fe·ral (fîr'əl, fěr'-) adj. Existing in a wild or untamed state. Having returned to an untamed state from domestication.
Of or suggestive of a wild animal; savage: a feral grin.
[From Latin fera, wild animal, from ferus, wild; see ghwer- 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
feral
1604, from M.Fr.
feral "wild," from L.
fera, in phrase
fera bestia "wild beast," from
ferus "wild" (see
fierce).
Science Dictionary
feral (fîr'əl, fěr'-) Pronunciation Key
Existing in a wild or untamed state, either naturally or having returned to such a state from domestication.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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