felon

1
[ fel-uh n ]
/ ˈfɛl ən /

noun

Law. a person who has committed a felony.
Archaic. a wicked person.

adjective

Archaic. wicked; malicious; treacherous.

Origin of felon

1
1250–1300; Middle English fel(o)un “wicked, wicked person, evildoer,” from Old French fel (nominative), felun (oblique) “wicked person, traitor,” from Medieval Latin fellon-, stem of fello “villain, evildoer”; ultimate etymology uncertain

usage note for felon

Once a person is no longer engaged in crime we can say "He's a former criminal." And once a person is no longer incarcerated, we can say "She's an ex-convict." Though both statements carry a stigma, they leave open the possibility that the people in question have changed their behavior. But this does not seem to be the case with the term felon , which appears to have no time limit. Once a person has been convicted of a felony, he or she can be considered a felon for life, according to the strict meaning of the word. (The term ex-felon , for example, is rarely used.) Advocates for the reform of our criminal justice system point out that this usage makes it even harder for rehabilitated former criminals to reintegrate into society and thereby turn away from a life of crime.

Definition for felon (2 of 2)

felon 2
[ fel-uh n ]
/ ˈfɛl ən /

noun

an acute and painful inflammation of the deeper tissues of a finger or toe, usually near the nail: a form of whitlow.

Origin of felon

2
1375–1425; late Middle English felo(u)n < Medieval Latin fellōn- (stem of fellō) scrofulous tumor, of uncertain origin

Example sentences from the Web for felon

British Dictionary definitions for felon (1 of 2)

felon 1
/ (ˈfɛlən) /

noun

criminal law (formerly) a person who has committed a felony
obsolete a wicked person

adjective

archaic, or poetic evil; cruel

Word Origin for felon

C13: from Old French: villain, from Medieval Latin fellō, of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for felon (2 of 2)

felon 2
/ (ˈfɛlən) /

noun

a purulent inflammation of the end joint of a finger, sometimes affecting the bone

Word Origin for felon

C12: from Medieval Latin fellō sore, perhaps from Latin fel poison

Medical definitions for felon

felon
[ fĕlən ]

n.

A purulent infection or abscess involving the bulbous distal end of a finger. whitlow