fist

noun

1. the hand closed tightly, with the fingers doubled into the palm.
2. Informal. the hand.
3. Informal. a person’s handwriting.
4. Printing. index(def 8).

verb (used with object)

5. to make (one’s hand) into a fist.
6. to grasp in the fist.

noun

1. feist.

noun

1. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a small mongrel dog, especially one that is ill-tempered; cur; mutt.

verb (used without object)

2. South Midland U.S. to prance or strut about: Look at him feist around in his new clothes.

noun

1. a hand with the fingers clenched into the palm, as for hitting
2. Also called: fistful the quantity that can be held in a fist or hand
3. an informal word for hand, index (def. 9)

verb

4. (tr) to hit with the fist

n.

Old English fyst, from West Germanic *fustiz (cf. Old Saxon and Old High German fust, Old Frisian fest, Middle Dutch vuust, Dutch vuist, German Faust), from Proto-Germanic *fukhstiz, probably ultimately from PIE *penkwe- “five” (cf. Old Church Slavonic pesti, Russian piasti “fist”).

n.

also fist, “a breaking wind, foul smell, fart,” mid-15c. (Old English had present participle fisting), a general West Germanic word; cf. Middle Dutch veest, Dutch vijst (see feisty).

see hand over fist.