fur

[ fur ]

/ fɜr /

Save This Word!

noun

the fine, soft, thick, hairy coat of the skin of a mammal.

the skin of certain animals, as the sable, ermine, or beaver, covered with such a coat, used for lining, trimming, or making garments.

a garment made of fur.

any coating resembling or suggesting fur, as certain matter on the tongue.

Heraldry. any conventional representation of a fur, as ermine, vair, potent, or their variations.

adjective

of or relating to fur, animal skins, dressed pelts, etc.: a fur coat;a fur trader.

verb (used with object), furred, fur·ring.

to line, face, or trim, with fur, as a garment.

Building Trades. to apply furring to (a wall, ceiling, etc.).

to clothe (a person) with fur.

to coat with foul or deposited matter.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about fur

make the fur fly,

to cause a scene or disturbance, especially of a violent nature; make trouble: When the kids got mad they really made the fur fly.
to do things quickly: He sure makes the fur fly when it’s his turn to do the housecleaning.

Origin of fur

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English furre (noun), derivative of furren “to trim with fur,” from Anglo-French furrer, Old French fo(u)rrer, originally “to encase,” derivative of fuerre “sheath,” from Germanic; akin to Old English fōdder “case, sheath,” Old Norse fōthr, Greek pṓma

OTHER WORDS FROM fur

furless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fur

fir, fur

Other definitions for fur (2 of 2)

fur.

abbreviation

furlong; furlongs.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fur in a sentence

Last year, her group successfully helped push through a measure that made the sale of cat fur illegal in the country.
Will the Swiss Quit Cooking their Kittens and Puppies?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Anderson pleaded with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ban clothing made from animal fur.
Pamela Anderson Is Israel’s No. 1 Fan|Asawin Suebsaeng|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She holds a young girl closely inside her oversized fur coat; both gaze into lens.
London’s Pagan Counterculture Kings|Justin Jones|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her father, who managed a fur trading business in China, died when she was 5.
Still Desperately Seeking Susan Sontag|Allen Barra|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

MOSCOW — Fur coats may well be in high demand this winter among those glamorous ladies in Ukraine who can afford them.
In Ukraine, Winter Is Coming|Anna Nemtsova|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He can't talk much, though; 'tain't good fur him; his lungs is out er kilter.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
With horror she had heard her brother addressed by a disreputable costermonger in a mangy fur cap, as "Old pal."
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
But ef Jos keeps on, airnin' ez much ez he hez so fur, he's goin' ter pay the Injun part on 't, when he cums.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
They're up every mornin' uv thar lives long afore daylight, a feedin' their stock, an' gittin' ready fur the day's work.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Though she was warmly wrapped in a soft rug of silvery fur, a chill crept into her heart.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson

British Dictionary definitions for fur (1 of 2)

fur

/ (fɜː) /

noun

the dense coat of fine silky hairs on such mammals as the cat, seal, and mink

the dressed skin of certain fur-bearing animals, with the hair left on
(as modifier)a fur coat

a garment made of fur, such as a coat or stole

a pile fabric made in imitation of animal fur
a garment made from such a fabric

heraldry any of various stylized representations of animal pelts or their tinctures, esp ermine or vair, used in coats of arms

informal a whitish coating of cellular debris on the tongue, caused by excessive smoking, an upset stomach, etc

British a whitish-grey deposit consisting chiefly of calcium carbonate precipitated from hard water onto the insides of pipes, boilers, and kettles

make the fur fly to cause a scene or disturbance

verb furs, furring or furred

(tr) to line or trim a garment, etc, with fur

(often foll by up) to cover or become covered with a furlike lining or deposit

(tr) to clothe (a person) in a fur garment or garments

Derived forms of fur

furless, adjective

Word Origin for fur

C14: from Old French forrer to line a garment, from fuerre sheath, of Germanic origin; related to Old English fōdder case, Old Frisian fōder coat lining

British Dictionary definitions for fur (2 of 2)

fur.

abbreviation for

furlong

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with fur

fur

see make the dust (fur) fly.