felon1
/ˈfɛlən
/noun
A person who has committed a felony.Such force was justifiable against 'felons', and a thief was a felon if he had two previous convictions....
- When a convicted felon commits a crime they take his DNA.
- Passengers discovered the man, a convicted felon on probation for burglary, hiding in an airplane restroom.
adjective [attributive] archaic
Cruel; wicked.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French, literally 'wicked, a wicked person' (oblique case of fel 'evil'), from medieval Latin fello, fellon-, of unknown origin. Compare with felon2.
Rhymes
felon2
/ˈfɛlən/noun
Archaic term for whitlow.A felon is an abscess of the distal pulp or phalanx pad of the fingertip....
- Empiric antibiotic coverage with a first-generation cephalosporin or antistaphylococcal penicillin usually is adequate treatment for an uncomplicated felon.
Origin
Middle English: perhaps a specific use of felon1; medieval Latin fello, fellon- had the same sense.