at one fell swoop
51fell — I [[t]fɛl[/t]] v. pt. of fall II fell [[t]fɛl[/t]] v. t. 1) to knock, strike, shoot, or cut down; cause to fall: to fell a moose; to fell a tree[/ex] 2) clo (in sewing) to finish (a seam) by sewing the edge down flat • Etymology: bef. 900; ME; OE …
52fell — fell1 past of fall. fell2 verb 1》 cut down (a tree). ↘knock down. 2》 (also flat fell) stitch down (the edge of a seam) to lie flat. noun an amount of wood cut. Derivatives feller noun Origin OE fellan, of Gmc origin; related to …
53fell — {{11}}fell (adj.) cruel, late 13c., from O.Fr. fel cruel, fierce, vicious, from M.L. fello villain (see FELON (Cf. felon)). Phrase at one fell swoop is from Macbeth. {{12}}fell (n.1) “rocky hill,” c.1300, from O.N. fiall “mountain,” from… …
54fell — 1. past of FALL v. 2. v. & n. v.tr. 1 cut down (esp. a tree). 2 strike or knock down (a person or animal). 3 stitch down (the edge of a seam) to lie flat. n. an amount of timber cut. Derivatives: feller n. Etymology: OE fellan f. Gmc, rel. to… …
55swoop — See: AT ONE FELL SWOOP …
56swoop — See: AT ONE FELL SWOOP …
57fell — 1. verb /fɛl/ a) To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree. To fell seam allowances, catch the lining underneath before emerging 1/4 (6mm) ahead, and 1/8 (3mm) to 1/4 (6mm) into the seam allowance. b) To stitch down a protruding flap …
58swoop — See: at one fell swoop …
59swoop — verb 1》 (especially of a bird) move rapidly downwards through the air. ↘carry out a sudden raid. 2》 informal seize with a sweeping motion. noun an act of swooping. Phrases at (or in) one fell swoop see fell4. Origin C16 (in the sense sweep… …
60fell — See: AT ONE FELL SWOOP …
