fur

[fur] /fɜr/
noun
1.
the fine, soft, thick, hairy coat of the skin of a mammal.
2.
the skin of certain animals, as the sable, ermine, or beaver, covered with such a coat, used for lining, trimming, or making garments.
3.
a garment made of fur.
4.
any coating resembling or suggesting fur, as certain matter on the tongue.
5.
Heraldry. any conventional representation of a fur, as ermine, vair, potent, or their variations.
adjective
6.
of or pertaining to fur, animal skins, dressed pelts, etc.:
a fur coat; a fur trader.
verb (used with object), furred, furring.
7.
to line, face, or trim, with fur, as a garment.
8.
Building Trades. to apply furring to (a wall, ceiling, etc.).
9.
to clothe (a person) with fur.
10.
to coat with foul or deposited matter.
Idioms
11.
make the fur fly,
  1. to cause a scene or disturbance, especially of a violent nature; make trouble:
    When the kids got mad they really made the fur fly.
  2. to do things quickly:
    She always makes the fur fly when she types.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English furre (noun), derivative of furren to trim with fur < Anglo-French furrer, Old French fo(u)rrer orig. to encase, derivative of fuerre sheath < Germanic; akin to Old English fōdder case, sheath, Old Norse fōthr, Greek pṓma
Related forms
furless, adjective
Can be confused
fir, fur.

fur.

1.
furlong; furlongs.
Examples from the web for fur
  • fur must reflect light realistically, and long hair should wave around as the character moves.
  • Moreover, animals often seem to groom each other for far longer than is strictly necessary to keep their fur pristine.
  • The unusual animals are the result of a recessive gene that grants them snowy white coats instead of the normal golden fur.
  • The adventurers did not themselves hunt the fur-bearing animals, hunting the natives instead.
  • One would think all the rest of the fur-bearing animals had been slain.
  • Though fur helps protect skin, sunburn can occur, particularly in animals with light skin and fur.
  • fur and leather, as everyone knows, mean slaughtering animals.
  • The fur and feathers of aquatic animals and birds contain water repellent oils and fats secreted by the creatures.
  • There is little distinction between wearing fur and wearing leather.
  • Anyone who wears fur is vain as well as willfully oblivious to the cruelty that produced that fur, period.
British Dictionary definitions for fur

fur

/fɜː/
noun
1.
the dense coat of fine silky hairs on such mammals as the cat, seal, and mink
2.
  1. the dressed skin of certain fur-bearing animals, with the hair left on
  2. (as modifier): a fur coat
3.
a garment made of fur, such as a coat or stole
4.
  1. a pile fabric made in imitation of animal fur
  2. a garment made from such a fabric
5.
(heraldry) any of various stylized representations of animal pelts or their tinctures, esp ermine or vair, used in coats of arms
6.
(informal) a whitish coating of cellular debris on the tongue, caused by excessive smoking, an upset stomach, etc
7.
(Brit) a whitish-grey deposit consisting chiefly of calcium carbonate precipitated from hard water onto the insides of pipes, boilers, and kettles
8.
make the fur fly, to cause a scene or disturbance
verb furs, furring, furred
9.
(transitive) to line or trim a garment, etc, with fur
10.
(often foll by up) to cover or become covered with a furlike lining or deposit
11.
(transitive) to clothe (a person) in a fur garment or garments
Derived Forms
furless, adjective
Word Origin
C14: from Old French forrer to line a garment, from fuerre sheath, of Germanic origin; related to Old English fōdder case, Old Frisian fōder coat lining

fur.

abbreviation
1.
furlong
Word Origin and History for fur
n.

late 14c. "trimming or lining of a garment" (implied c.1300 in surname Furhode "fur hood"), probably from Old French fourrer "to line, sheathe," from fuerre "sheath, covering," from Frankish *fodr or another Germanic source (cf. Old Frisian foder "coat lining," Old High German fotar "a lining," German Futter, Gothic fodr "sword sheath"), from Proto-Germanic *fodram "sheath."

Sense transferred in English from the notion of a lining to the thing used in it. First applied early 15c. to animal hair still on the animal.

I'le make the fur Flie 'bout the eares of the old Cur. [Butler, "Hudibras," 1663]
As a verb, from c.1300, from Old French fourrer. Related: Furred; furring.

Slang definitions & phrases for fur

fur

noun
  1. The vulva; pubic hair (1893+) vfurburgerx
  2. The vulva
  3. A very attractive woman; eatin' stuff (1960s+ College students)

Related Abbreviations for fur

fur.

furlong
Idioms and Phrases with fur
Encyclopedia Article for fur

fine, soft, hairy covering or coat of mammals that has been important to humankind throughout history, chiefly for warmth but also for decorative and other purposes.

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