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 another layer of comfort on the bed or couch, grab this fleece blanket that’s warm without being too heavy. —Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 2 Dec. 2025

Add an elegant full-length mirror to make your space look larger, snuggle up to a plush fleece throw blanket in front of the fireplace, or maximize your bathroom storage with a sleek cabinet to keep toiletries and towels organized. —Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2025

Verb

What made the Dončić–Davis trade such a bewildering spectacle, aside from the lack of draft picks Dallas received, was the stunning absence of this preamble, and the instantaneous, universal agreement that the Mavericks had been fleeced. —Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2025

The mobsters are accused of pocketing some of the $7 million that was fleeced from unsuspecting victims who were drawn to poker tables in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and Long Island’s seaside playground for the rich and famous. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025

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