from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Feast \Feast\ (f[=e]st), n. [OE. feste festival, holiday, feast,
OF. feste festival, F. f[^e]te, fr. L. festum, pl. festa, fr.
festus joyful, festal; of uncertain origin. Cf. {Fair}, n.,
{Festal}, {F[^e]te}.]
1. A festival; a holiday; a solemn, or more commonly, a
joyous, anniversary.
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The seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. --Ex.
xiii. 6.
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Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the
feast of the passover. --Luke ii. 41.
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Note: An Ecclesiastical feast is called a {immovable feast}
when it always occurs on the same day of the year;
otherwise it is called a {movable feast}. Easter is a
notable movable feast.
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2. A festive or joyous meal; a grand, ceremonious, or
sumptuous entertainment, of which many guests partake; a
banquet characterized by tempting variety and abundance of
food.
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Enough is as good as a feast. --Old Proverb.
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Belshazzar the King made a great feast to a thousand
of his lords. --Dan. v. 1.
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3. That which is partaken of, or shared in, with delight;
something highly agreeable; entertainment.
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The feast of reason, and the flow of soul. --Pope.
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{Feast day}, a holiday; a day set as a solemn commemorative
festival.
Syn: Entertainment; regale; banquet; treat; carousal;
festivity; festival.
Usage: {Feast}, {Banquet}, {Festival}, {Carousal}. A feast
sets before us viands superior in quantity, variety,
and abundance; a banquet is a luxurious feast; a
festival is the joyful celebration by good cheer of
some agreeable event. Carousal is unrestrained
indulgence in frolic and drink.
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