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Definition of fester verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fester

verb
 
/ˈfestə(r)/
 
/ˈfestər/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they fester
 
/ˈfestə(r)/
 
/ˈfestər/
he / she / it festers
 
/ˈfestəz/
 
/ˈfestərz/
past simple festered
 
/ˈfestəd/
 
/ˈfestərd/
past participle festered
 
/ˈfestəd/
 
/ˈfestərd/
-ing form festering
 
/ˈfestərɪŋ/
 
/ˈfestərɪŋ/
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  1. [intransitive] (of a wound or cut) to become painful and infected (= full of bacteria)
    • festering sores/wounds
    • If you don’t take the splinter out, it will fester.
  2. [intransitive] (of bad feelings or thoughts) to become much worse because you do not deal with them successfully
    • Instead of talking the matter over with him, she allowed her resentment to fester in her mind.
  3. Word Originlate Middle English: from the rare word fester ‘fistula’, later ‘festering sore’, or Old French festrir (verb), both from Old French festre (noun), from Latin fistula ‘pipe, reed, fistula’.
See fester in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
generic
adjective
 
 
From the Word list
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C1
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