FAINING

Verb

faining

present participle of fain

Source: Wiktionary


FAIN

Fain, a. Etym: [OE. fain, fagen, AS. fægen; akin to OS. fagan, Icel. faginn glad; AS. fægnian to rejoice, OS. faganon, Icel. fagna, Goth. faginon, cf. Goth. faheds joy; and fr. the same root as E. fair. Srr Fair, a., and cf. Fawn to court favor.]

1. Well-pleased; glad; apt; wont; fond; inclined. Men and birds are fain of climbing high. Shak. To a busy man, temptation is fainto climb up together with his business. Jer. Taylor.

2. Satisfied; contented; also, constrained. Shak. The learned Castalio was fain to make trechers at Basle to keep himself from starving. Locke.

Fain, adv.

Definition: With joy; gladly; -- with wold. He would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat. Luke xv. 16. Fain Would I woo her, yet I dare not. Shak.

Fain, v. t. & i.

Definition: To be glad ; to wish or desire. [Obs.] Whoso fair thing does fain to see. Spencer.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

14 May 2025

TERNARY

(adjective) having three units or components or elements; “a ternary operation”; “a treble row of red beads”; “overcrowding made triple sessions necessary”; “triple time has three beats per measure”; “triplex windows”


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Coffee Trivia

In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.

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