Etymology Origin unknown. Possibly from Old Irish fid
1
Nautical, Transport A pointed tool without any sharp edges, used in weaving or knotwork to tighten and form up weaves or complex knots; used in sailing ships to open the strands of a rope before splicing.
2
Nautical, Transport A square bar of wood or iron, with a shoulder at one end, to support the weight of the topmast (on a ship).
3
A plug of oakum for the vent of a gun.
4
A small thick piece of anything.
Four — dreadfully unclad — men, carefully oiled, to protect their skin against the great heat, are moving about with long iron spoons, stirring here and mixing there, or kneading into little fids various compounds of coarse sugar and rancid butter […]1872, The Eclectic Magazine: Foreign Literature:
5
A wooden or metal bar or pin, used to support or steady anything.
Etymology Origin unknown. Possibly from Old Irish fid
1
To support a topmast using a fid.
Fid
noun
Etymology From FIDS (“Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey”), a former name of the British Antarctic Survey.
1
Slang A British worker with the British Antarctic Survey.
The British use the term “fidlets”, a diminutive of “Fid”, which in turn is an acronym for Falkland Island Dependencies, the former name of the British Antarctic Survey.2024 June 20, Eva Corlett, “Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang”, in The Guardian: