fess

1

or fesse

[ fes ]
/ fɛs /

noun Heraldry.

an ordinary in the form of a broad horizontal band across the middle of an escutcheon.

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Origin of fess

1
1350–1400; Middle English fesse < Anglo-French ≪ Latin fascia fascia

Words nearby fess

fervor, fervour, fescennine, fescue, fescue foot, fess, fess point, fesse, fesse point, fessenden, fest

Definition for fess (2 of 3)

fess2
[ fes ]
/ fɛs /

Verb Phrases

fess up, Informal. to admit or concede, especially freely.

Origin of fess

2
First recorded in 1830–40; aphetic shortening of confess

Definition for fess (3 of 3)

fess3

or fes·sor

[ fes or fes-er ]
/ fɛs or ˈfɛs ər /

noun Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.

a teacher.

Origin of fess

3
shortening of professor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for fess

British Dictionary definitions for fess

fess
/ (fɛs) /

verb

(intr foll by up) informal, mainly US to make a confession

Word Origin for fess

C19: shortened from confess
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