feint

Etymology

Borrowed from French feint (“pretended”), from Old French feindre (“to feign”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /feɪ̯nt/
  • Rhymes: -eɪnt
  • Homophone: faint

Verb

feint (third-person singular simple present feints, present participle feinting, simple past and past participle feinted)

1. To make a feint, or mock attack.

Adjective

feint (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Feigned; counterfeit.
   • John Locke

     Dressed up into any feint appearance of it.

2. (fencing, boxing, war) (of an attack) directed toward a different part from the intended strike

Noun

feint (plural feints)

1. A movement made to confuse the opponent; a dummy.
2. That which is feigned; an assumed or false appearance; a pretense or stratagem.
   • Spectator

     Courtley's letter is but a feint to get off.

3. (fencing, boxing, war) An offensive movement resembling an attack in all but its continuance
4. The narrowest rule used in the production of lined writing paper (C19: Variant of FAINT)

Etymology

Past participle of feindre; from Latin fictus, probably through Vulgar Latin *finctus. Compare Italian finto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛ̃/

Verb

feint m (feminine singular feinte, masculine plural feints, feminine plural feintes)

1. past participle of feindre
2. third-person singular present indicative of feindre

Anagrams

• fient

Noun

feint c (plural feinten)

1. boyfriend