farewell

plural farewells · alternative obsolete farewel

1. A wish of happiness or safety at parting, especially a permanent departure.

   He bid farewell to all of his fans.

   2 more examples

   The departure was not unduly prolonged.[…]Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments on the subject of Divine Intention in the disposition of buckets; farewells and last commiserations; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity.

   1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC

   The last train—a three-coach A.E.C. unit—from Belfast to Crumlin and back, was bade farewell with fog signals as it carried a capacity crowd of last-trip travellers.

   1960 November, L. Hyland, “The Irish Scene”, in Trains Illustrated, page 691

   Synonyms: goodbye, adieu, vale, leave

2. A departure; the act of leaving.

   Before I take my farewell of the subject.

   September 14, 1710, Joseph Addison, The Examiner No. 1

   1 more example

   See how the morning opes her golden gates, And takes her farewell of the glorious sun.

   c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]

   Synonyms: leave

alternative obsolete farewel

1. not comparableParting, valedictory, final.

   a farewell discourse;  the band's farewell tour

   2 more examples

   “I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”.

   1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC

   But with the first gray light of dawn he arose; and before drawing the white sheet veilingly over, he took a last farewell look at that angel face.

   1858, John Saunders, Westland Marston, The National Magazine, volume 3, page 133

alternative obsolete farewel

1. Goodbye

   He said "Farewell!" and left.

   2 more examples

   So farewell hope, and with hope, farewell fear.

   1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   Fareweel, my rhyme-compoſing billie! Your native ſoil was right ill-willie; But may ye flouriſh like a lily, Now bonilie! I'll toaſt ye in my hindmoſt gillie, Tho' owre the Sea!

   1786 July 31, Robert Burns, “On a Scotch Bard Gone to the West Indies”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire: Printed by John Wilson, →OCLC; reprinted Kilmarnock: James McKie, March 1867, →OCLC, page 184

   Synonyms: adieu, vale

present singular third person farewells · participle present farewelling · participle past farewelled · past farewelled · alternative obsolete farewel

1. To bid farewell or say goodbye.

   He farewelled viewers with a warm sign-off after each bulletin: "May your news be good news, and goodnight."

   2009 February 9, Neil Wilson and staff writers, “Tributes for newsman Brian Naylor and wife, killed in fires”, in Herald Sun, archived from the original on 11 Feb 2009

1. A hamlet in Farewell and Chorley parish, Lichfield district, Staffordshire, England (OS grid ref SK0811).
2. A surname.