See Also: Feast(medicine)
Feast(tourism)
feast(2)(dictionary)
feast(1)(dictionary)
smell-feast(dictionary)
Feast of Tabernacles(dictionary)
bean feast(dictionary)
feast 1, noun(dictionary)
feast 2, verb(dictionary)
movable feast(dictionary)

feast(1) (iou)



feast noun. [fi:st] ME.
[Old French feste (mod. fete), from Latin festa neut. pl. (taken as fem. sing. in Proto-Romance) of festus festal, joyous. Cf. FeTE noun.]
A religious anniversary observed with rejoicing. ME.
b. An annual village festival (orig. held on the feast-day of the saint to whom the parish church is dedicated). M16.
A sumptuous meal or entertainment; a banquet, esp. public, for many guests. Also formerly, a series of such entertainments. ME.
Bunyan Mr. Carnal Security did again make a feast for the town of Mansoul.
Rejoicing, festivity. ME-M17.
An ample and delicious meal; fig. delight or gratification to the mind or senses. LME.
T. Gray Voices, that were a perfect feast to ears that had heard nothing but French operas. Tolkien The evening meal seemed a feast..wine..bread and butter, and salted meats, and dried fruits, and good red cheese.
Phrases: double feast: see DOUBLE adjective & adverb. feast of EXPIATION. feast of reason intellectual talk. feast of weeks: see WEEK noun. immovable feast a religious feast celebrated on the same date every year. make feast (a) arch. make merry; feast; (b) show honour or respect to, make much of (a person); fete. movable feast a religious feast of which the date varies from year to year; joc. a meal etc. taken at no regular time.
Comb.: feast-day: on which a feast is held.