Fed n.
1. (US) a Federalist.
 | Mass. Centinel 31 Dec. n.p.: Antis, and Feds, usurp the glory, So long enjoy’d by Whig and Tory [DA]. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Democracy Unveiled 143: Your friends, the Feds, are much delighted. [Ibid.] 148: Demo’s and Feds would all be merry. |
2. (US) a supporter of the Northern cause in the US Civil War, fighting for federal rather than states’ rights.
| Army Police Record in Annals of the Army of the Cumberland 520: The Feds are coming! | |
| [letter] in Hudson Humor of the Old Deep South (1936) 479: ’Tis certain, Miss Clemmie, whether Fed or Confed, / In the plain course of nature you’re destined to wed [...] If Feds and Confeds will cease this vain strife, / And leave a man living to make you his wife. | |
| N.Y. Dramatic News 23 Nov. 3/3: What became of that comedy of yours which I produced under the title of Feds and Confeds? [DA]. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | (ref. to US Civil War) Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 128/2: Fed (Amer., 1860–65). Abbreviation of federal, given to themselves by the Northerners, whereupon the Southerners cut themselves down to Confeds, and met the Northerners at that. |
3. (US, also Federales) a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; often in pl.
| Door of Dread 53: Seein’ Kestner and yuh’d told me the Feds had ev’rything fixt, I give him the glassy eye and sez, ‘Nix, my honey-boy, nix!’. | |
| Dames Don’t Care (1960) 60: The Feds are goin’ to take it for granted that she pulled the counterfeitin’ too. | |
| ‘Saint in Silver’ in Goulart (1967) 64: The feds gave him seven years on a narcotics rap. | |
| On The Road (1972) 242: His ticket was bought by the feds, his destination the parole. | |
| Cotton Comes to Harlem (1967) 66: Why don’t the Feds knock him off? Who’s he paying? | |
| Carlito’s Way 22: Not to forget the hole the feds was diggin’ under the floor. | |
| Wiseguy (2001) 54: The feds claimed they had made over three million dolllars. | |
| Homeboy 21: Had a father I never told you about once played rabbit from the Federales. [...] The feds get sicked on you and those boys don’t know quit. | |
| Skinny Dip 330: They can kiss my ass them feds. | |
| Running the Books 61: He and his buddies had been rounded up [...] by the Feds. | |
| Riker’s 186: After like seventeen hours, the feds come question me. |
4. (Aus.) a federal police officer.
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Glass Canoe (1982) 81: Bloody feds [...] Feds. Wouldn’t feed ’em. If my dogs behaved like that I’d shoot ’em. | |
| Bad Debts (2012) [ebook] Made out he was a fed of some kind. | |
| Dead Point (2008) [ebook] You think I’m such a dumb cunt I’m dealin while I’ve got the fucken Feds on my fucken hammer? | |
| Rubdown [ebook] I have to get to work [...] contact immigration and the feds. |
5. (Aus.) a member of the Federal government.
| Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Apr. 14/1: At themoment they’re leaving it all to Joh, whom they can trust to se that the Feds don’t pull any swifties. | |
| Sydney Morning Herald 11 Dec. 6/5: If you can’t blame the Feds, blame your predecessor. |
6. (US campus) money, i.e. Federal dollar bills.
| College Sl. Research Project (Cal. State Poly. Uni., Pomona) 🌐 Fed(s) (noun) Money. |
7. (Irish/UK black/teen, also federales) a police officer, often in pl.
| Deadmeat 342: ‘Do you know what she did [...] ?’ ‘Called the Feds.’. | |
| ‘Bank Robbery’ 🎵 When the Feds come through I’m going to start a war. | |
| Dirty South 2: Fuck knows where they [i.e. crackhouses] all are now since the Fed clamp down. | |
| Guardian 8 Aug. 🌐 We don’t need pussyhole feds to run the streets and put our brothers in jail so tool up. | |
| ‘Teddy Bruckshot’ 🎵 Chat to the fed, no way, that's dead / Like, how could you chat to the pigs? | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Braywatch 195: ‘Which service do you require?’ And I’m like, ‘The focking Feds! My cor’s been stolen!’. | |
| ‘Dun Deal’ 🎵 The door just knocked, my heartbeat drop, I know federales watch. |