fiants

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French fientes, plural of fiente (“dung”).

Noun

fiants (plural or uncountable)

1. (obsolete, hunting) The dung of the wolf, fox or badger.
   • 1575, Jacques du Fouilloux, “Of the words and termes of hunting […] Chap. 37.”, in George Gascoigne, transl., The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting. […], London: […] Thomas Purfoot, published 1611, →OCLC, pages 97-98:

     [If] they aske him how hee calleth the ordure of an Hart, Raindeare, Gote, or fallow Deare, he shall answere that they are to be called the fewmet or fewmishings […] Of other vermine or stinking chases, as Foxes, Badgers and such like, they are called the feance […]

   • 1575, Jacques du Fouilloux, “Of the nature and properties of a Foxe and a Badgerd. Chap. 66”, in George Gascoigne, transl., The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting. […], London: […] Thomas Purfoot, published 1611, →OCLC, page 184:

     [Badgers] cast their fiants longer somewhat like a Fox […]

   • 1575, Jacques du Fouilloux, “How to hunt them [wolves]. Chap. 76”, in George Gascoigne, transl., The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting. […], London: […] Thomas Purfoot, published 1611, →OCLC, pages 215-6:

     A man may know a dogge-wolfe from a bitch […] the Bitche casteth hyr fiants commonly in the middest of an high way, whereas the dog casteth them on the one or other side of the path.

   • 1630, John Taylor, “The Huntsmans-SHIP; or Woodman-SHIP, with her Squadron or Regiment”, in All the vvorkes of Iohn Taylor the water-poet […] , page 93:

     […] a Deeres Fewmets, a Bore, or Beares Leasses, a Hare or Conneys Crottores, a Foxe or a Badgers Feance, and an Otters ^?aintes […]

   • 1686, Richard Blome, “Hunting, part III, chapter XI, Hunting the BADGER.”, in The gentlemans recreation, page 89:

     And these sort of Badgers where they have their Earths, use to cast their Fiants or Dung in a small hole, and cover it, whereas the Dog-Badgers make their Fiants at a good distance from their Burrows, which are deep, with variety of Chambers, Holes and Angles.

   • 1818, John Lawrence, British Field Sports: Embracing Practical Instructions in Shooting, Hunting, Coursing, Racing, Cocking, Fishing, &c., page 448:

     He seldom travels above a mile or two from home, and generally to open pastures, and feeding grounds, in which the dung of the Cattle being turned over, is a sign the Badger has been there; or when heaps of moss appear collected in Cover, the fiants of the Animal being also observed.

References

• “fiants”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Fantis, faints, finsta, fitnas