feel one's oats
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noun
Idioms 1.
a cereal grass, Avena sativa, cultivated for its edible seed.
2.
Usually, oats. ( used with a singular or plural verb ) the seed of this plant, used as a food for humans and animals.
3.
any of several plants of the same genus, as the wild oat.
4.
Archaic. a musical pipe made of an oat straw.
5.
feel one's oats, Informal.
a.
to feel frisky or lively.
b.
to be aware of and use one's importance or power.
6.
00:10
Feel one's oats
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
Origin:
before 900; Middle English ote, Old English āte
before 900; Middle English ote, Old English āte
Related forms
oat·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To feel one's oats
Collins
World English Dictionary
oat (əʊt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an erect annual grass, Avena sativa, grown in temperate regions for its edible seed |
| 2. | (usually plural) the seeds or fruits of this grass |
| 3. | any of various other grasses of the genus Avena, such as the wild oat |
| 4. | poetic a flute made from an oat straw |
| 5. | informal (US), (Canadian) feel one's oats |
| a. to feel exuberant | |
| b. to feel self-important | |
| 6. | slang get one's oats to have sexual intercourse |
| 7. | sow one's oats, sow one's wild oats to indulge in adventure or promiscuity during youth |
| [Old English āte, of obscure origin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
oat
O.E. ate "grain of the oat plant" (pl. atan), possibly from O.N. eitill "nodule," denoting a single grain, of unknown origin. The usual Gmc. name is derived from P.Gmc. *khabran (cf. O.N. hafri, Du. haver, source of haversack). Famously defined by Johnson as, "A grain, which in England is generally given
to horses, but in Scotland supports the people." Wild oats, "crop that one will regret sowing," is first attested 1564, in ref. to the folly of sowing these instead of good grain.
"That wilfull and vnruly age, which lacketh rypenes and discretion, and (as wee saye) hath not sowed all theyr wyeld Oates." [Thomas Newton, "Lemnie's Touchstone of complexions," 1576]Hence, to feel (one's) oats "be lively," 1831, originally Amer.Eng.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
feel one's oats
-
Feel frisky or animated, as in School was out, and they were feeling their oats. This usage alludes to the behavior of a horse after having been fed. [Early 1800s]
-
Display self-importance, as in He was feeling his oats, bossing everyone around. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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