fur
1 Americannoun
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the fine, soft, thick, hairy coat of the skin of a mammal.
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the skin of certain animals, as the sable, ermine, or beaver, covered with such a coat, used for lining, trimming, or making garments.
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a garment made of fur.
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any coating resembling or suggesting fur, as certain matter on the tongue.
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Heraldry. any conventional representation of a fur, as ermine, vair, potent, or their variations.
adjective
verb (used with object)
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to line, face, or trim, with fur, as a garment.
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Building Trades. to apply furring to (a wall, ceiling, etc.).
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to clothe (a person) with fur.
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to coat with foul or deposited matter.
idioms
abbreviation
noun
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the dense coat of fine silky hairs on such mammals as the cat, seal, and mink
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the dressed skin of certain fur-bearing animals, with the hair left on
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( as modifier )
a fur coat
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a garment made of fur, such as a coat or stole
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a pile fabric made in imitation of animal fur
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a garment made from such a fabric
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heraldry any of various stylized representations of animal pelts or their tinctures, esp ermine or vair, used in coats of arms
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informal a whitish coating of cellular debris on the tongue, caused by excessive smoking, an upset stomach, etc
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a whitish-grey deposit consisting chiefly of calcium carbonate precipitated from hard water onto the insides of pipes, boilers, and kettles
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to cause a scene or disturbance
verb
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(tr) to line or trim a garment, etc, with fur
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(often foll by up) to cover or become covered with a furlike lining or deposit
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(tr) to clothe (a person) in a fur garment or garments
abbreviation
Other Word Forms
- furless adjective
Etymology
Origin of fur
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English furre (noun), derivative of furren “to trim with fur,” from Anglo-French furrer, Old French fo(u)rrer, originally “to encase,” derivative of fuerre “sheath,” from Germanic; akin to Old English fōdder “case, sheath,” Old Norse fōthr, Greek pṓma
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Use of fur in the global fashion industry has dramatically fallen in recent years due to concerns about animal cruelty, changing trends and new synthetic alternatives.
From Barron's
She looked perfectly angelic in an all-white glittery dress, complete with a flowing fur shawl.
From BBC
He was still several blocks away when a woman wearing a wide-brimmed bonnet and a fur cloak approached.
From Literature
The designer's first Autumn-Winter collection, for both men and women, featured black, white and green furs, all restyled, and a minimalist colour palette of mostly black, white and pale blue.
From Barron's
A musk ox of his refinement cannot spend the day traipsing up and down, getting his fur all sweaty and unmanageable.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
