foison

Borrowed from Old French foison, from Latin fūsiō, fūsiōnem. Doublet of fusion.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɔɪzən/

foison (plural foisons)

1. (archaic) An abundance, a rich supply of.
2. (archaic) Harvest.
   • 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene i], page 7:

     Gonzalo: […] Treaſon, fellony, / Sword, Pike, Knife, Gun, or neede of any Engine / Would I not haue : but Nature ſhould bring forth / Of it owne kinde, all foyzon, all abundance / To feed my innocent people.

3. (chiefly Scotland) Strength, power.

From Middle French foison, from Old French foison, inherited from Latin fūsiōnem, singular accusative of fūsiō. Doublet of fusion, a borrowing.

• IPA^(key): /fwa.zɔ̃/

foison f (uncountable)

1. (dated) abundance, great deal, load

   J'ai foison de copines: I've got plenty of girlfriends.

• à foison
• foisonner
  • foisonnant

• “foison” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

From Old French foison.

foison f (plural foisons)

1. much; a lot of

• French: foison

Inherited from Latin fūsiō, fūsiōnem.

foison f (oblique plural foisons, nominative singular foison, nominative plural foisons)

1. much; a lot of

• English: foison (borrowed)
• Middle French: foison
  • French: foison