felt

¹

[felt]

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of feel.

felt

²

[felt]

noun

1. a nonwoven fabric of wool, fur, or hair, matted together by heat, moisture, and great pressure.

2. any article made of this material, as a hat.

3. any matted fabric or material, as a mat of asbestos fibers, rags, or old paper, used for insulation and in construction.

adjective

1. pertaining to or made of felt.

verb (used with object)

1. to make into felt; mat or press together.

2. to cover with or as with felt.

verb (used without object)

1. to become matted together.

felt

¹

/ fɛlt /

noun

1. 1. a matted fabric of wool, hair, etc, made by working the fibres together under pressure or by heat or chemical action

   2. ( as modifier )

      a felt hat

2. any material, such as asbestos, made by a similar process of matting

verb

1. (tr) to make into or cover with felt

2. (intr) to become matted

felt

²

/ fɛlt /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of feel

Word History and Origins

Origin of felt¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German Filz; filter

Word History and Origins

Origin of felt¹

Old English; related to Old Saxon filt , Old High German filz felt, Latin pellere to beat, Greek pelas close; see _anvil , _filter

Example Sentences

It’s a gamble for a party facing its lowest approval numbers since the Reagan era — and a calculated risk Democratic leaders felt feel compelled to take.

From Los Angeles Times

That night, standing with Amy in a dark, abandoned prison, I felt my heart race and I wiped my sweaty palms again and again on my shirt to keep the grip on my flashlight.

From Salon

A couple of years ago I might have felt uneasy with George’s insistence to make his wife breakfast, his keeping her stuff, and his gift-giving, because it smacks against the acceptance stage of grief work.

From Salon

Such a prospect once felt unimaginable for Geordies when Newcastle were fighting relegation not so long ago.

From BBC

She arrived in Kenya in 1957, thrilled to be living in the Africa she had “always felt stirring in my blood.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fur 
• leather 
• skin 
• wool