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felon

 - 12 dictionary results

fel⋅on

1  [fel-uhn]
Use felon in a Sentence
–noun
1. Law. a person who has committed a felony.
2. Archaic. a wicked person.
–adjective
3. Archaic. wicked; malicious; treacherous.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME fel(o)un wicked < AF; OF fel (nom.), felun (obl.) wicked person, traitor, perh. < Old Low Franconian *fillo, n. corresponding to OS fillian to ill-treat, whip, MD villen to flay, OHG fillen to beat, whip; cf. fell 3

fel⋅on

2  [fel-uhn]
–noun
an acute and painful inflammation of the deeper tissues of a finger or toe, usually near the nail: a form of whitlow.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME felo(u)n < ML fellōn- (s. of fellō) scrofulous tumor, of uncert. orig.

whit⋅low

  [hwit-loh, wit-]
–noun
an inflammation of the deeper tissues of a finger or toe, esp. of the terminal phalanx, usually producing suppuration.
Also called felon.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME whit(f)lowe, whitflawe. See white, flaw 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To felon
fel·on 1   (fěl'ən)   
n.  

  1. Law One who has committed a felony.

  2. Archaic An evil person.

adj.   Archaic
Evil; cruel.

[Middle English feloun, from Old French felon, wicked, a wicked person, from Medieval Latin fellō, fellōn-, possibly of Germanic origin.]
fel·on 2   (fěl'ən)   
n.  A painful purulent infection at the end of a finger or toe in the area surrounding the nail. Also called whitlow.

[Middle English feloun, probably from Latin fel, gall, bile; see ghel-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

felon 
1297, from O.Fr. felon "wicked person, traitor, rebel," from M.L. fellonem "evil-doer," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Frank. *fillo, *filljo "person who whips or beats, scourger" (cf. O.H.G. fillen "to whip"); or from L. fel "gall, poison," on the notion of "one full of bitterness." Another theory (advanced by Professor R. Atkinson of Dublin) traces it to L. fellare "to suck" (see fecund), which had an obscene secondary meaning in classical L. (well-known to readers of Martial and Catullus), which would make a felon etymologically a "cock-sucker." OED inclines toward the "gall" explanation, but finds Atkinson's "most plausible" of the others. Felony is c.1290.

whitlow 
"inflammation on a finger or toe," 1440, alteration of whitflaw (c.1400), from flaw, with first element possibly from Du. vijt or Low Ger. fit "abscess."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: fel·on
Pronunciation: 'fe-l&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French felon fel, literally, evildoer, from Old French, probably of Germanic origin
: one who has committed a felony
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: fel·on
Function: noun
: WHITLOW

Main Entry: whit·low
Pronunciation: 'hwit-(")lO, 'wit-
Function: noun
: a deep usually suppurative inflammation of the finger or toe especially nearthe end or around the nail called also felon; —compare PARONYCHIA
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

felon fel·on (fěl'ən)
n.
A purulent infection or abscess involving the bulbous distal end of a finger. Also called whitlow.

whitlow whit·low (wĭt'lō')
n.
See felon.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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