fleece

1 of 2

noun

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Innovative styles include a fleece corset ($125), a canvas cropped button-up ($125), a cargo short ($155), a team graphic tee ($110), the WNBA tee ($110), and the WNBA fleece hoodie ($185) in addition to a jogger ($145). Essence, 8 Sep. 2025 In many workplaces, the fleece vest has effectively toppled the sport jacket as the outermost layer of choice. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
All the trucks that Buck Strickland buys his investors in episode 10 are from Bronco Barry’s car dealership, which fleeced Bobby into buying a horse a few episodes earlier. Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2025 Now more than ever, Uncle Sam will be looking for courageous insiders to step forward to ensure that the promise to treat disease doesn’t become an opportunity to fleece taxpayers instead. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fleece

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 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fleece was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fleece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fleece. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

fleece

1 of 2 noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on fleece

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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