# fist

> English word · Noun · IPA /fɪst/ · frequency rank #8,423

## Definitions
1. A hand with the fingers clenched or curled inward.
2. Synonym of manicule.
3. The characteristic signaling rhythm of an individual telegraph or CW operator when sending Morse code.
4. A person's characteristic handwriting.
5. A group of men.
6. The talons of a bird of prey.
7. An attempt at something.

## Etymology
From Middle English fist, from Old English fȳst (“fist”), from Proto-West Germanic *fūsti, of uncertain origin.
Cognates
Cognate with Yola fest, hist (“fist”), Saterland Frisian Fäste, Fääste (“fist”), Central Franconian Fuus (“fist”), Cimbrian bòista, vòista (“fist”), Dutch vuist (“fist”), German Faust (“fist”), German Low German Fuust (“fist”), Luxembourgish Fauscht (“fist”), Yiddish פֿויסט (foyst, “fist”). More at five.

## Easily confused with
- **FS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fs)
- **fit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fit)
- **fix** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fix)
- **FSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fsa)
- **FSB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fsb)
- **fut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fut)
- **five** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-five)
- **foot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-foot)
- **flat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-flat)
- **fort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fort)
- **fits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fits)
- **font** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-font)
- **fuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fuse)
- **fuss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fuss)
- **fret** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fret)
- **frat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-frat)
- **fizz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-fizz)
- **FOSS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-foss)
- **FTSE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-ftse)
- **frost** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fist-vs-frost)

## Common misspellings (5)
`ffist`, `fisst`, `fistt`, `fsit`, `ifst`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fist