felon

Meanings

Noun

• A person who has committed a felony.
• A person who has been tried and convicted of a felony.
• A wicked person.
• A bacterial infection at the end of a finger or toe.

Adjective

• wicked; cruel

Related

Similar words

• criminal; convict; malefactor; culprit

Origin

• From Middle English felun, feloun, from Anglo-Norman felun ("traitor, wretch"), from Medieval Latin fellō, from Frankish *fellō ("wicked person"), from Proto-Germanic *fillô, *filjô, from Proto-Germanic *faluz ("cruel, evil") (compare English fell ("fierce"), Middle High German vālant ("imp")), related to *fellaną (compare Dutch villen, German fillen ("to whip, beat"), both from Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂- ("to stir, move, swing") (compare Old Irish ad·ella, di·ella, Umbrian pelsatu, Latin pellō ("to drive, beat"), Latvian lijuôs, plītiês, Ancient Greek πέλας ("near"), πίλναμαι, Old Armenian հալածեմ ("I pursue").
• Probably from Latin fel ("gall, poison").