Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The background of a design in lace.
  • adjective Having a strong liking, inclination, or affection.
  • adjective Affectionate; tender.
  • adjective Immoderately affectionate or indulgent; doting.
  • adjective Cherished; dear.
  • adjective Archaic Naively credulous or foolish.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • An obsolete preterit of find.
  • Foolish; simple; silly.
  • Exhibiting or expressing foolishness or folly.
  • Foolishly tender and loving; doting; weakly indulgent; also (without implication of weakness or foolishness), tender; loving; very affectionate.
  • Foolishly or extravagantly prized; hence, trifling; trivial.
  • Disposed to prize highly or to like very much; feeling affection or pleasure: usually followed by of, rarely by an infinitive: as, to be fond of children; to be fond of oysters.
  • Cloyingly sweet in taste or smell; fulsome; luscious.
  • To be fond; be in love; dote.
  • To treat with great indulgence or tenderness; caress; fondle.
  • noun A gravy from braized and spiced meats which serves as the foundation for sauces.
  • A Middle English form of fand.
  • noun Bottom.
  • noun Fund; stock.
  • noun (F. pron. fôṅ). A background or groundwork, especially of lace.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Archaic Foolish; silly; simple; weak.
  • adjective Foolishly tender and loving; weakly indulgent; over-affectionate.
  • adjective Affectionate; loving; tender; -- in a good sense.
  • adjective Loving; much pleased; affectionately regardful, indulgent, or desirous; longing or yearning; -- followed by of (formerly also by on).
  • adjective rare Doted on; regarded with affection.
  • adjective obsolete Trifling; valued by folly; trivial.
  • noun Foundation; bottom; groundwork
  • noun (Lace Making) The ground.
  • noun (Cookery) The broth or juice from braised flesh or fish, usually served as a sauce.
  • noun Fund, stock, or store.
  • intransitive verb obsolete To be fond; to dote.
  • transitive verb obsolete To caress; to fondle.
  • imp. of find. Found.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having a liking or affection (for).
  • adjective Affectionate.
  • adjective Indulgent.
  • adjective Outlandish; foolish; silly.
  • noun The background design in lace-making.
  • verb obsolete To have a foolish affection for, to be fond of.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having or displaying warmth or affection
  • adjective absurd or silly because unlikely
  • adjective extravagantly or foolishly loving and indulgent
  • adjective (followed by `of' or `to') having a strong preference or liking for

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Old French fonds, fond, from Latin fundus, bottom.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English fonned, foolish, probably from past participle of fonnen, to be foolish, probably from fonne, fool.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English fond, fonned, past participle of Middle English fonnen ("to be foolish, be simple, dote"), equivalent to fon +‎ -ed. More at fon.

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Examples

  • Alas, I have no dowry to give you, save the blessing of your dear old -- your dear fond, _fond_ father, _ (kisses her forehead) _ But only obey me in this, and Lady Fortune will smile on us all -- smile -- _smile_.

    Oh! Susannah! A Farcical Comedy in Three Acts Mark Ambient

  • While I have no doubt that _au fond ... au fond_ he is a charming boy, quite charming, at present he is -- shall I say?

    The Little Nugget 1928

  • V. ii.199 (334,4) a kind of yesty collection, which carries them through and through the most fond and winnowed opinions] [W: most fann'd] This is a very happy emendation; but I know not why the critic should suppose that _fond_ was printed for _fann'd_ in consequence of any reason or reflection.

    Notes to Shakespeare, Volume III: The Tragedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • He has and always will remain fond of the fans in Minnesota.

    Vikings plan to release Randy Moss Mark Maske 2010

  • Probably the one of which I'm most fond is the barber Floyd Bone, who first makes his appearance in chapter 2:

    Fan Fiction Update 2008

  • In French cooking, a stock is called the fond de cuisine, the foundation of cooking.

    THE TANTE MARIE’S COOKING SCHOOL COOKBOOK MARY RISLEY 2003

  • In French cooking, a stock is called the fond de cuisine, the foundation of cooking.

    THE TANTE MARIE’S COOKING SCHOOL COOKBOOK MARY RISLEY 2003

  • I call her fond names, and make the sign of the cross over it every night.

    The Insulted and the Injured 2003

  • In French cooking, a stock is called the fond de cuisine, the foundation of cooking.

    THE TANTE MARIE’S COOKING SCHOOL COOKBOOK MARY RISLEY 2003

  • John smiled at her in fond thanks – the wife who hindered him by no selfishness or weakness, but was his right hand and support in everything.

    John Halifax, Gentleman 1897

Comments

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  • Originally the past participle of a now obsolete verb 'fon', whose original meaning was "lose flavour, become insipid", later extended to foolishness of various kinds, in particular foolish doting upon something: whence the modern sense, with the foolishness unimplied. Probably related to 'fun'.

    July 17, 2009