feist

or fist

[ fahyst ]

noun
  1. Also fice, fyce [fahys] /faɪs/ .Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a small mongrel dog, especially one that is ill-tempered; cur; mutt.

verb (used without object)
  1. South Midland U.S. to prance or strut about: Look at him feist around in his new clothes.

Origin of feist

1
First recorded in 1760–70; compare (from 16th century) 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 is perhaps a back formation from feisty

Words Nearby feist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use feist in a sentence