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

That was my America right there: pastel greenish-brown of grass furring the rolling hills. — Colin Barrett, Harper's magazine, "“Just Keep Going North”," 5 July 2019 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

Ramona immediately takes Dorothy under her wing, at one point literally inviting her to snuggle up next to her inside her fur coat. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, "‘Hustlers’ shines with a thoughtful storyline, an Oscar-worthy J-Lo and a scene-stealing Lizzo," 12 Sep. 2019 In California, for example, the right of publicity only prohibits commercial uses of one’s likeness (e.g., using Kit Harrington’s image to promote a new line of fur coats). — David Singer, The Hollywood Reporter, "How Hollywood Can (and Can’t) Fight Back Against Deepfake Videos (Guest Column)," 7 Sep. 2019 Sick of boredom, many locals arrived, walking their dogs, with their fur coats parted and flattened by sharp gusts. — Kevin Spear, orlandosentinel.com, "Hurricane Dorian’s thunderous surf is awesome, fearsome relief to tedium in Brevard County," 3 Sep. 2019 The white fur coat might have been his most famous accessory, but the knee brace was Broadway Joe’s most important. — SI.com, "A History of Football in 100 Objects," 28 Aug. 2019 In the original movies -- both the 1961 animated version and the 1996 live-action adaptation -- Cruella de Vil is a rich, spoiled old lady hell bent on stealing dalmatian puppies to create a new fur coat. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, "Disney reveals Emma Stone's new look as a punk rock Cruella de Vil," 24 Aug. 2019 Last but not least, Rosalía stepped out the other day in Miami dressed in a white faux fur coat that her mother handmade for her pop star daughter. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "Steve Lacy Takes One of Summer’s Most Peculiar Trends Into the Bathtub," 22 Aug. 2019 Rocking fur coats and tie-dye sets, Zaza is on her way to becoming a huge style maven. — Maiya Carmichael, Essence, "Instagram's Favorite Toddler Zaza Is A Style Maven," 9 Aug. 2019 We are overwhelmed by the number of wonderful people ready to give Mr. B his fur-ever home. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "26-Pound Shelter Cat Named Mr. B Breaks Hearts and the Internet: 'He's a Chonk of a Chonk'," 23 Aug. 2019

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.