- very evil or violentWord Originat/in one fell swoop. Middle English: from Old French fel, nominative of felon ‘wicked (person)’, from medieval Latin fello, fellon-, of unknown origin.
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Idioms
See fell in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryat/in one fell swoop
- all at the same time; in a single action, especially a sudden or violent one
- If the new law is passed, it will remove press freedom in one fell swoop.
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fell