faggot, n. and adj.
a. A bundle of sticks, twigs, or brushwood tied together for use as fuel.See also fire faggot n. at fire n. and int. Compounds 2a.
c1312—2014(Hide quotations)
b. A long, cylindrical bundle of twigs or brushwood used in construction or military operations, esp. for filling in marshy ground or for strengthening the sides of embankments, ditches, or trenches. Now historical and rare.
1408–9—1951(Hide quotations)
a. A faggot (sense A. 1a), used in the burning alive of people regarded as heretics; (hence by metonymy, in singular with the) this method of execution. Also, esp. in to carry (also bear) a faggot and variants: a punishment in which a person regarded as a heretic, or a person who has recanted heresy, must publicly carry a faggot for a certain time as a mark of shame. Cf. stake n.1 1b. Now historical.See also fire and faggot at Phrases 1 and to fry a faggot at Phrases 2.
?a1425—1999(Hide quotations)
b. An embroidered or painted figure of a faggot, which people regarded as heretics, or those who had recanted heresy, were obliged to wear on their sleeve. Chiefly historical. Now rare.
1570—2003(Hide quotations)
a. A bundle or bunch of reeds, herbs, flowers, etc.; esp. a small bunch of herbs for seasoning a dish. More generally: a bundle of anything bound or clustered together.
1447–8—2012(Hide quotations)
b. Metallurgy. A bundle of iron or steel rods bound together, in later use often containing scrap metal to be reused. Now historical.Formerly: spec. such a bundle weighing 120 lb (approx. 54.4 kg).
1540—2011(Hide quotations)
c. Newfoundland. A stack of split and salted whole cod (arranged with their skins facing outwards) which have been exposed to the sun at various stages during the drying process. Cf. water horse n. 2.Also (Canadian regional) with reference to pollack being prepared and stacked in a similar manner; see quot. 1851.
1667—1996(Hide quotations)
†4. A long, thin strip of candied orange or lemon peel; a small bundle of such strips. Obsolete.
1702—1861(Hide quotations)
5. A ball or (occasionally) patty of chopped or minced meat (esp. pig's liver or other offal), mixed with bread, suet, herbs, etc., and sometimes wrapped in caul fat. Cf. rissole n. Usually in plural.
1815—2004(Hide quotations)
6. figurative and in figurative contexts. A collection of people or things considered or treated as though bound together in a group or class. Cf. bunch n.1 4, bundle n. 3a. Now rare.Often used contemptuously.
1548—1939(Hide quotations)
7. British Army. A man who is temporarily hired as a dummy soldier to make up the required number at a muster of troops, or on the roll of a company or regiment. Cf. passe-volant n. 2. Now historical and rare.Probably with reference to the use of faggots of wood to fill ditches, etc. (see sense A. 1b and cf. quot. a1625).
1689—1987(Hide quotations)
a. Chiefly Irish English, Scottish, and English regional. derogatory. A woman, esp. one considered to be troublesome, useless, or slatternly; frequently with modifying adjective, as old faggot, lazy faggot, etc. Often as a term of abuse or contempt. Occasionally also with reference to a man or an animal. Cf. bundle n. 2g.Earliest in appositive use.Earlier currency is perhaps indicated by quot. 1591, which may represent an example of or a pun on sense A. 2a.
1722—1996(Hide quotations)
b. English regional (southern and south-eastern), Scottish, and Irish English (northern). A naughty or mischievous child, esp. in young faggot, little faggot, etc. Frequently as a term of rebuke or reproach.
1859—1990(Hide quotations)
c. slang (originally and chiefly North American). Frequently derogatory and offensive. A homosexual man, sometimes spec. one considered to be effeminate; (occasionally) a lesbian. Also more generally: any man considered to be effeminate; (as a term of abuse or contempt) a weak or cowardly man or boy; a sissy. Cf. fag n.5
The usual sense in North America.Sometimes (esp. in later use) used as a more neutral or positive term, esp. of self-reference, by homosexual men. Cf. adjectival use at sense B.Dated to 1905 in E. Partridge Slang To-day & Yesterday (1937) (in ed. 1 (1933) dated to 1915), but without supporting evidence. In quots. 19131, 19132 with reference to young men performing a song and dance in drag.
