Adjacent Words

Farewell definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FA'REWELL, a compound of fare, in the imperative, and well. Go well; originally applied to a person departing, but by custom now applied both to those who depart and those who remain. It expresses a kind wish, a wish of happiness to those who leave or those who are left.
The verb and adverb are often separated by the pronoun; fare you well; I wish you a happy departure; may you be well in your absence.
It is sometimes an expression of separation only. Farewell the year; farewell ye sweet groves; that is, I take my leave of you.
FA'REWELL, n.
1. A wish of happiness or welfare at parting; the parting compliment; adieu.
2. Leave; act of departure.
And takes her farewell of the glorious sun.
Before I take my farewell of the subject.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting [syn: farewell, word of farewell]
2: the act of departing politely; "he disliked long farewells"; "he took his leave"; "parting is such sweet sorrow" [syn: farewell, leave, leave-taking, parting]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb imperative Date: 14th century get along well — used interjectionally to or by one departing II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a wish of well-being at parting ; good-bye 2. a. an act of departure ; leave-taking b. a formal occasion honoring a person about to leave or retire III. transitive verb Date: 1580 chiefly Australian & New Zealand to bid farewell to IV. adjective Date: 1669 of or relating to leave-taking ; final <a farewell performance>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

int. & n. --int. goodbye, adieu. --n. 1 leave-taking, departure (also attrib. : a farewell kiss). 2 parting good wishes. Etymology: ME f. imper. of FARE + WELL(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Farewell Fare`well", interj. [Fare (thou, you) + well.] Go well; good-by; adieu; -- originally applied to a person departing, but by custom now applied both to those who depart and those who remain. It is often separated by the pronoun; as, fare you well; and is sometimes used as an expression of separation only; as, farewell the year; farewell, ye sweet groves; that is, I bid you farewell. So farewell hope, and with hope, farewell fear. --Milton. Fare thee well! and if forever, Still forever fare thee well. --Byron. Note: The primary accent is sometimes placed on the first syllable, especially in poetry.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Farewell Fare`well", n. 1. A wish of happiness or welfare at parting; the parting compliment; a good-by; adieu. 2. Act of departure; leave-taking; a last look at, or reference to something. And takes her farewell of the glorious sun. --Shak. Before I take my farewell of the subject. --Addison.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Farewell Fare"well`, a. Parting; valedictory; final; as, a farewell discourse; his farewell bow. Leans in his spear to take his farewell view. --Tickell. Farewell rock (Mining), the Millstone grit; -- so called because no coal is found worth working below this stratum. It is used for hearths of furnaces, having power to resist intense heat. --Ure.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(farewells) Farewell means the same as goodbye. (LITERARY, OLD-FASHIONED) CONVENTION • Farewell is also a noun. They said their farewells there at the cafe. N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

far-wel' (chairo), Fare ye, or thou, well: Originally a wish at parting for those faring forth (traveling):

(1) As a parting wish at the close of a letter it represents the Greek err(h)oso, "Be strong," imperative of rhonnumi, "to make strong" (Ac 15:29; 23:30 the King James Version; see the Revised Version, margin; 2 Macc 11:21); once chairete (imperative of chairo), "Rejoice!" (2Co 13:11, the Revised Version, margin "Rejoice: be perfected").

(2) As equivalent to our saying "good-bye," it represents the Greek apotassomai, "to separate one's self," "to take leave," "to bid farewell" (Lu 9:61, "to bid farewell to them that are at my house"; Ac 18:21, "bade them farewell," the Revised Version (British and American) "taking his leave of them").

See FARE; GREETING.

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. ad., interj. Adieu, good-by. II. n. 1. Adieu, valediction, leave-taking. 2. Leave, departure, last look, last glance.

Moby Thesaurus

Godspeed, adieu, aloha, by, bye-bye, conge, departing, departure, doch-an-dorrach, final, good-bye, last, leave, leave-taking, leaving, outward-bound, parting, parting words, send-off, so long, stirrup cup, valediction, valedictorian, valedictory, valedictory address, viaticum