feist

or fist

[ fahyst ]

noun

1. Also fice, fyce []. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of feist¹

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”); feist def 2 is perhaps a back formation from feisty

Example Sentences

They are also linked to a small hunting dog breed called the feist, which William Faulkner wrote about in stories like “The Bear.”

From New York Times

You know a feist is one o’ them little bitty dogs that ginerally runs on three legs and pretends a whole lot.”

From Project Gutenberg