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fresh (frĕsh)
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adj. fresh·er, fresh·est
1.
a. New to one's experience; not encountered before: fresh evidence.
b. Unusual or different: a fresh approach on the problem. See Synonyms at new.
2.
a. Recently made, produced, or harvested; not stale or spoiled: fresh bread.
b. Not preserved, as by canning, smoking, or freezing: fresh vegetables.
3. Not saline or salty: fresh water.
4.
a. Not yet used or soiled; clean: a fresh sheet of paper.
b. Free from impurity or pollution; pure: fresh air.
c. Not dull or faded: a fresh memory.
d. Newly applied, especially to restore or enhance: a fresh coat of paint.
5. Fairly strong and often cool; brisk: a fresh wind.
6.
a. Having just arrived: fashions fresh from Paris.
b. Untried or trained but not experienced: fresh volunteers.
7.
a. Revived or reinvigorated; refreshed: I was fresh as a daisy after the nap.
b. Rested and ready for a long ride. Used of horses.
c. Having the glowing or unspoiled appearance of youth: a fresh complexion.
8. Having recently calved and therefore producing milk. Used of a cow.
9. Informal Lacking respectful restraint; impudent: Don't get fresh with me!
10. Slang Excellent; first-rate.
adv.
Recently; newly: fresh out of milk; muffins baked fresh daily.
n.
1. The early part: the fresh of the day.
2. A freshet.

[Middle English, from Old English fersc, pure, not salty, and from Old French freis (feminine fresche), new, recent, of Germanic origin.]

freshly adv.
freshness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.