foison

English

Etymology

From Middle English foisoun, from Old French foison, from Latin fūsiōnem. Doublet of fusion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɪzən/
• Rhymes: -ɔɪzən

Noun

foison (plural foisons)

1. (archaic) An abundance, a rich supply of.
   • 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oedipus Tyrannus; Or, Swellfoot The Tyrant: A Tragedy in Two Acts:

     The earth did never mean her foizon
     For those who crown life’s cup with poison
     Of fanatic rage and meaningless revenge—
     But for those radiant spirits, who are still
     The standard-bearers in the van of Change.

2. (archaic) Harvest.
   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 7:

     Gon. […] Treaſon, fellony, / Sword, Pike, Knife, Gun, or neede of any Engine / Would I not haue : but Nature ſhould bring forth / Of it owne kinde, all foyzon, all abundance / To feed my innocent people.

3. (chiefly Scotland) Strength, power.

Translations

abundance

• Occitan: abondi (oc) m, foison
• Russian: изоби́лие (ru) n (izobílije), хоро́ший урожа́й m (xoróšij urožáj)

strength, power

• Russian: мо́щь (ru) f (móščʹ), жизнеспосо́бность (ru) f (žiznesposóbnostʹ)

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French foison, from Old French foison, inherited from Latin fūsiōnem. Doublet of fusion, a borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fwa.zɔ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

foison f (uncountable)

1. (dated) abundance, great deal, load

   J’ai foison de copines ― I've got plenty of girlfriends.

Derived terms

• à foison
• foisonner
  • foisonnant

Further reading

• “foison”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French foison.

Noun

foison f (plural foisons)

1. much; a lot of

Descendants

• French: foison

Old French

Etymology

Inherited from Latin fūsiōnem.

Noun

foison oblique singular, f (oblique plural foisons, nominative singular foison, nominative plural foisons)

1. much; a lot of

Descendants

• Middle French: foison
  • French: foison
• → Middle English: foisoun
  • English: foison