most senses of feller and fella sound old-timey and aren’t commonly used (other than to sound old-timey or to be funny). Feller is especially associated with rural speakers.Unrelatedly, feller also means someone who fells things—cuts them down—such as a lumberjack.In sewing, to fell is to finish a seam by sewing the edge down flat. In this context, feller can refer to a person who finishes a seam in this way or to a sewing machine attachment that does it.Example: That lumberjack-looking feller was in here not a half hour ago asking for directions.
Etymology
Origin of feller1
First recorded in 1690–1700; originally dialect; by reduction of (ō) to (ə) and merger with words ending in -er
Origin of feller2
First recorded in 1350–1400, feller is from the Middle English word fellere. See fell 2, -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Green Diamond forestry crews quickly mobilized, using bulldozers and feller bunchers to carve out lines to try to block the flames’ advance.
From Seattle Times
May would be the first out, standing in the living room and talking to the distressed bat: “Poor little feller. Must be scared to death. You never meant to come into this old trailer....”
From Literature
An old saying in our state holds that “when a feller says, ‘It ain’t the money, it’s the principle of the thing’ … it’s the money.”
From Washington Post
Michael Kampnich, who grew up in dairy country in Upstate New York, found work as “a feller” in 1980 on Prince of Wales.
From Washington Post
The drive-thru was a bit rushed, but we got close to the hairy fellers.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
