What does "fellow" mean?
Fellow: 2. A man without good breeding or worth; an ignoble or mean man. Worth makes the man, and want of it, the fellow. Pope.
Additional senses
- 2.An equal in power, rank, character, etc. It is impossible that ever Rome Should breed thy fellow. Shak.
- 3.One of a pair, or of two things used together or suited to each other; a mate; the male. When they be but heifers of one year, . . . they are let go to the fellow and breed. Holland. This was my glove; here is the fellow of it. Shak.
- 4.A person; an individual. She seemed to be a good sort of fellow. Dickens.
- 5.In the English universities, a scholar who is appointed to a foundation called a fellowship, which gives a title to certain perquisites and privileges.
- 6.In an American college or university, a member of the corporation which manages its business interests; also, a graduate appointed to a fellowship, who receives the income of the foundation.
- 7.A member of a literary or scientific society; as, a Fellow of the Royal Society. Note: Fellow is often used in compound words, or adjectively, signifying associate, companion, or sometimes equal. Usually, such compounds or phrases are self-explanatory; as, fellow-citizen, or fellow citizen; fellow-student, or fellow student; fellow-workman, or fellow workman; fellow-mortal, or fellow mortal; fellow-sufferer; bedfellow; playfellow; workfellow. Were the great duke himself here, and would lift up My head to fellow pomp amongst his nobles. Ford.
- 8.To suit with; to pair with; to match. [Obs.] Shak.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00