feign

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feign verb. ME.
[Old & mod. French feign- pres. stem of feindre from Latin fingere form, conceive, contrive.]
1. verb trans. Fashion materially. rare. ME.
2. verb trans. Invent (a story, excuse, etc.); forge (a document); counterfeit. arch. ME.
3. verb trans. Allege, maintain fictitiously. ME.
4. a. verb refl. & intrans. Disguise one's sentiments; dissemble. ME-M16.
b. verb trans. Disguise, conceal. ME-L16.
5. verb intrans. & refl. Avoid duty by false pretences, shirk; be reluctant to do. ME-M16.
6. verb trans. Make a show of, simulate, pretend to. ME.
P. Pearce Tom could not feign interest in what seemed so far away in time. A. Schlee Charlotte..feigned a weakness she did not entirely feel.
b. verb intrans. Practise simulation. E17.
7. verb refl. & (now usu.) intrans. with compl. Pretend to be; pretend to be, to do. ME.
Defoe Satan made David feign himself mad. Q. Crisp The only method..by which one can survive one's emotions is to feign not to have them.
8. verb trans. Represent in fiction. Now rare. LME.
b. verb intrans. Make fictitious statements. LME-M17.
9. verb trans. Imagine (what is unreal). Now rare. LME.
b. Believe erroneously and arbitrarily. M16-E18.
c. Assume fictitiously for purposes of calculation. arch. L17.
10. verb trans. Adulterate. rare. LME-E17.
11. verb trans. & intrans. Pretend to deal (a blow etc.). LME-M17.
12. verb intrans. & trans. Music. Sing softly, hum; sing with due regard to the accidentals not indicated by old notation. LME-E17.
feignedly adverb in a feigned manner. LME.
feignedness noun the quality of being feigned LME.
feigner noun LME.
feigning noun (a) the action of the verb; (b) an assumption, a fiction: LME.
feigningly adverb in a feigning manner LME.