fay

1 of 5

verb

fayed; faying; fays

transitive + intransitive

: to fit or join closely or tightly

fay

2 of 5

noun (1)

obsolete
: faith

fay

3 of 5

noun (2)

: fairy, elf

fay

4 of 5

adjective

: resembling an elf

fay

5 of 5

noun (3)

slang, usually disparaging
: ofay

Examples of fay in a Sentence

Adjective with her slight build and perky manner, the actress was usually cast as the fay young woman who charms all the men in town
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Almshouse dwellers, sitting in the sun, watching the surging tide and the glistening water, tell of spirits and banshees and fays. Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 25 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English feien, from Old English fēgan; akin to Old High German fuogen to fit, Latin pangere to fasten — more at pact

Noun (1)

Middle English fai, fei, from Anglo-French feid, fei — more at faith

Noun (2)

Middle English faie, from Anglo-French fee — more at fairy

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fay was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fay

Cite this Entry

“Fay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fay. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fay

noun
ˈfā
: fairy, elf
fay adjective
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