fur

verb

\ ˈfər

furred; furring

Definition of fur

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to cover, line, trim, or clothe with fur

2 : to coat or clog as if with fur

3 : to apply furring to

intransitive verb

: to become coated or clogged as if with fur

fur

noun, often attributive

Definition of fur (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : a piece of the dressed pelt of an animal used to make, trim, or line wearing apparel

2 : an article of clothing made of or with fur

3 : the hairy coat of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick also : such a coat with the skin

4 : a coating resembling fur: such as

a : a coat of epithelial debris on the tongue

b : the thick pile of a fabric (such as chenille)

fur

abbreviation

Definition of fur (Entry 3 of 3)

furlong

Other Words from fur Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about fur

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Did You Know?

When the word fur first came into English, it was a verb that meant “to line a person’s garment with the soft hair of an animal.” The noun developed from the verb. First, the noun referred to the animal hair that was used for lining and trimming a garment. Then it came to refer to the hairy coat on the animal itself. The verb, not much used anymore, was taken from the early French verb furrer, meaning “to stuff, fill, line.” It was formed from an earlier French word meaning “a sheath.” Thus our word fur for the hairy coat that covers or encases an animal traces back to a word for a sheath that encases a knife or sword.

Examples of fur in a Sentence

Noun

The cat has black-and-white fur. The rabbit's fur is soft. Her gloves are lined with fur. He made his fortune trading furs in the 17th century. Her new fur is a full-length mink coat. a teddy bear with soft fur

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Even a few hours in a fruit bowl on a summer afternoon is enough to fur them with mold, after which emergency measures may or may not help. 3. — New York Times, "The Best Fruits of Summer, Ranked," 22 May 2018 One vendor sold from racks of authentic furs while another offered a fur tissue box covers and fur hot water bottles. — Beth Spotswood, San Francisco Chronicle, "Edgewood Auxiliary puts on a high-end fundraiser for Bay Area kids," 1 May 2018 His usual hot-spot area is fully furred and not itchy. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, "So You Want to Get Your Dog on a Raw-Foot Diet," 24 Apr. 2018 But full lips and furred brows aside, her influence on fashion is debatable. — Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, "Nothing Comes Between Brooke Shields and Her New Line for QVC," 14 Mar. 2018 And now with fellow early adopters like Naomi Campbell joining in, Rihanna has helped to create a more general desire for footwear that is fringed, furred, and feathered. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Rihanna Loves Her Yeti Boots—And You Can Too," 26 Oct. 2017 There’s pathos in Newt’s mission to save these furred and feathered beings, an honorable calling that serves as a bewitched if overly tidy and cute vision of our own better natures. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, "Eddie Redmayne’s Guide to ‘Fantastic Beasts’ SEPT. 12, 2016," 17 Nov. 2016

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Ari Lennox bopped out onstage in a knee-length red fur coat, covering up an all-black ensemble—each step filled with confidence. — Joi-marie Mckenzie, Essence, "Ari Lennox Reveals The Real Meaning Behind One Of Her Fans' Favorite Songs," 7 June 2019 Cownie recalls visiting New York in the 1980s, when the city produced 80% of the nation’s fur coats. — Henry Goldman, Fortune, "Will Bill de Blasio's Backing a NYC Fur Ban Harm His Presidential Bid?," 5 June 2019 California has been a leading state in banning fur products stateside. — Ana Colón, Glamour, "Los Angeles Might Become the Largest U.S. City to Ban the Sale of Fur," 19 Sep. 2018 For a long time, faux fur was the environmentally friendly choice for fashionistas, but as Refinery29 reports, that’s no longer necessarily the case. — Aubrey Nagle, Philly.com, "Philly's eviction crisis, inside Southwest flight's emergency landing | Morning Newsletter," 19 Apr. 2018 Other elements of her costumes in season eight reflect that: Her wardrobe incorporates fur and fish scales, which tie back to the Stark and Tully family sigils. — Glamour, "The Meaning Behind Sansa Stark's Necklace on Game of Thrones," 23 Apr. 2019 The couple just added not one, but two absolutely adorable fur babies to their family. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy Just Added Two New Members to Their Family," 9 Feb. 2019 Harry the cat has some cute orange fur, obviously a reference to the prince's ginger hair. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Meghan Markle's Patronage Mayhew Just Named Kitties After Her, Prince Harry, and Kate Middleton," 31 Jan. 2019 Someone from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago sent up a vest that resembled gorilla fur. — Lainey Seyler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Keepers at Milwaukee County Zoo worked 24/7 to care for baby gorilla after its parents died," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.