Skip to the word

Added 10 October 2026

fisticuff

noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). More about fisticuff at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A fistfight.
A cuff or blow administered with the fist.

verb

To engage in a physical fight.
To strike, fight or spar with the fists.

Origin

From fist + cuff (“blow with the hand”). Modern uses as a verb are a back-formation on the plural uses of the noun.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word