feast

[ feest ]

noun

1. any rich or abundant meal:

   The steak dinner was a feast.

2. a sumptuous entertainment or meal for many guests:

   a wedding feast.

3. something highly agreeable:

   The Rembrandt exhibition was a feast for the eyes.

4. a periodical celebration or time of celebration, usually of a religious nature, commemorating an event, person, etc.:

   Every year, in September, the townspeople have a feast in honor of their patron saint.

verb (used without object)

1. to have or partake of a feast; eat sumptuously.
2. to dwell with gratification or delight, as on a picture or view.

verb (used with object)

1. to provide or entertain with a feast.

feast

/ fiːst /

noun

1. a large and sumptuous meal, usually given as an entertainment for several people
2. a periodic religious celebration
3. something extremely pleasing or sumptuous

   a feast for the eyes

4. movable feast
   a festival or other event of variable date

verb

1. intr
   1. to eat a feast
   2. usually foll by on to enjoy the eating (of), as if feasting

      to feast on cakes

2. tr to give a feast to
3. intrfoll byon to take great delight (in)

   to feast on beautiful paintings

4. tr to regale or delight

   to feast one's mind or one's eyes

Derived Forms

• ˈfeaster, noun

Other Words From

• feaster noun
• feastless adjective
• outfeast verb (used with object)
• over·feast verb
• pre·feast noun
• un·feasted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of feast¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English feste, from Old French, from Latin fēsta, neuter plural (reinterpteted as feminine singular noun in Vulgar Latin ) of fēstus “festal, festive,” equivalent to fēs- (akin to fair ² ) + -tus adjective suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of feast¹

C13: from Old French feste , from Latin festa , neuter plural (later assumed to be feminine singular) of festus joyful; related to Latin fānum temple, fēriae festivals

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. feast one's eyes, to gaze with great joy, admiration, or relish:

   to feast one's eyes on the Grand Canyon.

Synonym Study

Feast, banquet imply large social events, with an abundance of food. A feast is a meal with a plenteous supply of food and drink for a large company: to provide a feast for all company employees. A banquet is an elaborate feast for a formal and ceremonious occasion: the main speaker at a banquet.

Example Sentences

In 10 to 12 days, adults surface to feast for roughly 90 days on honeydew melon, decaying fruit, plant nectar and bird dung.

From Los Angeles Times

Vampire ground finches will resort to feasting on the blood of other birds if conditions are particularly harsh.

From Salon

A few people might be looking at Tottenham against Aston Villa as this week's goal feast but I think there will be a few at Craven Cottage.

From BBC

Then, along with the men, the Jillaroos will provide opposition in a Test series next autumn to make it a feast of high-intensity, high-level matches - whether it is in England or down under.

From BBC

That was partly because he had learned to survive on scraps of food for long stretches during the war, and it was partly because Hideg feasted, every day of his life, on music.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dine
• entertain