fettle

American  

[fet-l] / ˈfɛt l /

noun

1. state; condition.

   in fine fettle.

---

verb (used with object)

fettled, fettling

1. Ceramics. to remove mold marks from (a cast piece).

2. Metallurgy.

   1. to remove sand from (a casting).

   2. to repair the hearth of (an open-hearth furnace).

fettle British  

/ ˈfɛtəl /

verb

1. to remove (excess moulding material and casting irregularities) from a cast component

2. to line or repair (the walls of a furnace)

3. dialect

   1. to prepare or arrange (a thing, oneself, etc), esp to put a finishing touch to

   2. to repair or mend (something)

---

noun

1. state of health, spirits, etc (esp in the phrase in fine fettle )

2. another name for fettling

Etymology

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”

Example Sentences

At the moment, you’re in fine fettle with a total of $2 million coverage.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 15, 2025

Seemed in fine fettle when finishing second under top weight in heavy ground in Midlands Grand National.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2024

Steely Dan opened the concert with a sprightly set of jazz-wise pop that Donald Fagen, in seemingly fine fettle after a recent hospital stay, capped with a shout-out to his late creative partner, Walter Becker.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2024

Treasuries emerged from Thanksgiving in fine fettle, but other assets were a little slower off the mark in Asia, with traders' looking ahead to U.S. jobs and growth data next week.

From Reuters • Nov. 25, 2022

He was in fine fettle, sleek and well groomed and as debonair as ever, and had adapted himself so well that at times it appeared as though he were positively enjoying the whole expedition.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford