fleece

1 of 2

noun

ˈflēs 

1

a

: the coat of wool covering a wool-bearing animal (such as a sheep)

b

: the wool obtained from a sheep at one shearing

2

a

: any of various soft or woolly coverings

b

: a soft bulky deep-piled knitted or woven fabric used chiefly for clothing

fleece

2 of 2

verb

fleeced; fleecing

transitive verb

1

a

: to strip of money or property by fraud or extortion

b

: to charge excessively for goods or services

2

: to remove the fleece from : shear

3

: to dot or cover with fleecy masses

Synonyms of fleece

Noun

• wool
• hair

Verb

• cheat
• squeeze
• pluck
• sting
• hustle
• stick
• screw
• swindle
• beat
• skin
• bilk
• deceive
• stiff
• hose
• do
• defraud
• mulct
• victimize
• bleed
• sucker

Examples of fleece in a Sentence

Noun

learning how to shear the fleece off a sheep

Verb

Don't let that salesman fleece you.

an unsuspecting tourist fleeced by a scam artist

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For long travel days, comfort is key for me, which is why sweatpants like these Hanes fleece bottoms are an essential. —Melony Forcier, InStyle, 12 June 2026

If temperatures are predicted to drop lower than -10˚F, consider protecting plants with blankets or several layers of horticultural fleece. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 June 2026

Verb

At his sentencing in 2024, Bailyn, the prosecutor, described Lorquet as a greedy criminal who fleeced his country at one of its weakest moments in history. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026

Detective John Bolden, 47, a 20-year NYPD veteran who retired from the force in October, schemed to fleece the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which offered loans to small businesses forced to close or at risk of closing during the COVID pandemic. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English flees, from Old English flēos; akin to Middle High German vlius fleece and perhaps to Latin pluma feather, down

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for fleece

• cease
• crease
• gees
• geese
• grease
• grece
• lease
• leese
• niece
• piece
• prese
• seis

Kids Definition

fleece

1 of 2 noun

ˈflēs 

1

: the woolly coat of an animal (as a sheep)

2

a

: any of various soft or woolly coverings

b

: a soft bulky knitted or woven fabric used especially for clothing

fleecy

ˈflē-sē

adjective

fleece

2 of 2 verb

fleeced; fleecing

1

: to rob by trickery

2

: to remove the fleece from : shear