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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
feint
I.noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ As a rule of thumb, always use a rear foot kick after a feint.
▪ But until the weather here turns cool again and the race heats up, look for a steady stream of empty feints.
▪ Disguise Disguise your steps with feints that make the opponent blink, or which divert his attention elsewhere.
▪ I talked to every parent but her, and every word was a feint to conceal my obsession.
▪ Lord George Murray's march had indeed been a feint.
▪ One false feint to the groin, then up and round in a semi-arc to slice the enemy between helmet and hauberk.
▪ One might well conclude the dismissal was a feint, a hollow gesture to allay perceived public outrage.
II.verb
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ And while they feint at shadows, I will be busy with the substance.
▪ He feinted once, then, with great speed and strength behind the throw, hurled the spear.
▪ Striped in a tiger mask, he feinted across the counter at Melanie; she bit off an exclamation.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Feint

Feint \Feint\, n. [F. feinte, fr. feint. See Feint, a.]

  1. That which is feigned; an assumed or false appearance; a pretense; a stratagem; a fetch.

    Courtley's letter is but a feint to get off.
    --Spectator.

  2. A mock blow or attack on one part when another part is intended to be struck; -- said of certain movements in fencing, boxing, war, etc.

Feint

Feint \Feint\, v. i. To make a feint, or mock attack.

Feint

Feint \Feint\, a. [F. feint, p. p. of feindre to feign. See Feign.] Feigned; counterfeit. [Obs.]

Dressed up into any feint appearance of it.
--Locke.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
feint

1670s, "a false show, assumed appearance;" 1680s as "a pretended blow, movement made to deceive an opponent as to the object of an attack," from French feinte "a feint, sham, fabrication, pretense," abstract noun from Old French feint "false, deceitful; sham, artificial; weak, faint, lazy, indolent" (13c.), originally fem. past participle of feindre "pretend, shirk" (see feign).\n

\nBorrowed c.1300 as adjective ("deceitful," also "enfeebled; lacking in courage;" see feint (v.)), but long obsolete in that sense except as a trade spelling of faint among stationers and paper-makers. Also as a noun in Middle English with senses "false-heartedness" (early 14c.), "bodily weakness" (c.1400).

feint

c.1300, feinten, "to deceive, pretend" (obsolete), also "become feeble or exhausted; to lack spirit or courage," from Middle English feint (adj.) "feigned, false, counterfeit" and directly from Old French feint "false, deceitful; weak, lazy," past participle of feindre "to hesitate, falter; lack courage; feign, pretend, simulate" (see feign). Sense of "make a sham attack, make a pretended blow" is attested by 1833, from the noun (1680s as "a feigned attack"). Related: Feinted; feinting.

Wiktionary
feint
  1. 1 (context obsolete English) Feigned; counterfeit. 2 (context fencing boxing war English) (of an attack) directed toward a different part from the intended strike n. 1 A movement made to confuse the opponent, a dummy 2 That which is feigned; an assumed or false appearance; a pretense; a stratagem; a fetch. 3 (context fencing boxing war English) An offensive movement resembling an attack in all but its continuance 4 The narrowest rule used in the production of lined writing paper (C19: Variant of FAINT) v

  2. To make a feint, or mock attack.

WordNet
feint
  1. n. any distracting or deceptive maneuver (as a mock attack)

  2. v. deceive by a mock action; "The midfielder feinted to shoot"

Wikipedia
Feint

Feint is a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or even none, will. In military tactics and many types of combat, there are two types of feints: feint attacks and feint retreats.

Usage examples of "feint".

Harphaxi mercenary cavalry made a brief feint toward the left of the Hostigi force, but the arquebusiers let fly, their volley felling two score of horses and emptying a few saddles.

The venom of murderous intent could be stalled, outwilled through doubleblind logic and feint.

Each of the adversaries seemed to await some movement on the part of the other, and the Federal commander made heavy feints against both the Confederate right and left, with the view of discovering some weak point, or of inducing Lee to lay himself open to attack.

The feints and slight encounters preceding the battle of Fredericksburg are not of much interest or importance.

He punched at the keyboard, programming a few short grav-drive feints to keep them occupied.

He had devised a complicated plan of attack involving feints and counterfeints and was eager to try out his newfound military skills.

There would be no more feints and jabs, no more combinations and exchanges.

The others backed off to give them room as Ori hacked with all his might, recovered as the blow was deflected and again attacked, feinted and this time his blow was true.

A griffon darted in for the kill, hurtling toward Lockram as he feinted away from the coach.

Yaran and Mazil - feinting at the beast with spears, trying without success to lure it forward.

Again he made a feint, which Kane, distracted by the mutilated mouth, again parried awkwardly.

The main gun moved in its gyro-controlled cradle, a feint humming whine as the mantlet moved, the breech riding up smoothly.

Avall gasped, as he feinted around Rann to knock the ball toward the glass wall.

Again and again, by feint of foot and hand and body he continued to inveigle Sandel into leaping back, ducking, or countering.

He feinted with his left, drew the answering duck and swinging upward hook, then made the half-step backward, delivered the upper cut full to the face and crumpled Sandel over to the mat.