Middle English Dictionary Entry

fẹ̄nd n.
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Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) One who hates, an enemy; -- also said of worms; (b) an opponent in war; (c) an utter enemy, mortal foe; ful ~; most ~, greatest enemy; loð ~, hated enemy; frend other ~, friend or foe, etc.
2.
(a) Satan; the ~, our ~, etc.; (b) the ~ of (in) helle, the Devil of (in) hell, Satan; (c) the foul ~, the Foul Fiend; the heigh ~, the Arch Enemy; the old ~, the Old Enemy, the Ancient Foe; envious ~, fals ~, ~ unfre, wikked ~, wrenchful ~, etc.
3.
(a) fendes egging (fleithing, fonding), the Devil's tempting; fendes chain, ~ craft, ~ lor, etc.; (b) fendes beyete (child, fode, foster, whelp), a child of Satan, the Devil's child; fendes kin, kin of the Devil; fendes lim, member of the ~, a limb of the Devil.
4.
(a) the ~ me (you) fecche, the Devil take me (you); the ~ have (fecche) his soul, the Devil take his soul; etc.; (b) defenden (shelden) from the ~, to protect from the Devil; fendes werk, evil deed, sin; ful of the ~, full of the Devil, wicked; on fendes wise, in the Devil's manner, by sorcery; serven the ~, to serve the Devil, commit sins.
5.
One of man's three Foes (the World, the Flesh, and the Devil).
6.
(a) One of the fallen angels, a devil; an evil spirit, a demon; a heathen god; an incubus; ~ in bed, a devil in bed, an incubus; reisen a ~, to conjure up a devil; (b) ~ of (in) helle, a devil of hell; (c) foul ~, a loathsome devil.
7.
A demon or devil which has entered into a person to cause madness; haven a ~, ben travailed with a ~, to be possessed, be insane.
8.
(a) A monster, a devil in the shape of a man or beast; fend dragoun, monstrous dragon; (b) of persons: monster; (c) as (like, with) the ~, as (like) the Devil; as (like) a ~, as (like) a fiend.