fress

See also: frëss

English

Etymology

From Yiddish פֿרעסן (fresn) or German fressen (“to devour, gobble”), from Middle High German vrezzen, from Old High German frezzan (“to devour, eat up”), from Proto-Germanic *fraetaną (“to eat up”), from *fra- (intensive and perfective prefix) + *etaną (“to eat”), equivalent to for- +‎ eat. Cognate with Old English fretan (“to devour”). Doublet of fret.

In German, fressen (eat) and saufen (drink) are used about non-humans, whereas the corresponding words used about human behavior are essen and trinken. "Es trinkt der Mann, es säuft das Pferd / bei manchem ist es umgekehrt" ("the man drinks, the horse gulps it down / [but] with many it's the other way 'round") is a common humorous couplet in German with many variations (e.g., ...in Bayern ist es...)

Verb

1. (obsolete) to eat without restraint; eat heartily

   Synonym: pig out

Anagrams

• serfs

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Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /frɛsː/

  Rhymes: -ɛsː

Noun

fress n (genitive singular fress, nominative plural fress) or fress m (genitive singular fress, nominative plural fressar)

1. tomcat

Declension

declension of fress

n-s	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	fress	fressið	fress	fressin
accusative	fress	fressið	fress	fressin
dative	fressi	fressinu	fressum	fressunum
genitive	fress	fressins	fressa	fressanna

or

declension of fress

m-s1	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	fress	fressinn	fressar	fressarnir
accusative	fress	fressinn	fressa	fressana
dative	fress	fressinum	fressum	fressunum
genitive	fress	fressins	fressa	fressanna