Feral
fe·ral [fi(ə)rəl] adj. - (esp. of an animal) In a wild state, esp. after escape from captivity or domestication: "a feral cat".
Synonyms: ferine, savage
Etymology: c.1600, from Middle French feral "wild," from Latin fera, in phrase fera bestia "wild animal," from ferus "wild" (see fierce).
Or, if you're playing Fallout 3, this could be a person who was ghoulified by radiation.
33 comments:
I always think cat when I see that word.
Fallout 3 rocks!
I always think of feral cats on farms whose litters have to be disposed of.
I'm like Alex and Sally. Cats come to mind. Enjoy your day off from this.
Hmm. How about a feral blogger? That would be a fun site to visit.
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
Like kids leaving home for the first time and heading off to college! Man was I ever Feral!! :)
The neighborhood kids fight like feral cats! Somebody is going to end up in a body bag! Visiting from A-Z
Ha! I remember those ghouls!
Now you're talking. Here's a word that OFTEN describes me.
meow.
purr.
hiss.
scratch.
bleed.
ouch.
:P
I really like the word feral. Happy F!
Feral makes me think of the feral children found in the wild.
I also think of a cat when I see this word.
I think of children.
definitely cats and small children...dirty, sticky, sweaty small children.
here's my F post
http://smhasty.blogspot.com/2013/04/26-books-that-changed-my-life-6.html
Feral is a word we use around here a lot. At one time I was caring for four feral cats and trying to domesticate them. I succeed with three. Not bad.
I always thought this was an interesting word. Especially because you could conceivably switch the vowels and pronounce it the same way-- Farel.
Jaimie
Living in the Light
A to Z Ambassador
I had a cat who misunderstood the difference between domesticated and feral. I still have the scratch scars to prove it.
I've used that term many times lately, having had to get a feral cat trap to catch three feral cats.
From A to Z, Kristen's blog: kristenhead.blogspot.com
I knew someone with that last name. Spelled it like Will Ferrell though. Totally fit him. Scary dude.
Is feral not a commonly used word where you live? It is here in New Zealand, and generally to describe cats.
Rhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com
AtoZ #42
LOL! In Australia it's often used to describe a person of a lower socio-economic standing who seems a bit "rough".
LOL - I was just about to write the same comment as Kellie @Delightfully Ludicrous! When I saw the title of this post, I immediately regressed to my Australian childhood and the not-so-nice use of this word!!
http://www.mydestinationunknown.com
A to Z Participant
Ghoulifed by radiation works
better than getting rabies
ha
A to Z and creativity rocks
Hahahaha! Fallout commandeers the word Feral.
So great.
I enjoy this refresh word/etymology posts, thanks Matthew!
And interestingly, my post for 'E' was all about animalistic behavior :)
Ghoulified by radiation?!! ME-OW!
Interesting word choice for today! I must admit that I tend to think more of feral children, but from a psychological perspective.
The Fallout 3 tidbit was a nice add-on, though. :-)
Lyre at Lyre's Musings
Where do you come up with these words? You are like the master ninja of vocabulary.
I hated starting my car when there were feral cats sleeping under it.
Awesome word!!
We have feral cats all over our neighborhood who stalk our compost. The current alpha-cat we have nicknamed "Compost" because he/she likes to sit on the compost pile and not let anyone else onto it...
Tina @ Life is Good
Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge
What a great word! Wonder why everyone thinks of feral cats and never feral dogs.
Feral even sounds raw and gritty... just like the meaning!
Writer In Transit
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