feal

F4E1A1L1
/fiːl/

adjective

(of things) Cosy; clean; neat.

OriginMiddle English fele ← Old English fǣle ← Proto-West Germanic *failī →
UncommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

feal1

adjectivefeal (comparative fealer or more feal, superlative fealest or most feal)

comparative fealer · comparative more feal · superlative fealest · superlative most feal · alternative feil · alternative feel · alternative feele · alternative fiel

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandUKdialectal(of things) Cosy; clean; neat.

    But if it stands in humble hame The bed, — I'll say this far in't, — Is clean and feel as ony lair King ever lay on — and that is mair Than mony ane could warrant.

    1847, Henry Scott Riddell, Poems, songs and miscellaneous pieces
  2. Northern EnglandScotlandUKdialectal(of persons) Comfortable; cosy; safe.

    […] when I care na to accompany ye to the kirkyard hole mysel, and take my word for't, ye'Il lie saftest and fealest on the Buittle side of the kirk; […]

    1822, Allan Cunningham, “Death of the Laird Of Warlsworm”, in Traditional Tales of the English and Scottish Peasantry, volume 2, page 330
  3. Northern EnglandScotlandUKdialectalSmooth; soft; downy; velvety.
adverbfeal (comparative fealer or more feal, superlative fealest or most feal)

comparative fealer · comparative more feal · superlative fealest · superlative most feal · alternative feil · alternative feel · alternative feele · alternative fiel

  1. In a feal manner.

feal2

verbfeal (third-person singular simple present feals, present participle fealing, simple past and past participle fealed)

present singular third person feals · participle present fealing · participle past fealed · past fealed

  1. dialectaltransitiveTo hide.

    He that feals can find. Pro. i. e He that hides, &c.

    1768, John Ray, A Compleat Collection of English Proverbs: Also the Most Celebrated Proverbs of the Scotch, Italian, French, Spanish, and Other Languages. The Whole Methodically Digested and Illustrated with Annotations, and Proper Explanations, page 29

feal3

verbfeal (third-person singular simple present feals, present participle fealing, simple past fale or fealed, past participle folen or fealed)

present singular third person feals · participle present fealing · past fale · past fealed · participle past folen · participle past fealed

  1. obsoleteTo press on, advance.

    Durst none of them further feal.

    1338, Robert Mannyng, Mannyng's Chronicle

feal4

adjectivefeal (comparative fealer or more feal, superlative fealest or most feal)

comparative fealer · comparative more feal · superlative fealest · superlative most feal

  1. archaicFaithful, loyal.

    France, and froward Ireland, with our English land, / Are feal subjects to your royal hand.

    1877, Edward Arber, An English Garner: The voyages of Sir William Hawkins ...

feal5

nounfeal (plural feals)

plural feals

  1. alternativeAlternative form of fail (“piece of turf cut from grassland”)

Origin

feal · adjective, adverb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pey-“to adore”
  2. Proto-Germanic*failijaz“true, friendly, familiar, good”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*failī
  4. Old Englishfǣle“faithful, trusty, good; dear, beloved”
  5. Middle Englishfele
  6. Englishfeal

From Middle English fele, fæle (“proper, of the right sort”), from Old English fǣle (“faithful, trusty, good; dear, beloved”), from Proto-West Germanic *failī, from Proto-Germanic *failijaz (“true, friendly, familiar, good”), from Proto-Indo-European *pey- (“to adore”). Cognate with Scots feel, feelie (“cosy, neat, clean, comfortable”), West Frisian feilich (“safe”), Dutch veil (“for-sale”), Dutch veilig (“safe”), German feil (“for-sale”), Latin pīus (“good, dutiful, faithful, devout, pious”).

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feal · verb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pele(w)-
  2. Proto-Germanic*felhaną“to conceal, hide, bury, trust, intrude”
  3. Old Norsefela“to hide”
  4. Middle Englishfelen
  5. Englishfeal

From Middle English felen, from Old Norse fela (“to hide”), from Proto-Germanic *felhaną (“to conceal, hide, bury, trust, intrude”), from Proto-Indo-European *pele(w)-, *plē(w)- (“to hide”). Cognate with Old High German felahan (“to pass, trust, sow”), Old English fēolan (“to cleave, enter, penetrate”).

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feal · verb

  1. Proto-Germanic*felhaną
  2. Old Englishfēolan“to cleave, enter, penetrate”
  3. Middle Englishfelen“to come at (one's enemies), advance”
  4. Englishfeal

From Middle English felen (“to come at (one's enemies), advance”), from Old English fēolan (“to cleave, enter, penetrate”), from Proto-Germanic *felhaną.

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feal · adjective

  1. Latinfidelis
  2. Old Frenchfeal
  3. Early Scotsfeal
  4. Middle Scotsfeal
  5. Englishfeal

Borrowed from Middle Scots feal, from Early Scots feal, from Old French feal, collateral form of feeil, from Latin fidelis.

More words from Middle Scots, Early Scots, Old French

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feal · noun

Unknown; see fail.

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Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with feal

realmobilefeeldealsteelappealwheelsealmealNeilrevealreelstealheelpeelhealnealsteelerepealtealsurrealcelalleleLille
All rhymes →

Anagrams

leaffleaLafe
Cite this entry
APA

feal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feal

MLA

“feal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feal. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “feal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feal.

Source: feal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.