This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
fettle
[ fet-l ]
/ ˈfɛt l /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
state; condition: in fine fettle.
verb (used with object), fet·tled, fet·tling.
Ceramics. to remove mold marks from (a cast piece).
Metallurgy.
- to remove sand from (a casting).
- to repair the hearth of (an open-hearth furnace).
QUIZ
ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.
Origin of fettle
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb fetlen, fetelen, fatelen “to shape, prepare,” perhaps from Old English noun fetel “belt, girdle”
Words nearby fettle
fetoscopy, fetter, fetter bone, fetterbush, fetterlock, fettle, fettler, fettling, fettuccine, fettuccine Alfredo, fettucine
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use fettle in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for fettle
fettle
/ (ˈfɛtəl) /
verb (tr)
to remove (excess moulding material and casting irregularities) from a cast component
to line or repair (the walls of a furnace)
British dialect
- to prepare or arrange (a thing, oneself, etc), esp to put a finishing touch to
- to repair or mend (something)
noun
state of health, spirits, etc (esp in the phrase in fine fettle)
another name for fettling
Word Origin for fettle
C14 (in the sense: to put in order): back formation from fetled girded up, from Old English fetel belt
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