fester

From Old French festre (cognate with Italian fistola, Occitan fistola, Spanish fístula), from Latin fistula. The verb is derived from the noun, while the “condition of something that festers” noun sense is derived from the verb.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɛstə(ɹ)/

• Audio (RP)

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɛstɚ/

• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɛstə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: fes‧ter

fester (plural festers)

1. (pathology, obsolete) A fistula.
2. (pathology) A sore or an ulcer of the skin.
   • 1848, Samuel Maunder, “SPIDERS. (Arachnida.)”, in The Treasury of Natural History; or, A Popular Dictionary of Animated Nature: In which the Zoological Characteristics that Distinguish the Different Classes, Genera, and Species, are Combined with a Variety of Interesting Information Illustrative of the Habits, Instincts, and General Economy of the Animal Kingdom. To which are Added, a Syllabus of Practical Taxidermy, and a Glossarial Appendix. [...], London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, Paternoster-Row, OCLC 956545938, page 637, column 1:

     The larger the Spider, the warmer the climate or season of the year, and the more susceptible the wounded individual, so much worse will the effects be; and it is no therefore no wonder that people who would have a fester from a simple prick with a needle, should feel more violent effects from the bite of a Spider.

   • 1861, Benjamin Ridge, “Medical and Self Torture”, in Ourselves, Our Food, and Our Physic, London: Chapman and Hall, 193 Piccadilly, OCLC 83201861, page 68:

     While to the fingers and toes, which are frequently the seat of spontaneous festers, &c., irritation is kept up [if a hot poultice is applied], the skin is thickened, and rendered less liable to be permeated by matter; the heat is driven down the soft structures to the very bones and joints, and a portion of them may be lost in consequence.

   • 1864 July, “The Rim. Part III.—Conclusion.”, in The Atlantic Monthly. A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politcs, volume XIV, number LXXXI, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, 135, Washington Street; London: Trübner and Company, OCLC 612185692, page 68:

     He has been away so long and so often, there has been such mismanagement under a long minority, such changes and such misrule, such a hard hand and such a high hand, that the whole place is a fester.

3. The condition of something that festers; a festering; a festerment.

fester (third-person singular simple present festers, present participle festering, simple past and past participle festered)

1. (intransitive) To become septic; to become rotten.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: Printed by J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398, lines 521–523, page 42:

     [W]ounds immedicable / Ranckle, and feſter, and gangrene, / To black mortification.

   • 2017 February 23, Katie Rife, “The Girl With All The Gifts tries to put a fresh spin on overripe zombie clichés”, in The A.V. Club‎:

     Here, Melanie once again provides an interesting variation on the formula, serving as a scout and ambassador between worlds. Don't expect anything new from her human counterparts, though, just the usual shooting and running and hiding slowly festering flesh wounds.

2. (intransitive) To worsen, especially due to lack of attention.

   Deal with the problem immediately; do not let it fester.

   • 1855, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XVII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume IV, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 4919897, page 116:

     All this time hatred, kept down by fear, festered in the hearts of the children of the soil.

3. (transitive) To cause to fester or rankle.
   • c. 1599–1600, John Marston, Antonios Reuenge. The Second Part. As it hath beene Sundry Times Acted, by the Children of Paules, London: Printed [by Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, and are to be soulde [by Matthew Lownes] in Saint Dunstans Church-yarde, published 1602, OCLC 55160039, Act I, scene i; republished in J[ames] O[rchard] Halliwell, editor, The Works of John Marston. Reprinted from the Original Editions. With Notes, and some Account of His Life and Writings. [...] In Three Volumes, volume I, London: John Russell Smith, Soho Square, 1856, OCLC 458175889, page 74:

     For which I burnt in inward sweltring hate, / And festred rankling malice in my breast, / Till I might belke revenge upon his eyes: […]

• festeringly
• festerment
• festerous (rare)

• freest, freets

fester c

1. plural indefinite of fest

fester

1. present of feste

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• Rhymes: -ɛstɐ

fester

1. inflected form of fest

fester m

1. indefinite plural of fest

fester

1. present of feste

fester

1. indefinite plural of fest