fell

¹ American  

[fel] / fɛl /

verb

1. simple past tense of fall.

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fell ² American  

[fel] / fɛl /

verb (used with object)

1. to knock, strike, shoot, or cut down; cause to fall: to fell a tree.

   to fell a moose;

   to fell a tree.

2. Sewing. to finish (a seam) by sewing the edge down flat.

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noun

1. Lumbering. the amount of timber cut down in one season.

2. Sewing. a seam finished by felling.

fell ³ American  

[fel] / fɛl /

adjective

1. fierce; ferocious; dreadful; savage.

2. destructive; deadly.

   fell poison;

   fell disease.

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idioms

1. at / in one fell swoop. swoop.

fell ⁴ American  

[fel] / fɛl /

noun

Chiefly Literary.

1. the skin or hide of an animal; pelt.

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fell ⁵ American  

[fel] / fɛl /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. an upland pasture, moor, or thicket; a highland plateau.

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fell ¹ British  

/ fɛl /

verb

1. to cut or knock down

   to fell a tree

   to fell an opponent

2. needlework to fold under and sew flat (the edges of a seam)

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noun

1. the timber felled in one season

2. a seam finished by felling

fell ² British  

/ fɛl /

adjective

1. archaic cruel or fierce; terrible

2. archaic destructive or deadly

   a fell disease

3. a single hasty action or occurrence

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fell ³ British  

/ fɛl /

noun

1. (often plural)

   1. a mountain, hill, or tract of upland moor

   2. ( in combination )

      fell-walking

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fell ⁴ British  

/ fɛl /

verb

1. the past tense of fall

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fell ⁵ British  

/ fɛl /

noun

1. an animal skin or hide

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fell More Idioms  

1. see one fell swoop.

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Other Word Forms

• fellable adjective
• fellness noun

Etymology

Origin of fell²

First recorded before 900; Middle English fellen, fillen, fullen, Old English fellan, fyllan “to cut, cut down, destroy, shed (tears),” causative of feallan “to fall, fall down”; cognate with Gothic falljan, Old Frisian falla, fella, Old High German fellen, German fällen “to make fall”; fall

Origin of fell³

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English fel “treacherous, deceitful, false,” from Old French, nominative of felon “wicked”; felon ¹

Origin of fell⁴

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English fel(l); cognate with Dutch vel, German Fell, Old Norse -fjall (as in berfjall “bearskin”), Gothic -fill (in thrutsfill “leprosy,” literally “scab skin”); akin to Latin pellis “skin, hide,” Greek péltē “small, light, leather-covered shield”

Origin of fell⁵

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fel “hill, mountain; upland or pasture; a moor or down”; from Old Norse fjall, -fell, “hill, mountain,” akin to German Fels “rock, cliff”

Example Sentences

ADP’s private-sector payrolls report for March, released earlier Wednesday morning, also showed that manufacturing jobs fell last month.

From The Wall Street Journal

The record number followed a bonanza year for Gotham’s investment banking powerhouses, though it fell well short of the city’s projections.

From The Wall Street Journal

U.S. crude-oil inventories rose more than expected in a sixth consecutive weekly increase, while gasoline and distillate stocks fell, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

“After the dictator fell, gender expression should have been the natural extension of that kind of freedom. But there’s a kind of retaliation happening,” Zaalan shared.

From Los Angeles Times

The first three have been established since Maguire fell away from the England scene, but he is now back and has proved his worth and strength of character.

From BBC

Related Words

• drop
• flatten
• raze
• shoot
• shoot down
• slash
• tumble