feist

[fahyst] /faɪst/
noun
1.
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. a small mongrel dog, especially one that is ill-tempered; cur; mutt.
verb (used without object)
2.
South Midland U.S. to prance or strut about:
Look at him feist around in his new clothes.
Also, fice, fist.
Origin
1760-70; compare (from 16th cent.) fisting hound, fisting cur, as contemptuous epithets for any kind of dog (present participle of fist to break wind, late Middle English; compare Old English fisting breaking wind, Middle Low German vīst, German Fist fart); (def 2) perhaps back formation from feisty
Examples from the web for feist
  • feist's voice is gentle but grainy, and full of emotion.
Word Origin and History for feist
n.

also fist, "a breaking wind, foul smell, fart," mid-15c. (Old English had present participle fisting), a general West Germanic word; cf. Middle Dutch veest, Dutch vijst (see feisty).