1913—2003(Hide quotations)
9. British Politics. A vote for a particular candidate or party fraudulently contrived by nominally transferring sufficient property to a person who would not otherwise be qualified to vote; = faggot vote n. Now historical.
1775—1997(Hide quotations)
†10. Nautical. A place where casks are stored. Obsolete. rare.
1867—1867(Hide quotations)
11. English regional (Cornwall). A clandestine or dishonest arrangement or agreement. Cf. faggot v. 6. rare.
1880—1880(Hide quotations)
slang (originally and chiefly North American). Frequently derogatory and offensive. Of, characteristic of, or relating to homosexual people, esp. men; designating a homosexual person, esp. a man. Also more generally of any man, esp. as a term of abuse or contempt: effeminate; (in extended use) lacking power or vigour; weak, cowardly; ineffectual. Cf. fag adj.Sometimes (esp. in later use) used as a more neutral or positive term, esp. of self-reference, by homosexual men; see, for example, quot. 1987.
1948—2012(Hide quotations)
Phrases
P1. fire and faggot (also faggots) and variants: the punishment of being burnt alive for heresy; cf. sense A. 2a and fire n. 11. Now historical.A Parliament held in Leicester in 1414 passed the Suppression of Heresy Act (2 Hen. V St. 1, c.7) which called for the hanging and burning at the stake of heretics, esp. Lollards. It was nicknamed the ‘Fire and Faggot Parliament’, but this does not seem to have been a name used at the time.
1528—2010(Hide quotations)
†P2. to fry a faggot : to be burnt alive for heresy. Obsolete.
1554—1859(Hide quotations)
Compounds
C1. General attributive and objective.
?1518—2015(Hide quotations)
† faggot brief n. Law colloquial Obsolete a dummy brief (brief n.1 7a) used by a barrister who is not engaged on a case, in order to appear employed; cf. sense A. 7.
1844—1869(Hide quotations)
faggot drain n. a drain made by placing faggots (see sense A. 1b) at the bottom of a trench and then covering them with earth.
1802—1993(Hide quotations)
faggot filling stitch n. Embroidery a decorative stitch used to fill a large area, consisting of a series or group of stitches each resembling a bundle of sticks, formed by sewing three small vertical stitches and joining them together in the middle with one or two horizontal ones.More usually called sheaf stitch, sheaf filling stitch.
1934—2006(Hide quotations)
faggot iron n. Metallurgy (now historical) iron in the form of bars or masses, produced by welding together a faggot of iron (see sense A. 3b).Cf. faggoted adj. 2.
c1503—2013(Hide quotations)
† faggot-spray n. Obsolete rare small twigs or pieces of brushwood discarded when making faggots.
1669—1669(Hide quotations)
faggot steel n. Metallurgy (now historical) steel in the form of bars or masses, produced by welding together a faggot (see sense A. 3b); (also) steel contained in a faggot, esp. if suitable for welding together in this way.Cf. faggoted adj. 2.
1765—2007(Hide quotations)
faggot stitch n. (a) Needlework a decorative stitch used to join two pieces of material together, in which the thread is crossed or twisted when forming each stitch to create a lace-like open network between the two pieces; (b) Knitting a stitch used to create loose, lacy work.
1854—2007(Hide quotations)
faggot stitching n. Needlework the action or result of ornamenting fabric or a garment using faggot stitch (faggot stitch n. (a)).
1891—2013(Hide quotations)
† faggot-waisted adj. Obsolete rare (of a garment) having a series of pleats at the waist resembling a bundle of sticks.
1581—1581(Hide quotations)