feast

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   something experienced with great delight

   a feast for the eyes

2. 2
   noun

   A holiday, festival, especially a religious one

   The seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.

3. 3
   noun

   A very large meal, often of a ceremonial nature.

   We had a feast to celebrate the harvest.

4. 4
   noun

   Something delightful

   It was a feast for the eyes.

5. 5
   verb

   To partake in a feast, or large meal.

   I feasted on turkey and dumplings.

6. 6
   verb

   To dwell upon (something) with delight.

   With my love's picture then my eye doth feast.

7. 7
   verb

   To hold a feast in honor of (someone).

   He that shall see this day, and live old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors And say “Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.”

8. 8
   verb

   To serve as a feast for; to feed sumptuously.

   1597–1598, Joseph Hall, Virgidemiarum Or once a week, perhaps, for novelty / Reez'd bacon-soords shall feast his family.

Etymology

From Middle English feeste, feste, borrowed from Old French feste, from Late Latin festa, from the plural of Latin festum (“holiday, festival, feast”), from Proto-Italic *fēs-tos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s (“god, godhead, deity”); see also Ancient Greek θεός (theós, “god, goddess”). More at theo-. Doublet of fete, fiesta, and fest. Displaced Old English winhate.