Plural of foy; farewell gifts, farewell feasts, or other items/occasions related to departure or parting.
From Middle English and Old English 'foy,' possibly from Dutch or Old French origins meaning a farewell gift or parting feast. The word has largely fallen out of modern English but survives in historical texts.
A 'foy' was a farewell gift or goodbye feast when someone was leaving—and the tradition was so common in medieval times that it had its own dedicated word. The practice survives in modern wedding gifts and retirement parties, but we've forgotten the beautiful old word for it.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.