comfit

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English

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Etymology 1

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From Old Frenchconfit (preserved fruit), from Latin cōnfectum.[1] Doublet of confect, confetto, confit, and konfyt.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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comfit (plural comfits)

  1. A confection consisting of a nut, seed or fruit coated with sugar.
    • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, []”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
      Heart! you swear like a comfit-maker's wife.
    • 1869, Louisa May Alcott, Perilous Play[1]:
      "Why, what are they?" she asked, looking at him askance. ¶ "Hashish; did you never hear of it?" ¶ "Oh, yes; it's that Indian stuff which brings one fantastic visions, isn't it? I've always wanted to see and taste it, and now I will," cried Belle, nibbling at one of the bean-shaped comfits with its green heart.
    • 1922, James Elroy Flecker, The Story of Hassan of Baghdad and How he Came to Make the Golden Journey to Samarkand[2], New York: Alfred A. Knopf, act I, page 17:
      But since I ate your present of comfits—and they were admirable comfits, and I ate them with speed—my heart is changed and inclined toward you, I know not why or how, except it be through magic.
Derived terms
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See also
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Verb

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comfit (third-person singular simple present comfits, present participle comfiting, simple past and past participle comfited)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To make into a dry sugared confection.
    • 17th c, Abraham Cowley, The First Nemeæan Ode of Pindar: The Muse, 1795, Robert Anderson (editor), The Works of the British Poets, Volume 5, page 302,
      The fruit which does ſo quickly waſte, // Men ſcarce can ſee it, much leſs taſte, // Thou comfiteſt in ſweets to make it laſt.

References

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Etymology 2

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Acronym, from Computer Facial Identification Techniques.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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comfit (plural comfits)

  1. (Australia) A computerised image of a suspect produced for the police force.
    • 2023, Trent Dalton, Lola in the Mirror:
      A black and white comfit of a man with a chin shaped like a spade, doorstop for a nose..

References

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  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “comfit”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.