n. [ OE. feste festival, holiday, feast, OF. feste festival, F. fête, fr. L. festum, pl. festa, fr. festus joyful, festal; of uncertain origin. Cf. Fair, n., Festal, Fête. ] 1. A festival; a holiday; a solemn, or more commonly, a joyous, anniversary. [ 1913 Webster ]

The seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. Ex. xiii. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. Luke ii. 41. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ An Ecclesiastical feast is called a immovable feast when it always occurs on the same day of the year; otherwise it is called a movable feast. Easter is a notable movable feast. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A festive or joyous meal; a grand, ceremonious, or sumptuous entertainment, of which many guests partake; a banquet characterized by tempting variety and abundance of food. [ 1913 Webster ]

Enough is as good as a feast. Old Proverb. [ 1913 Webster ]

Belshazzar the King made a great feast to a thousand of his lords. Dan. v. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is partaken of, or shared in, with delight; something highly agreeable; entertainment. [ 1913 Webster ]

The feast of reason, and the flow of soul. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Feast day, a holiday; a day set as a solemn commemorative festival.

Syn. -- Entertainment; regale; banquet; treat; carousal; festivity; festival. -- Feast, Banquet, Festival, Carousal. A feast sets before us viands superior in quantity, variety, and abundance; a banquet is a luxurious feast; a festival is the joyful celebration by good cheer of some agreeable event. Carousal is unrestrained indulgence in frolic and drink. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Feasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Feasting. ] [ OE. festen, cf. OF. fester to rest from work, F. fêter to celebrate a holiday. See Feast, n. ] 1. To eat sumptuously; to dine or sup on rich provisions, particularly in large companies, and on public festivals. [ 1913 Webster ]

And his sons went and feasted in their houses. Job. i. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be highly gratified or delighted. [ 1913 Webster ]

With my love's picture then my eye doth feast. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To entertain with sumptuous provisions; to treat at the table bountifully; as, he was feasted by the king. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To delight; to gratify; as, to feast the soul. [ 1913 Webster ]

Feast your ears with the music a while. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who fares deliciously. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who entertains magnificently. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Festive; festal; joyful; sumptuous; luxurious. “Feastful days.” Milton.

-- Feast"ful*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]