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

The line opens at $228 and goes up to $448 and includes insulated jackets and vests, fleece hoodies, leggings, quarter-zip mocknecks and joggers. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Guests equipped with wifi, a fire pit, showers, fleece robes, and tea are left in total seclusion to alternate between hot soaks and cannonballing into the ocean, with intermittent paddleboarding. — Adrienne Matei, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026

Verb

China has stepped up cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to crack down on a vast industry that has flourished in the region in recent years to fleece people out of billions of dollars. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

McColley pushed Parente out onto the street and stomped his boot in the victim’s face five times, crushing Parente’s head into the pavement before fleecing his pockets and fleeing, according to the criminal complaint. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 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