foist
/fɔɪst/ verb, noun
Forms foists foisting foisted
- verb (transitive) To introduce or insert surreptitiously or without warrant.
- verb (transitive) To force another to accept especially by stealth or deceit; to stick.
- verb (transitive) To pass off as genuine or worthy.
- noun (historical slang) A thief or pickpocket.
- noun (obsolete) A type of light and fast-sailing ship.
- noun (obsolete) A cask for wine.
- noun Fustiness; mustiness.
- noun A follower of Chinese Buddhism.
Synonyms
Etymology
Probably from archaic Dutch vuisten (“to take into one’s hand”), from Middle Dutch vuysten, from vuyst (“fist”); akin to Old English fyst (“fist”).
From Old French fuste (“stick, boat”), from Latin fustis (“cudgel”).
From Old French fust (whence also French fût), from Latin fustis.
Fo + -ist
Webster’s 1913
- noun A light and fast-sailing ship. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
- verb To insert surreptitiously, wrongfully, or without warrant; to interpolate; to pass off (something spurious or counterfeit) as genuine, true, or worthy; --usually followed by in. Lest negligence or partiality might admit or fois in abuses corruption. R. Carew.
- noun A foister; a sharper. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
- noun A trick or fraud; a swindle. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Etymology [OF. fuste stick, boat, fr. L. fustis cudgel. Cf. 1st Fust.]
Etymology [Cf. OD. vysten to fizzle, D. veesten, E. fizz, fitchet, bullfist.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “foist”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details