feat

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fiːt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Homophone: feet
• Rhymes: -iːt

Etymology 1

From Middle English , from Anglo-Norman fet (“action, deed”), from Old French fait, from Latin factum, from facere (“to do, to make”). Doublet of fact.

Noun

feat (plural feats)

1. A relatively rare or difficult accomplishment.

   I consider scaling Mount Blanc the greatest physical feat of my life.

   Raising six children who all went on to be doctors was a tough feat for us.

   • 2013 January 22, Phil McNulty, “Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford (3-4)”, in BBC‎:

     Bradford may have lost on the night but they stubbornly protected a 3-1 first-leg advantage to emulate a feat last achieved by Rochdale in 1962.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

feat (comparative feater, superlative featest)

1. (archaic) Dexterous in movements or service; skilful; neat; pretty.
   • 1590, Robert Greene, “The Shepheards Tale”, in Greenes Mourning Garment‎, London: Thomas Newman, page 17:

     […] she set downe her period on the face of Alexis, thinking he was the fairest, and the featest swaine of all the rest.

   • 1593, Thomas Lodge, “Induction”, in Phillis‎, London: John Busbie:

     Oh you high sp’rited Paragons of witte,
     That flye to fame beyond our earthly pitch,
     Whose sence is sound, whose words are feat and fitte,
     Able to make the coyest eare to itch:
     Shroud with your mighty wings that mount so well,
     These little loues, new crept from out the shell.

   • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     […] never master had
     A page so kind, so duteous, diligent,
     So tender over his occasions, true,
     So feat, so nurse-like:

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     And look how well my garments sit upon me;
     Much feater than before:

Verb

feat (third-person singular simple present feats, present participle feating, simple past and past participle feated)

1. (obsolete) To form; to fashion.
   • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     […] most praised, most loved,
     A sample to the youngest, to the more mature
     A glass that feated them, and to the graver
     A child that guided dotards;

Etymology 2

Clipping of feature. See also the abbreviation feat.

Verb

feat (third-person singular simple present feats, present participle feating, simple past and past participle feated)

1. (transitive, informal) To feature.
   • 2018 February 22, Christopher Walsh, “Alabama announces $21 million renovation of swimming/diving facilities”, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution‎:

     A new team suite will also be added feating new team locker rooms, a nutrition station, team meeting room, a team lounge and coaches’ offices and conference room.

   • 2018 August 23, Elizabeth Aubrey, “A never before heard demo of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ has been discovered”, in NME‎:

     Two films by John and Yoko, ‘Imagine’ and ‘Gimme Some Truth’ will also be re-released on October 5 feating new footage, “raw” studio mixes and a new insight into a photo shoot the couple did with iconic British photographer David Bailey.

   • 2019 September 1, Cy Brown, “North London Derby 2019: How To Watch Arsenal vs. Tottenham”, in Forbes‎:

     This could also be the match in which we see the highly-anticipated debut of an attacking triumvirate feating Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

   • 2019 October 3, Jack Williams, “Tell Tale Hit: Tekashi 6ix9ine testimony leads to conviction of two men on racketeering after ‘snitch’ rapper turns on fellow Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods thugs”, in The Sun‎:

     Last year, the rapper had a number of hit singles, including Fefe, with Nicki Minaj, and Stoopid, feating imprisoned rapper Bobby Shmurda.

Anagrams

• EFTA, Fate, TAFE, TFAE, fate, feta