Fart

Pronunciation

• UK enPR: fä(r)t, IPA: /fɑː(ɹ)t/
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)t

Origin

From Middle English ferten, farten, from Old English *feortan (in feorting (verbal noun)), from Proto-Germanic *fertaną (compare German farzen, furzen, Norwegian fjert), from Proto-Indo-European *perd-, *pérde. Cognate to Welsh rhech, Albanian pjerdh, Russian пердеть, French péter, Ancient Greek πέρδομαι, Sanskrit पर्दते.

Full definition of fart

Verb

1. (informal, mildly vulgar) To emit digestive gases from the anus; to flatulate.
• 1728, Jonathan Swift, "A Dialogue between Mad Mullinix and Timothy":I fart with twenty ladies by;They call me beast; and what care I?
2. (colloquial, usually as "fart around") To waste time with idle and inconsequential tasks; to go about one's activities in a lackadaisical manner; to be lazy or over-relaxed in one's manner or bearing.

Synonyms

Noun

1. (informal) An emission of digestive gases from the anus; a flatus. from 15th c.
• 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.12:Metrocles somewhat indiscreetly, as he was disputing in his Schole, in presence of his auditory, let a fart, for shame whereof he afterwards kept his house and could not be drawen abroad ....
2. (colloquial, vulgar) An irritating person; a fool.
3. (colloquial, vulgar, potentially offensive) (usually as "old fart") An elderly person; especially one perceived to hold old-fashioned views.

Synonyms

Derived terms

• armpit fart
• brain fart
• duck fart
• fanny fart
• farter
• farting
• fart sack
• nun fart
• old fart
• sparrow-fart

Anagrams

• frat
• raft
• RTFA
• traf, TRAF