▪ I. fart, n. Not in decent use.
(fɑːt)
Also 5 fert(e, fartt, 5–6 farte.
[f. the vb.; cf. OHG. firz, furz, mod.G. farz, ON. fretr.]
1. a. A breaking wind. Often in let († let flee) a fart.
| c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 620 This Nicholas anon let flee a fart. 14.. Madman's Song in Rel. Ant. I. 260 Onys I fley and let a fert. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 21, I shall geat a fart of a dead man as soone As a farthyng of him. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 220 The Guineans are very careful not to let a fart. 1728 Swift Dial. Mad. Mullinix & Timothy In doleful scenes that break our heart Punch comes, like you, and lets a f—t. 1825 Thurlow Ess. Wind 6 There are five or six different species of farts. |
† b. As a type of something worthless. Obs.
| c 1460 Towneley Myst. 16 Bi alle men set I not a farte. 1642 in Picton L'pool Munic. Rec. (1883) I. 233 Hee..cared not a f—'t for it. 1685 Crowne Sir Courtly Nice v, A fart for your family. |
c. A contemptible person.
| 1937 in Partridge Dict. Slang 267/1. 1968 J. Sangster Touchfeather xi. 121 I'm supposed to be non-operational. What does the silly old fart want? 1971 Ink 24 July 5/1 Marty Feldman said to the judge as he left the witness stand, ‘I don't think he even knew I was here, the boring old fart.’ |
† 2. A ball of light pastry, a ‘puff’. Obs. [Cf. F. pet ‘beignet en boule.’]
| 1552 Huloet, Fartes of Portingale, or other like swete conceites, collybia. |
▪ II. fart, v. Not now in decent use.
(fɑːt)
Also 3 verte-n, 4 farten, 5 farton, 6 farte.
[Common Teut. and Indo-germanic: OE. *feortan = OHG. ferzan (MHG. verzen, and with ablaut variants vurzen, varzen, mod.G. farzen), ON. freta:—OTeut. *fertan:—OAryan *perd- (Skr. pard. pṛd, Gr. πέρδειν, Lith. pérdzu, Russ. perdet{p}; the L. pēdĕre is unconnected).]
1. intr. To break wind (see break v. 47).
| c 1250 Cuckoo Song, Bulluc sterteþ, bucke uerteþ. c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 152 He was somdel squaymous Of fartyng. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 150 Farton, pedo. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 941/1 To farte or to burste, crepiter. 1610 B. Jonson Alch. i. i, I fart at thee. 1740 Gray Lett. Wks. 1884 II. 59 Now they are always in a sweat, and never speak, but they f—t. |
fig. [after L. oppedere.]
| 1580 Baret Alv. F 149 To fart against one: and Metaphoricè, To denie with a lowd voice, oppedere. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasm. Colloq. 503, I cannot sufficiently admire, that there are not some men who fart against those men. |
2. trans. To send forth as wind from the anus.
| 1632 Massinger Maid of Hon. iv. iv, Tho' the devil fart fire, have at him! 1710 Brit. Apollo III. 3/1 What is meant, when we say, a Man Farts Frankinsence. |
3. intr. To fool about or around; to waste time.
| 1900 in Eng. Dial. Dict., Go bon tha! thoo's allus farten aboot, thoo's warse ner a hen wi' egg. 1937 Partridge Dict. Slang 267/1 Fart about, to dawdle; to waste time; play about. 1964 P. Larkin Jill (ed. 2) 223 They scuffled for a few moments, knocking over a pile of books and papers. ‘Don't fart about,’ said Patrick wearily. 1968 H. C. Rae Few Small Bones ii. v. 115 Now don't fart about, Birnie, or I'll get angry. 1969 J. Wainwright Big Tickle 173 Look! It's important. Stop farting around. |
Hence ˈfarted ppl. a. ˈfarter, one who breaks wind. ˈfarting vbl. n., in quot. used attrib. ˈfarting ppl. a.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 150 Fartare. Ibid. Fartynge, peditura, bombizacio. 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Cest vn gros..vesseur, a great farter. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 35 The same starching [brothell] houses (I had almost said farting houses) do serue the turn. 1648 Herrick Hesper. I. 216 The farting tanner. 1653 Urquhart Rabelais (1694) ii. xxvii. 166 Are your Farts so fertil?..here be brave farted Men. 1660 Howell Lex. Tetraglot., A Farter, peteur. a 1687 C. Cotton Poet. Wks. (1765) 9 He was..the loud'st of Farters. |