The Collaborative International Dictionary
Foin \Foin\, v. t.
To prick; to st?ng. [Obs.]
--Huloet.
Foin \Foin\, n.
A pass in fencing; a lunge. [Obs.]
--Shak.
Foin \Foin\ (foin), n. [F. fouine a marten.]
(Zo["o]l.) The beech marten ( Mustela foina). See Marten.
-
A kind of fur, black at the top on a whitish ground, taken from the ferret or weasel of the same name.[Obs.]
He came to the stake in a fair black gown furred and faced with foins.
--Fuller.
Foin \Foin\, v. i. [OE. foinen, foignen; of uncertain origin; cf. dial. F. fouiner to push for eels with a spear, fr. F. fouine an eelspear, perh. fr. L. fodere to dig, thrust.] To thrust with a sword or spear; to lunge. [Obs.]
He stroke, he soused, he foynd, he hewed, he lashed.
--Spenser.
They lash, they foin, they pass, they strive to bore
Their corselets, and the thinnest parts explore.
--Dryden.
Wiktionary
Etymology 1 n. (label en archaic) A thrust. vb. 1 (context archaic English) To thrust with a sword; to stab at. 2 (context archaic English) To prick; to sting. Etymology 2
n. 1 The beech marten ((taxlink Mustela foina species noshow=1)). 2 A kind of fur, black at the top on a whitish ground, taken from the ferret or weasel of the same name.
Usage examples of "foin".
And lightly they avoided their horses and rushed together, tracing, rasing, and foining.
Sailor-fashion, he had no armor on but a light morion and a cuirass, so he was not too much encumbered to prevent his springing to his legs instantly, and setting to work, cutting and foining right and left at every sound, for sight there was none.
And when Sir Palomides beheld his fellow's sword over-hylled with his blood it grieved him sore: some while they foined, some while they struck as wild men.
And anon as he did awake he waved and foined at Sir Launcelot as he lay, and said: Traitor knight, wit thou well I am not yet slain, come thou near me and perform this battle unto the uttermost.
And when they had stricken so together long, then they left their strokes, and foined at their breaths and visors.
Many of his robots had foined mine and he could be on the spot in minutes if needed and I'd like to see any band of outside robots withstand him.
So when they had rested them a while they yede to battle again, tracing, racing, foining as two boars.
And then they avoided their horses as noble knights, and dressed their shields, and drew their swords with ire and rancour, and they lashed together many sad strokes, and one while striking, another while foining, tracing and traversing as noble knights.
So then they fought long on foot, tracing and traversing, smiting and foining long without any rest.