Forms: 1 fǽttian, 3 south. vetten, 4 fatten, 4–6 fatte, (5 faat, 6 fate), 3, 6– fat. [OE. fǽttian, f. fǽtt FAT a.]
† 1. trans. As lit. rendering of Heb. ןשר dishshēn, Vulg. impinguare: To anoint, ‘make fat’ (the head); to load (an altar) with fat. Obs.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. xxii[i]. 5. Ðu faettades in ele heafud min.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter, xxii[i], 5. Þou fatted in oli mi heved ywhit.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xxxv. 8. The offring of the riȝtwis fatteth the auter.
1698. Norris, Pract. Disc., IV. 114. The Sacrifices with which they fatted their Altars.
† b. To bedaub with fat or grease; hence, transf. to cover thickly. Obs. rare.
a. 1661. Holyday, Juvenal, iii. 42.
| Durt fats my thighs: a clown treads on me, and | |
| A Souldier leaves his Boot-nail in my hand. |
2. intr. To grow or become fat. Also to fat up.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 128. Nout ase swin ipund ine sti uorte uetten & forte greaten aȝein þe cul of þer eax.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xli. (1495), 158. Yf the mylte mynysshyth and fadyth, the body fattyth.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., IV. (1586), 161. The harder they [fowl] lie, the sooner they fatte.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1673), 466. If they fat of their own accord, it hath been found that the tail of one of these Sheep have weighed ten or twenty pound.
1794. Washington, Lett., Writings, 1892, XIII. 24. The hogs which have been fatting.
1807. Vancouver, Agric. Devon (1813), 355. Proper time being allowed, [the native hog] will commonly fat to six score per quarter.
1825. Cobbett, Rur. Rides, 467. They were fatting on the grass.
fig. c. 1000. Ags. Ps. lxiv. 13 [lxv. 12]. Faettiað endas woestennes.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter, ibid., Fat sal faire of wildernes.
c. 1300. Song Husbandm., 32, in Pol. Songs (Camden), 151. Falsshipe fatteth.
1596. J. Norden, Progr. Pietie (1847), 139. The heaviness of sin, wherein they lie fatting in all delights.
1631. R. H., Arraignm. Whole Creature, xv. § 1. 251. Vanities, on which our Prodigall eates, but neyther feeds, fils, nor fats.
3. trans. To make fat, fatten; usually, to feed (animals) for use as food. Also to fat up.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 56. & my fedde foulez [arn] fatted with sclaȞt.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 562. To faat hem is avayling and plesaunte.
1515. Barclay, Egloges, i. (1570), A vj/3.
| We fede our hogges them after to deuour, | |
| When they be fatted by costes and labour. |
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., IV. 137 b. A heard of swine: which thei [Anabaptistes] fondly faine to haue ben fatted vp by the Lord here in this earth, without any hope of heauenly immortalitie.
1612. Dekker, If it be not good, Wks. 1873, III. 274–5.
| What flowes or’e | |
| Churles (with Gods mony) shall not feast, swill wine, | |
| And fat their rancke gutts whilest poor wretches pine. |
a. 1633. Lennard, trans. Charron’s Wisd., III. xiii. § 5 (1670), 436. The vigilancie and presence of the Master, saith the Proverb, fatteth the horse and the land.
1769. Gray, Jrnl. in Lakes, Wks. 1884, I. 278. Numbers of black cattle are fatted here [Craven], both of the Scotch breed and a larger sort of oxen with great horns.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), V. 172. The first who fatted up the peacock for the feasts of the luxurious.
1877. Baring-Gould, Myst. Suffering, 48. His ideal of beauty … was woman fatted on milk till she could not walk.
absol. c. 1440. Secrees, Prose Version (E.E.T.S.). Þese fattys and moystes: Rest of body, gladnesse of wyl [etc.].
1584. Lyly, Campaspe, I. ii. [Apelles] proueth that muche easier it is to fatte by colours, and telles of birdes that haue beeue fatted by paynted grapes.
fig. c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., 172.
| Who so wol preye, he moot faste and be clene, | |
| And fatte his soule and make his body lene. |
1553. Short Catech., in Liturgies, etc. Edw. VI. (Parker Soc.), 525. If they be watered, and fatted with the dew of Gods word.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Odour, ii. This broth of smells, that feeds and fats my minde.
b. refl. lit. and fig.
1567. Drant, Horace Epist., iii. C vj.
| I haue againste your home comminge a long deuoued cowe, | |
| Which graseth here within my groues and fattes her selfe for you. |
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 43. Fatting themselves with great and gainfull offices.
1679. Penn, Addr. Prot., II. v. (1692), 179. Not she that hath fatted her self with the Flesh of Saints, and died her Garments in the Blood of Martyrs.
c. Said of the food.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 61. Dieting þat fattiþ & makiþ him glad.
1528. Paynell, Salerne’s Regim., Q iij b. The substance or meate of cheries engendreth very good bludde, comforteth, and fattethe the bodye.
1633. J. Fisher, Fuimus Troes, Prol., in Hazl., Dodsley, XII. 451.
| Making your huge trunks | |
| To fat our crows, and dung our Latian fields. |
1708. J. Chamberlayne, The Present State of Great-Britain, I. 1. iii. (1743), 24. Knot-Grass …: Its long Knots will fat Swine.
1829. Bone Manure, Rep. Doncast. Com., 25. This improved and fatted the sheep.
absol. 1528. Paynell, Salerne’s Regim., G ij. Grene chese nourysheth and fattethe.
4. To fat off: to fatten for sale or slaughter.
1789. Trans. Soc. Encourag. Arts (ed. 2), II. 90. Bull steers … fed with hay during the labouring part of their lives … then fatted off.
1850. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., XI. II. 679. Decided to fat off the wethers as early as possible.
5. To enrich (the soil) with nutritious or stimulating elements; to fertilize.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 52 b. Horned clauer … fatteth the grownde.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., V. (ed. 7), 564. The floud Nilus, which by his inundations doth yeerely water and fatte the Countrie of Egypt, and maketh it meruailous fruitefull.
a. 1639. W. Whateley, Prototypes, I. iv. (1640), 30. If the sheepes dung did not fat the ground.
1648. Gage, West Ind., xviii. (1655), 135. Which with the ashes left after the burning fatteth the ground.
1808. J. Barlow, The Columbiad, V. 660.
| Till Austria’s titled hordes, with their own gore, | |
| Fat the fair fields they lorded long before. |
