fist

[ fist ]

/ fɪst /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fist ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the hand closed tightly, with the fingers doubled into the palm.

Informal. the hand.

Informal. a person's handwriting.

Printing. index(def 8).

verb (used with object)

to make (one's hand) into a fist.

to grasp in the fist.

Content related to fist

Wonder Twins Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.

Words related to fist

paw, hand, grip, clutch, vise, grasp, hold, clasp, mitt

Words nearby fist

fissure of rolando, fissure of round ligament, fissure of sylvius, fissure of venous ligament, fissured fracture, fist, fist bump, fist pump, fistfight, fistful, fistiana

Origin of fist

before 900; Middle English; Old English fȳst; cognate with German Faust fist; perhaps akin to five

Definition for fist (2 of 3)

fist²

[ fahyst ]

/ faɪst /

noun

feist.

Definition for fist (3 of 3)

feist

or fice fist

[ fahyst ]

/ faɪst /

noun

Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a small mongrel dog, especially one that is ill-tempered; cur; mutt.

verb (used without object)

South Midland U.S. to prance or strut about: Look at him feist around in his new clothes.

Origin of feist

1760–70; compare (from 16th cent.) fisting hound, fisting cur, as contemptuous epithets for any kind of dog (present participle of fist to break wind, late Middle English; compare Old English fisting breaking wind, Middle Low German vīst, German Fist fart); (def 2) perhaps back formation from feisty

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fist

Last year he lunged at me with his fist and threatened to kill me again.
I Was Pregnant When He Hit Me. Here's #WhyIStayed.|Anonymous|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He grabbed a fist full of hair in one take, and we were pretty banged up by the end of it.
Patricia Arquette Uncut: Drunken Mischief with Johnny Depp, ‘True Romance’ Crush, and ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So, I haul off and belt him, two or three times, with my fist.
The Stacks: The Judas Priest Teen Suicide Trial|Ivan Solotaroff|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The policeman, now yelling and shaking his fist, started to exit his pillbox and walk toward me.
My Search for the Taliban Five|Josh Rogin|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He listened to her thoughtfully, his chin resting on his fist.
Christie Finally Finds a Crowd That Doesn’t Care About Bridgegate|Olivia Nuzzi|February 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mr. Carlaw sighed, and stretched out his hand toward his sister; showed his teeth in a fierce grin, and shook a fist at her.
The Idol of The Blind|Tom Gallon
"And I'll see you d——d first," retorted Harry, doubling his fist.
Red-Tape and Pigeon-Hole Generals|William H. Armstrong
Bambrick knocked one over with a blow of his fist, and the other was easily managed.
Marmaduke Merry|William H. G. Kingston
The car I was on instantly lost speed, and there on the other platform, a hundred feet away, was Stagers shaking his fist at me.
The Autobiography of a Quack And The Case Of George Dedlow|S. Weir Mitchell
And the hand of the Chief Ranger, hanging lax at his side, suddenly balled into a fist.
Voodoo Planet|Andre Norton

British Dictionary definitions for fist

fist

/ (fɪst) /

noun

a hand with the fingers clenched into the palm, as for hitting

Also called: fistful the quantity that can be held in a fist or hand

an informal word for hand, index (def. 9)

verb

(tr) to hit with the fist

Word Origin for fist

Old English fӯst; related to Old Frisian fest, Old Saxon, Old High German fūst; see five

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

Idioms and Phrases with fist

fist

see hand over fist.