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Foist
Definitions
- 1 Pronunciation spelling of first. alt-of, not-comparable, pronunciation-spelling
"Cause if yer did the foist thing yer know along would come a blizzard an’ make yer out a liar."
- 1 A thief or pickpocket. historical, slang
"The foist had lately arrived form the country and was known to be doing a thriving trade in and around Westminster Hall where many country folk and others came to see lawyers."
- 2 A type of light and fast-sailing ship. obsolete
"These are mad boys, I tell you; these are things That will not strike their top-sails to a foist, / And let a man of war, an argosy, Hull and cry cockles."
- 3 A cask for wine. obsolete
- 4 A follower of Chinese Buddhism.
- 5 Fustiness; mustiness.
- 1 To introduce or insert surreptitiously or without warrant. transitive
"But apart from this, it is difficult for a man like Watt to tell a long story like Watt's without leaving out some things, and foisting in others."
- 2 insert surreptitiously or without warrant wordnet
- 3 To force another to accept especially by stealth or deceit; to stick. transitive
"I am, of course, perfectly aware of how old men try to foist on the public the decay of their intellects and all the rest of their senile shortcomings as valuable qualities, the possession of which gives them special authority."
- 4 to force onto another wordnet
- 5 To pass off as genuine or worthy. transitive
"foist costly and valueless products on the public"
Etymology
Probably from archaic Dutch vuisten (“to take into one’s hand”), from Middle Dutch vuysten, from vuyst (“fist”); akin to Old English fyst (“fist”).
Probably from archaic Dutch vuisten (“to take into one’s hand”), from Middle Dutch vuysten, from vuyst (“fist”); akin to Old English fyst (“fist”).
From Old French fuste (“stick, boat”), from Latin fustis (“cudgel”).
From Old French fust (whence also French fût), from Latin fustis.
Fo + -ist
See also for "foist"
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