"fast" Definition

Definitions for the word "fast" from multiple English dictionaries.

1. v. i.
To abstain from food; to omit to take nourishment in whole or in part; to go hungry.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
2. v. i.
To practice abstinence as a religious exercise or duty; to abstain from food voluntarily for a time, for the mortification of the body or appetites, or as a token of grief, or humiliation and penitence.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
3. v. i.
Abstinence from food; omission to take nourishment.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
4. v. i.
Voluntary abstinence from food, for a space of time, as a spiritual discipline, or as a token of religious humiliation.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
5. v. i.
A time of fasting, whether a day, week, or longer time; a period of abstinence from food or certain kinds of food; as, an annual fast.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
6. v.
Firmly fixed; closely adhering; made firm; not loose, unstable, or easily moved; immovable; as, to make fast the door.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
7. v.
Firm against attack; fortified by nature or art; impregnable; strong.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
8. v.
Firm in adherence; steadfast; not easily separated or alienated; faithful; as, a fast friend.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
9. v.
Permanent; not liable to fade by exposure to air or by washing; durable; lasting; as, fast colors.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
10. v.
Tenacious; retentive.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
11. v.
Not easily disturbed or broken; deep; sound.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
12. v.
Moving rapidly; quick in mition; rapid; swift; as, a fast horse.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
13. v.
Given to pleasure seeking; disregardful of restraint; reckless; wild; dissipated; dissolute; as, a fast man; a fast liver.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
14. a.
In a fast, fixed, or firmly established manner; fixedly; firmly; immovably.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
15. a.
In a fast or rapid manner; quickly; swiftly; extravagantly; wildly; as, to run fast; to live fast.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
16. n.
That which fastens or holds; especially, (Naut.) a mooring rope, hawser, or chain; -- called, according to its position, a bow, head, quarter, breast, or stern fast; also, a post on a pier around which hawsers are passed in mooring.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
17. n.
The shaft of a column, or trunk of pilaster.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
18. adj.
1 rapid, quick-moving. 2 capable of or intended for high speed (fast car; fast road). 3 (of a clock etc.) Ahead of the correct time. 4 (of a pitch etc.) Causing the ball to bounce quickly. 5 firm; firmly fixed or attached (fast knot; fast friendship). 6 (of a colour) not fading. 7 pleasure seeking, dissolute. 8 (of photographic film etc.) Needing only short exposure. adv. 1 quickly; in quick succession. 2 firmly, tightly (stand fast). 3 soundly, completely (fast asleep). pull a fast one colloq. Perpetrate deceit. [old english]
Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 1884
19. v.
Abstain from food, or certain food, for a time. n. Act or period of fasting. [old english]
Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 1884
20. slang
gay, spreeish, unsteady, thoughtless,—an Americanism that has of late ascended from the streets to the drawing-room. The word has certainly now a distinct meaning, which it had not thirty years ago. QUICK is the synonym for FAST, but a QUICK MAN would not convey the meaning of a FAST MAN,—a person who, by late hours, gaiety, and continual rounds of pleasure, lives too fast, and wears himself out. In polite society a FAST young lady is one who affects mannish habits, or makes herself conspicuous by some unfeminine accomplishment,—talks slang, drives about in London, smokes cigarettes, is knowing in dogs, horses, &c. An amusing anecdote is told of a fast young lady, the daughter of a right reverend prelate, who was an adept in horseflesh. Being desirous of ascertaining the opinion of a candidate for ordination, who had the look of a bird of the same feather, as to the merits of some cattle just brought to her father’s palace for her to select from, she was assured by him they were utterly unfit for a lady’s use. With a knowing look at the horses’ points, she gave her decision in these choice words, “Well, I agree with you; they _are_ a rum lot, as the devil said of the ten commandments.” Charles Dickens once said that “fast,” when applied to a young man, was only another word for loose, as he understood the term; and a fast girl has been defined as a woman who has lost her respect for men, and for whom men have lost their respect.
Source: The Slang Dictionary, 1864
21. slang
embarrassed, wanting money, tied up. Sometimes synonymous with “hard up.”—_Yorkshire._
Source: The Slang Dictionary, 1864

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Additional Info
This page provides a list of definitions and meanings for "fast" from various historical English dictionaries. By displaying multiple definitions, you can compare and contrast different meanings and nuances of a word, phrase, or slang. You can also see the changes in meaning of "fast" over time by viewing the definitions from different dictionaries published at different times in history. The page also includes other information to help users expand their vocabulary and understand the context of the word.

Important Notes
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