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Webster 1913 Edition


Comfit

Com′fit

,
Noun.
[F.
confit
, prop. a p. p., fr.
confire
to preserve, pickle, fr. L.
conficere
to prepare;
con-
+
facere
to make. See
Fact
, and cf.
Confect
.]
A dry sweetmeat; any kind of fruit, root, or seed preserved with sugar and dried; a confection.

Com′fit

,
Verb.
T.
To preserve dry with sugar.
The fruit which does so quickly waste, . . .
Thou
comfitest
in sweets to make it last.
Cowley.

Webster 1828 Edition


Comfit

COMFIT

,

Definition 2024


comfit

comfit

English

Noun

comfit (plural comfits)

  1. A confection consisting of a nut, seed or fruit coated with sugar.
    • Proverb, quoted in Robert Christy, Proverbs, Maxims and Phrases of All Ages, New York, London: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1887,
      A bean in liberty is better than a comfit in prison.
    • c. 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1, Act III, Scene 1,
      Heart! you swear like a comfit-maker's wife.
    • 1869, Louisa May Alcott, "Perilous Play,"
      "Why, what are they?" she asked, looking at him askance. ¶ "Hashish; did you never hear of it?" ¶ "Oh, yes; it's that Indian stuff which brings one fantastic visions, isn't it? I've always wanted to see and taste it, and now I will," cried Belle, nibbling at one of the bean-shaped comfits with its green heart.
    • 1922, James Elroy Flecker, The Story of Hassan of Baghdad and How he Came to Make the Golden Journey to Samarkand, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Act I, p. 17,
      But since I ate your present of comfits—and they were admirable comfits, and I ate them with speed—my heart is changed and inclined toward you, I know not why or how, except it be through magic.
Related terms

See also

Verb

comfit (third-person singular simple present comfits, present participle comfiting, simple past and past participle comfited)

  1. (transitive) To preserve dry with sugar.
    • 17th c, Abraham Cowley, The First Nemeæan Ode of Pindar: The Muse, 1795, Robert Anderson (editor), The Works of the British Poets, Volume 5, page 302,
      The fruit which does ſo quickly waſte, // Men ſcarce can ſee it, much leſs taſte, // Thou comfiteſt in ſweets to make it laſt.

Etymology 2

Acronym, from Computer Facial Identification Techniques.

Noun

comfit (plural comfits)

  1. (Australia) A computerised image of a suspect produced for the police force.

References

  1. "comfit", entry in Online Etymology Dictionary.