fur

1 of 3

verb

ˈfər 

furred; furring

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

2 of 3

noun

often attributive

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)

furless

ˈfər-ləs 

adjective

fur

3 of 3

abbreviation

furlong

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.

Synonyms

Noun

• wool
• hair
• coat

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

Purple blossoms furred the redbuds along his driveway; here and there beneath them were sprays of yellow forsythia. —Jamie Quatro, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024

Purple blossoms furred the redbuds along his driveway; here and there beneath them were sprays of yellow forsythia. —Jamie Quatro, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024

Noun

After a hearty shake, the animals are rested and ready for action, with healthy, shiny fur coats at that. —Mari Andrew, Time, 1 July 2025

These animals can grow up to two feet in length, weigh up to 11 pounds, and have reddish-brown fur and a yellow belly. —Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 1 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English furren, from Anglo-French furrer to stuff, fill, line, from fuerre sheath, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German fuotar sheath; akin to Greek pōma lid, cover, Sanskrit pāti he protects

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fur

• fur fly
• fur seal
• northern fur seal
• southern fur seal

Rhymes for fur

• birr
• blur
• bur
• cur
• er
• fir
• furr
• gurr
• her
• murr
• myrrh
• per

Kids Definition

fur

noun

ˈfər

1

: a piece of the pelt of an animal

2

: an article of clothing made with fur

3

: the hairy coat of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick

furless

-ləs

adjective

furred

ˈfərd

adjective

Etymology

Noun

Middle English furre "a piece of animal skin used to line a garment," from furren (verb) "to line a garment with fur," from early French furrer, "to stuff, fill, line," from fuerre "sheath," of Germanic origin

Word Origin

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 animal hair 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 coat that covers or encases an animal traces back to a word for a sheath that encases a knife or sword.

Medical Definition

fur

noun

ˈfər 

often attributive

1

: the hairy coat of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick

2

: a coat of epithelial debris on the tongue