See Also: feel(medicine)
feel(2)(dictionary)
feel(1)(dictionary)
Look and Feel(money)
Feel Good About(money)
shot-feel(medicine)
fellow-feel(dictionary)
feel 1, verb(dictionary)
feel 2, noun(dictionary)
feel-good(dictionary)

feel(2) (iou)



feel verb. .
[Old English felan = Old Frisian fela, Old Saxon gifolian (Dutch voelen), Old High German fuolen (German fuhlen), from West Germanic.]
I.
verb trans. Touch, esp. with the hand or finger(s); examine or explore by touching. OE.
W. Trevor He felt the leaves of the rubber plant, taking them in turn between thumb and forefinger.
b. verb intrans. Use the hand, finger, or other part of the body to touch. L16.
M. Leitch He began to feel with his hands along the edges of the door.
c. verb trans. Touch or caress the genitals of (a person). Freq. foll. by up. slang. M20.
J. Kerouac We used to get next to pretty young daughters and feel them up in the kitchen.
verb trans. Test, discover, or ascertain by handling or touching; try to ascertain by touch whether, if, how. ME.
Oxford English Dictionary The surgeon felt if any bones were broken.
b. fig. Test or discover by cautious trial; sound out a person, the strength of an enemy, etc. Also foll. by out. ME.
D. Acheson Relations with him became easier..as we felt one another out.
verb intrans. Grope about; search in, for, etc., by touch. LME.
E. J. Howard He..felt hopefully in his pockets for pennies, but there were none.
b. verb trans. Ascertain the presence or nature of anything by or as by touch. Freq. foll. by out. M19.
H. R. Mill The form of the floor of the ocean has thus been gradually felt out point by point.
II.
verb trans. Perceive through physical sensation, esp. the sense of touch. OE.
J. Steinbeck She could feel his warm breath against her skin.
b. Perceive by taste or smell. obsolete exc. dial. ME.
E. B. Ramsay I feel a smell of tea.
c. verb intrans. Have or be capable of having sensations of touch. ME.
verb trans. Perceive mentally, become aware of. OE-E17.
verb trans. Be conscious of (a sensation, emotion, etc.); experience, undergo. Foll. by simple obj., obj. with inf. or (esp. adjective) compl., that. ME.
C. Marlowe I feel Thy words to comfort my distressed soul! Pope You..Shall feel your ruling passion strong in death. T. Hardy Not having exerted myself..I felt no sleepiness whatever. A. Carnegie I had never..felt the power and majesty of music to such a high degree.
b. verb trans. Be physically affected or injured by; be emotionally affected by; behave as if conscious of. LME.
Harper Lee Our mother died when I was two, so I never felt her absence. S. Bellow On my way home, feeling the vodka I've drunk.
c. verb intrans. with compl. Be conscious of being, regard oneself as. E19.
J. Herriot I felt rather a lout in my working clothes among the elegant gathering.
d. verb intrans. Be inclined to do. US. M19.
verb intrans. with compl. Have a particular notion; be in a particular frame of mind; have a sensation or experience as if, as though. ME.
G. B. Shaw I feel as if I were sitting on a volcano. C. P. Snow Sometimes I felt anxious about what was being said in there.
verb trans.
a. Think, hold as an opinion. LME-M16.
b. Have an impression or conviction of; believe that; consider to be. E17.
H. James I was certain you would comeI have felt it all day. D. H. Lawrence I feel you don't love him, dear. I'm almost sure you don't.
verb intrans. with compl. Be consciously perceived (esp. through the sense of touch) as; produce the sensation of being, give the impression of being; seem as if, as though. L16.
A. Caldcleugh The air felt chilly. M. Roberts It feels as though they've only been together for a little while.
verb intrans. Have one's sensibilities aroused; experience emotion; have sympathy with, have compassion for. E17.
Ld Macaulay A moderate party..had always felt very kindly towards the Protestant Dissenters. Y. Winters The insane, who sometimes perceive and feel with great intensity.
Phrases & comb.: feel a person's collar: see COLLAR noun. feel good: see GOOD adjective. feel-good (colloq., orig. US) adjective & noun (causing) a feeling of happiness and well-being; feel in one's bones: see BONE noun. feel like (a) feel as though, feel similar to; (b) desire (a thing), have an inclination towards doing. feel no pain slang be insensibly drunk. feel oneself be fit, confident, etc. feel oneself into enter imaginatively into, bring oneself to identify or empathize with. feel one's feet = find one's feet s.v. FIND verb. feel one's legs be conscious of one's powers, be at one's ease. feel one's oats: see OAT noun. feel one's way find one's way by groping; proceed cautiously. feel one's wings = feel one's legs above. feel small: see SMALL adjective. feel the draught, feel the pinch colloq. feel the adverse effects of changed (esp. financial) conditions. feel the pulse of feel an artery to ascertain the heartbeat rate (and so the state of health) of; fig. ascertain the intentions or sentiments of. feel the weight of: see WEIGHT noun. feel up to feel capable of or ready to face. feel wretched: see WRETCHED adjective 1 a. make one's presence felt have an effect on others, influence proceedings.
feelable adjective that can or may be felt LME.