GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Found 3 definitions

  1.       
    
    Feast , n. [OE. feste festival, holiday, feast, OF. feste festival, F. fête, fr. L. festum, pl. festa, fr. festus joyful, festal; of uncertain origin. Cf. Fair, n., Festal, Fête.]
    1. A festival; a holiday; a solemn, or more commonly, a joyous, anniversary.
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      The seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.
      Ex. xiii. 6.

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      Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
      Luke ii. 41.

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      ☞ An Ecclesiastical feast is called a immovable feast when it always occurs on the same day of the year; otherwise it is called a movable feast. Easter is a notable movable feast.

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    2. A festive or joyous meal; a grand, ceremonious, or sumptuous entertainment, of which many guests partake; a banquet characterized by tempting variety and abundance of food.
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      Enough is as good as a feast.
      Old Proverb.

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      Belshazzar the King made a great feast to a thousand of his lords.
      Dan. v. 1.

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    3. That which is partaken of, or shared in, with delight; something highly agreeable; entertainment.
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      The feast of reason, and the flow of soul.
      Pope.

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      Feast day, a holiday; a day set as a solemn commemorative festival.

      Syn. -- Entertainment; regale; banquet; treat; carousal; festivity; festival. -- Feast, Banquet, Festival, Carousal. A feast sets before us viands superior in quantity, variety, and abundance; a banquet is a luxurious feast; a festival is the joyful celebration by good cheer of some agreeable event. Carousal is unrestrained indulgence in frolic and drink.

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  2.       
    
    Feast, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Feasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Feasting.] [OE. festen, cf. OF. fester to rest from work, F. fêter to celebrate a holiday. See Feast, n.]
    1. To eat sumptuously; to dine or sup on rich provisions, particularly in large companies, and on public festivals.
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      And his sons went and feasted in their houses.
      Job. i. 4.

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    2. To be highly gratified or delighted.
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      With my love's picture then my eye doth feast.
      Shak.

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  3.       
    
    Feast, v. t.
    1. To entertain with sumptuous provisions; to treat at the table bountifully; as, he was feasted by the king.
      Hayward.

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    2. To delight; to gratify; as, to feast the soul.
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      Feast your ears with the music a while.
      Shak.

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