Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
fainéant
3 dictionary results for: faineant
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
fai·né·ant       [fey-nee-uhnt; Fr. fe-ney-ahn] Pronunciation Key adjective, noun, plural -ants       [-uhnts; Fr. -ahn] Pronunciation Key.
–adjective
1.Also, fai·ne·ant       [fey-nee-uhnt] Pronunciation Key. idle; indolent.
–noun
2.an idler.
[Origin: 1610–20; < F, earlier fait-nient, lit., he does nothing, pseudo-etymological alter. of OF faignant idler, n. use of prp. of se faindre to shirk. See feign, faint]

—Related forms
fai·ne·ance       [fey-nee-uhns] Pronunciation Key, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
fai·né·ant       (fā'nā-äɴ')  Pronunciation Key 
adj.   Given to doing nothing; idle. See Synonyms at lazy.

n.   An irresponsible idler; a sluggard.


[French, alteration (influenced by fait néant, does nothing) of Old French faignant, idler, from present participle of faindre, feindre, to feign; see feign.]

(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
faineant

adjective
disinclined to work or exertion; "faineant kings under whose rule the country languished"; "an indolent hanger-on"; "too lazy to wash the dishes"; "shiftless idle youth"; "slothful employees"; "the unemployed are not necessarily work-shy" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
CITE THIS SOURCE|PRINT
Share This:Share This: digg.comShare This: ma.gnolia.comShare This: www.stumbleupon.comShare This: del.icio.usShare This: FacebookShare This: favorites.live.comShare This: www.technorati.comShare This: furl.netShare This: myweb2.search.yahoo.comShare This: www.google.com