fleece
Origin of fleece
OTHER WORDS FROM fleece
fleece·a·ble, adjectivefleeceless, adjectivefleecelike, adjectivefleecer, nounWords nearby fleece
MORE ABOUT FLEECE
What does fleece mean?
Fleece is the outer coat of wool that covers a sheep, goat, llama, or similar animal, as in Wool made from a sheep’s fleece can be scratchy, but wool from llama’s fleece is soft and buttery.
Fleece can also mean the wool collected from these animals or fabric made from it, as in Sheep farmers depend on getting good prices for recently cut fleeces to keep their farms going.
Related to these senses, you can use fleece as a verb to mean shearing, or cutting, the wool off a sheep, as in The farmer’s son spent all morning fleecing the flock of sheep.
Fleece also refers to fabrics or garments made from the fleece of an animal or a fabric that resembles the texture of a fleece. Coats and jackets made with polyester with a soft, silky pile are commonly referred to as fleeces.
Finally, fleece is commonly used to mean cheating or swindling a person out of money, as in I was fleeced out of a hundred dollars this morning by a fake insurance salesman.
Example: Children always love touching the soft fleece of the llamas at the petting zoo.
Where does fleece come from?
The first records of fleece come from before the year 1000. It ultimately comes from the Old English flēos and is related to a variety of forms in other languages from the German Vlies.
Humans have been tending sheep since at least 5000 BCE, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that the history of fleece goes back pretty far. Wool has been used for warm clothing for nearly as long and has been a highly desired commodity throughout human history.
While the sheep may not be big fans of being sheared, veterinarians advise farmers to fleece their sheep to prevent possible health issues caused by overgrown coats of hair. For this reason, sheep will often be fleeced regularly even if the owner doesn’t intend to sell the wool.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to fleece?
- fleeceable (adjective)
- fleeceless (adjective)
- fleecelike (adjective)
- fleecer (noun)
What are some synonyms for fleece?
What are some words that share a root or word element with fleece?
What are some words that often get used in discussing fleece?
How is fleece used in real life?
Due to a tragic lack of sheep farmers on social media, fleece is most commonly used to refer to clothing or as a synonym for cheat or swindle.
Hoping the club is cold so I can wear my fleece all night
— Matt Mondanile (@mattmondanile) November 26, 2016
oh to be a fleece blanket tumble drying on high heat
— molly (@mollypdf) October 19, 2020
the fact that we are leaving Portugal, the plane is delayed and I got fleeced out of €10 for a subway is really upsetting me 😫
— Siân Farrington (@sianfarrington1) February 12, 2014
Try using fleece!
Fleece is the coat of hair cut off of a:
A. cat
B. moose
C. sheep
D. dog