Meanings
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1
noun
a person who has committed or been convicted of a felony, especially in United States law
The statute barred a convicted felon from possessing a firearm.
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2
noun
a painful bacterial infection of the fingertip, usually affecting the pad beneath the skin
The surgeon drained the felon before the infection could spread deeper into the finger.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English feloun, through Anglo-French felon, 'wicked person, traitor, or criminal.' The word first carried ideas of treachery and cruelty before becoming a legal label for a serious offender; its deeper origin is uncertain. The medical sense is a later homonym.